Horticulture

In the spring, the hop seeds bloom.  They put forth massive bunches of blossoms that weigh the branches down.  I generally have to cut off some of the ones that are about to break under the weight.  They have been there about twenty years.  The first owner who planted them kept them sheared as a low hedge.  Somewhere along the line, no one sheared and they're now about fifteen feet tall and totally unruly.  I like them better that way.  The internet says not to cut into the old wood, which would have to be done to return them to a hedge shape, so I don't. 

I think they're a beautiful flower.

This is the first year I've actually looked at them after they have dried out.  That is a crispy little flower.

On the right is one of the wings of the flower, resting on another wing.  You can see the center pocket which is empty.

Bottom right is what's inside.  There are two chambers, each with a little black seed.

Thank the heavens these seeds do not seem to germinate well or we would be up to our armpits in hop seed seedlings.  Or maybe it's the fact that we have spread Preen (a pre-emergent) everywhere so that the weeds and grasses don't get a start in the gravel.  I wouldn't mind having a few sprout, but that's about it.

Today was a better day than the previous.  We got some sleep, and went for a bike ride.  It was very pleasant until about 2:00 - then it got hot.  But that's what it does here.

The blossoms aren't opening at all.  Maybe this one is not like the giant blue agaves when they bloom.  That's a stetsonia cactus to the left of the agave.  Look at the length of those thorns.  Wicked!