The Desert Garden at the Huntington’s was in full bloom and I couldn’t resist sharing these beautiful images with you. First some gorgeous Echeveria succulents:
They have fleshy leaves with small delicate flowers like these:
These are called black succulents and are truly magnificent:
Agave (of the tequila fame) , Aloe and Cactus are all members of the succulent family—the cactus having more prickles than others. They are water-retaining plants. Just look at this gorgeous queen victoria agave:
and this pretty pink flower of another agave plant.
This one had small blue and red blossoms.
You all know this more common succulent: the creeping ice plant.
This desert garden is nearly 100 years old and has more than 3,000 species of desert plants. Let’s go to the thorny cacti now; you don’t want to get lost on this road on a dark night!
I loved these peach hued blossoms on this prickly pear cactus,
they turn yellow when they open.
This is a more dramatic version of the same plant—it almost looked like under water coral…
Cactus is an oxymoron to me. How can a plant with fleshy leaves and prickles that repel you have such brilliant and intensely colored flowers? It rejects you and invites you at the same time…
A closer look,
and the piece de resistance: the red flower cactus.
This young gardener was busy the whole time that I was visiting the gardens.
“Gardening requires lots of water – most of it in the form of perspiration.” Lou Erickson
