desert

Hiking the Peralta Trail, Gold Canyon, AZ – 20160603

Jeff

Now that I have completed the Year of Yosemite posts, I am going to provide photographs and short posts about other hikes we have enjoyed. Some will be from our adopted home of Arizona while others will be of more far-flung destinations.

The first of this new series is the Peralta Trail, Gold Canyon, AZ.

“Peralta Trail is a 4.9 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Gold Canyon, Arizona that offers scenic views and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and birding and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.” [ Emphasis by JBRish.com ]

    DISTANCE – 4.9 miles
    ELEVATION GAIN – 1354 feet
    ROUTE TYPE – Out & Back

Above information gathered from the All Trails website. Visit the link for more detailed information – Peralta Trail.


The Peralta Trail Trailhead
The Peralta Trail Trailhead

The terrain around the Peralta trail is rugged and there are areas which may required boulder scrambling.

Read more about the Peralta Trail HERE.


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JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

Agave Farms – An Urban Desert Experience – Part 1

Jeff

In Phoenix, AZ (the Sonoran Desert) gardening is unlike most other places. One thing more difficult than gardening in the desert is creating a successful garden retail business and that is why it is always exciting when a new option appears.

As part of the Maricopa County Master Gardener program, we took a field trip to visit Agave Farms in central Phoenix.

    4300 N Central Ave,
    Phoenix, AZ 85012
    (602) 374-6553

Agave Farm picture

What renders Agave Farms somewhat different is that it is a cross between a community farm and garden center. It is landlocked by urban landscape and serves as a welcome oasis for those in the immediate area.

Agave Farm picture

When visitors enter the center, they are first struck by the vastness of the farm. Although it appears as one city block, it is a big one.

Agave Farm picture

At times there can be a flurry of activity taking place so naturally, there needs to be some guidelines for the safety of the visitors and the care of the plants and other items for sale..

Agave Farm picture

Here is an artistic signpost explaining where most areas of interest are located.

Agave Farm picture

Gardeners should take their time to look around and study the displays and floral groupings. These can spur creative gardening thoughts for home use.

Agave Farm picture

Agave Farms (AF) appears to invite group visits such as ours. They have a small picnic table and barbecue area just behind the office building near the parking lot.

Agave Farm picture

For inspiration, there are small and large displays to get guests into that gardening mood.

Agave Farm picture

AF even offers plants that are impossible to kill, i.e. metal sculptures. (Note – I am not sure these particular specimens are for sale, but if interested, I think AF can provide the contact information of a supplier).

Agave Farm picture

Many people who have desert gardens like to use rebar, metal objects, etc. in their garden design. I have learned to appreciate rebar and rust as a featured element of a Sonoran Desert garden design. This portion of a rebar gate focuses attention on flowers on the picnic area’s patio.

Agave Farm picture

Below is a picture of a nice, artsy petunia display. Keep in mind that these photographs were taken the second week in January at a time when there are still cool-to-cold temperatures and danger of frost. This is our early spring in the Valley of the Sun. This season is not a time to find, full lush gardens in the desert. It is however, a good time to begin thinking about plans and planting for the upcoming season.

Agave Farm picture

There are some interesting, some may say humorous, touches at AF such as this doctor statue standing in the middle of a future planting area.

Agave Farm picture

We cannot forget that this is a desert-based farm and landscape center and as such there are desert plants for sale. These cactus plants have cups covering their sensitive growing tips should a frost occur. It does look a bit unusual to those from other areas, but quite common in the desert.

Agave Farm picture

In a previous JBRish post, I depicted another unusual aspect to winter protection of sensitive desert plants. You can check out the post, Cactus Ghosts in the Desert.

Large specimens are often sold in planting boxes. These are a bit tricky to use for those who are uninitiated and usually require a specialist or someone who has developed the appropriate skills. There is a definite technique to releasing a plant from one of these wooden planting boxes and keeping the root ball intact.

Agave Farm picture

There are live agaves to be seen at AF, but this particular fountain sculpture can serve as a signature for this post and a fine end to Part 1 of our visit to Agave Farms.

Agave Farm picture

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous posts about life in the desert HERE or gardening HERE.

Streets of Gold in the Phoenix Desert (Gardening)

Jeff

Palo Verde Tree in flower

As you can see from the photograph above, the desert is decked in gold this time of year. The Palo Verdes (along with some other flowering trees snd shrubs) produce an abundance of yellow blooms. There are streets that are lined with these trees and they build a seasonal hallway of gold.

Streets of gold

The ground is carpeted with spent yellow flower petals adding even more color to the street. While the neighborhoods aren’t paved with gold, they are covered with pretty yellow hues.

Below is a picture of the branches of the Palo Verde tree laden with its delightful burden of yellow flowers.

