Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Not Such a Rave Review....

I must admit that my post yesterday did not necessarily paint my corner of the desert southwest in a very good light.

Even though I am not a "desert girl" at heart, I do have to admit that sometimes it can be very beautiful.

I am lucky enough to work at a botanical gardens. The following are a few pictures of desert plants that are showcased there.

This photo is of an agave. As you can see, at this time of year it really is a lovely plant to look at. It stays green all year and provides an amazing amount of character to the desert landscape. Beyond that, there are many different types of agave, some huge, some small, some with variegated coloring and a variety of leaf shapes.

This amazing cactus is called a saguaro. They are native to the Sonoran Desert and can live to be 200 years old. They are not only beautiful and majestic, but also are home to various birds that nest in them.

This tree is a Palo Verde tree. It has green bark and sparse leaves. In the spring and usually after rains and warming spells, it blooms with amazing yellow blossoms that fill the tree - tough on my allergies, but easy on my eyes.



The top three photos are of plant life that can be found where I live. The next photos are of gorgeous wild flowers that can be found the "high-country."











So, I might not always rave about how much I enjoy the desert, but, just as in the rest of life, there is some beauty in everything.

1 comment:

Amy is a survivor! said...

There is a lot of beauty in the things we ignore. I am finding that more and more. For example, I really love freeway flowers. Or freeway apple trees, but especially freeway sunflowers!