Lynn WiezyckiI had added an extra day onto my time in Arizona so I planned to make one more stop in Phoenix before I headed to the airport. I spent the night in Tucson and drove to …
the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix the next morning.
Similar to the Sonora-Tucson Desert Museum, this garden is very much out in the hot, dry environment. These gardens are so different from what I am used to in more tropical Florida.
Details from Wikipedia
Desert Botanical Garden is a 140-acre (57 ha) botanical garden located in Papago Park, at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway in Phoenix, central Arizona.
Founded by the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society in 1937 and established at this site in 1939, the garden now has more than 50,000 plants, in more than 4,000 taxa, one-third of which are native to the area, including 379 species, which are rare, threatened or endangered.
Of special note are the rich collections of agave (4,026 plants in 248 taxa) and cacti (13,973 plants in 1,320 taxa), especially the Opuntia sub-family. Plants from less extreme climate conditions are protected under shadehouses. It focuses on plants adapted to desert conditions, including an Australian collection, a Baja California collection, and a South American collection. Several ecosystems are represented: a mesquite bosque, semidesert grassland, and upland chaparral.
Desert Botanical Garden has been designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride.
My Visit
The variety of desert plants was almost overwhelming. I had to deal with some pretty sunny conditions but did the best I could to get some images that were different from my adventures in the Tucson area.
The Prickly Pear Cactus is the “food of the desert” for Arizona. There was a huge patch of a very brightly colored variety as I walked into the garden entrance. I had eaten a few Prickly Pear items that were very yummy!
There were huge areas that were full of agave plants. The lines, colors and shapes were so much fun to photograph.
Even a dead agave plant made an interestingly graphic image!
When I did the post processing I decided that some of these graphic plants would even look great in Black & White.
And I tried just a touch of color.
There were some man-made parts to the garden that also were photogenic.
After walking around this beautiful desert setting for a couple of hours, it was about time to head for the airport. I made one last stop in the gift shop and found this gorgeous little cactus with a flower.
I made my last prickly image of my Arizona trip, headed for the car and the airport! I was homeward bound!
The Desert Botanical Garden is a must-see when you are in the Phoenix area. For more details please check out their website.
For larger versions of my images, please click on the image or visit my Gallery for these and additional images from the Desert Botanical Garden.
My next adventure is a bit closer to home… Universal Studios, Orlando!
That is all for now.
Lynn
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