What better thing to do when you have a cold than to dig up a cactus? I finally dug up the Cylindropuntia echinocarpa as I promised I would do several posts back. It was pretty easy to do, though, as I did it, I mashed a little echinocereus flatter than a pancake.

Here it is sitting in the wheelbarrow, roots dusted with sulfur to prevent rot, waiting for the next move.

Moving something this large, something all too ready to share its plentiful spines with skin and clothing, is quite easy at this time of year. The plant has lost most of its water, so doesn’t weigh much, and all you have to do is pick it up with a long-handled shovel in one hand, and a hoe or another shovel in the other, and drop it into place.

Over the years I’ve gotten quite a bit of criticism for not taking things seriously. I’m not sure exactly what aspects of gardening are to be taken so deadly seriously that all joy is banished, but apparently rock gardening is one of the more serious parts of gardening. So I decided today to make up for any past transgressions by presenting three short video tours of parts of the rock garden. These will enhance my reputation, without a doubt.

More troughs.

The rock garden. One of them.