Cactus flower up close. See the insect?
I'd meant to go see Mickey’s Hangover or Scottsdale or some of the other wonderful places that Amanda has been telling us about in her Athewinn blog about Phoenix. They sounded fascinating. But I couldn’t resist going back to my favorite Phoenix place ever - the Desert Botanical Garden. And of course, we went in the early morning for the early morning light on the cacti and to see the birds and animals too.
The Desert Botanical Garden (1201 N Galvin Parkway, Phoenix http://www.dbg.org ) is a beautifully landscaped and maintained 50 acres showcasing arid-land plants of the world.
my husband and our cousins
In the Spring the displays of desert flowers in bloom has to be seen to be believed.
Not surprisingly, cacti and succulents are everywhere.
There are paths winding past a small pond and through areas demonstrating how people historically have managed to live in the arid
Arizona area.
One section has a small outdoor café where you can have early morning coffee and muffins while you watch baby quail patter around your table.
Another section shows you the range of shapes, colors, and survival strategies of desert plants.
There’s even a school for desert landscaping.
And bring your camera to photograph the shadow patterns on the plants and the birds, squirrels, and small lizards running about.
This time there was even an art show with a large installation work by Patrick Dougherty.
If you think of the desert as a hot, arid, lifeless ugly place, then you have to visit these gardens. The desert is hot and arid but it holds many different kinds of life with unquestioned beauty.
I’m sorry Amanda, I love your blogs and really wanted to see the rest of Phoenix that you've told us about. I have to go home tomorrow so I just didn’t have much time and I couldn’t pass up these gardens.
