Arizona yards don’t look anything like those in the Midwest. In fact, don’t call it a lawn, because according to Merriam-Webster a lawn is:
ground (as around a house or in a garden or park) that is covered with grass and is kept mowed.
No grass and no mowing in most parts of Arizona, water being at a premium. So a walk around my parents’ yard would be on gravel and you’d see rocks, cacti, and also some trees and flowers.
These look sort of soft and fuzzy, but appearances are definitely deceiving!
Birds love cactus fruit, so it doesn’t stay whole very long. Is it just me or do these cactus boobs make Madonna’s look positively comfy? 🙂
Nope, these aren’t soft either.
If this were in a sci-fi movie, we’d know to stay away from this as something bad must be about to shoot out at us.
for Jo’s Monday Walk
This, that and the other thing 
🙂 It looks amazing! Very pretty with the pink fruit / blossom?
A very HAPPY week to you, dear Janet!
Claudia 🙂
Yes, it’s a fruit, Claudia. You have a wonderful week as well.
janet
so exotic and beautiful, to me, a mid-westerner
I know, so different. When my parents used to come visit us, they’d always remark about how many trees there were. 🙂
janet
Those soft and fuzzy-looking ones are dangerous! When I was a kid, my mom had an assortment of small cacti in the house including those fuzzy ones. I can tell you from experience that even accidentally brushing up against them will get these tiny little barbs into your skin and they’re impossible to get out. Ouchie for a long time!
Yes, appearances are definitely deceiving when it comes to cacti. Birds, though, can perch on them and make nests in them with no problem. 🙂
janet
Beauty in the eyes of the beholder –
It is and this is one sort of beauty.
janet
Oh my… very beautiful! You own them all?
Where do you live, by the way? I live in Indonesia, it’s tropical country… mostly humid, not arid. But some cactuses grow well too here. I have Peruvian Apple Cactus, do you know the species? The other name is Queen of The Night, because its enormous petals will only bloom near midnight, and only last for one single night. They have sweet fragrance too.
I made post about it in my blog. Here’s the link:
https://pandabearjourney.wordpress.com/2019/03/13/peruvian-apple-cactus-queen-of-the-night-on-its-first-bloom/
Nice to know you! 🙂
No, I don’t own any of them, just saw them during a visit. We live in the Midwest of the United States, which is far from tropical. These photos were taken in Arizona, which has a desert climate.
I don’t know the Peruvian Apple Cactus, but I’ve heard of the Queen of the Night. Thanks for providing a link and for not only visiting but also commenting.
janet
LOL, loved your photo captions for the cactus. I love the western ‘lawn-scapes’. I think there’s a word for it that starts with or includes ‘zeno’ or something to that effect. I can’t remember what it is now, but the idea of landscaping in low water conditions was interesting to me. And those little soft bristles are definitely deceiving. I got a finger-full of them once, lol.
I like the desert landscaping, too, Madison, but you definitely don’t want to get up close and personal with many of the plants. Another thing you don’t have to deal with in most of the rest of the country is people stealing plants–cacti, to be precise. Those thieves have to come prepared or you could find them by the quills in their various body parts. 🙂
janet
Beautiful close up shots, Janet!
Thanks very much, Amy.
Beautiful photos Janet especially that fuzzy first one.
Thanks! Glad you like them.
Strange things, cacti, aren’t they, Janet? Thanks for sharing a prickle or two 🙂 🙂
My pleasure, Jo. Thanks for coming along.
janet
They’re gorgeous for the eyes, not meant for the hands 🙂 Lovely share!
Definitely eyes over any other body part! Glad you liked them. I think they’re beautiful as well.
Your photos are as tough as the outdoors in the Great Southwest. I love the sky in the first photo; it’s like a decorative bunting across the background.
Ω
It does rather, doesn’t it? The outdoors in the desert are so different from those in the Midwest, but both are beautiful in their own way.
Sunscreen is a must in either location.
Ω
Not a garden where you’d want to loose your footing, and yet strikingly beautiful!
I agree. 😁
janet
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Living in the West with lots of cacti and my coming of awareness was in the Mohave Desert between the age of 3 or 4 I have a healthy respect for cactus, and a love for the beauty of its contours, and wildlife that is able to find a home in it.
The colors the spikes and surrounding areas are quite lovely if one takes the time to notice. There’s more color in the desert than one perceives I’ve noticed, but the recent super blooms may have changed more peoples thinking cause they were looking. 😉
Deborah, I agree that the desert is beautiful. When a landscape is unfamiliar or differed from the one where you grew up, it can take time to perceive a/o appreciate the different beauty. And each person has a landscape that most speaks to his/her heart.
janet
Great photos and I love the captions today, Janet. Enjoy the warmth.
Thanks, Dan. I imagine it’s quite warm in Arizona today and I guess it’s relatively warm here, compared to the horrible temperatures last week. We were supposed to have freezing rain last night, but I’ll see more what it’s like when I leave for work. 😦
I hope you got to enjoy it while escaping from the cold. I was in Florida the past couple of days, but it was almost 60 degrees here.
Oh, I certainly enjoyed it. But it made those -50 with wind chill even worse to experience. 🥶
I can’t even imagine. I think the lowest I’ve ever experienced was around -20
[…] Monday walk…This yard looks sharp! […]
Such lovely cacti! 😊
They’re lovely but don’t get too close! 😁
janet
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