The Checkered White Butterfly

In the heart of Tucson during an overcast day, I discovered a white light sight fluttering about the wildflowers along the Santa Cruz river.

I didn't know what it was.  I had never seen it before....until now.  Can butterflies, like birds, be said to be "lifers"?

I was alone.  There was a slight breeze as I stood at amazement of this graceful dancer from flower top to flower top.

People think the desert to be harsh and void of life, but it's not.  Especially not now with the dwindling monsoon storms.  The rain makes everything green and alive.

I forgot about my stresses for the day and was in complete "WOW!" of this butterfly.  In some places this a protected species. And just when you've thought you seen it all......

Checkered White Butterfly

Seedy Intentions

Today's post shows you the ongoing work that continues with this particular garden as I am layering the look of this side area.  These pics were taken back in March on the 25th.  You can see where it started and how it all has grown in together.  Wildflower seeds and several varieties of basil were planted around the wells of the trees.  Don't worry....the trunk of the trees are protected with a screen.  I just wanted a little area to put down a vegetable garden.  Here are the beginning pics and set up.  But then....something else happened....

I put in 3 wells for Vinca and other colorful xeriscape friendly plants.  2 of the wells have plants growing in them, but one didn't go the way I had planned.  It seemed Mother Nature had other plans....

So when I look at these pics from last year, I smile and think of what could have been.  And what it is now.

                                                         but you will see what happens next.....

 I add ice plants and everything stays green:)

Birds decided that they would inhabit the space. No basil or any kind of seed could be thrown in the space because the birds would dig up the seed. Today one well is empty and is used as a "bird" hotspot while the other 2 wells grow Vinca and other succulent plants. The whole experience taught me to observe garden space before starting any major plans on gardening or planting seed. More tomorrow...

Beacons In The Sky

Ever look up into the Tucson sky and see white objects on top of mountains?  Well it's not a UFO, but one of the many space observatories that are located on our mountain tops.  While on a wildflower and wildlife hunt, I passed by Kitt Peak and decided to stop by.....

As stated, I had been searching for the amazing California Poppy displays around this mountain range, but I was disappointed to discover that I had been too early for the show.  I'll be heading back that way again and crossing my fingers that they will be in bloom this month.  This photo series was taken in March.  The story I tell today was a strange one.....but hey, I replaced my chapstick that I use on my hikes during the dry season.

While the trek wasn't a complete waste, it wasn't the most exciting.  Thankfully I went on the tour with our guide by the name of Bill.  He was a retired man with a wonderful smile and patient heart.  Sounds like I love him.  I just recognized the fact that he is an excellent educator for the public.  Someone who likes people and likes what they do.   First.  If you plan on going to Kitt Peak(south of Tucson) during the day, you need to take the tour.  Second.  Be prepared for chilly weather on this sky island.  It doesn't look like it's high up, but it is.  And the wind can be COLD!!!  Wear pants and a jacket during this time of year.  Kitt Peak is the most accessible for visiting the observatories.  Did you know?  Tucson has a light ordinance to help reduce urban light pollution for our space observatories?

Grey-headed Dark-eyed Junco

I went to see what kind of birds were hanging around the mountain tops.  And I wasn't disappointed.  The Grey-headed Juncos and Mexican Jays were all over the place.  And the Chihuahuan Ravens were majestic in the wind.  Beautiful birds.   Before the tour, I walked around the several observatories enjoying the fresh air.  The tourists visiting this day were a little bizarre.  A group of nasty smokers had a difficult time with the higher altitudes and couldn't breathe well.  I wonder why?  Even though one of the space observatories was  nearby, several of them complained about walking less than a block to visit one!!!  They got back into their cars and lit another cigarrette and drove off.  That's okay because they were annoying.  But why drive all that way just to drive back down again??? And smoking is bad for you. The smell annoys me as does a Southern drawl or a Wisconsin, "Hey der!" I rid myself of my Cheesehead accent years ago. I still have to make a concentrated effort on pronouncing words like "bag, flag, etc."  Open vowel sounds....not closed.  It's not "beg" It's "b-aaahh-ggg".  Some habits are hard to quite I guess:) My family has a strong and thick accent so I have to be careful when I'm home visiting not to slide back into that German/English mishmash.  I don't always succeed. Okay den, let's focus more on da topic, ya?

