There are many purple sage shrubs that grace the landscapes of homes and businesses. Now that “second spring” is here, many of the shrubs are in bloom. Click on the image to enlarge.
Flowers
Red Bird Seed Pods
We did two things today (other than watching football on TV): we attended Smithsonian Day at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum here in town (free admission) and we dropped by our landscaper’s new store to ask about trimming and planting seeds from my Red Bird of Paradise shrubs. In the last few days, seedpods have sprouted from the flower stems. He gave us advice on how to trim back the shrubs for winter and how to prepare the seeds for planting. Maybe next spring I will have several more of the red birds in the garden. Click on the image to enlarge.
Red Bird Close Up
With Summer ending this week, I am glad that we’re still getting our red bird of paradise flowers. Enjoy them while you can! Click on the image to enlarge.
Patriotic Bouquet
I bought a patriotic bouquet of lovely red and white roses with some (almost) blue accent flowers in the arrangement today when we went on our weekly shopping excursion for groceries. These are on my desk in the office tonight. Click on the image to enlarge.
Xeriscape Gardens
Xeriscape gardening techniques are used throughout our desert communities. The xeriscape philosophy is compatible with the Sonoran Desert where we live. Designs incorporate low water usage plants such as cacti, palms, ocotillo and lantana. Xeriscape comes from combining the words landscape and xeros, the Greek word for “dry.” I photographed these lantana flowers in the Glendale, AZ Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens yesterday. Click on the image to enlarge.
Rosebud and Skylight
I got a bouquet of roses yesterday. I took one of the buds and put it in a bud vase in the little bathroom. The lighting is from a skylight that our contractor installed in the bathroom. He installed another one in the laundry, both of which take advantage of the seemingly endless sunlight to illuminate those rooms without the need for artificial light during the day. Click on the image to enlarge.
More Fishhook Cactus Flowers
These flowers came as a surprise to us when we went outside the courtyard yesterday. Today, the one-day wonders are gone. Click on the image to enlarge.
