Summer at Duck Pond Cottage

My mom spent 20+ years living in Arizona. She loved it there until the summers became unbearable for her breathing. While there, she grew quite an amazing cactus garden and when she relocated, some of the plants came with her. They never really appealed to me --- ok in their natural setting, but nothing that I would care to have on my patio.

Last winter, she insisted that I take a cactus start. Apparently it didn’t need much care; just leave in a sheltered spot on the deck. So I did. It has flourished and almost doubled in size. Then, two weeks ago, I noticed that some kind of spikes were growing out of the sides of the plant. Since my mother is staying with me, I brought it into the house and she was pleased to tell me that it was getting ready to bloom.

The original plant was the size of these small babies growing at the base of the mother plant.



We watched the plant with amazement as the spikes seemed to grow before our very eyes. Our weather had cooled for few days, and so did the growth. Then our weather heated up and they popped open. The blossoms only last about 24 hrs -- such a miniscule time to enjoy such a splendid display.
I am enjoying my deck this summer– not the same as living in the middle of hundreds of acres, but close enough. The wildlife is beginning to accept us, and that thrills me. Our ducks, who now have names as we can tell them apart as they have matured – Jack & Jill, Hillary and Obama – are quite happy in the big pond. Wild ducks fly into to visit them and I still wonder if they will leave this winter to follow the flock south.