Showing posts with label New Mexico 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Mexico 2013. Show all posts

Friday, January 10, 2014

A sunny Saturday in New Mexico…

Last October, the afternoon of my father-in-laws funeral in Truth or Consequences, NM, I went for a long walk. I knew I was leaving New Mexico the next day, returning to a grey and rainy Portland. And the day’s events had me in a mood, understandable I’m sure. I’ve saved these sunny saturated photos, knowing they’d be just the thing to warm my soul on a cold grey day in January. I hope they do the same for you.

This is a vacant lot just a couple of blocks from my in-laws. Andrew and I went exploring there together.

The land is just feet from Interstate 25 as it passes by Truth or Consequences. The main use seems to be beer drinking and bonfires, closely followed by dirt-bike riding. I've walked through here many times but never seen this...

A friend's friend identified it as Echinocereus fendleri var. rectispinus, another said possibly Echinocereus triglochidiatus.

Speaking of spikes...

While I did bring home a few opuntia pads from that trip none of them were from this plant. Wow…that’s some serious spikes.

That’s an odd palm tree! (*wink*)

This little Tephrocactus articulata ssp. papyracantha (I think that’s the proper name) was the smallest thing planted in a well done xeric garden we drove by many times. I wanted to photograph it because even though it’s so small those long white papery spines glowed and it commanded attention.

Such an odd little wall made even stranger by the top layer of rocks.

These opuntia were growing thick on a bank next to the road. There was a house back there but you could hardly tell.

Not all of them looked so healthy and plump however.

It was fascinating to see the interior structure of the dried up pads.

I guess they don’t really care if you’ve got the entire phone number for the Rock?

Nor are those really rocks…

I wanted to get close to this lush blooming ocotillo but it was in someones yard, and there were dogs.

So so so beautiful!

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis or Desert Christmas cactus.

There are a few of these old street lights in Truth or Consequences, I live the colors.

Suddenly I felt like I was being watched.

So spiky, so dead.

Very much not dead! This may have been the healthiest palm in the whole town.

And there are even spikes…

This rock fortress is protecting a tiny little seedling.

Someday it will hopefully outgrow its container.

The sun was flooding these plants with the most amazing light, I figured there was no way I'd capture it with my good ol'point-and-shoot but I had to at least try.

Then I turned back to look at Turtleback Mountain...

And back again just in time to notice how the sun was lighting the blooms on the grass along with the spikes of the cylindropuntia. The desert sky and the desert sun, there really isn't anything else like it...

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Buffalo Bill’s Exotic Cactus Ranch, again (yawn….)

During our mid-September trip to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, we stopped in at my fav, Buffalo Bill’s Exotic Cactus Ranch...

Or rather we stopped by twice. The first time they were closed due to the flooding

Flooding caused by monsoon rains, which made these ocotillo look wonderful with their lush green leaves...

The second time we stopped by, they were open! I think Andrew is pointing at that fabulous Pachypodium lamerei...

The *yawn* in the title of this post is making fun of Andrew who, when he saw me taking pictures, asked “You aren’t going to post about this place again are you?”

The answer was yes, of course! Sure I posted about our visit last January but that was months ago...

Bad blurry picture but I had to include it if only to mention that I finally bought one, Kalanchoe tomentosa 'Chocolate Soldier'...

I bought a much smaller version of this Euphorbia trigona 'Ruby' when we visited in 2011, sadly it's dead now. It never really recovered from being shipped home.

This was my other purchase for this trip, Mammillaria gracilis var. fragilis...

Opuntia rufida minima monstrose (Mini Cinnamon Cactus)

The laminated sign in the center of this grouping reads "Landscape Outdoor Cacti," I think the owner is trying to inspire the locals to plant...

I used to not care for the woody base of old opuntia, but I've grown to admire them.

This amazing hot pink cactus (there were several) had no label. I tried to get a name from the owner but he was busy with a couple who were picking out curiosities to take home.

The female half of the couple later dumped her purchases on the ground as they were leaving. She managed to catch one of them with her hand, which was then covered in glochids, not a great introduction to cactus!

Echinopsis melanopotamica

There were so many things I wanted to take home with me!

But once again we were flying and had limited ability to return home with plant purchases.

Someday...

In the mean time I'll always have the pictures...

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.