A Sea of Succulents

I had been waiting for this opportunity. Finally on my trip to Panama, I found the images I was looking for!! Over the course of a year, I had written twice on how to make your succulent garden look like a coral reef, but I couldn't show you an image of the coral reef because I didn't have one. Now I do:)  Here's the image I have in my head.  For you succulent and cacti lovers, look at these shapes and sizes.  Plants are great, but those of us who can work with structural plants like succulents, agaves or cacti are extremely lucky. In fact, after my trip to Panama, I came home wanting to be back in my desert!  I missed my cacti!!  Anyhow look at the coral forms in this pic.  Do you see any kinds of succulents that look similiar to these coral shapes?  

In a year, I begin my art projects around El Presidio.  One of the pieces I will be creating is a fountain of succulents/small cacti that will create my sea of succulents.  It will have to be moved in winter to protect from our evening frosts. Here's a case where nature inspires garden art.  Has anyone tried this look? 

Let me give you a start.  Match this Cereus Monstrose Rojo below with the coral in the  above pics. Do you see it?

Cereus Monstrose Rojo

Imagine.  Create.  Be inspired by the forms around you. Until tomorrow.....

Testing...

New Camera Tests....first on a Barrel Cactus

As promised, I wanted to update on this weekend's work in the garden.  It's still too hot in my opinion to be working outside, but the weeds are driving me nuts as are the mesquite pods....they must be cleaned up so I am working sections over the next several days to reclaim the garden and her glory:)

Cereus Monstrose Rojo..new to the garden

So I bought the Canon PowerShot SX20IS. It has exactly what I need, but I am trying to work on the settings right now.  It will take the detailed pics like you see here, but I have yet to figure out the focus so that when I hit the button, it will detail the pic and snap...right now, it just blurs.  I have some more playing around to do.

The Calamondin....a first

The plant above is a new citrus to me that is similiar to an orange, lemon, and lime combined....closer to the kumquat. I'll try it out and see what happens:)

Maybe it's just switching one little thing on the camera for zoom in capability.

The settings seem fine as do the detail

So I know it's possible....

Mexican Bird of Paradise

I have no idea what happened here..but it's a hazy cool...

This was the shot I was trying to get....again the detail

I've learned words such as aperture and ISO and I think it's the aperture I'm trying to fix.....

I've hit the reset to the original settings numerous times.......

Our neighbor's kitty Simon......

A painting I purchased in Mexico

HELP!!!  Yes...these are fine....but um...it took 500 hundred test shots and I still can't focus doesn't want to focus on command for me:(