Drycreek Blog

The Cactus Blooms Continue

2012-06-15T13:58:47-04:00

This year has been an incredible year for cactus flowers. The blooms started a couple weeks early and are still giving us a reason to tour the garden each morning. The colors are bright and rich on the cold hardy types we've collected from Dry Creek over the years. What a way to celebrate springtime in the Truckee Meadows!

We have two different types of Cholla cactus (Cactacea Opuntia) in our south facing front yard. Both have grown to be quite large and impressive in just short of a decade. Each spring the plants cover themselves in a profusion of buds that begin to bloom in mid to late June. This week one of the two plants has started showing its color.

The branches of the Cholla are cylindrical with joints that segment, allowing for many branches to grow from a single stem. The result is an eventual shrub that stays beautiful year round.

Once established, the Cholla needs very little water and very little care. Sometimes we pick off last year's fruit to start new plants for other places in the garden. They can be grown in containers, too. The relatively slow growth will allow potted specimens to last quite awhile before re-potting, sometimes several years.

Remember, the cacti sold at Dry Creek are cold hardy for our area, which means you don't have to bring them indoors during the cold winter months. They can even sit under several feet of snow for long periods. Some might look a bit rough after the snow melts, but the warm spring sun will perk them up in little time.

Next time you stop by Dry Creek Nursery, be sure to take notice of the large Cholla growing near the entrance, just off the driveway, under the sign.

Cactus Flowers Are Abundant This Season

2012-05-29T18:39:00-04:00

Cactus flowers seem to be blooming earlier than usual this year, and ever so abundant!

The Claret Cup Hedge Hog bloomed in mid-May this season, and now the Beaver Tail is in full swing. In stock are several species with many flower buds on each plant, yellows, pinks, cream-salmon, chrome-orange, green, the colors are spectacular and lure the garden visitors into the mythical desert wonderland that is easy to create with these cold hardy, drought resistant, carefree cactus wonders.

The yuccas, too, are blooming earlier and more abundantly this year. Some plants have over twenty stems rising. Plant them in proximity to create the mythology of the desert right in your own yard.

Currently Dry Creek has a limited supply of many different cold hardy cacti in stock. They grow well in containers, too.

The Beauty of Cactus Flowers

2012-05-16T13:54:00-04:00

This little Hedge Hog, from Dry Creek Garden Nursery, has been in the ground for eight years. It's a small variety that grows slowly but surely from year to year. The flowers are smaller and more subtle than many Hedge Hog varieties, and is a strange copper yellow green color.

Another cactus that has similar springtime flowers is the Green Pitaya (Echinocereus viridiflorus). The cactus stays small, growing to a height of two to three inches, eventually filling a space between six and twelve inches. This cactus, like most, enjoys very hot, dry conditions in full sun in poor, well draining soils. In other words, it is very easy to care for and conducive to our region of the world.

Currently Dry Creek has a limited supply of Green Pitaya and other cold hardy cacti in stock. This is the time to buy, too, as the cactus sell fast and the blooming season has just begun.

Cactus Blooming Season Is Here

2012-05-15T17:57:00-04:00

Since we've been having warmer than "normal" temperatures this spring, the cactus flowers have started blooming a bit earlier than usual. The deep red Claret Cup blooms are already almost over while the bright orange Hedge Hog flowers are now in full force. And, these beautiful pink Beaver Tail flowers are just beginning.

For cactus enthusiasts, the blooming season of late spring and early summer is the best time of the year. The flowers are incredibly beautiful and as they open in the early morning, they seem to conjure up the reasons why we love living in the desert: hot days, warm nights, perfect clouds, clear night skies. Live seems hopeful, even fantastic, when the cactus flowers are blooming.

Hedgehog Cactus Blooming

2011-06-11T20:49:00-04:00

These last few days of perfect springtime weather has the Hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus) excited for blooms. This little gem (pictured) lives in a very sandy, well-drained south facing rock garden in downtown Reno. It's been living here for almost a decade. It usually blooms each year around the first of June, but this year it's a about a week and a half late. You can guess why.

