Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent. Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
Like River I usually run with a theme. Charitably speaking rather a lot of things in my life are cactus at the moment - so it is just as well that this one flowered so beautifully.
The blooms are perfumed and big - larger than my hand. They only last for twenty-four hours or so, but I think they look interesting on their way out as well...
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent. Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
Like River I usually run with a theme. Charitably speaking rather a lot of things in my life are cactus at the moment - so it is just as well that this one flowered so beautifully.
The blooms are perfumed and big - larger than my hand. They only last for twenty-four hours or so, but I think they look interesting on their way out as well...
I have seen a cactus flower like this. Beautiful!!! Thanks for showing it. Wish I had one.
ReplyDeleteBookie: For the vast majority of the year it is just a cactus, but it is a delight in flower.
Deletethe bloom doesn't look like it goes with the cactus plant does it, wish I could smell the fragrance
ReplyDeleteLinda Starr: It is a delicate and subtle perfume - but lovely.
DeleteLovely analogy EC. Big Christmas hugs from Cairns xx
ReplyDeleteCarol: Christmas hugs right back to you. You must be approaching your holidays now. I hope they are wonderful.
DeleteYes, holidays started on Friday. Looking at my Summer reading list to while away the hours.
DeleteCarol: Live it up. What are you planning on reading?
DeleteI don't think I've ever seen such a big cactus bloom - and I lived in Arizona for many years. Impressive!
ReplyDeleteAlex J. Cavanaugh: They are impressive aren't they? We have other flowering cactii, but none with blooms anything like this.
DeleteBlooming cacti, I have never got down to it, their petals are WHITE, beautiful images EC
ReplyDeleteBob Bushell: There are hints of cream and pink too. A lovely thing...
DeleteSo beautiful even though a short life. I guess it has to give its all to make such beauty.
ReplyDeleteMy mom had a night blooming cactus, and she rejoiced each time it bloomed.
Susan Kane: This one continues to bloom in its first night perfuming the air. And I rejoice too.
DeleteJust down the street, a 16' tall example of this cactus...and a few times a year it blooms its bloody head off, and takes your breath away.
ReplyDeleteAuthor R. Mac Wheeler: I would LOVE to see a 16 foot version in flower. Breathtaking indeed. Photos please...
DeleteThey bloom so rarely but when they do they're so worth the wait. My brother loved cacti when we were growing up and he had his only special section just for cactus plants.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope everything that is cactus around you soon turns into roses (minus the thorns!)....keep your chin up, EC. Have a good week ahead. Best wishes to you, The Skinny One and to your two CEOs. :)
Lee: Thank you. I hope you and your furry overlords have a great week.
DeleteAnd yes, cactii are worth the wait. This one doesn't even bloom every year.
Heh-heh, two CEOs!
DeleteRiver: They both believe there should be only one...
DeleteWow ... now that's a real showstopper ! Lovely to see when a cacti does bloom, even for a short while.
ReplyDeleteWhisper Mist: Isn't it? It is such a flamboyant flower to emerge from the spiky host. The scent is another bonus.
DeleteGorgeous! Now, those certainly don't grow in Minnesota. :-)
ReplyDeleteKathleen Cassen Mickelson: Without doubt you can grow things I can't, and that I lust after...
DeleteDear EC
ReplyDeleteWhat amazing flowers! I think only being able to enjoy each bloom for 24 hours is a fair exchange.
Best wishes
Ellie
Ellie Foster: They are a joy whenever they deign to materialise. When I have noticed a bud I go out several times each day to check the progress.
DeleteYou can wait many years for a cactus to flower, but aren't they so worth the wait. Hope things are soon on the upturn for you.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: Definitely worth the wait. And things will work out, I just need to do a bit of processing. Ok, quite a bit of processing.
DeleteHow spectacular. I don't think I've ever seen a real cactus flower. Such a shame they do not last more than 24hrs. But what a treat for the eyes when they do.
ReplyDeleteWendy: Others of our cactii flower, but they are usually much less showy. This one is special, and worth waiting for. Which is just as well because I have no choice in the matter.
DeleteWe used to keep many cactus in a west window. They bloomed frequently; it may have been like living in Arizona. When one bloomed we gathered around and marveled; they are that wonderful.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Noragon: Exactly that wonderful. We marvel as well. Which is precisely the right word.
DeleteWow! We can't grow cactus here unless it is inside and then they rarely bloom
ReplyDeleteditchingthedog: I am not good with indoor plants, so it is just as well that our climate is more plant friendly (on the whole) than yours.
DeleteLovely! I have always liked the contrast between the prickly exteriors and the gorgeous flowers.
ReplyDeleteAlexia: This one has a particularly vicious exterior. Not only does it have strong spikes, they are interspersed with nasty hairs which break off in your skin if you brush against them, itch like hell and usually fester. Quite the contrast.
DeleteCactus blooms are fascinating.
ReplyDeleteDelores: I think so too.
DeleteVery beautiful like a sweet and charming lady;but prickly if interfered with.
ReplyDeleteVest: These beauties bite if you get too close - interfering with them is even more painful.
DeleteAbsolutely gorgeous and perfect timing, too. Beautiful, and yes, we all have a few of those prickly bits in our lives, don't we? :-)
ReplyDeleteDJan: Somedays rather a lot of prickles - but the beauty is always there as well.
DeleteI love the unusual beauty you share with us.
ReplyDeleteGrannie Annie: Thank you - aren't they charming? And spectacular, and rather a lot of other superlatives...
DeleteThat's amazing that it only lasts 24 hours. It has to release its pollen and take root elsewhere in that short amount of time.
ReplyDeleteMichael D'Agostino: New plants don't seem to grow from seed, but sucker from the base of the cactus. Which I hadn't ever considered. Thank you, I will have to investigate further.
DeleteWOW! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteTeresa: That is what I think.
DeleteSuch a beautiful cactus bloom. Sad that they don't last any longer than 24 hours. But you're right, they do look interesting on their way out too.
ReplyDeleteMason Canyon: The 'going out' stage only lasts a day or two as well.
DeleteThat is a truly spectacular flower. Your cactus plants look to be fairly young, so in years to come you can look forward to more than one flower per plant, although we're talking about quite a lot of years.
ReplyDeleteRiver: I am not certain I will be around to see it. The cactus which is flowering is at least fifteen years old, and might be more...
DeleteWow!
ReplyDeletelynners: That is what I think (and say) each time they bloom.
DeleteAbsolutely beautiful. I hope things are well with you and yours. I'm taking a month-long break from blogging.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
A Cuban in London: Have a wonderful blog break.
DeleteBut you are a cactus with a beautiful heart! Besides, who wants to live a life without being prickly? Or given a wide berth to avoid any temperamental moods? ;) Hugs to you!
ReplyDeleteRiver Fairchild: Like the cactus I keep what beauty I have well hidden. Even from me. Possibly particularly from me. Hugs returned - with interest.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous bloom. I know of a cactus that blooms white, to attract moths in the night. A lot of moth-pollinating flowers have gorgeous scents, like moonflowers, one of my favorites! And the cactus in particular, the one I'm thinking of but cannot remember the name of, has a vanilla scent. So I can only imagine how this one smelled. :)
ReplyDeleteRaquel Somatra: A vanilla scent is infinitely preferable, though possibly no more efficient, than the dead-horse lily which is pollinated by flies it attracts with its carrion scent.
DeleteI always love to see your pictures of flora and fauna. They are all so different from what we have here.
ReplyDeleteStarting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: It is one of the blessings of the blogosphere that we can see and share the beauty in each other's world.
DeleteI've never seen a cactus flower like that. Holy Cow! He's pretty :)
ReplyDeletemshatch: Very, very pretty.
DeleteYou have taken a lovely series of photos of this beautiful cactus bloom. I've never seen anything like it before, and another reason I enjoy visiting so much, I learn :)
ReplyDeleteDeniseinVA: Learning, and sharing beauty are two of the positives that I have found in the blogosphere. I am glad you like our cactus.
DeleteOh, what a shame they only last for 24 hours...
ReplyDeletebut what BEAUTY))!! xxx
My Inner Chick: I appreciate it for its beauty - despite the short lived wonder.
DeleteSplendid cactus indeed. The perfumed varieties especially have short lived flowers, from 12 -24 hours but make up for it by their wonderful perfume.
ReplyDeleteI do hope your life turns back to being peachy. The heat is locking me about here, can't cope with it at all. Stay happy no matter what. I know it is hard to do but our attitude does make a lot of difference i any situation.
Arija: Beauty and a perfume make this worth waiting for, even for such a short time.
DeleteHeat does me in as well. My memory is not good. I can get down - but it is difficult to stay there when I can't remember what is bothering me. And beauty helps. A lot.
I had one in Florida that bloomed every night and went back to sleep when the sun came up . It was gorgeous like this one. :)
ReplyDeletemail4rosey: Every night? Wow. That would be such a treat.
DeleteNight bloomers! We have them here too and they perfume that one lucky night! How evocative- and your top photo looks like a lit lamp! You blew my mind, S!
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
<3
Cloudia: Fair is fair - you often blow mine.
