Bloom Watch #2 – Passing The Torch
June 1, 2020Lee Mason’s Last Bloom Watch
The Queen and I hope this finds all of you well. She is making her usual confusing moves. I have been checking a couple times a week since I wrote the first bloom watch. The number of buds has remained relatively consistent until recently. There were 6 buds that didn’t make it, however, there were 11 new buds. This is what she does to get my goat. She also did something that I have never seen before. The last time I was out there number 138 had just one little beginning bud, but now it appears to have gone to bloom but not big enough to actually be considered a flower (see the photo). I’m not sure what happened, but once again The Queen has done something to get my attention. Things that make you go hmmm.
Some of the buds have made stall size,
but the vast majority are still small.
In The Queens Court my Peniocereus johnstonii and my P. viperinus have finished blooming. I got a total of 17 flowers on the P. johnstonii and 107 on the P. viperinus. Over the past two weeks my P. greggii, rosei, tepalcatepecanus, cuixmalensis and oaxacensis have all started to bud up. This will be the first time for my P. rosei so it will be interesting to see what they look like. Some of you have asked to see some photos so here they are. The P. serpentinus in the gardens has produced over 100 flowers so far with more buds coming!
Even though we won’t be open for Bloom Night in person, you can still enjoy it online. I really hope you enjoy what they come up with. This is my last Bloom Watch as my retirement took place on May 22. It has been fun talking with all of you and seeing you on Bloom Night and I hope it has been fun for you also. Bryce Beamish will now be under The Queen’s spell and will keep you posted on her progress moving forward. I look forward to being a visitor at future Bloom Nights and not the one she ties in knots trying to get the call right.
My best to everyone and good luck to Bryce. Please give him the support you have always given me. Thank you.
– Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul
