Friday, July 24, 2015

Yellow Fingers

I noticed an increasing number of people planting cacti. I was rolling my eyes, muttering to myself, "Hello!!! Cactus?! Eh super-daling alagaan yun. Saka sabi ng mommy pag nag-alaga daw ng cactus TATANDANG-DALAGA." *I know, right?*  Fast forward last weekend, may isang ale na nagbebenta ng stargazers and cacti sa sidewalk. The stargazers were so expensive, PHP650 for a flowering plant. The cacti were being sold for fifty pesos. Long story short: nakiuso ang lolah nyo. 

Yesterday, the first flower opened. I'm calling it Pinky. Well, the plant looks like it has five fingers, hence the name.


This morning, three flowers opened: Thumb, Ring, and Pinky, and the last seemed to be in a foul mood and closed its petals.


Thumb, meanwhile, is fully opened. So gorgeous, right? Perfect shade of yellow.


Apparently, prickly pears (Opuntia sp.), as they are called, are edible, high in dietary fiber, and are used in folk medicine to regulate blood sugar.

I'll just continue this tomorrow. I'm so sleepy na.

Continuation...

Hayan, alive, alert, awake, and enthusiastic na naman ako.

By the way, Index blossomed na. Late bloomer yata si Middle. Si Pinky, sullen pa rin. Teens nowadays...


As I mentioned last night, prickly pears fruits are edible as well as the pads and the petals. Careful though. They have tiny thorns, aside from the needle-like ones, that are so prickly. But being so tiny, they are difficult to remove using tweezers. A wiki tip is to cover your hands with glue then remove when dry. It should function like those nose masks that take take away the blackheads along with the dried glue. Perhaps when my cactus grows large enough, I can try cooking some pads and adding the petals to salads. *Salad? Who are you and what have you done with TPS?*
 

17 comments :

  1. I didn't know na may flowers pala ang cactus hahaha now I know

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ang ganda pala ng bulaklak nya. But it only bloomed for a day, two max. Then tumiklop na.

      Delete
  2. Ang ganda!! My first time also to see a cactus with flower blooms. High maintenance ba ito? =)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Madaling alagaan yan. Just put it in a pot na may gravel and soil. No need for frequent watering. Kaya lang, apparently, this particular species grows tall...as in kasing-taas ng bahay and are difficult to eradicate. Tutubo at tutubo, parang saging ba. And they are very prickly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm kung kasing taas ng bahay, para ka nang may cactus wall nyan! Hehe! I'm excited to see how tall (and wide?) they'll grow.

      Delete
    2. Ayoko na. Hindi ko na feel mag-alaga ng cactus. Ang daming tiny tinik. Sakit na ng kamay mo.

      Delete
  4. Hindi naman ako nakaka-buhay ng halaman. Unlike hubby who was born with a green thumb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then succulents might as well be your "gateway" plant. Super-daling alagaan. I just placed it in a mug with sand and soil. Then again, just more than one week pa lang eto akin...

      Delete
  5. Anonymous10:30 PM

    Minsan den akong nagtangkang mag-alaga ng cactus. Namatay ang cactus. :-P Tuloy, naputol ang sumpa, at nakapangasawa naman ako.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahahaha! Baka nga kasi dahil naputol ang sumpa.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:41 PM

      Parang kwarta o kahon lang yan... Cactus o Kasal? The yellow blossoms are lovely! I am inspired to take in a cactus one of these days.

      Delete
  6. Ang timely nitong post mo. A month ago may nakita akong succulents and cacti dito sa Estancia at napabili rin and Lola mo dahil ang cucute. They are still alive, and now I am attempting to propagate the succulents so wish me luck! Yung cactus na nabili ko eh ung parang sa disyerto. Di ko nga alam na namumulaklak pala ang cactus! Hehehe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't know na ang daming klase and colors ang flower ng cacti.
      Good luck! Ako, I'm giving up. Pagod na ako sa mga tusok-tusok sa kamay ko. Papamigay ko na.

      Delete
  7. Pabebe naman si Middle bwahahaha

    Seryoso, hindi ko alam na may flowers pala ang cactus. Yung friend at tita ko sabi, kinakain daw talaga ng mga Mexicano ang cactus...

    Nakakatandang dalaga? D naman 'teh, eh ako nga walang inalagaan na halaman, ganito pa din #whogoat ahahahahaha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! Finally, nag-open na si Pabebe Middle. Ayoko na, papamigay ko na ito. Tusok-tusok na kamay ko.

      Alam mo, kinain ko yung isang flower. Sumakit tyan ko. Parang kinabagan ako. Di ko alam kung dahil ba sa flower or inherently gassy lang talaga ako.

      LOL! Maybe you're looking at the wrong places.

      Delete
    2. Saan ang tamang lugar? Saan ang tamang landas? Afraidy ako, baka ma-heartyflakes din 'teh ahahahaha

      Kung malapit lang bahay ko sa inyo, baka hiningi ko na.. papatusin yan ng nanay at tatay ko hahaha

      Delete
    3. Ay, nahirap ma-heartyflakes. Masakit sa damdamin yan. #KC

      Ask ko if ubra sa Abest. :)

      Delete

I'd love to hear from you, good or bad. And remember, if you can dish it, you better be able to take it!