An afternoon spent at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix at Papago Park was delightful.
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| A beautiful spring day at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix |
My mother, our friend, Wilma, and I spent a wonderful three or four hours in the sunshine and fresh air, taking in the desert scenery.
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| Barn's Butte at Papago Park |
Wilma volunteers as a docent at the gardens. She led us on a spirited tour through the wildflowers and cactus. We saw so much to inspire and awe, and might have spent another day or two to see the rest of it.
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| Our intrepid guide, Wilma |
The Butterfly Pavillion is open until the first week in May. Dozens of beautiful specimens happily flutter about an enclosed garden going about their business little noticing the camera-mad public in their lives.
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A Buckeye Butterfly on a bright yellow columbine |
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| This Giant Swallowtail finds the red petunias alluring |
Having grown up in Phoenix, the Sonoran desert is a familiar landscape to me, but I was very excited to see desert plants from Mexico such as the Creeping Devil cactus and the Boojum Tree.
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| The creepy Creeping Devil cactus from Mexico |
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You may click to enlarge the above photos |
