Annual Desert Garden Photos

Every year I subject everyone to photos of the few flowers in my yard. Since it's totally xeriscaped, what you get are cacti. Desert plants are strange, but you have to admit that they're also kind of interesting at least for a former Southeasterner like me.


This is one of a variety of prickly pears. There are several varieties growing in my yard, but not all of them are blooming yet. It's been a cold and damp spring, so some of the plants are behind.


These flowers are from a giant cholla in the front yard. The bees love the blossoms, and a family of birds nests in the center every year. Smart birds! Their nest is like a fortress.


The orange blooms come from a variety of barrel cactus, of which I have several specimens around the property. These are typically the first cacti that bloom, so I caught these a little late. Most have already faded.

Another variety of prickly pear.

There are still a couple more varieties left to bloom--a bear paw prickly pear, and another variety of (I think) cholla.