The Master Gardener Celebrating Memorial Day Weekend.  

          24 May 2009 - I think I am being punished for all the years of complaining to my husband that we live here instead of God's country.  (I am originally from Western Washington.)  We have definitely been having western Washington weather today, and for more than a week.  Here's a photo of Detlef, working on our automatic gate opener, which hasn't been automatic for several days.

 

Although we claim to live in Florida, cactus thrives here, perhaps because we are too poor to have dirt and have sand instead. These are prickley pears.  The pretty yellow flowers will be followed by purple fruit, which you can eat if you don't mind the fiberglass stickers that you can't see.  

I decided to make Prickley Pear jelly one year, and boiled the "pears" to make a beautiful purple syrup, which I put in beautiful (and expensive) canning jars.  Unfortunately it never set, so I gave it to a friend.  Well, she used to be a friend.  

They weren't supposed to be turned out together,
but metal gate panels were no match for love.   

The new guy:  BR Dream Shadow, Arabian Stallion with his harem ~ Alki Zenith,  Poppyfields Tiger Lily,  Acona Princess,  Foothills Rocky River and Ivydell Isabell