Palo Verde Tree flowers


JBRish.com originally published this post
All photographs are Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved

 
See more JBRish gardening and desert gardening posts here HERE

Wild West Weeds

Jeff

Desert weeds along the roadside

Prior to moving to the North Phoenix area of the Sonoran Desert, I never thought about having a problem with weeds in such an arid region. After all, it is the desert with little water so there shouldn’t be a lot of weeds.

Desert weeds along the roadside

Wrong!

It turns out that desert plants, which naturally includes weeds, are pretty resilient. Winter rains from the end of December through February provide enough showers to enable the weeds to germinate; the more water, the more weeds.

Desert weeds along the roadside

This field at the end of our street has many, many weeds and among them are some very pretty willdflowers such as the orange Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) in the foreground of the photo below.

Desert weeds along the roadside

Globe Mallows grow well along the roadsides and in open fields and have a color range from light to dark orange. Once in a while one can discover a rare pink Globe Mallow or an even more rare red variety.

Desert weeds along the roadside

The Globe Mallow in the photograph above adds variety in the desert weed landscape of silver, greens and yellows.

Triangle Leaf Bursage (Ambrosia deltoidea) is an abundant weed found in many open spaces.

Desert weeds along the roadside

In fields that are left untended for a number of years, a tree may take hold. This appears to be a Mesquite of some variety.

Desert weeds along the roadside

Yes wildflowers are pretty, but weeds can be more than a nuisance. As weeds dry out, they create a fire hazard. When the temperatures rise to above the ninety degree threshold and the rains become more scarce, spent wildflowers and weeds become tinder.

Desert weeds along the roadside

It is recommended that there is a defensible space around homes to help avoid fire spreading to dwellings. There was more to know about the desert ecosystem and weeds than I ever imagined prior to my residency in Arizona.


JBRish.com originally published this post

 
See more JBRish gardening and desert gardening posts here HERE

Spring Cactus Bloom in Arizona – The Claret Cup

Jeff

We have had a wetter than usual winter and early spring and thus we are having a beautiful wildflower bloom. Our landscape cactus are showing their appreciation as well with a living bouquet for our enjoyment.

One of our courtyard features is a round planter that has hosted a Claret Cup cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) for more than ten years. At one time it had plenty of room, but as you can see below, it will need to be divided and replanted within a year or so.

Claret Cup Cactus

In years past, it wouldn’t have this many blooms open at once, but its stinginess vanished this year and we are being treated to a full orchestration of its floral beauty.

Upon closer inspection you can see the juggernaut of thorns it sports that will present quite a challenge when it comes time to move or transplant it. We have a long pair of tweezers or tongs that we use to remove spent blooms or any debris that gets caught amid the needles.

Claret Cup Cactus

In the photo below, the pollen can be seen on top of the stamens. While this adds color to the picture and pollen to the air, it also seems to attract woodpeckers. For some reason they like to eat the center of the flowers and my assumption is that it is because of the pollen. After inspecting where they have been, the pollen sacks are gone — who knew?

Claret Cup Cactus

You can read more about Claret Cup cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) by clicking HERE.


JBRish.com originally published this post
All photographs are Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved

 
See more JBRish gardening and desert gardening posts here HERE

In the Desert, Its Beginning to Look Like…

Jeff

As most people can imagine, there isn’t too much in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona that would innately remind the casual visitor of the overall Christmas/Winter Holiday Season. It does get cool during the late fall and winter evenings. We hit temperatures in the forties many nights during the end of November and through December. We can also get more rain this time of year, but generally not as much as January.

So residents of the Phoenix area use their creativity to devise ways of decorating for the winter holidays.

Here is a photograph of a variegated agave we had in our landscape at one time. The plant has thick leaves with sharp edges and each leaf has a sharp point on the end. That is how it survives in the desert. Without all those sharp edges and points, it would be eaten to death by rabbits, javelinas and other denizens.

Agave with sharp edges and points

People have discovered that those sharp tips at the ends of the leaves have another good use!

Gold colored Christmas balls create a crown-like appearance on top of this agave in the front yard. They play well against the green of the agave and the rest of the residential desert landscape.

Gold balls on a green agave

If solid gold is too regal for you and you want more of a standard Christmas color scheme, a variety of colors would work just as well.
Colorful variety of Christmas balls on an agave

Colorful variety of Christmas balls on an agave

The increased color palette (above) plays well with other holiday ornaments such as the foreground cactus with Santa hat.

Instead of plain poinsettias, how about faux poinsettia leaves attached to the branches of the Ocotillo?

Ocotillo with Poinsettia leaves

(BTW – If you want to see what an Ocotillo looks like during the active growing season with leaves and without fake ornamentation, click HERE)

For a more subtle spot decoration, smaller colorful Christmas balls can be uniquely placed in planters.

Planter with small, colorful Christmas balls


Yes, it really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Sonoran Desert in 2016!

Desert T-Shirts

Jeff

Living in what I call a designated tourist area such as Phoenix, Arizona has both positive and negative aspects. Of course during those months that are cold in a good part of the United States and Canada, we have an influx of tourists, part-time residents and guests.

