The secrets of nature.

With summer knocking on the door, it is time for our 24-hour flowers to appear.

Every year this time these magnificent flowers start to appear, and a few years ago we had twenty something flowers that appeared all at the same time, and it was a wonderful show.

I think that the flower specie name is Echinopsis werdermanannii, and they originate in Paraguay. We have about 60 little plants all crowded in a narrow space alongside the outer wall of our back garden, and as soon that the sun shifts into such a position that the light lands on the plants, then they start to flower. The rest of the time they are in the shade. I suppose that one can start to uproot and untangle the plants in order to plant them separately, but I will have to find a cactii expert to come and do this. Each of the plants surround themselves with "babies", and I think they are starting to choke themselves.

They bloom overnight as you can see in the picture below, and to me, that's when they are the most beautiful.

Even at dawn, they look very nice.

24 hours done, and the flower is kaput.

But not to worry, as there are 5 new ones starting to grow on this plant. Also have a look how it surrounds itself with smaller ones.

See the short grey brownish stems on the other plants, they are all flower stems, and we counted 8 thus far in total. I will be sure to share every bloom in my blog.

This small cactus is bravely sprouting its little flowers, and maybe it wants to compete with the 24-hour flowers. Lol

And finally, just a female Carpenter Bee on an Ornamental Spurflower (Plectranthus ornatus).

We have a book title, Field Guide to Succulents in Southern Africa, and I forgot about it, so now the wife shoved the book under my nose. Lol. At last, I can put some put some names to flowers and I don't feel so useless anymore when it comes to flowers. Whenever I see some lovely flowers, then I simply cut a piece of stem, dunk it in hormone powder and then stick it into the ground. Sadly, that's not the way to do it, and that is why the flowers that I plant don't grown.

I think everything in life has a special application, and carelessness nowadays is starting to turn everything upside down. Everyone seems to be in a great hurry. It is so essential to stop and smell the roses again. But there are very few that do that. Rushing about is never going to be a healthy practice, and it often results in illnesses. Our bodies are of the frailest on the planet, and they can only take so much as then things start to break down. But hey, who wants to rest when there is so much going on?
Such is life.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.

Photos and words by Zac Smith. No AI and no Photoshop. All-Rights-Reserved.

Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.

Until next time. Shalom!