Monday, March 28, 2011

An Afternoon at the Desert Botanical Gardens at Papago Park, Phoenix

An afternoon spent at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix at Papago Park was delightful. 
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.  
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. 


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.

A Buckeye Butterfly on a bright yellow columbine

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.

The creepy Creeping Devil cactus from Mexico
The exotic Boojum Tree

You may click to enlarge the above photos

6 comments:

  1. Hi Sandra, glad to see you posting again! Great photos of the Desert Botanical Gardens at Papago Park, Phoenix! Gardens in the desert can be quite spectacular! It is so interesting to see what nature came up with to survive these harsh conditions.
    Christina

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  2. Beautiful pictures! I can feel spring wanting to come here...hope it's soon.

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  3. Thank you, Christina! I agree. It was a wonderful and refreshing day.
    Sandra

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  4. Thanks, Laurie. I am so longing for spring here too.
    Sandra

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  5. This must have been a wonderful trip. I enjoyed the virtual tour a lot - that's how I do most of my traveling these days... My mom lives half the world away from me, I was glad you got to spend some time with yours! Great butterfly pictures, too, thanks for showing those.

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  6. Thank you, Masha! I am very grateful that I get to spend time with my Mom. She's only 6 hours away.
    Glad you enjoyed the visit.
    Sandra

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