The Desert Botanical Garden, Part One

Here we are, finally. I think I’ve put off posting about this particular garden visit because this place is so important to me and I wanted to do it justice. I first visited the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden in 2002 and fell in love. It’s not an exaggeration to say I left that day forever changed, at least in how I looked at plants.

When I returned in 2006 on a visit with my husband it was just as magical, I loved getting to show him such an “important to me” place.

Our visit last October was my third, and in between 2006 and 2011 I’ve been to many other public gardens (The Huntington, Lotusland, Berkeley Botanical Garden, Ruth Bancroft) and several interesting nurseries. Could it hold up to the inevitable comparisons? The answer is yes. I wasn’t as awe-struck this time through, but it was still magical…such a plethora of amazing plants. If you can visit you should, really.

We were there early to beat the heat, like 8:30 am early. Those of you who know me are appropriately shocked I’m sure. An advantage being we were practically alone in the garden for hours. I took so many pictures! Where I can (or remember to) add a plant identification I will, the rest will just be “plant porn.” To keep your eyes from glazing over I’m breaking this one into two days worth of pictures, so there will be more tomorrow!

You’ve been looking at photos of the area just outside the admission gate where “The Desert Towers” (glass sculptures created by Dale Chihuly just for the Desert Botanical Garden) are mixed in with some of some fabulous plants. You probably know my feelings about art in the garden, but I really liked these. It probably helps that they are my favorite color and look so spectacular with the plants.

Now we are inside the garden…and speaking of “art”… we visited during the Big Bugs exhibition. There were 11 bugs around the garden, for the most part I was able to ignore them, but some (like this Praying Mantis) were unavoidable.

Calliandra californica (Baja Fairy Duster)

Opuntia ramosissima

The aptly named Octopus Cactus…

Agave attenuata

Agave pelona (Bald Agave)

Echinocactus grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus)

One of these is not such a Barrel anymore…

Wow, since 1939!

Sunburn protection?

Guaiacum angustifolium

Spotting an Agave bloom spike still gives me a thrill…

Which might be why I love their logo so much?

This was their herb garden, probably meant as a teaching space. Of course I loved the stock tanks!

I could use a rusty arbor like this, smaller of course.

There’s that logo again…

Agave cerulata

As you can see I didn’t tire of watching the birds on top of the Cactus…

Fouquieria columnaris (Boojum Tree)

Agave macrocantha (Big-spined Agave)

See the stalk coming up out of the plant in the very center of this photo?

This is what was at the end of it!

And speaking of end, this is the end of Part One, more spiky plant fun tomorrow!