Passing the Time

While I wait for the seeds to come, let me talk about another cactus project.

I recently acquired several prickly pear pads from an abandonded lot in Memphis. There were several plants that were planted in old tires in an industrial part of town. They had begun to self propagate, spreading out to other paarts of the property. I took a few and planted them in my front yard. I'm not worried that they will freeze in the winter as they have already show they can survive through one of the harshest freezes we've had in a long time, earlier in the year.

I dug out a fairily large hole on a sloping area of the yard. I used peat moss, compost, and the local clay soil mixed together. I didn't use sand, as it could turn the clay soil in to cement, and I'd like some decent drainage to deal with the heavy rainfall we get when it storms. The retaining wall should help hold in the dirt, but allow for drainage. Often, when I dig a hole to plant in, it just turns in to a bucket for water.

I'm hoping for a nice little prickly pear patch in a couple of years.

prickly pear [IMG]