November 8: Cold weather cactus

A few days ago, while out on the balcony, I happened to glance over the rail into my own study window and saw one of my Christmas cactuses sneaking along the sill just inside. It had a few leaves up there, and on the end of one of them was a pink, lipstick-like blossom bud. This plant is so reliable, every year when the days get short and the weather finally cools, it starts blooming.


Please excuse the dirty window and sill!

Another reason I like it is the way you can see the sunlight through the leaves. There's a darker, think vein going up the middle, and then if you look closely, you can even see the tiny veins inside the succulent leaf.