DeleteSoosie that has to be one of the biggest cactus flowers I have seen. And it is perfumed too.
ReplyDeleteDonna@LivingFromHappiness: What's not to love? Big, beautiful AND perfumed...
DeleteHi Sue,
ReplyDeleteI love a blooming cactus, even a short bloomer. Beauty with a a bit of a prickly nature. Thanks for this and my son has taken my cactus because he loves it that much. It's about fifteen years old.
Gary
klahanie: Dear Gary, nice to see you out and about again. This cactus has a prickly nature always - and blooms briefly. A joy though. I hope Tristan's flowers for him.
DeleteI so rarely see a cactus flower that I forget they sometimes bloom. This one is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBe well, EC.
Rawknrobyn: This one rarely blooms. Once a year - and not every year. Worth the wait though.
DeleteI hope your move is going well... And that George is keeping the chocolate levels topped up.
Amazing. I've never seen such a large cactus flower, Pa used to grow tall long thin ones and one of those had small flowers one year, but this, this is something else. Stunning, it bloomed for you especially, I'm absolutely sure of that.
ReplyDeleteAll Consuming: There is another bud, which I am watching carefully. This week I think. Joy.
Deletethis is so warm and yummy and reminds me of songs born in the desert
ReplyDelete.....THANK you for the sunshine smiles:)
-Jennifer
Jennifer Richardson: I am always happy to give smiles.
DeleteThat's a unique flower, too. I don't think I've seen one that looks like that before!
ReplyDeleteStephanie Faris: Isn't it beautiful. And, as I said to All Consuming, there is another bud in waiting...
DeleteI love the cactus blossom. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSue in Italia/In the Land of Cancer: It is gorgeous isn't it?
DeleteA short, but powerful burst of life. So beautiful! I love both the picture of it blooming and the one of it on its way out. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
DMS: Thank you Jess. I am pleased that other people enjoy its fading beauty with me. And (happy dances) there will be another one by the end of the week.
DeleteI hope that soon this is the only cactus remaining ;)
ReplyDeleteRiot Kitty: Me too. Definitely me too.
DeleteThat reminded me I used to have one of those. It lived in a big old cooking pot (aluminium I think the pot was). I wonder what happened to it??? Obviously "gone to God" as Don Burke used to say. It's strange though how you have something in your garden for a long time and then it's not there and you don't remember when you first noticed its absence.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your beautiful flower and bring back fond memories for me.
Mimsie: There are a few things over here which have disappeared too. And I don't know when.
DeleteGlad to bring back memories.
Mother Dragon would definitively go nuts with that amazing flower. It would look beautiful in the dragon garden. Today I thought on you while admiring a wonderful sunrise sky. Dragon Hugs!
ReplyDeleteAl Diaz: Beauty that bites - of course it would look good in the dragon garden. Dragon hugs gratefully received - and returned.
DeleteSo amazingly beautiful, unfortunately I've not had very good luck with cacti *sigh*
ReplyDeleteOh! Wanted to pass along a book I just finished that, since you also like fantasy, you should enjoy tremendously. It's called Bathing The Lion, by Jonathan Carroll....... I loved it, his characters are amazing and the premise fascinating.
Jacquelineand...: Thank you (so much) for the book tip. When things calm down a bit I will track it down.
DeleteOur cacti thrive on neglect. Which is always a plus.
Hello dear Soosie--at least I hope it's you! I think of you and your wonderful words and pictures. What a joyful view of the world you have and I thank you for sharing it with us. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteSusie@life-change-compost: It is indeed me. Thank you for coming by and your kind words. I will come and visit you shortly.
DeleteWhat a beautiful thing to come from such a prickly plant! How do you repot your cacti if they should need it? I'm sure the process would get the adrenaline flowing :)
ReplyDeletejenny_o: Repotting them is a huge challenge. One I avoid for as long as possible. We have used polystyrene to protect ourselves from the spines. Which nearly worked. Which sort of worked. Newspaper was a dismal failure. As was towels...
DeleteYour beautiful flowering garden gifts you with little gems of joy... as if it knows...
ReplyDeleteVicki: Blood, sweat and tears go into the garden - but the rewards are huge.
DeleteWow. I have never ever seen a cactus flower like this! I've seen small ones. And not perfumed. It's gorgeous. I wish there were some technology to make us smell it via the net!
ReplyDeleteGuyana-Gyal: I wish I could share the perfume. Subtle, beautiful. And there will be another later this week.
DeleteNice to be reminded about flowers in the cold of the upper northern hemisphere
ReplyDeleteAndrew Maclaren-Scott: Nice to be reminded that cold temperatures prevail somewhere as we lurch into our sweaty summer meltdown.
