A Riot of Prickly Pear Blossoms

Cactus Blossom Bouquet

Cactus Blossom Bouquet © 2011 Bo Mackison

I visited the cactus garden in the Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson Arizona this morning and was quite thrilled to find many cacti in bloom after yesterday;s much needed all day rain. The colors are so bright, all shades of pinks and yellows, that it seems a fitting post for the end of a weekend.

So, first a crowd of blossoms along the top of a Prickly Pear pad.

Riot of Cactus Color

Riot of Cactus Color © 2011 Bo Mackison

And then a riot of color, all the flowers crowded together to make a natural bouquet on this Prickly Pear plant.

Two Blossoms on the Prickly Pear

Two Blossoms on the Prickly Pear © 2011 Bo Mackison

And then two blossoms in full bloom, surrounded by the long stickers of this Prickly Pear.

What a joy it is to see the desert turn green and the flowers begin to bloom after a desert rain. It doesn’t take much rain either –  just slightly more than a quarter of an inch – but the desert knows how to utilize every drop to its advantage. Yesterday’s rain was the first significant rainfall I’ve experienced in Arizona since I arrived in early February.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She will be returning to Wisconsin in a few days after living in Tucson for the last two months. She’s been exploring Arizona, taking photographs, and blogging about photography, art, and living life “solo.”

Be My Valentine?

Prickly Pear Cactus

Prickly Pear Cactus

Today is the last day of our Southwestern adventure. It’s also Valentine’s Day, though in our family we have celebrated our son’s birthday on February 14th more than we celebrated Valentine’s Day. Or at least we have until the last few years.

Fitting that my Valentine’s post is a sweet heart of a prickly cactus from the Sonoran Desert just west of Tucson. Love that desert!