Drycreek has a great selection of cold hardy cacti this year. These little hedgehogs usually go very quickly. They require no maintenance after becoming established and each spring the flowers are definitely something to look forward to. Hedgehog cactus plants are great for displaying in containers, and because they are slow growers, you can start out with a small sized pot. Just make sure they get full sun and a well-draining sandy soil. Most hedgehog cactus plants tend to stay very compact with their stems growing no more than a foot high. If you're lucky enough to live a long life with this cactus as your companion, you will get to see your little cactus develop into a fully mature mound consisting of many stems and many amazing flowers from year to year.

For potting cacti, it's easy to create a good soil match without having to purchase expensive mixes from the big box stores. All you need is some regular potting soil and some pumice. Mix the two with a ratio of about one third pumice to two thirds potting soil. Doing it yourself can save a lot of money, especially if growing cacti becomes a hobby.

To say the least, the Hedgehog cactus is a spectacular addition to any xeric landscaping plan.

Claret Cup Hedge Hog Cactus In Bloom

2011-05-14T11:09:00-04:00

One of the greatest experiences for desert tourists is to see native and naturalized cactus in bloom. Many cacti species produce flowers that rival even orchids in color and beauty. This Claret Cup Hedge Hog cactus has about a dozen flowers this year. They began opening this week. The Claret Cup flowers are surprisingly long lasting, staying open and crisp looking for close to two weeks. The cactus in the foreground of the photo is a different type of Hedge Hog and will have long trumpet-like pink flowers, probably in early June. The tiny hedge hog in the lower left corner of the photo will have bright pink trumpets in late June.

For many gardeners, especially those migrating to the desert from more verdant regions, the discovery of cactus growing is an exciting addition to the hobby. But, newcomers are often surprised and gravely disappointed to find that most cacti purchased from most big box gardening centers are not hardy for this area. For many hot house cacti, not only is the winter too severe, but even the summer sun can do major damage. Not so with hardy varieties. Drycreek is the best nursery in northern Nevada for finding cactus plants that can grow in our climate. All their cacti are winter hardy and the nursery has a fine selection this spring.

Exciting Cold Hardy Cactus

2011-04-20T13:38:00-04:00

Gardeners find huge disappointments when buying cacti from the local big box gardening stores because most of the cacti sold there are green house varieties that can't take our weather. People are shocked and saddened when the cactus shrivel and die at the first hint of frost. Not so at Drycreek Garden Company. All of Drycreek's cactus plants are cold hardy varieties.

This spring, John Strickland, the co-owner of Drycreek, took a special road trip to a cactus specialist who grows cold hardy cacti in Colorado. Wearing a good pair of leather gardening gloves, John hand picked this year's selection, making sure the nursery would have the best selection possible for northern Nevada gardeners. In stock right now are at least ten exciting cold hardy varieties.

Gardeners either love cactus or they hate them, but if they love them, they love them a lot. Besides the interesting flesh, the flowers tend to be over-the-top spectacular, from the bright red, long lasting Claret Cup, to the hot pink, lemon yellow and salmon colored Beaver Tail, to the deep purple and magenta Cholla.

All of the cactus John collected this spring are perfect for rock gardens and other xeric uses. They love full sun, take little water and sit there looking pretty simply left alone. They also grow well in containers. Each year, since many of the flowers, once ready, open so quickly, it's fun to set up a tripod for some armature time lapse photography.

Claret Cup Cactus Flower Buds Emerging

2011-04-08T14:25:00-04:00

It's exciting to see that this beautiful Claret Cup Hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) has more than a dozen buds emerging this spring. The long lasting, rich scarlet flowers will reach up from the spines, creating an incredible splash of color, usually in late April, lasting well into May and sometimes into June. The bright red flower is a major attraction for local hummingbirds. In fact, hummingbirds are its primary pollinator.

This plant will grow about six inches high, widening into ever greater clusters. It loves to wedge itself between rocks that catch the occasional desert rain. A cluster of five stems is usually considered to be mature, although old growth plants in the wild can have hundreds of stems in a single cluster.

Native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, the Claret Cup is easy to grow. Just be sure to give it a well drained space with lots of sun, although, studies of the plant indicate it can take some afternoon shade. The plant pictured receives splintered afternoon shade from its neighboring red yucca.

