Finally, there was a lull in the weekly storms California kept sending our way, and Denis and I could book a trip to one of our favorite places, the
Desert Botanical Garden.
The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed our time there even if the place was heaving with people. There are two places here in Arizona where I've heard more foreign languages in one day than anyplace else: the Desert Botanical Garden and the Grand Canyon.
But I'm going to shut up and share some of the photos I took. If you're looking forward to spring, hopefully you will enjoy them.
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On the Dial-a-Ride bus and ready for the garden!
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I always see something new. This is called Elephant Food.
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Some type of aloe always seems to be in bloom.
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Looking out to the mountains from the Sonoran Desert Trail. Blasted power lines...
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These always remind me of the trees in Bedrock. (Anyone fellow Flintstones fans?)
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In line at the Patio Cafe to get something cold to drink.
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Pincushion cactus
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"Old Man" cactus always makes me smile.
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And now it's time for a bloom...
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... or two.
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I have to admit that no one seemed overly impressed by the current art installation.
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Blanket flowers. All types of wildlife either live in or visit the garden, so they sometimes have to put up netting and other types of deterrents.
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Hummingbirds love penstemon.
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Brittlebush. I have seen entire mountainsides covered in golden blooming brittlebush.
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I was disappointed with myself when I discovered that I'd left my jar of raw sunflower kernels at home. The quails and ground squirrels were not happy with me.
I hope you enjoyed your virtual visit.
Those are beautiful photos, Cathy - thanks for sharing. Funny you'd mention Bedrock; I was thinking the same thing! As I looked through the photos, it occurred to me that people who see the desert as nothing but sand and grey have never looked closely. There's so much life and so many beautiful things if you just look.
ReplyDeletePrecisely!
DeleteThanks for the virtual visit through your lovely pictures. Too bad about those disappointed critters. Maybe next time.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that we'll be going with Suzanne and Daisy while they're here, so I'd better not forget!
DeleteI'm so glad you made it out to those gardens. The blooms you captured are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI love it there, and all the cacti should be in bloom when our nieces are here.
DeleteSuch a lovely day for your visit! I'm guessing that Elephant Food tastes good to pachyderms? My parents kept the TV on PBS, so I wouldn't have thought of the Flintstones but can certainly see what you're thinking with that tree.
ReplyDeleteThe PBS station where I grew up was crap, to put it bluntly, plus the signal was so poor that the picture was more snow than anything else.
DeleteI would guess that Elephant's Food would taste good to them, but none of the articles I accessed admitted to it. It's a succulent related to the jade plant and is native to South Africa.
So glad that you and Denis were able to visit one of your favorite places, which I can well understood. These photos are wonderful and so cheerful. All of the blossoms are welcoming spring and just an ode to life.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are. The winter rains were kind here, and I've been seeing photos of the desert and mountainsides covered in carpets of blossoms.
DeleteHow lovely to see around your environment.
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