Introduction
Perhaps it was the Golden Guide on cacti that I used to flip through as a kid
or the old piece of grey-brown, hole-studded Cholla wood that sat
on my grandmother's shelf among her African violets. Whatever it
was I have had a fascination with cacti for as long as I can remember.
Growing up in central Minnesota greatly limited my exposure
to actual cactus plants. Undaunted by this, however, I kept my passion for
cacti fueled one way or another and enjoy continued
discovery in this specific botanical hobby.
Growing Cacti in Minnesota
Here I am around 16 years old behind my cactus garden in Minnesota.
(click picture to enlarge) Contrary to many people's beliefs there
are several limited species of cacti that are hardy enough to survive
below zero winter weather. Cacti that grow in these conditions release
much of the moisture from within their cells and shrivel up in the
fall. This keeps the cells from bursting when they freeze. In spring
the plants take advantage of spring rains to soak up the moisture
needed for growth. Here I was able to grow a few different varieties
of Opuntia's, a couple Escobaria's, and one or two Echinocereus's.
Here is another picture of my Minnesota garden:
(click
to enlarge)
Growing Cacti in California
Now living in Southern California, I am free to grow any species
of cacti I choose without fear of freezing. (see Places/My
Garden) If I could have my way, I'd be growing one of every species
of cacti that exists. And although I now have the climate to support
any species, I do not have the 200 acres I grew up with at my disposal.
In fact, I am limited to about 70 or 80 square feet. Thanks to modern
technology, however, this does not mean the end. I found I could
find new species of cacti and "collect" them with a digital
camera and then "plant" them on my web site instead. That is
not quite the same as growing actual plants, I admit, but I have no
right to complain.
Building CactiGuide.com
CactiGuide.com went live on May 5, 2002. Once I had the basic architecture of CactiGuide.com built, the
next step was to gather content. I started taking pictures of plants
that grew wild around Southern California and those that I had growing
in my back yard. I then visited local cactus nurseries and local
botanical gardens that I knew had cactus collections. I've also
visited the Desert Botanical Garden and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Arizona and the Southern
Arizona cactus-filled parks: Saguaro and Organ Pipe Cactus. I am
currently plotting future trips I hope to take down into Mexico,
then Central America, and ultimately the countries of South America.
Unfortunately, I am not a man of unlimited means so these lofty
goals of mine won't be realized for years. Hence, CactiGuide.com
will continue to be a work-in-progress long into the future. Or
at least as long as people continue to use the Internet the way
they do today.
A Statement of Personal Convictions
An astute observer will notice that this website is devoid of any references to origins.
This is in contrast to the vast majority of science-related websites which unabashedly
reference evolution or evolutionary beliefs as facts which need simply to be discovered.
It is my personal belief that all matter including cacti was created by the God of the
Bible and that the Genesis account of recent supernatural creation is the more believable
explanation for the origin of all things. I do not believe the earth is billions of
years old and therefore do not believe in a world created through evolution either. The
creation/evolution views are mutually exclusive of each other by definition and cannot
consequently be combined in an attempt to honor both sides of the issue.
Despite my personal convictions, I also recognize that because neither view can be
scientifically proven it will continue to be an unresolved matter of debate. In addition
because of the moral and philosophical implications of the subject, it is often accompanied
by strong emotions and few are without a staunch opinion one way or the other. I realize
that today the majority of the scientific community presents Darwinian Evolution without
consideration of its possible errancy or that there are alternative explanations of origins.
This situation does not in turn confirm the veracity of the view point, but simply reflects the
popular opinion of a particular group in a specific point in time. Indeed, if popular opinion
constituted proof, the Evolution Hypothesis would never have been posited within the
Creation framework which preceded it.
With that said, I have decided not to address the topic of origins on CactiGuide.com beyond
these three paragraphs. This does not mean I think the subject is not worth thoroughly exploring.
In fact I would urge all to invest a considerable amount of time examining the evidence against
the interpretations of both view points without bias. I also will openly discuss my beliefs
with anyone who is inclined to bring it up. Meanwhile I will continue to develop CactiGuide.com
in accordance with its Primary Objective.
-Daiv Freeman
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