When guests come to visit us, one of the areas we like to take them is Old Town Scottsdale. There are some historical attractions which we look at, but the gift shops of all varieties are the real draw.

As the resident Phoenician, I get a kick out of going to the tourist shops to see what new desert themed T-shirts are displayed. They generally come in two categories, 1 – The beauty or uniqueness of the desert or 2 – Poking fun at the unusual life styles and/or environment of the desert.

The t-shirt below reminds us of the beautiful wildlife we have in the area. We do have some extraordinary lizards, although nothing quite like the one pictured.

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Of course Phoenix is a big draw as well as Scottsdale…

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And to celebrate the heritage and uniqueness of the desert…

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Then there are those that make fun of the harsh environment and cowboy atmosphere and this one tackles both…
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115 degrees is hot, but c’mon it beats 30 inches of snow, doesn’t it?

One of my favorites this day was this punful one…

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All of these T-shirts were found at Scottsdale Southwest Gifts and Apparel just north of the Scottsdale Historical Museum on the same side of the street.

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I am not making a recommendation although I have made purchases there. Many stores offer unique apparel both authentic southwest as well as humorous or stylized southwest items.

When you visit Scottsdale’s Old Town, be sure to bring your camera and your sense of humor. I am sure you will have a good time. Don’t forget the Scottsdale Historical Museum in the center of Old Town.

Carefree, AZ – Enchanted Pumpkin Garden , 2015 – III

Jeff

The Carefree Desert Gardensis hosting a pumpkin fest this year and there is a schedule of events for family fun. Some of the days provide opportunities to watch sculptors at work creating their special brand of Jack-O-Lanterns. You can find more information by clicking here.

This is part three of a three part series about the Carefree Desert Gardens Pumpkin Festival. You can read the other posts here:

Part I, Part II

One of the more interesting venues at the Carefree Desert Gardens Pumpkin Festival is the ability to watch expert pumpkin sculptors at work. There is ample seating and shade for a good number of spectators so find your holiday inspiration here.

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A few of the carved pumpkins were quite whimsical and interesting. The appendages, it is noted, are not made of natural materials because they would be difficult to maintain and fashion according to need.

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A very clever displays is the one with the pumpkins diving off of a high stone wall into a bucket of water. Ooops! Apparently one pumpkin missed.

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Of course this is not to take away from the more artistic, if not serious, offerings.

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The planners put a lot of thought into this production as evidenced by the pumpkin picnic scene which is partially shown in the pictures below.

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Once again, I should mention the ever present gardens which are beautiful in their own right and what desert planting cannot be improved with some nested pumpkins?

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It is not easy being a pumpkin at this time of the year so after putting on such an interesting show, I think you will agree that these pumpkins have earned a good rest!

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Happy Halloween and safe Trick or Treating!

JBRish.com originally published this post

*NOTE: The pumpkins in the scenes were made using artificial resources to keep them from being eaten by the native wildlife such as Javelinas. Also of note, some of the metal stands supporting the pumpkins in the “scenes” have been removed in the photographs.

Carefree, AZ – Enchanted Pumpkin Garden , 2015 – II

Jeff

Our previous post (see it here) about the Carefree Desert Gardens Pumpkin Festival provided a good overview of what you might find at the exhibit. In our second post we will follow up with more posed pumpkin scenes…*

Such as this Motorcycle pumpkin daredevil with feet flying behind as he ramps over his “volunteers.” Is that pumpkin all the way to the left praying?

Motorcycle Daredevil Pumpkin

Pushing your special pumpkin friend on a swing is always a fun activity.
Swinging pumpkins

Or perhaps you would rather go for a wheelbarrow ride, but I don’t suggest being too pumpkin bossy!
Pumpkin wheelbarrow ride

This pumpkin looks persnickety as he is walking his gourd dog!
Dog-walking pumpkin

For that very special pumpkin in your life, roasting marshmallows together is a very Halloween thing to do,
Roasting Marshmallows

But try to ignore the eerie looking toadstools growing at the left end of the log!
Spooky toadstools

Scootering is one way to travel around the festival to visit your pumpkin buddies.
Pumpkin on a scooter

Golf appears to be a very difficult sport for pumpkins.
Pumpkin golf

Halloween mischief may be at hand with at least one pumpkin spotted with a slingshot.
Mischievous Pumpkin with Slingshot

Carving pumpkins can create a mess and someone needs to help clean up.
Cleaning the pumpkin carving mess

And after the cleanup, there is time for a siesta!
Sleeping pumpkin

Of course don’t forget there are gardens to look at as well and I must explain that they have some very unusual “crested” cactus like the one pictured below. Also look for the large crested saguaro which is quite rare.
Crested cactus on display

*It is noted that the pumpkins in the scenes were made using artificial resources to keep them from being eaten by the native wildlife such as Javelinas. Also of note, some of the metal stands supporting the pumpkins in the “scenes” have been removed in the photographs.

An additional related post will follow!


JBRish.com originally published this post