June is almost here and I found my Peanut Cactus in bloom. This photo is from the first year of growing the cactus. It must have gotten it’s name from the peanut like stems.
As it grew out, the stems starting to stretch out. So for the longest time I thought it was named “Rat Tail Cactus”. But from looking at the bloom, it’s very much a hybrid type of peanut cactus. The blooms usually last a few days and start to wither off. For the next few weeks they will be flowering in succession.
In some ways the flower reminds me of the mini Orchid cactus (epiphyllum).
Most of the year it’s just a container full of scary spiky cactus. But when it starts to bloom, the color of the flower is spectacular.
Another interesting thing about this cactus is how easy it is to grow and propagate. I barely touched one of the stems and they fall off and start growing new stems. And of course it doesn’t need much watering.
Medinilla magnifica is possibly one of the most unique flower to come from the tropics. It is commonly known as Rose Grape for their pretty pink fruits that look like tiny grapes. It has thick glossy evergreen leaves and showy pink flowers.
Photo from Medinilla Magnifica
These plants are natives of tropical southern Asia, western Africa and the Pacific islands. So this means they prefer hot and humid climates.
It looks like this flower is starting to gain popularity as the most elegant and exotic house plant around. It has amazing flowers that bloom several times a year. Similar to orchids, the flowering period can last from 3 to 6 months.
I actually saw this Medinilla at the SF Conservatory of Flowers. Although there weren’t any showy pink leaves, there were plenty of pink grape like fruits.
We have several aloe vera plants in the garden, most are in containers. There are the plain green ones, some are spotted and one has variegated leaves.
We’ve probably had this Aloe Vera plant for 5 years. And this spring it started to blossom. I’m not sure when it will open up completely. So far I’ve seen succulent flowers come in shades of pink or yellow.
Notice the spiders have started to make the flowers their new home. I don’t mind spiders as much, as long as they keep out bad insects in the garden.
It’s a good idea to keep Aloe Vera around because of it’s medicinal value. What I like most is that it’s mostly low maintenance, so no green thumbs necessary. And of course it comes in handy for minor cuts and burns.
Been feeling mentally drained these past few days and weeks. Found this heartfelt quote…
“Wherever I am in the world, all I need is the smell of eucalyptus to recover that lost world of Adrogué*, which today no doubt exists only in my memory.â€
– Jorge Luis Borges
In my lost world of Adrogué, instead of the smell of eucalyptus, it would be the scent of wild honeysuckle in a summer night’s breeze.
I like this photo where it looks like the sun will always come out, especially after the rain. Photo by PhotoDictionary.
* Adrogué is a city in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. At slightly more than 30,000 inhabitants, it has numerous cobbled streets, lush trees and several town squares.
