Arizona - Desert Botanical Garden

After the heat of yesterdays walk we were smarter today and out of the house before 9 to do our sight seeing before noon.

This was back into Phoenix and next door to the Zoo (which we determined was just too expensive)

 

Cactus sculptures at the entrance.

I love the desert landscape

and went to the Botanical garden in Palm Springs

but this one is much bigger.

 

Depending on who you ask, you’ll find three—arguably four—deserts in Arizona: the Chihuahuan in the southeast, the Mojave in the upper west, and the massive Sonoran taking up most of the southwest and central part of the state.from visitarizona.com

We spent 2 1/2 hours and walked all the loops.

The Saguaro cactus with its many arms is native to the Sonoran Desert and there were some huge, and old, examples here.

My favorite, the Cholla Cactus or Teddy Bear Cactus, that I first saw in Joshua Tree National Park.

Butterfly in the wildflower garden area

where we also saw Hummingbirds.

There are 4 different species of Hummingbirds native to Arizona but as this is a female I have no idea which type it is.

Avery rushed back to me to ask me to photo the lizard he had seen.

A Desert Spiny Lizard.

So many varieties

Some of them

surprisingly

colourful in their spines,

their flowers and

their

fruit.

Everyone took turns pushing strollers and sometimes the littlest ones walked.

We needed a couple of breaks to drink water and eat snacks.

Sculptures were scattered through the gardens and 

every now and then there would be

a volunteer, at a table, to talk about something of interest.

One told us how the Gila Woodpecker

excavated deep into the Saguaro Cactus to make their nests and then only use that hole for one season. That explained all the holes we had seen in them.

The landscape looks barren but we saw a surprising amount of wildlife:

Ground Squirrels,

Gambel's Quail

and Road Runners but not the Desert Turtle or snakes that Avery was looking for.

I have looked on the internet but am really not sure about this bird. Theres some resemblance to a couple of Warbler possibilities or maybe a Lesser Goldfinch. I wish I had a side view to see wing markings.

Sharing a snack then home for lunch and nap/quiet time

Followed by fun in the pool

and the hot tub.

After dinner some screen time, baths and bed, while Mike and Aimee had a date night at a basketball game.