A Bit of Arizona Spring
Just wanted to share a bit of Arizona spring with you. It's short-lived, but lovely. This is the first of our Louisiana Iris to bloom this year. We dug out an area about 4 x 8 x 2, which we lined with plastic to hold water and keep it sort of 'boggy'. The plants have done extremely well and put on a great show for a few weeks every year.
My hibiscus bush is coming back to life. I keep it wrapped during our winter months and wind small light bulbs (Christmas-type lights) around the main trunk to keep it warm. It's in a protected location (some afternoon shade) and will bloom all summer.
These little guys are only about six-inches tall at best. They are wildflowers that come up along one side of the house (no water, just desert dirt). They don't transplant well; I've tried. We plan to gravel this area and lay a flagstone path. I'm hoping they will still come up throught the gravel (decomposed granite).
These are Arizona bluebells, growing in the rocks between our house and the neighbor just above us. Every year I fight with the Home Owner's Association over these flowers, which they insist on calling weeds. Once the blooms are spent, I'll get out there and make the HOA Nazis happy and pull out the dead plants, being sure to scatter the seeds well in the process !!!!
I forgot to take pictures of the frothy, yellow, blooms on the Palo Verde trees. Will try to remember to take my camera with me next time I am out and about. Sadly, there will be no showy, pink, blooms on my favorite cactus this year. The bunnies ate the cactus plant to the nubs. They just chomped it back like it was an apple. Can't believe it's gone.