My cactus was a present from a really good friend (who sadly died some years ago). It has flowered again this year for the second time and this time has 2 blooms.
They are amazingly HUGE flowers from such a spikey cactus and they start as weird clubby furry growths and grow from a wierd small furry bud to a flower in 3 days but the flower only lasts a single day :-(
This cactus flowered for the first time last year. At first I thought it had some disease - as several furry growths sprouted ........but then one grew, and exteneded out like a club, I thought I had a Triffid and in 3 days this HUGE palest pink blossom appeared ............... and this year I have had 3 flowers, first one in the Spring and now 2.
This was how the first flower started - its 2nd day of growth - see the little furry fuzzy growths, which are the flower buds?
So everytime I water this cactus and now especially when it flowers I think of Anne who gave it to me for Christmas when I visited her in Seahouses, Northumberland. She was a wonderful lady who lived on the habour in a fabulous house she and her husband had retired to. He died and she stayed there for many years afterwards. The house had wonderful views of the harbour and the sea - must have been wonderful to live there all year!
This was the first flower from last year
I met Anne from staying in Seahouses on holiday with my two children many years ago. We were in a neighbouring house for a weeks holiday and we became great friends and we would see her every time I stayed in the town and when passing on the A1 (when I used to commute up to Scotland frequently) I would stay with her for a night or two. She was always so pleased to see you - gave a wonderful welcome and great hugs, and was distressed when you left - she made you feel very valued as a firend. We had lovely trips into the hills for picnics, shopping trips, walks along the harbour and once she took me to hear the fisherman choir in one of the churches in Seahouses, (the benches were hard on the bum but the choir was good).
She sadly died the following January after I saw here just before Christmas - when she gave me the cactus as my Christmas present.
I always felt the cactus never reflected her as a person - it was all sharp and spikey whereas she was all warmth and gentleness .............then last year it flowered for the first time and then I could see why she gave it to me ................ the flowers were rare and special a special gift - like Anne was and still is in my memories of her.
As you can see the hover flies were admiring the flower as well ............................
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