saguaro awry

Saguaro cacti are often illustrated with two 

arms, in a "stick 'em up" pose; but 

actually they are rarely symmetrical. in fact, 

sometimes saguaros grow in odd, fanned out

 shapes like this one, also called a crested

saguaro. it isn't known whether this results

from a genetic mutation or whether the crest

 is the result of environmental damage like 

lightning or a freeze; but crested saguaros 

are rare.

fall plant sale

*desert botanical garden*

the annual fall plant sale (there's also one in the spring) 

is a big hit. members and volunteers get a special 

day to buy, and the public sale begins tomorrow. 

i found some fantastic additions 

for my desert landscape. 

desert zen

at Arizona State University campus, i came across a small garden with golden barrel cacti and several cairns. there is such peace and balance in the stones, their order, their smoothness, the horizontal lines, the way they lift the eyes to the capstone. the cairns (maybe 20) in this little garden, poised like downtown loiterers among cactus fixtures, offer no obvious clue as to what point of reference or navigation purpose they serve. however, i was so intrigued by their placement that i stopped to take a photo. and wanting to write something interesting i googled a few word combinations to see how common a cairn configuration like this one was written about or photographed. and in doing that, i came across a blog with photos of similar looking cairns. the blog had a very nice song playlist, including "the littlest birds" by the be good tanyas. a new song to enjoy - that's where this cairn led me.

Bird Candy

I was on my way into the Desert Botanical Gardens for a class tonight and it seemed that every other saguaro lining the roadway had bright red fruits poking out of its crown; each one had its own white winged dove nose deep in big red refreshing plum-sized fruits.

Saguaros in Bloom

All around the Sonoran Desert, Saguaros are in bloom. Their flowers are beautiful and white to attract nighttime pollinators. There are plenty blooming all around Tempe. This photo was taken right outside the Biodesign Institute at ASU.

Golden Barrel Cactus

A whole herd of golden barrel cacti, common in the desert wilds of tempe.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Another beautiful day in Tempe.

wildflowers spring!