Kitt Peak was created in 1953 and funded by several universities around the country.  Today many observatories are located on top of this Tohono O'odam run land and are funded by the various universities around the country and the world!  Without the tour, it was boring....but the birding part was fun.  Some of the structures look like they need some work.  One observatory looked like it needed some updating.  The Solar Observatory, in my opinion, was depressing.  There was termite damage inside one of the telescope areas.  You can visit some areas but not many.

 I suppose to give it a fair shake, one would need to visit the observatories at night when the place "comes alive".  Like finding life in the Amazon Rainforest or searching for owls, the night is when stargazing is done by astronomers.  And that makes sense.  Several of my friends have done the dinner, overnight stays and telescope viewing from Mt. Lemmon and Kitt Peak and had loved the experience.  So to get the real experience, set up a stay for the night via their websites.

But if you go during the day, you may be disappointed.  Check out this empty basketball court below.  It looks like it hasn't been used in a hundred years!  In fact, it reminded me of my trip to Gamboa in Panama.  Do people really use this place to look up into the night sky?  I was doubtful.  So instead of me making a snap judgement, I took the tour at 1:30 and was glad I did..... 

It put a human face to the barren white domes. The people in this tour group were B.I.Z.A.R.R.E.  Well there were a couple cool people in the group.....like the nice couple from Washington.  I think everyone I've met from this state has been really wonderful.  But I know there are always a few bad apples....like the couple from Minnesota!!!  Seriously.....Minnesota.  Most people from this state are really amazing as well.  Bill, our guide, was friendly and answered every question as if it were important.  One of the telescopes on Kitt Peak is monitoring for incoming asteroids passing by Earth's orbit.  The female version of crazy asked if they would be able to see a shot of an asteroid  hitting Earth!!! She was serious. Everyone in the group chuckled except Bill.  He answered the question as if it were important.  Must be the scientist part of him.  Or he goes home afterwards, cracks open a beer, writes down the quote of the day in the book and laughs to himself.  Hey we all get one of those moments don't we?  Once, when I was younger, I asked an incredibly stupid question on a submarine.  At the end of the tour, I innocently asked our guide, "Is this where we started?"  I won't forget that moment.

On the way to the observatory during the tour,  male version of crazy starts rattling off strange facts about nothing.  Once inside the observatory, there were annoying kids running around while our tour was going on.  Crazy guy turns to an older couple...they looked like Grandparents....and asks them if those were their 5 or 6 year old kids!!!????  Again everyone in the group just kind of looked at each other.  My final opinion is that they were not human but instead.....Martians.  Martians from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I was also thankful for this sign.  It was a reminder that a cliff was right next to me and that I could fall off. 

So like this Mexican Jay, I took off from Kitt Peak adding two more birds to my list for the year.  And with a bit more knowledge on telescope design. But mostly that I could tell the difference between a Junco and a Warbler:) And that there are Martians posing as human.

And the wildflowers?  Major fail on my part.  Kitt Peak really is a great place for wildflowers...especially in April in May.  But because it's a bit cooler there, the flowers don't develop until later.  My best bet would have been to go up Hwy 77 in March.  There were wildflowers...just not in the mass groupings I was hoping for. I'll try again because this is definitely a hotspot for them! More tomorrow....

