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More July Saguaro Cactus Flower Buds

Cactus Flower Buds

To our delight, the big saguaro cactus out front has three new flower buds. We thought that the flower season might be over, but these three appeared. Two on the lower stalk and one on the upper stalk. A few of the withered older flowers on top of the saguaro fruit can be seen.

This image was taken from thirty feet away in the courtyard. Out of focus in the foreground is the arch over the courtyard gate and the top of one of the ocotillo canes to the right of the cactus. Click on the image to enlarge.

July 13, 2016 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Backlit Barbados Blossom

Backlit Barbados Blossom

With a little poetic license, the alliterative title works for this Pride of Barbados (a.k.a. Red Bird of Paradise) flower as the sun strikes it from behind. The lighting at this time of the day (late afternoon) augments the yellow tones in these beautiful flowers. All three of the Caesalpinia pulcherrima shrubs in the courtyard are doing their summer thing constantly making these delightful flowers that we love so much. Click on the image to enlarge.

July 8, 2016 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography Retirement

Nest in the Palo Verde

Nest in the Palo Verde

We discovered a bird nest in our little palo verde tree by the driveway down near the road. It might be a hummingbird or verdin or other small bird since the entrance to the nest is rather small. When we first started building our house here, we found a verdin nest in this tree.

We haven’t noticed any activity in this nest, having only noticed it a couple of weeks ago, probably after the nesting season for this year. Maybe the little bird will come back next time so we can watch what happens. Click on the image to enlarge.

June 24, 2016 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Star Cactus Flower

Star Cactus Flower

I took this photo of the flower that bloomed on my Astrophytum “Star Cactus” yesterday. Although related to my Bishop’s Cap Cactus, it doesn’t have flowers as often, at least not yet. This flower measured about four inches in diameter and is, as you can see, beautiful. Click on the image to enlarge.

May 29, 2016 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Verna and the Big Saguaro

Verna and the Big SaguaroSome of the lower flower buds are opening on the big saguaro cactus out in front of the garage by the driveway. The big cactus sits by the point adjacent to the where the courtyard walkway meets the main driveway slab.

When I took this photo of her, she was preparing to photograph one of the saguaro flowers on the arm closest to my camera. She did get a pretty good shot of that lowest open flower posted at this link.

We have a lot of flower buds still to open and most of them will be pointing skyward. I was thinking about getting the extension ladder to climb up on the garage roof to photograph them from a high vantage point with the 75 to 300 mm lens for close-ups.

Click on the image to enlarge.

May 28, 2016 by Arizona Home & Garden Photography

Avalon 1998

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