Wednesday, May 27, 2015

My Big Payoff


Four years ago, I discovered the most gorgeous red cactus bloom I had ever seen and every spring for the past four years, I've watched that cactus carefully for it to bloom again.  I've missed it every time. On Sunday when I walked at the garden I noticed buds on the cactus, the first sign I'd seen in four years that it was going to bloom.  I went back on Monday to see the blooms but, they still hadn't opened. They were closer to blooming because I could see streaks of bright red peeking through the bud.  So, on Tuesday morning I took some time off from work and headed back to the garden and was rewarded with three gorgeous blooms.


Here is a view of the cactus with all three blooms.  It is some variety of Echinopsis but, it's much larger than the more common "red torch" and the blooms are much bigger.


I'm so glad I made the effort to go back again.  I checked the date on those photos four years ago and they were taken on May 29th.  So now I know that this one blooms at the end of May.  I'll mark my 2016 calendar to start looking for them in late May.  You can see my post from four years ago on this link.

21 comments:

Mersad said...

That's a gorgeous cactus bloom!

Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography

Stefan Jansson said...

It pays off to go back again and again. Great to see it bloom again.

Anonymous said...

They look spectacular!

Karl said...

Gorgeous, what a magnificence !

Elisabeth Firsching said...

Thank you so much for posting this with sharp dates! Maybe I´ll manage to get there one year to see them, there is much luck needed, I guess :-)

Thérèse said...

I am glad you were able to catch this beauty.
It is the kind of red I like the most.

PerthDailyPhoto said...

This is definitely a va va voom flower Sharon, couldn't possibly get more exotically beautiful. You have captured it beautifully for us to enjoy, merci beaucoup.

Birdman said...

If at first you succeed...
Ok, let's get right to my question: Heard on the news this AM that on July 4th Phoenix will open the first EVER fully robotic McDonald's. All robots. All the time. July 5th I expect a post. This is your assignment. Up for it? hahahahaha

Judy said...

What a show off! Not you, the cactus.
Gorgeous!

Birdman said...

In local robotics news----
Hahahahaha. Good work Lois Lane!

http://www.tpnn.com/2015/05/26/video-mcdonalds-to-open-a-restaurant-run-by-robots-in-phoenix/

Kathy said...

Your persistence definitely paid off! Beautiful.

Halcyon said...

Wow! I'm glad you shared these shots with us. What beautiful blooms. I'm sure I'd never have seen them otherwise.

RedPat said...

It was well worth your return journeys, Sharon! It's a beautiful blossom!

cieldequimper said...

Now that is what I call being in love with cactus flowers! But thank you very much, it is gorgeous (as was the pic of 2011!)

William Kendall said...

Beautiful colour, too!

Lowell said...

You have not only the eye but the heart of a photographer. What glorious color!

Lois said...

I'm so glad you went back Sharon! It is lovely.

Randy said...

Love the colors.

Steve Reed said...

Beautiful blossoms -- worth the special trip! And THREE of them, no less!

Unknown said...

Fantastic! Glad you went back there.

Bob Crowe said...

Gorgeous. You may know the old photographers saying - luck comes to the prepared.