Thank you so much for posting all of this detailed information. I have read through every single bit of it and it’s making me want to start planing another desert trip for next spring (and I would love a bit of that agave!). When I first moved to California, I had some unexpected time off and, somehow, convinced my husband to take a last-minute week and a half trip down to Death Valley National Park. Him “what? WHY?!”. Me “Come on! We’ve already been to Yosemite a few times!” We both still consider it to be the most beautiful National Park we have ever visited. It felt like it took two or three days for our eyes to relax and be able to take in all of the details but after that I didn’t want to leave. I must have filled an entire memory card of pictures of the various desert flowers, cacti (many of which were blooming), Joshua trees, and other forms of unexpected life. Now, reading through this post, I want to go back with a guide book in hand so I can look up some of the finer points of these fascinating plants that can thrive under such extreme conditions.
Really great posts. Nice to get the inside info on your growing experiance in desert country to see its true beauty.
It is always a real pleasure to widening ones hands on horticulture knowledge.
Have worked for 4 years in Australia's Simpson Desert and it rained for many weeks after a 20 year total drought. The very barren landscape turned into 100's of squre miles of flowers. Many different sorts. From the air it all looked green and gold and you could of sold it as the best pasture land around.
But when the seed came as it was all turning back to desert again the seeds were like fiber glass fibers and it got into everything and all bedding and clothing was destroyed.
The insects were just as vareired and prehistoric looking creatures. They mounted up under the lights so they were 3' high over night.
The dust storms and the heat.....but after some time I fell in love with that country. Everything was just so big.
Es, that's why you've been visiting us less often for the last weeks...you've been writing a book!
I really liked this post...it makes me want to visit AZ. I've been before in the US but never visited the southwest states. That's something I always thought doing...one of these days.
That's for bringing a glimpse of the flora in your home region. And you've done an amazingly good job in your front garden.