Scorpion Weed

WILD(flower) Ideas in Tucson

The African Daisy

Dear Sexy Tucson,
                  " I love you most this time of year as things get warmed up.  I love your display of wildflowers before our spring season gets started.  Your natural firework display is THE BEST!  And every year, you get me excited with your razzle dazzle display of colors. Truly yours.  Rohrerbot"

This photo shoot was taken in February around the second week.   A neighbor took their front yard and made magic happen.  They spread wildflower seed all around and as you can see in the photos, it is something special for the human eye.  As we get further into wildflower season, I'll be taking you to some hot spots around the city and state in search of the best display.

The best time to see wildflowers here in southeastern Arizona is either during the spring wildflower season (March through early May) or during the summer wildflower season (late July through early September). Autumn wildflowers will begin blooming here in October as the weather cools a bit, and they will continue blooming until the hard frosts of late November. Scattered wildflowers can be observed here in lower elevation desert areas almost all year-round.

Today's feature flower is the African Daisy. (OR Dimorphotheca aurantiaca)

 CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun
• Water: water flowering plants every week; fall-sown seeds need weekly watering if winter rains are sparse
• Soil: any well drained
• Propagation: annually from seed; self-sows
• Maintenance: none; leave dried seed heads on to encourage self-sowing

                                                            LANDSCAPE VALUE:

Wonderful early spring color.  Annual color in landscape. And a great example of a wildflower garden!

So where will I be next?  Stay tuned for more adventures.  You never know where I'll show up, but if it's worth a picture and some helpful info...I'm there!  For now, I hope you enjoy the light show of sun and dazzling color.  I'm pumped for this season!  More tomorrow....

To Rise From the Ashes of the Phoenix

Soon our desert floor will erupt with an array of flowers.  Keep your eyes open around the Tucson area.  Take a road trip down to Kitt's Peak where I think our wildflower season will be a hit.  Today's photos were taken in Tucson at the Tucson Botanical Garden.  The normal desert floor will turn from a brownish green to a burst of intense pinks, yellows, blues, reds, and oranges.  This year promises to be spectacular. And as always, if you can't make a visit to our desert for vacation, I'll be snapping the shots of our "spring" season here.  Stay tuned for more....

Black Eyed Susan

Sonoran Wildflowers

Everyone has wondered where my wildflower pics are from the desert this past spring.  Don't worry, I took them.  My garden journal on plants has wrapped up, but it has taken up a lot of time and energy forcing me to post things at a later time.   This is the first of a series of shots from our visit to the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix back in early April.  It was a beautiful but extremely warm day.  My allergies were acting up with all the pollen in the air.

The Phoenix Botanical Gardens had such a lovely display of wildflowers and while it wasn't a spectacular show for us in the wild this year to the lack of rain, the Phoenix Botanical Gardens made sure we got our California Poppy fix:)  These flowers just glow with the intense sunlight. Our wildflower shows in the desert all depend on the weather.  It's natural and normal for some years to be a dud while during others, it's like going to a 4th of July fireworks festival.

 California poppies are the orange flowers.  Other wildflowers you'll see in these gardens are lupines, globe mallow, Parry's Penstemon, Pink Sand Verbena, the Blue Desert Bell, etc

There's a lot to see.  The best way to make your own garden is to throw mixed seeds around in flower beds with some water to get them going when spring arrives. They can grow crazy so do be aware that they will pop up around your landscape once you put them into your garden.  It's kinda hard to control wildflowers.....because they're wild:)

Native butterflies and hummingbirds love our display of wildflowers. I love how these will take over a rock bed and create a lush green hill of spectacular color.

Depending on the wildflower, your displays can last for a month or longer.

Many mix wet native soil with the seeds and throw it about their garden.  This keeps the seed from blowing away or from preventing a local bird a free lunch:) 

There are lots of seed packets out there.   But for success, plant in full sun for maximum display.

Wildflowers transform a landscape into a prairie type setting for a few months before returning to the cacti forest.

 The Desert Primrose.  This plant grows along the sand dunes of Yuma.

Stay tuned for more from the Phoenix Botanical Gardens tomorrow......