Will have to dig out the camera before it fades, but am quite astonished - my snakey cactus in the conservatory has a bright orange flower on it.

This month of April has been breaking records for temperatures, and we have had a long spell of clear skies and hot sun - I went in there this morning and there was the flower. There looks to be others yet to open.

I always find cactus flowers so surprising.

There they sit all spikey and unassuming and then there is a heatwave, I remember them and give them a watering with warm water left all day in the sun, and they suddenly throw caution to the wind and do something amazing.

Many years ago now I smelt a truly intoxicating perfume coming from the conservatory late one evening and found that a cactus had produced a huge white feathery flower on a long stem. It must have been hoping for a moth to be attracted. I saw it by the light of a full moon and it was most striking.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: