A walk around the grounds of the Botanical Gardens before leaving the Tucson area. The scenery, despite the arid climate, is home to the unusual shapes of cacti and succulents, tall and tiny, rugged and intricate.
Not as planned or sculpted as the Desert Garden of Pioneer Park in St George, Utah, or the Botanical Gardens, the Arizona/Sonora Desert Museum preserves the natural landscape. Along the route out of town to the site, saguaros stand at attention, majestic sentries pointing the way. Cacti and hills, in a more commonly occurring mix of plant life, covers the sandy soil, with winding paths running through it. There are deserts in the world that have a dearth of vegetation, where roots struggle to take hold and dunes blow and shift, but so many hardy green souls have adapted to populate much of the southwestern U.S.
The patterns of these plants are fascinating.
I have never visited the desert during full blooming season, but here and there a few early buds and blossoms could be found on this trip.
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Ruth Rosenfeld 
Beautiful, thanks for sharing this.
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Thanks for your visit and comment!
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I visited this “museum” about 25 years ago. The way it makes a museum out of the natural landscape is outstanding. Your photos are a fitting tribute. Thank you for bringing back fond memories.
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Thanks for your kind words. It’s an interesting concept. I had been there in the 70s and it was worth another visit.
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I love desert landscapes. I think it’s mostly due to the fact that w don’t have anything quite like it in Ireland, and also because some of the most interesting landscapes in the world are in the most desolate, dry regions of the world. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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Glad you enjoyed this post, Aiva. I don’t think I could live in the desert but it is fascinating to visit.
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Lovely shots – I really like the little round cactuses. It always strike me as amazing that anything can grow in these conditions at all!
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Thanks for thaking us to this exceptional botanical garden. There is more live in the dessert than many people think.
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You’re welcome. I agree, it is a more diverse landscape than most people realize.
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I grew up in a semi-desert area and have a special place in my heart for succulents, aloes and cacti. You have so many beautiful pictures here … I especially like the Joshua tree. Thank you for sharing this amazing place.
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You have a special appreciation for this climate and its flora. It’s so interesting to visit, but I’m not sure I could live in the desert. I would miss the forest and its creatures.
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During my recent trip to Arizona last fall, I encountered SO many cacti while on the road. I guess you could say that it’s Arizona’s state plant, as compared to California’s palm trees! Lovely, lovely scenery all around. 🙂
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Rebecca, your suggestion made me smile! I looked it up – there’s not a state plant but the state flower of Arizona is the saguaro cactus flower.
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Such a wonderful richness of shapes and textures. I was immediately reminded of a cacti garden Don and I visited in Hawaii. I’d never seen so many varieties, nor even knew they existed. Nature never fails to amaze and entertain me.
Alison
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They are such unusual and interesting plants. intricate designs and patterns. I wouldn’t have pictured them in Hawaii! I so appreciate your comment, Alison.
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I find cacti so fascinating. I love all all the different shapes and sizes. How neat to even see a few of them in bloom.
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I was pleasantly surprised to find a few buds and blooms. They are such fascinating plants.
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What a splendor of riches there, Ruth.
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Thanks for coming along, Tracy.
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My pleasure.
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I’ve been fascinated by cacti and succulents for most of my life. Your photos are beautiful.
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Thank you, Jay! I do find them fascinating, so unique among plants.
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Beautiful! What a unique botanic garden.
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Glad you enjoyed them, Diana! Thanks.
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Very well captured Ruth, all of it. The cholla look positively otherworldly, not to mention lethal! The saguaro skeleton is another favourite.
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The cholla do glow with the light behind them. This is not an area to walk without strong shoes! And you do need to be careful where you step if not on a path. The saguaro skeleton is a rare sight. Apparently they live over 100 years, and in the wild they would likely fall without leaving a standing frame.
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Fascinating, I’d love to see one myself one day.
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The pictures and commentary are brilliant. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks so much, Barbara. I appreciate your comments.
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Desert landscapes are such a juxtaposition of lovely and prickly. Beautiful pictures you captured.
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Thank you, they are fascinating.
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Beautiful images, thanks for sharing 🙏🌹🙏
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Thank you for visiting!
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My pleasure ❣️
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Those are gorgeous images, Ruth! Love, love all the cacti (especially the furry ones) and the desert landscape. The sky is positively cerulean.
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Thank you, Kerry! Caution, as I’m sure you know from living in the south – they may look furry but don’t touch!
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Great pictures❤️
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