We are far from getting the land as cleared as we would like. When I say clear I mean remove all the trash that was left there for a long time. The property being kind of secluded has been victim to various squatters and people just passing through. There is a lot of junk that needs to be piled and removed. There is one area that looks like a tornado hit a mobile home. Everything just scattered everywhere. To save money we are cleaning up by hand but I’m sure after some point it will require equipment. The property is gorgeous even with the mess caused by many years of neglect. It’s during our manual clean ups that the killer cacti becomes a topic. There are various cacti here but this one gets our full attention. It is treacherous! Makes you take a very long focused pause before trying to walk past it. I’m serious, I know cacti have pins and they hurt but this……..on another level. Gets on you and won’t let go. And if it does most likely a pin is embedded in your fabric somewhere and will irritate you later.
So the design plan we are considering would have rows of various trees in the valley. Separated by named lanes (check our campaign for info) and ponds. Mike would like to remove as much of these cacti as possible. I on the other hand would like to keep as much possible. Something about their tenacity and desert survival that I feel it will work as a great companion to some of the trees and shrubs. There was one time during a dry spell, I was able to shake the cacti (with a shovel) and heard water. Like a jug of water, very fascinating. Unfortunately, they are not easy to move and they spray pins when cut. You got to love how ruthless they are 😀. I think for visitor safety Mike will get his way but I plan to secure off-limit areas that these cacti can flourish and I can test their tree companion possibilities.
vicious and beautiful
Wish me luck!
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