Deletehaving lived in the desert for many many moons I'm well equipped in the verse of cactus!! LOL beautiful pics
ReplyDeleteTammy Theriault: In theory I don't live in the desert, but droughts year after year have meant the cacti thrive. Which has some pluses. How do you like your desert soujourn?
DeleteOh how I love your flowers when it's gray and bleak here! It looks like a floral firework! xo
ReplyDeleteAustan: What a perfect description. Thank you so much. There is another bud about to come out - and I am so looking forward to that firework.
DeleteA beautiful cactus flower. So funny - my husband and I bought a potted cactus and had it for a few years before we divorced. It went with me to my new apartment. I was astounded when it started growing that appendage and even more astounded when it bloomed. :) It bloomed once a year for a few years.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry your life is cactus right now - that's a great analogy. Hugs!
Lynn: Do you still have it? Or did it go when it decided not to bloom again?
DeleteWow, that is a gorgeous cactus. I have a barrel cactus that I got in 1995. My husband even named him Joe (aka Cactus Joe). He's beautiful when he blooms. And a bit prickly when it's time to transplant him ;)
ReplyDeleteGwen Gardner: Very, very prickly when transplant time arrives. One of them has bent into the garden below it, and weeding that area is a huge challenge.
DeleteDear Sue, beautiful indeed. Sort of like Advent--four weeks that grow and expand into the joy of Christmas. I hope all is well and that your health is improving steadily as we near the year's end. It's chilly here today but I've begun walking again. I went around the block once, which is 1/3 of a mile. I hope that within a few short weeks I'll be back up to my 2 miles a day. I used to do 4 miles but time has brought changes to my energy level and so, even on my most wonderfully healthy days, 2 miles is about my limit. I have so much for which to be grateful and I'm feeling especially blessed today because we are going to get some snow! Fairy dust. Peace.
ReplyDeleteDee: I so hope you get your fairy dust and am loving that you are (finally) feeling well enough to walk again. Two miles isn't bad at all...
DeleteHow absolutely beautiful! :)
ReplyDeleteChristine Rains: That is what I think too.
DeleteSuch a beautiful cactus! I am not good with plants in pots - but I admire them! Sad that the bloom lasts such a short time, but the memory - and photo - of it are timeless!
ReplyDeleteSusan F.: Some things seem to do better in pots - for a variety of reasons. These cacti are so very prickly that I would damage myself in they went into the ground. Tuberose begonias thrive in pots as well. There are however a number of other things I fail to grow in pots...
DeleteThat is stunningly beautiful and has made me realise that the tiny 'extension' growing out of my little potted cactus isn't some kind of parasitical thing after all. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteKim: I hope your little parasite gives you some beauty. They are quick though...
DeleteWow - what a fabulous flower! Even the harshest of things have beauty...
ReplyDeleteladyfi: And another one bloomed late yesterday. I don't think there will be any more this season, but the beauty has been a joy.
DeleteAnd I used to think of cacti as ugly.
ReplyDeletejoeh: Welcome. Sometimes cacti are ugly. And bite. And sometimes they make up for it. Briefly.
DeleteMy cactuses never bloom (except my Christmas cactus which blooms gloriously around Halloween. What a beautiful flower. And I'm sorry your life is cactus like at present. I hope it will improve with a happy Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAnne: Cacti are a rule unto themselves. This one has bloomed for the last two years - after a twenty year sulk. And our Christmas Cacti bloomed a couple of months ago.
DeleteA very happy Christmas to you and yours.
What beautiful blooms! Isn't it amazing that something as tough and prickly as a cactus can bring something so sweet and beautiful into our lives? Kinda like some people.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite cactus was my grandmother's crown of thorns plant. After she died in the late fifties, one of my aunts took it home, but it never bloomed for her. Before my hubby and I moved away, she gave me a small cutting, and it bloomed like crazy. My aunt said that was because my grandmother "wanted me to have it." A nice sentiment, but I think the real reason the plant never bloomed for my aunt is because she was always taking cuttings from it and giving them away.
A very Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Susan: I like your analogy of the tough and prickly people who bring beauty and sweetness to us. Some of them have been family.
DeleteAnd I love that your grandmother's crown of thorn flowered for you - whatever the reason.
Happy Christmas to you and yours.
Fabulous cactus flower, EC, and lovely to see when you need cheering up. I hope things come good soon and that you, the Skinny One and the boss cats have a great Christmas.
ReplyDeleteCarol: It is a stunner - and the perfume is an added bonus. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a creative year ahead.
Delete