http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog daily news about cacti and succulents and some california natives too Fri, 16 May 2008 21:29:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The final photo in our series. First we had a horizontal composition, and then a vertical closeup. Let's finish up a bit further back, see more of the plant. Now we can really see the cactus, in shadow, but still clearly there. This also allows us to see the extreme funnels ... http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/16/photographic-compositions-part-3/ Echinopsis subdenudata Here we have the classic closeup posed flower picture. I like the way the other 2 blooms frame the picture, but they're barely there. The focus is definitely on the one flower. It kind of makes you want to dive right in, like a bee. http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/16/back-to-exploring-composition/ Benjamin is on vacation visiting his brother Whylie in Alameda. Here's an older photo of them from last year or so. http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/16/friday-whippet-blogging-19/ Today I'll be exploring composition of a photograph, using a single plant in bloom. I've taken 3 pictures, all with the same background, all with the same cactus with 3 blooms open. Echinopsis subdenudata Here we have the focus on one bloom, but with the other 2 blooms providing both the foreground ... http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/16/photography-composition/ A few weeks ago Vanillalotus went to the San Antonio Garden Center Sale and got her first succulents, including a nice juicy little Aeonium "kiwi". Many have stopped by to offer her encouragement in her new venture into succulent-land. http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/15/link-of-the-day-36/ It's in the mid 90s here. Probably hotter where you are. If you haven't wilted, this would be a good time to water. And give the plants a drink too because it's hot out there. http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/15/hot-out-there/ I wish I were a bird. Then I would eat these lovely manzanita red juicy red extry red berries. Maybe I should eat them anyway. Arctostaphylos "San Bruno Mountain" also known as the Bearberry. I wonder why? http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/15/berries/ The Boston Globe travels to the California desert in Spring, and what do they find? Why, cactus! Spring is to California's southeastern deserts - Joshua Tree, Mojave, and Anza-Borrego - what autumn is to New England. From February to June, depending on rainfall and snow melt, the deserts are alive with ... http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/15/boston-cactus/ The Grand Junction (CO) Sentinel goes trekking for cactus. Ute Canyon is one of four main canyons within Colorado National Monument. It’s not the longest, nor does it contain the most spectacular rock formations... Well, that's not promising. What else are you offereing? Last year at this time, I found... Ruby Red Claret ... http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/15/ute-canyon-cactus/ Slice of the Day has a great photo of a Puya in bloom. Turquoise is the word of the day. http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/14/link-of-the-day-35/ The Christian Science Monitor has published this anecdotally proven method: "The important thing is to water the cactus at exactly the right intervals. These plants came from the desert near Tucson, Ariz. When I brought them back to Boston, I immediately subscribed to an Arizona newspaper. And when the paper says ... http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/14/how-to-grow-cactus-in-boston/ There are so many Echinocereuses and so many of them are hybrids that I just can't keep track. So I don't know if this is a species Echinocereus or a c.v. or a hybrid. I just don't know, and you'll just have to live with that. However, I can tell ... http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/14/stubby-philips-in-bud/ We Get Questions from people about their Euphorbias. Hi there: I am kicking myself that I was so blind to have probably missed this entire blighted side on this cactus before I bought it, just a few weeks ago. What is growing on it? Mold? Rot? Plaque? (I'll break out a ... http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/14/unhealthy/ bunnyunlaced lists the 64 best things about LA, including things like Frank Gehry and Disneyland and Venice Beach (I don't know, maybe that was just me.) Huntington Gardens You visit this 120-acre enclave for a ramble through roses and bonsai. What you don't expect is that desert garden: a live-action Dr. Seuss ... http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/13/link-of-the-day-34/ 2) Attached is also a photo of a prickly pear we purchased from Cactus Jungle. We are unfamiliar with these plants and are wondering if the new growths shown in the photo are new pads and if so, how will we know when we are getting fruit instead of pads. ... http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/2008/05/13/the-second-of-two-questions-2/