My cactus garden as of 5/5/12

[Yvonne G]

I don't know the name of the opuntia, but it is one of the spineless varieties.

 

[Jacqui]

I am sorry, but every time I see a cactus with a bloom I just think somebody placed the bloom onto the plant. For some reason I can just not wrap my mind around them being real.

Okay now that the big one has bloomed, you said it will die correct? Is this a long time death or does it happen rather quickly from this point on?

 

[Yvonne G]

It just stops growing, shrivels up and dies. Probably would take about a month for a plant this big.

 

[Yvonne G]

My beautiful agave. The top fronds are already turning crisp, and the lower fronds are yellowing.

 

[wellington]

It dies, like never coming back dies or dies out for the year and will come back next year? You have beautiful cactus. I, like Jacqui, also think that some of the cactus flowers look fake. They feel dry and I always thought the flowers were glued on.

 

[Yvonne G]

Nope, dead and gone! First they make pups (small off-shoot plantlets coming up from the roots around the base of the plant), then they send up a flower stalk, then they die, letting the pups take over the spot. Trouble is, in order to make a nice specimen plant, I cut off all the pups as they appear. This particular plant is about 15 years old.

 

[wellington]

Wow, so it took 15 years for it to flower, then that's it, dead. That doesn't seem right. Kinda sad

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No, not kinda sad, that is really sad

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

Great cactus Yvonne!!! Looks great. We have tons of giant blue agave here if you ever want me to send you some youngsters... We had one that stood 7 foot (without a flower spike) before it had to be taken out. I'm always pulling out pups as you call them

 

[Nixxy]

Absolutely beautiful.

Unfortunately, up in the North East, having such is quite impossible.

And Agave is absolutely delicious!