This is truly an outstanding cactus. With a good pair of leather gloves, you can divide the stems for propagation. Each year Drycreek offers a nice variety of hardy cacti, including the Claret Cup.

Lemon Yellow Cactus Flower

2010-07-15T13:18:00-04:00

This beautiful Prickly Pear cactus flower opened yesterday with such a rich lemon yellow. The plant has several more unopened buds, so we're in for a visual treat over the coming days.

There are several types of Opuntia, some of which are indigenous to the Great Basin Desert. Beavertail (Opuntia basilaris), the Porcupine Prickly Pear (Opuntia erinacea), the Smooth Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa), the Plains Prickly Pear (Opuntia polycantha), and the Brown-Spinded Prickly Pear (Opuntia phaeacantha) are such wonders to be found in the Great Basin. In the wild, different species have adapted to different elevations of the Basin and Range.

Opuntia is easy to grow in the ground, rock gardens and in containers. Give them full sun with well draining, course soil that dries out between watering. An advantage to growing them in containers is that they can be moved about. This is especially advantageous when the blooming season arrives, as they can become a temporary center of attention.

Beavertail Cactus In Bloom This Week.

2010-07-03T14:06:34-04:00

As usual, the cactus flowers have been beautiful this year. This potted Beavertail Cactus has been blooming this week. Last year this particular cactus sat on a deck that received a full day's worth of sun throughout the spring. This year it spent its springtime days in a place that received only morning sun. Consequently this year, the cactus produced only three blooms compared to it's fifteen last year. Still, the flowers are a complete delight.

This cactus does just fine in a pot. It stays outside year round and has never suffered from the cold nights of winter. As the plant grows, we periodically snip off one or two of it's big fat leaves, let them harden for a few days, then plant them either in the ground, or in containers. The new growth is always a nice rich green.

We usually carry hardy Beavertail cactus at the nursery. They are perfect for xeric landscapes and rock gardens and they add interest in your cactus container collection.

Beautiful Cactus Flowers

2010-06-23T13:56:15-04:00

The cacti have been blooming abundantly and beautifully this year, but they do every year. Although the cold winter temperatures limit the number of cactus types that grow in our region, the ones that do always delight the senses this time of year.

We have done our research and testing and have found several cold hardy cacti that will do just fine with the long and cold winters of our region. The list includes the Prickly Pear (Opuntia acicularis and O. engelmannii), Santa Rita (Opuntia violaceae), Cholla (Opuntia bigelovii), Silver Cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa), Beavertail (Opuntia basilaris), and several types of Hedge Hog.

All our cacti are grown outdoors, hardened for the harsh conditions of the northern Nevada bioregion. We have several types in easy to transplant four inch pots, as well as several more mature specimens in gallon and five gallon sizes. Cactus plants are great for rock gardens and fulfill many of your xeric needs. Come into our shop and see our selection.

Claret Cup Cactus in Bloom

2010-05-12T12:41:00-04:00

This past week, just before the snow storm came roaring through town, the Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) started blooming. This is usually the first hardy cactus to bloom in our area. If it likes its location, a single plant will develop five or so stems between five and ten inches high and will produce a large bouquet of deep orange or red blooms in May. The flowers are long lasting as cactus flowers go, staying firm and beautiful for several days, and unlike most cactus flowers, the Claret Cup flower stays open at night.

The cactus in this photograph has been in its present location for six years. In the wild, this particular hedgehog prefers higher desert locations, so at 4500 feet, this one feels right at home. All hedgehog cacti enjoy intense heat from a south sloping perch. A perfect choice for xeric landscaping, the Claret Cup prefers sandy, well drained soil, morning to evening sun, but especially a good dose of the afternoon rays, and less than an inch of water per month. It is beloved by honey bees and hummingbirds.

Cactus Flowers Blooming Into July

2009-06-30T18:36:00-04:00

It's nearly July and the cacti continue to delight us with their amazing blooms.

