Just happened to notice that my backyard optunia is sprouting flowers. Never seen it do that, only grow new pads.
I’ll likely be cutting it down eventually, as much as I dislike killing anything. It’s scraggly, and optunias are absolute bastards (awful needles to get in your skin, good luck getting them out…oh, they also go right through jeans and other clothing). I’ll be fully xeriscaping my backyard in the future, and this one just doesn’t fit the vision I have even though it fits into xeriscaping generally.
But yeah its mostly 'cause optunias are bastards. Did I mention that?
Beautiful flower ! I had one in my yard but not so big (your’s is massive) and it would bloom beautiful colorful flowers for me each year. Totally had to wire off area cause the thorns are a bitch and I learned that the hard way while weeding the first year.
This weekend begins our descent into summertime hell - gonna start flirting with 110ºf in the next few days (that’s 43ºc for my global friends). Everyone is getting a heavy drink of water tomorrow morning!
I’ve had to play with the shade cloth situation as I learn how to best set up my greenhouse with this new material I outfitted it with back in February.
While many plants were doing OK, I made some changes to the shade cloth because I had a lot of plants exhibiting signs of stress and not growing. Previously, I had 30% shade cloth on the south-facing (left side) wall and roof. Now I have 50% shade cloth on both sides of the roof and left the walls open.
Felt like it might be too dark at first, but after just a handful of days back in Boston, I came home to find my plants looking MUCH better and several of them now waking up and growing vigorously
Pachypodium brevicaule was going well so I transplanted into my vacant skull pot.
This is my 3rd attempt at growing one of these
Got it a few months ago and it was still in the seedling soil I bought it in, growing vigorously, so I’m keeping it with that instead of my usual potting medium.
That woody bit at the bottom will get big and fat, hopefully filling in the top of the skull.
! I had one in my yard but not so big (your’s is massive) and it would bloom beautiful colorful flowers for me each year. Totally had to wire off area cause the thorns are a bitch and I learned that the hard way while weeding the first year.
. Hope you have been doing well
