The Boyce Thompson Arboretum is the oldest and largest arboretum in Arizona, covering almost 400 acres. A picture perfect, 75 degree Sunday in April was a great chance to check out the spring blooms.
A Texas Mountain Laurel (according to Google Images – which educate me each time I do a posting like this)
An unusual pairing, a barrel cactus and daisies.
The blooms of an aloe plant.
An Organ Pipe cactus
A Yucca in bloom.
The Clevenger House was built in the early 1900s, using the canyon as one of the walls for the house.
The Palm Grove
A mountain aloe
It is amazing what can grow on the rocks of a cliff, with as little rainfall as this area gets.
We ended our tour with this hummingbird doing it’s thing.
With the abundant rain and snow that has occurred throughout the desert southwest in the 2022-2023 winter it is expected that the wildflower season will be spectacular.
The first show for the Tucson area is at Picacho Peak.
Picacho Peak is about 1/2 between Tucson and Phoenix. For more than 100 years the main forms of transportation have rolled past this uniquely shaped mountain.
The first road was a wagon trail, followed later by the railroad. On this day the railroad served as a backdrop for a great patch of poppies. In the far right center are the tops of the snow covered Catalina Mountains.
As the automobile came into existence Arizona Highway 84 was paved past Picacho Peak. In the 1960s it was replaced by the now 6 lane Interstate 10, yet the poppies continue to thrive.
Because it is directly along the major freeway between the two cities, and is the first in the area to bloom, the crowds were quite large. We opted not to sit in the huge line to get into the park, rather found a space outside the park and walked in.
It was well worth the short walk.
In addition to the poppies the ground cover has a verdant green look.
But it is the poppies that everyone comes for.
The beautiful colors, along with the impressive geological features of Picacho Peak, make the visit a must. Just plan ahead, be patient and enjoy.
While Tucson has been home to European descent people for a few hundred years, the Native American’s have been here much longer. The Mission Gardens are at the base of Sentinel Mountain, also known as ‘A’ Mountain with the giant University of Arizona ‘A’ in rocks at the top.
This location is the oldest known canal irrigated agriculture in the United States, having been home to people for 3500 years!
It is known as the birthplace of Tucson.
The gardens celebrate this history with Hohokam, O’Odham, Spanish, Mexican and Chinese cultures, as well as others.
The garden is home to many plants and trees that while might not be native to the area, have been historically important, like one of the ‘C’s of Arizona – Citrus.
Another one of the ‘C’s are represented with a few small cotton plants, which has historically been grown by the Hohokam in the deserts of what is now Arizona for thousands of years.
There is ongoing debate about the future of the cotton industry in Arizona because of the amount of water it takes to grow (although far less that the massive alfalfa fields you see throughout the state).
There are some flowers interspersed throughout the garden, including these Marigolds.
Being in the desert much of the perimeter landscaping are the native plants like the prickly pear and barrel cactus.
Some primitive art is scattered about as well.
The Chinese Cultural Center was having a celebration the day we visited.
While small, the gardens provide a vital service teaching people how to survive in the desert, while celebrating the past.
One great thing about living in Arizona is the winter time brings lots of activity at a plant nursery. We made a stop at a large one known as ‘Green Things & Zocalo’s, sort of a free trip to a botanical gardens.
They have a large collection of pots and vases.
With thew chilly nights (in the lower 40s, and sometimes upper 30s) the new growth on the cactus need their ‘hats’
With some protection from summer heat, and lots of watering you too can have Arizona bananas.
The greenhouses are ready for the Christmas season.
November roses!
While there are plenty of chili peppers grown around here, these are glass. All in all, far better than a cold northeast November.
A recent Saturday was spent wandering the back roads of North Central Ohio from Columbus all the way to Lake Erie.
First stop was in the small town of Mt Gilead, the county seat of Morrow County. The old county jail dates from 1850.
Next door is a soldiers monument.
Next stop – Galion, where we checked out the old train station and theater.
The Huron County Courthouse clocktower in Norwalk.
At last – the Lake Erie shoreline in the town of Huron. The lighthouse was built in 1939, reflecting the style of the period.
Sandusky is the center of the lakeshore for this area. Home to what is generally acknowledged as the best amusement park in the world (Cedar Point), Sandusky relies heavily on tourism.
Starting back south we made a stop in Castalia, at the fish hatchery. Unfortunately it was closed, but the nearby creek has a number of well feed fish, along with some birds looking for lunch.
We passed through Bellevue and had the photo op of a very long, slow moving freight train passing the Mad River Railroad Museum – providing a contrast of the size of locomotive from the past and today.
Time to cruise on home, amazingly following the same vintage car southbound that we were behind for about 20 miles going north earlier.
With winter finally over, and April here, there are more signs of spring. An afternoon out in the country included a stop at the Bigelow Pioneer Cemetery State Nature Preserve. This area is known for it’s native grasses, but they aren’t yet growing.
There are some interesting mid 1800s headstones though.
There are however many signs of life.Nearby is the Big Darby Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve, one of the few nature preserves that allow dogs on the trails. There are many examples of early bloomers. It is nice to get out of the house and into nature again.
RDZ Photography 