This prickly pear is a heritage cactus from Humboldt County, California. For many years, it lived in a container on the porch of a house less than a mile from the ocean in the north coast town of McKinleyville, CA, until it was brought over to Reno as a gift. For several years, it was assumed that since the cactus had been growing in the mild, wet climate of the north coast, it would need to be brought indoors each year before the killing frost. One year, as an experiment, a cutting of the cactus was left outside. This led to the discovery that this fleshy, soft green cactus does indeed take the cold Reno winters, no problem.

It takes a certain interest, but growing cactus plants can be incredibly rewarding as they are strange and amazingly varied and surprisingly easy to take care of. We carry hardy cactus that thrive outdoors in our part of the world. Come in and see our selection.

Summer Solstice Gives Birth To Beaver Tail Cactus Flower

2009-06-22T10:56:00-04:00

The proud owner of this fine, potted Beaver Tail Cactus was so happy this spectacular flower opened on the first day of summer. "That it just so happened to bloom on the first day of summer," he said, "after all the hootin' and hollerin' we did on the solstice, just makes me happy."

This particular specimen lives in a medium sized, 14 inch clay pot on a ledge that gets only morning sun. Due to the sun limitation, this plant didn't produce an abundance of flowers like others in the ground just feet away, around the corner on a south slope. In fact, this flower is the only flower it produced this year, and it's perched on the furthest branch towards the sun.

Once established, this hardy cactus will propagate easily by clipping. Wearing garden gloves, simply snip an entire branch (a single 'beaver tail'), let it harden for a day or so in the shade without soil, then plant it in a porous planting medium made especially for growing cactus. If you're going to plant it in the ground, make sure the soil is well drained, not clay. Cactus will drown if they sit in soggy soil. If the soil tends towards clay, don't try to mend the problem by adding pure sand. Instead, dig out a space large enough to completely replace the clay. Brew up a nice recipe for an average, sandy soil; replace the old clay with your new Cactus Delight, a soil especially delicious to Beaver Tail (and other cacti). They will pay you back with flowers like this!

Banner Year for Cholla Blooms As Usual

2009-06-18T09:56:00-04:00

This year is amazing, but every year seems to produce a spectacular display of wine-purple flowers. No fuss and you get a beautiful cactus with tips covered in blooms. The branches are spectacular, too. Classic Cholla. The fruit clings in yellow with green. Pick them off for various uses, including propagation. Plant this cactus in a well drained, southern slope with the intent of full direct sunlight. It will be bush size a few seasons from now. Truly Xeric.

In the southwest, cholla skeletons are used to make lamps, picture frames and other items. The cholla in the Mojave Desert is called "Jumping Cholla" or "Hitchhike Cactus" because the stems so easily dislodge themselves from the host, migrating on the backs of fur or wool bearing animals. The stems of this particular Cylindropuntia don't break off so easily.

This evergreen cactus adds winter interest to your rock garden. It can be grown as a barrier plant. It's also one of the last cactus blooms in our area, extending the cactus blooming season into the last days of June.

Tiny Pin Cushion Cactus Flower Miracle

2009-06-17T13:05:00-04:00

A few weeks ago, this small cactus began developing three flower buds on the very top of its single stem. The cactus has lived outdoors in a small terra-cotta pot for three winters and four springs. A slow grower, it is still only about two inches high by two inches wide. It is a very hardy little cactus that likes its winters cold and its summers sunny and warm.

After the recent night rain and next morning sun, the first cactus bud opened, revealing a big reason why throughout history, cactus plants have been thought to be gods. It was as if the fantastic world, for a short time, instantiated its presence by the surprising appearance of the little Pin Cushion Cactus flower, one of those moments when the world -- in this case, the Pin Cushion Cactus -- catches our attention and beckons us. So surely, if the various species of cacti are in fact, gods, then this flower is certainly the eye of this particular little god, a three eyed god, in fact, wide eyed for close to a week!

All gods aside, the privilege of having this miniature hardy cactus actually bloom, living outside all these years in a small terra-cotta pot -- it was sort of like an epiphany.

The Cactus Matters

2009-06-16T11:29:00-04:00

It matters what type of cactus you try to grow here. We have serveral varieties of hardy cactus that will amaze you and your friends with their flowers each spring. And even in containers, our cactus selection will brave the outdoor winters. Cacti that are high desert hardy will turn May and June into the Wild Wild West with many colors and many shapes.

