The Golden Barrel is a magnificent plant....it has great majesty and to me, it gives off a sense of great peace....these lovelies above, line the front bed next to the sidewalk, in front of the wall that surrounds my Patio. Here below is another view looking the other way....
It does appear they have grown some from this picture to the one above...I put these in when they were really really small----they came in a "six pack"....and I not only thought they would look wonderful as they grew, but that the neighborhood dogs would not be inclined to use them as a pooping place....those sharp protective things can really make you 'smart'!
I mean, think about sqautting over this and suddenly.....well, you get the picture! This would not feel very good at all, believe me....! Those are very very very sharp thingy's. And if your tush landed on one of these---let alone ten of these...the pain would be excrutiating and you would not come near these again anytime soon, believe me...and may I add, the dogs definitely stay away from these plants so....
I have to say, they have fulfilled their purpose and more! Not only do the neighborhood dogs avoid them...but these barrel's happen to look perfectly beautiful, which was what I wanted, all along....In the bed on the other side of the garage is probably the biggest Golden Barrel that I have in the entire garden...(There are quite a few down below, too)....
Doesn't this have a majestic peaceful feel? Beautiful...these plants are truly truly exquisite.....
It is difficult to appreciate the size of this particular plant because of the perspective in this particular photo above....The thing is, these are incredibly s-l-o-w growing plants....the one's in that other bed are not even close to the size of this one....I mean they are probably one quarter the size of this one and they have been in my garden for a good 19 years!
And here below, one more view of this humongous Golden Barrel from a slightly different perspective....I tried to get down on the ground more to take this next picture.....
I love the light in this picture above, too...And the plant in front of that Golden Barrell....it is a magnificent person, too....It flowers every year and the blossoms are a beautiful rich glowing yellow...
But before the flowers actually become flowers...they are these gorgeous little fuzz balls all in a cluster....
And that white stuff forms as some kind of protective thing...it is powdery but dense and adheres to the plant right there along each edge....
And here below is the whole plant as it looked in September, after the flowering was all done and some new little babies had appeared to add to this already beautifully clustered plant...
And here below is a photo of the same plant taken quite a few years ago...
You can see how much it has grown if you look at both pictures closely....I cannot remember how many years ago this picture was taken but it was with my no-think Fuji analog camera...so it had to be at least 5 years, and frankly I think it was more like 10.....
And here is a picture of one particular section of the plant and you can see a 'new' baby growing...
And then...the close up of this sweet new person....
I never tire of this amazing process and the results of each years flowering and growth....I guess you could say I am 'in love' with these plants...it's a whole world unto itself and my experience is that most people who have Cactus Gardens are utterly passionate about all the plants and their sculptural nature and the fact that they are 'works of art' to each and every one of us. We are all so completely addicted to this special world....and happily so....!
Oh Yes....More To Come.....
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had this to say:
Lovely post, I particularly like to see the progression of the plants that you show. I only wish that it was hot enough here to grow them outdoors and then it might deter our two dogs from 'going' where they shouldn't!
- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 2:30:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
Wow! Very dramatic. The variety of shape is amazing. The one with the light looks almost like fireworks exploding. I love the cluser of smaller roundish ones.
That's wild that you found my friend's Steph and Jared from Sweetwater Market online! If you buy the almond butter, tell them you're a blogging friend of mine. They'll get a kick out of it.- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 6:20:00 AM PST
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i love the close ups! very interesting- i've really never seen a cactus garden- very different from my flower garden! i have some small inside cacti but that's so neat that you have a whole garden full of them!
- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 7:38:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
You will see cactus for sale here and I've seen them in people's homes here but they look nothing like yours. I guess we are really the wrong climate so they can survive but not flourish like yours....They are gorgous!
- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 8:32:00 AM PST
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I am enchanted with this amazing plant, Naomi! The Golden Barrel is truly a fantastic and magnificent plant! And your pictures are just gorgeous as always. You really did a good work in this post!
And thank you for your sensible comment on my current post!
Have a nice week my dear friend!- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 8:55:00 AM PST
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Oh, they are so graceful and pretty. I love the blooms of course. I also like how they keep the dogs from doing their "business" near them!! That would not be pleasant for them to get a few jabs from those spikes!! LOL
Those barrels sure add so much to the landscape. Sure is nice to see your cactus garden Naomi and see the progress over the years, months, weeks, days, etc! Awesome stuff.- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 9:50:00 AM PST
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That lighting on the large barrel is fabulous. I think these are my favorite cacti. They remind me of a very large pin cushion.
Lovely.- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 3:30:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
The golden barrels are awesome. We have a few around here as well, and I was trying to get some shots of them the other day, but there wasn't quite enough light to get a good shot, so I'll have to try again soon!
- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 3:31:00 PM PST
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Golden barrels...how exquisite!
I love them!
If I lived in an arid climate, I'd have lots of those, too.
Very nice.
Kendra- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 4:38:00 PM PST
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they are all beautiful, but I like the clustered one that flowered and has the babies on it's side.. do they just grow from the side or do the somehow root to the ground eventually???
- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 4:46:00 PM PST
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Before you started posting about cacti, I knew nothing about them. Now, I almost feel like an authority! The barrels are a wonderful counterpoint to the tall, slim cacti. I like how you plant them side by side.
Thanks for the visit, Naomi. Yes, the colors are true and in some cases, they are not as vivid as they are in real life. I did have to brighten up some of the photos, but the colors are the same.- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 7:20:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
Okay, I know that I'm a sicko, but those kinda look like a row of testicles lined up next to rows of penises. (you're nodding your head that, YES JANE YOU ARE A SICKO...aren't you?)
Ouch @ the idea of squatting over those. My son fell on a cactus when he was about 8 or so & all the needles were in his groin area. Luckily, my dad helped get them all out for him.
Wow, that big barrel one looks like a hairy pumpkin! Those cacti to the right of the big pumpkin look like they'd be soft & fuzzy. I love the yellow flower, that must be what's called a Cactus Flower?
The picture of all the golden barrel's is beautiful.- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 7:27:00 PM PST
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Gord is a huge fan of cacti so would love to be there. He has a bunch of small ones ... none that compare to these ones!
- Monday, November 20, 2006 at 7:48:00 PM PST
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Ooh, I like these photos because they remind my of Palm Springs where we spend a lot of time each summer. Sigh...makes me miss the summer months, too. Not that you would not it's NOT summer with the weather we're having! lol
- Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 12:02:00 AM PST
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Honestly, I think Better Homes and Gardens needs to get out to your place and do a spread on your garden! I have really NEVER seen anything like it... of course I don't live near desert ... but neither does most of their reader population! Your garden needs to be shared WITH THE WORLD! I do LOVE those adorable round plants! (i'm not sure i think of it as majestic... it strikes me quite differently ... but maybe if i ever meet it in person...)
- Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 4:14:00 AM PST
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I do love the way you think of the animal visitors and the plants too as 'people'. That's just SO sweet. If only more humans thought that way!
GREAT photos as always. I'm doing my very best not to be totally jealous of your wonderful garden... Maybe it'll motivate me to do something (anything) with mine... maybe...- Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 1:22:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Terrific pictures!
Hey Naomi, how long could a cactus live without water?- Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 2:29:00 PM PST
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Oh, I saw those "Golden Barrels" at Huntington, and wondered what they were called. I should have known you'd know! lol
Great photos as always. :)
I really like the GB, too. They're so happy-looking.
~S- Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 6:29:00 PM PST
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