by CKR
My winter jasmine is blooming. I foresightedly planted it close to the front door, so that I could appreciate it even during allergy season. Last week of March seems to be its time. I thought I saw a vulture a week or so ago, and the hummingbirds should be arriving soon. Vultures, hummingbirds and swifts seem to arrive at about the same time. This year I plan to put out hummingbird feeders; haven't quite figured out where. I don't want them too close to the house because I have had some ants in the house other summers and don't want more.
Another plant that's blooming is a silly little cactus that a friend gave me.
When she gave it to me, it had only one stem, which got bumps and then bumps on bumps until it's quite a mass. The stems bend quite easily toward the sun; I rotate the pot about once every two weeks when I'm conscientious. The flowers are about a centimeter across. It needs to be repotted, but its fishhooky spines do some damagge. I'll probably wear gloves when I repot it. Some other repotting jobs to do too, all of which are more easily done outside, but not quite yet. I'm hoping that the junipers will be subsiding in a week or so.
Both photos are better if you click on them to enlarge them.