Tuesday, February 14, 2023

The Desert Botanical Garden on a Chilly January Day

I told all of you that one of the things Denis and I did to celebrate my birthday and our twenty-first wedding anniversary (the same date, by the way) was to spend the day at one of our very favorite places, the Desert Botanical Garden. We were so in need of getting out and celebrating that we turned up our noses at the weather forecast, which told us that the temperatures would barely make it into the 50s (that's about 10° for you Celsius folks). 
 
Now... I can hear some of you snickering, and I don't blame you one bit. The Midwesterner in me that experienced blizzards and ice storms that knocked the power out for almost a week snickers, too. But I've lived here since I was twenty-one, and my blood has had plenty of time to thin. Even Denis feels the cold now, although we "bundle up" with a sweater or fleece jacket and don't look as though we're about to embark on an expedition to deepest Antarctica.

Anyhoo, it's time to share a few of the photos that I took while we were there. Come along with us to the Desert Botanical Garden!


This nest was in the top of a cactus just inside the entrance to the garden. I don't think the builders are the sharpest knives in the drawer since only the most vertically challenged are unable to reach it!


On the desert wildflower loop trail. These tall spikes of blooms look either blue or purple depending on the angle of the light. I was wearing purple, and several other visitors stopped to tell me that I matched the flowers.


I love how some varieties of cactus have spines that reflect the light, making it look as though they're wearing halos.


Several varieties of aloe were in bloom.


The "old man" cactus is a favorite of mine.


This old man was having a bad hair day.


Wild irises were in bloom, too. My grandmother's favorite flower.


A pair of Gambel's quail. I'd brought a jar of raw sunflower kernels (only healthy snacks for my buddies) and created a bit of a feeding frenzy.


While the quail were fighting over the sunflower kernels, this little ground squirrel got right under other visitors' feet at the Patio Cafe in hopes of a different treat.


This young hummingbird had found a nice patch of sun in which it could bask and warm up-- and it wasn't moving for anyone, even though one couple came within three feet of it.


One example of the art installation in the garden featuring the "nature-inspired" work of Rotraut. Don't tell anyone, but Denis and I weren't overly impressed (although I did think this was one of the better ones).


More blooming aloe.


A sharply defined white halo.


A little cold isn't going to stop this cactus from blooming!


Denis and I did what many of the critters were doing in the garden. We found a good patch of sun and imitated a couple of basking lizards. Here's Denis on his phone telling someone where we're at.


Thankfully, it's warmed up by at least twenty degrees, and it's time for me to take my needlepoint and audiobook outside to my favorite basking spot. I hope you enjoyed your visit to the Desert Botanical Garden!

16 comments:

  1. What beautiful 'photos, Cathy! I'm so glad you and Denis had the chance to go. I love sharing your visits; it lifts me up. And about being chilly? I know just what you mean. I grew up on the East Coast and lived in the Midwest for a couple of years. I know what 'cold' feels like. Even so, there are still mornings here where I bundle up in a jacket...

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    1. We had another one of "those days" yesterday. Some gremlin is reading our Google calendar and fixing the weather against us whenever we have an outdoor outing planned!

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  2. Lovely, or should I say "loverly," like Eliza Doolittle? Really never disappoints at the Desert Botanical Gardens. How wonderful you and Denis got there.

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  3. Your photos are gorgeous! And what a beautiful place to wander. I'm glad you braved the 'cold' and got to spend a day there. :D

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    1. I've lived up in your neck of the woods and gotten caught in a few snow storms!

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  4. This reminds me quite a bit of our visits to the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. Many of the plants are the same and it is a beautiful, restful place. Just what a botanical garden should be.

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    1. I would love to go back to Santa Fe, and one of the reasons for that is because we didn't get a chance to visit their botanical garden.

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  5. I love all those pictures, Cathy! If we ever get back to your area I want to visit those Gardens again!

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    1. Yes! And it would be wonderful if we could tag along. (We have guest passes that we seldom get a chance to use. Hint. Hint.)

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  6. Love the pics! It's nice that I can live in Arizona vicariously. Enjoy.

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  7. What a great day! So many things in bloom too, which is nice!

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    1. There's always something in bloom there, which is wonderful.

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  8. What great pictures! I don't know where I've been (probably in the Midwest where they only grow in pots), but I've never seen an aloe in bloom. Thanks for sharing your day with us!

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    1. You're welcome, Gretchen! I hadn't seen aloes in bloom until I visited the Desert Botanical Garden.

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