Last month, I posted pictures of one of our night blooming cacti. I had listed it as Epiphyllum oxypetalom, but am now thinking that I was wrong. Carol at May Dreams Gardens grows this and you can clearly see that it has much wider petals. Click here to see her blooms - but I wish I could see her actual plant! The bloom below is more like Carol's. Big and hearty! Maybe Aiyana over at Water When Dry could guide us in this! Do night blooming cactus grow in Arizona? I am thankful that neither of these cacti have thorns. Even though they are bulky to work around and prune, they aren't dangerous!

One thing I love about both of these plants is their source. The top cactus came from my father's yard and the bottom from one my father-in-law dug from a pasture fence-line. Maybe I should just name them Tom's Cactus and LP's Cactus.

I apologize for not really having any information to share - but I hope this post serves as a reminder for me to do a little reading!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - July Edition

Stepping out the front door this morning, it smelled just like heaven! Right by the front door are a couple of potted Maid of Orleans, Jasminum sambac. Although they have been terribley neglected lately, they have already responded to the thorough watering they got last Saturday (4 days!) This is a tender tropical that most of the country grows as a houseplant or an annual. It's a climber (but has no tendrils or suckers). I think it should be given something to weave it's branches around. Some people down here grow it as a large shrub. Pruning probably keeps it bushier than mine are. One thing for sure, Maid of Orleans will bloom and bloom and bloom - and the aroma is heavenly!

This was the first bloom I saw this morning and the only one I'll post for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. My garden is pretty much like it was in June (only a little more parched and stressed). To see what's blooming all over the world today, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Impulse Purchases - Good or Bad

Less than three years ago, this palm was an impulse purchase of mine - actually 200 of these in 1 gallon pots were. and I regretted it almost immediately. It was the first year that we were going to grow (or try to grow) palms for the nursery industry - and we did everything wrong. Some died in our Christmas Eve snow; some we killed with herbicide; some got nibbled on by the deer. But today my impulse purchase has changed from bad to good! I am absolutely lusting after this Clustering Fishtail Palm, Caryota mitis. The leaves on these palms are triangular shaped (much like a fishtail - surprise?) They are easily beaten and shredded by the wind. But even growing out in an open field, you gotta admit this is gorgeous! I do have to admit that it's a bit of a prima dona - it doesn't like the wind; it doesn't like the cold; and when I move it to my house, I'll probably find out that it doesn't like clay soil.

In zone 9B, we can grow Fishtail Palms if we give them a bit of protection from the north wind. They do well in pots as patio plants or in a Courtyard Garden. Farther north, given enough light, they are used as house plants. They are very fast growing. But once an individual stem blooms, it will die. The books say that's no big deal since the other stems just fill in that area. Clustering Fishtail Palms grow to about 20 feet tall by 15 feet wide.
I've been planning on putting a Clustering Fishtail to the right of this window. This spot is protected from our 30+ mph Spring winds. It does faces the North - but out of camera sight is a very large clump of Yucca and three Chinese Fan Palms - hopefully they will divert the North wind.

Personally, this bad impulse purchase has become a good impulse purchase. I don't know if we'll be able to sell all the ones that have survived our abuse, but at least I'll get to enjoy a beautiful specimen.