Cactus Monday - Chicken Cactus

I don't have a drawing today of my subject but I do have a few pictures to share with you. I showed you this cactus back some time ago when I bought it. It has grown magnificently. I have to bring it in every winter. While it survives the winters it does it's growing during the summer while it sits out on the patio.

It has grown so tall that it had a mishap during the storms the other day. A big blow brought some much needed rain to the garden. The wind did a job on the poor cactus. I don't know if it will ever stay upright.

Have any of you ever grown one of these cactus? It is impossibly top heavy. I wondered if I could just cut off the top part, let it scab-over and then replant it.  It is almost too tall to deal with anyway. I would appreciate any ideas about how to deal with this. I have thought about staking it but the soil in the pot is so shallow I don't think staking would help much.

I hope you all have a happy Cactus Monday.

Blooming Tuesday - Button Weed

I hate to say it but I am almost happy I am able to pull weeds. The weather here has taken a turn for the better. We have had a little bit of rain and the garden appears to be cautiously arousing itself. The only bits that aren't cautious are the weeds. They take any moist encouragement and leap at the chance to procreate and spread far and wide.

I had been pulling a lot of this Button Weed from the fence line. I didn't know what it was until this morning when I was reading a blog I like that is written by Keith Board. The name of his blog is Get Your Botany On. He gives such great descriptions and photos of wildflowers. I am always finding information I need.

I hope your garden is liven by the cooler temperatures and splashes of rain that seem to be spreading around the area. Happy Blooming Tuesday to all.

Way back in February Cris showed us a picture of a project she was doing with Con's help. When she showed the finished product here I immediately fell in love with her project. She very graciously sent me the pattern for her Rabbit Sign design.

I am sorry to say that I have been so slow as I started working on it in April. Life just took me down a road I never intended to go. I can finally show you how I did a sign using her pattern with her inspiration.

I first taped the pattern to a piece of ply wood and traced around it.

Then I got out the little saber saw and cut out the pattern. Sanded it down etc to ready it for painting. 

Here it is all painted.

This is how it looks in place. 

I can't thank Cris enough for sharing her creation, the tips on painting etc. I think it looks cute sitting here in the garden at the end of a path showing people where to go in the garden. This is the best sort of rabbit to have in the garden too. It doesn't eat your flowers or dig holes. I hope you all have a happy Animal Wednesday.

This orchid is reblooming. I am so pleased with the orchids that we bought this past winter. They are growing new leaves and now two of them are reblooming. Yay. This is the first time I have had orchids rebloom.

Happy Bloomin' Tuesday to everyone.

Animal Wednesday - Emu

A friend of ours called to tell us about some Barn Owls the other day. So we drove over by a barn to see the owls. Much to our surprise we found this emu in a pen by the barn. I have never been so close to an emu. It made a rumbling noise, almost like a purr when we arrived. Then again when we gave it corn to eat. 

I was fascinated by her feet. They are reptilian and so big. Her name is Emmy. She was quite tame in that she ate corn from my friend's hand. She had a couple of suitors in the pen with her. Roosters. It was quite a sight seeing this huge bird with two seemingly small roosters. 

Happy Animal Wednesday to all.