Desert Garden Path © 2013 Bo Mackison
The desert, when the sun comes up…I couldn’t tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began.”
~ Tom Hanks
A walk at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum was the place to see a profusion of desert flowers. The museum isn’t a “desert in a building” – it’s a botanical garden, zoo, and natural history museum. I visit several times a week and there is always something new to see or explore.
A few days ago I spent the day in the desert – I hiked in the Sonoran Desert at Saguaro National Park in the early morning, then came to the Desert Museum for several glasses of prickly pear tea and a walk through the blossoming gardens.
Penstemon © 2013 Bo Mackison
Penstomen is the snapdragon family’s desert representative. Its bright pink blossoms on four foot tall stems are easy to find — in gardens and along roadsides, too.
Orange Blossoms on Hedgehog Cactus © 2013 Bo Mackison
This is one of the first cactus to bloom in the Sonoran Desert near Tucson. This was the first cactus I saw bloom when I first visited the desert four years ago. Then, I was thrilled to see a showy orange flower at the end of each stubby cactus arm. The thrill has never diminished. I smile every time I see one of these beauties.
Aloe in Bloom © 2013 Bo Mackison
The aloe always put on a colorful show. I love how the colors blend from brilliant orange to the cooler greens, blues, and whites.
Evening Primrose © 2013 Bo Mackison
The fragrant tufted evening primrose has soft white blossoms that turn a light magenta as they age. The blossoms don’t last long, so it is typical to see buds, white blossoms and aged flowers on the same plant.
Desert Spring Flowers © 2013 Bo Mackison
Yellow desert marigolds, a yucca with a flower shoot just starting to grow, and a patch of pink penstemon combine for textures and color in the desert garden.
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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She continues to discover beauty and inspiration while exploring the Sonoran Desert
About Bo Mackison
What a spectacular place to be this time of year! I remember visiting there many, many years ago. Beautiful photos!
It is my good fortune to visit the Desert Museum frequently. Always a place of interest, big enough to still find a quiet space, and filled with something new each time I am there. It’s especially great paired with a hike in the nearby desert which can feel quite isolated.
Wow! How astonishingly beautiful the earth is!
Yes. Astonishingly beautiful!
WOW! I’ve heard all about how beautiful the desert is when in full bloom…and your images certainly do it justice. WOW!
The desert in bloom is rather ephemeral, but so lovely. These flowers are nearly finished now, but the cacti (my favorites) are just coming into their blooming season.
That must be a wonderful place. Beautiful images.
It’s a lovely place to get a feel for the diversity of the Sonoran Desert, and a friendly place as well.
Gracious, such beauty! The desert in Spring is truly an incredible sight. The scent of a desert in Spring cannot be described. Not by me, anyway. But you, Bo. You, the Wordsmith, has described it masterfully. Lovely. Simply lovely.
I can capture some of the beauty, Debi, but sure can;t capture the scent of the early morning desert – brief, but rapturous. 🙂