Sacred Color With Soft Sweet Fragrance

2009-06-09T12:25:00-04:00

This yellow blooming Opuntia engelmannii (Cactus Apple) has been living in a container for over three years. The terra-cotta pot is shallow, with a 12 inch diameter. The plant has filled the space gracefully, growing its limbs over the edge, reaching out for more light and more land, if there were more.

What's nice about cacti in containers is that you can move them about the garden, showcasing them when in bloom, providing more light, etc. They don't take as much water as other potted plants, although they do enjoy a drink after drying out a bit.

This cactus, like most, do respond to the early spring weather. In april, some rain clouds make it over the Sierra ridge top. The desert gets a drink. With the perfect amount of water, the wildflowers and cactus flowers appear in abundance. Our magical desert blooms.

Local Cholla Planning Spectactular Spring Bloom

2009-06-06T13:50:00-04:00

The Cholla cactus grows big and bush-like here. There is one growing at the entrance to the Virginia Street nursery that has been there for many years. They are great for large rock gardens and grown as barriers against what ever needs to be barred.

This hardy evergreen perennial covers itself with deep purple buds and new growth, blooming in mid June for days on end.

The resulting fruit clings to the plant, but can be picked off with long tongs, then planted either in the ground or in containers. The branches can also be broken off using long tongs and thick layers of news paper, replanted. Newly transplanted branches are known to flower the very same year. Or you can separate branches just before the blooms are about to open. In fact, they will take just about any abuse when replanting. The thing they don't like is soil that won't drain.

Prickly Pear Extravaganza

2009-06-02T11:53:00-04:00

There's an ode to a cactus flower; talks about how thorny life is, and yet exquisitely beautiful and gentle. There's a song that reminds us how happy we humans can be, especially in spring, in warm sunshine filled days with flowers blooming and songbirds singing.

This particular Prickly Pear has been living in its spot for over four years. It loves a well drained, sunny spot facing south. This is a perfect rock garden plant for Northern Nevada. And once established, it pretty much enjoys the weather here.

The Month of Blooming Cacti

2009-05-22T14:42:00-04:00

It's happening. The claret cup, then the big hedgehog with the waxy orange flowers that last several days each. Then the beaver tails. Then cholla. Then pin cushion.

In complexity, in delight, the cactus flower is near the top of many lists for best local flowers, some would say of all flowers. Cactus flowers are often compared to orchids and other flowers of high distinction. It is true. Cactus flowers are superior flowers.

There are about a dozen or so hardy cacti species for our area. If you love to grow cactus -- people either seem to love it or hate it -- these dozen or so will bloom for you, one to the next, over the course of a month to six weeks, mid to late May through June. Cactus blooms for a month...a privilege not a whole lot of people have the luck to enjoy.

Update

The picture of the pin cushion cactus bloom above was taken on 06/17/2009. So it's a reference from the future. But today, in this wet June, on the 17th day, the pin cushion blooms a magical bloom with a sweet melting fragrance. Tucked behind the flower are two other blooms emerging. Three magical blooms.

Hedgehog Cactus Goes Completely Berserk

2009-05-21T12:08:00-04:00

This amazing hedgehog cactus has been living in this spot for several years -- this is its fifth season -- in a sunny, south sloping, well drained spot with several types of yucca close by and a Mormon Tea. Each year it gets fatter and fatter and puts out more and more blooms. The flowers last for days, making this early spring bloomer the center of attention, like a circus clown preforming just for you.

This cactus, like most, don't like to be watered very often. In fact, they tend to simply enjoy the weather we have here, given there's ample sun. Don't water it too much in the autumn either; you don't want it to plump up just before the first hard freeze.

Claret Cup Cactus Flowers Spring Reminder

2009-05-15T13:38:00-04:00

This incredible little cactus has lived in this spot for five years. Each year it heralds the blooming season for our region's hardy cacti.

The Claret Cup takes a well drained average soil in a sun drenched south facing spot that doesn't get much water.

The deep red flowers are long lasting. The entire bloom lasts up to two weeks. We are always impressed and never disappointed. This hardy evergreen perennial is perfect for your rock or container garden.