Random Thoughts on a Hot Desert Day
It's only April and we've already hit 102 here in glorious Tucson, AZ. Bloody Hell. The record-breaking 102 was about a week ago; this week the temps 'cooled' down to the mid 80s, giving us a respite until global warming proves the naysayers wrong and settles to stay until late October. I'm not ready for summer; I still have winter sweaters hanging in my closet - not sure if that's a statement about procrastination or optimism.
The unexpected heat faded the snapdragons but brought the Palo Verde trees out in bloom a few weeks early. All over Tucson, the showy Palo Verdes brighten our subdued landscape with brilliant clouds of yellow. The prickly pear cactus are blooming as well. Must admit that when the desert shouts out spring, it almost makes up for the dreariness of the dust-bowl summer that will follow.
Spent the day working in the yard: raking, trimming, moving rocks, and finding space for a few more plants. "Where?" you say. Mainly in the planter. I've filled up almost every available spare inch in the garden. The planter, however, was looking a little ragged. The quail have been visiting the petunias to enjoy a salad course before moving along to the seed block for their entree. Seems that what the bunnies don't like, the quail do. I replanted with hardier, larger plants in the hope that a bigger plant can withstand some 'pruning' and maybe the quail will decide to share and leave some for me.
Just got back from a three-day jaunt with a friend, up to Snohomish, WA. It rained the whole time we were there. We loved it. Washington residents kept apologizing for the weather, and we kept reassuring them that we'd just left 102-degree heat, so overcast skies and the constant, soft rainfall were heaven to us.
WA is GREEN. Yes, green in all caps: startling, blazing, almost overpowering green. The countryside around Snohomish was a mixture of evergreens and Spring-green deciduous trees. No one has to install irrigation systems as part of their landscaping. Lawns were already lush. The homes in the historic neighborhood where we stayed were surrounded by yards filled with flowering shrubs, gardens bright with tulips, and fruit trees in full bloom. I never put my camera down. I was in plant heaven.
my desert garden:
one of the amazing trees we saw in the northwest (WA) - a Tulip Tree
The unexpected heat faded the snapdragons but brought the Palo Verde trees out in bloom a few weeks early. All over Tucson, the showy Palo Verdes brighten our subdued landscape with brilliant clouds of yellow. The prickly pear cactus are blooming as well. Must admit that when the desert shouts out spring, it almost makes up for the dreariness of the dust-bowl summer that will follow.
Spent the day working in the yard: raking, trimming, moving rocks, and finding space for a few more plants. "Where?" you say. Mainly in the planter. I've filled up almost every available spare inch in the garden. The planter, however, was looking a little ragged. The quail have been visiting the petunias to enjoy a salad course before moving along to the seed block for their entree. Seems that what the bunnies don't like, the quail do. I replanted with hardier, larger plants in the hope that a bigger plant can withstand some 'pruning' and maybe the quail will decide to share and leave some for me.
Just got back from a three-day jaunt with a friend, up to Snohomish, WA. It rained the whole time we were there. We loved it. Washington residents kept apologizing for the weather, and we kept reassuring them that we'd just left 102-degree heat, so overcast skies and the constant, soft rainfall were heaven to us.
WA is GREEN. Yes, green in all caps: startling, blazing, almost overpowering green. The countryside around Snohomish was a mixture of evergreens and Spring-green deciduous trees. No one has to install irrigation systems as part of their landscaping. Lawns were already lush. The homes in the historic neighborhood where we stayed were surrounded by yards filled with flowering shrubs, gardens bright with tulips, and fruit trees in full bloom. I never put my camera down. I was in plant heaven.
my desert garden:
one of the amazing trees we saw in the northwest (WA) - a Tulip Tree