Ideas

While on my photo shoot at Reid Park, I snapped several shots that have inspired me over the years from this fantastic zoo.  While I am still working on the foundation of plants in my own gardens; these images are things I'd like to incorporate into our place here at El Presidio.  The above pic is not "waterwise" for us here, but the surrounding plants and structures are interesting.   

A simple ornament, from their Zoolights theme hangs off a tree.  It's the way the natural light shines through the blue that makes me think of the eventual color scheme in the garden.

A row of philodendron "pruned".  Depending where they are planted in our gardens here in Tucson, these plants can thrive if protected from the summer sun.  Several others that I have found that can make it through frost are the birds of paradise, pothos, ficus, and scheflerra.  It's all about placement with these plants...protect from extreme sun and frosty nights.

These final images are just beautiful ways to combine grasses,like the pampas grass, and palms which I think both make a beautiful statement in our Tucson winter gardens.  This is an oasis that is xeric.

As I drive around town, I pay attention to the successful gardens that thrive.  I think gardening here is amazing, but you wouldn't know it by people's yards around the Old Pueblo.  A lot of people lack imagination and/or just don't want the hassle or maintenance of plants in their own yards.  I do understand that, but it's difficult for me to look at gravel.  I hate lawns in the desert and  I certainly don't like the raked gravel look either.  However, that's just my opinion.

On a final blog note, I have been putting off the "BIG" blog postings and doing the fun ones instead.  I have several on "Ethnobotany" and "The Canopy Connection" which require me to write out my field notes.   There is a lot to break down and cover....I don't know how I'd ever run out of topics to write on as there is always something going on.....Las Aventuras is about gardening and landscape adventures here in my own gardens, around Tucson, national or international gardens (and their designs which will include at times the wildlife that work in chorus with the plants). Looking back at when I started in March, I realized that the blog defined itself, even if I hadn't a clue where to begin.  I didn't realize how much "stuff" I had up in my head until I began categorizing and writing about it.  This definitely has been a very fun process.  Happy Holidays everyone and thank you for reading my blog over this past year!  I look forward to the new year and the adventures that await all of us in 2011.