-

-

Poppy

-

Land of larkspurs

The old favorite hollyhock

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-More below

Late December Skyscapes In The Southwest US

-

-

Desert broom still brooming

-Still got yellow

-Berry’s still on

-and earlier

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

=

=

=

-

-

-

-I planted this one here to help cover-over wire  fence

-

-

-

The long view; mountains in Mexico

-

–

-

-

…

Pepper Tree

-again

-

-Palo Verde in winter

-Santa Rita’s in the distance, mission in foreground. Santa Cruz river with cottonwoods=gray line in middle.

-a restaurant in Tubac

-

-

-

-Here are new Hollyhocks sprouting up for next year

-

and I did not mention Alphainventions as a test.

-

Sometimes a bush and sometimes a tree, depending on its landscape destiny.

It has some rather nice flower clusters in spring, and this fruit here near Christmas.

-

-

Hi to Alphainventions drop outs?  No.  Drop inns.  That’s the ticket.

-

-

-

-

I once heard a landscaper on TV call it the landcapers nightmare.  It pops up wherever there is a bit of water.

In the worst droughts however, it can be the only green around.  I find them quite attractive, so have not seen them as a nightmare.

-

-

-wildflowers of October in front yard.

-Rhus lancea I transplanted in a pot from 70 miles away at last house

-white wildflowers

-

-

There was much caterpillar damage this year. Here is a butterfly in waiting.

and

- this lily was from a bulb planted

-

-these below are morning glories 20 feet up in a mesquite tree

-and growing on the “landscapers nightmare”, desert broom, which actually can be the only vibrant green around through very dry periods.

more fields of gold

-castor bean plant with flowers

-dead cottonwood branches before meeting the ground

Ocotillo cactus below in wild state

-

and some native wildflowers

and a cloudy days morning glories still open in the afternoon–Tuesday afternoon…

then, with all the butterfly’s this year

Today’s Viceroy butterfly.  The first I have seen. No monarch butterflies, which these mimic for protective purposes.  What about where there are no monarchs?  Good luck on your travels.

-

-

and

-evening without flash below

-

-

These trees sprouted from seeds several years ago. They make great shade. Cat’s climb up them when they are big. they tend to have a deep green, and yellw a bit to show a problem, usually not enough food or watter in the desert. They make small bead like seeds, and come back from damage quite well.

If you live near Tucson AZ huge Rhus Lancia’s grow up in Sabino Canyon along the river.

-

-

-and with some hollyhock’s growing in them.

-Mesquite beans

-that is wild morning glory that swamps over many things

-this Zenia showed up where one was last year

-

-

-

and

and

which is more colorful, passion flowers or butterfly?

butterfly on lantana

and here are morning glory’s going up over 20′

and this is Devils Claw, the blossom

and I believe this is Bridal Wreath

and Calla Lily’s

and Hibiscus

Our native member of the sunflower family

and the native fields of gold just getting going in blooms

-

and a hollyhock still blooming thanks to the monsoon season. I was collecting seeds off of these today.

and of course a cat tail.

-

We had 1.32 ” of rain last night.

Certain scientist scour the desert regions most every year (saw a special on TV years ago) to gather the “new” unknown flower types that can come up in areas where the rain, soil, elevation and all can unveil long hibernating seeds.  They then take them back to the horticultural companies they work for to attempt to develop flowers for sale, especially in landscaping.  Many famous flowers are descendants of these wild breeds, that have been tamed or hybridized to an extent that one might not recognise their ancestors without a trained eye.

Anyway. Here they are. These come up along the driveway, on a path down to our wash.

ex tomato hornworm getting drinks from verbena.

and

today’s view of grass and fields of gold still looking like grass.

and spring wildflowers are still going into August–Indian Blanket below

-The front yard with monsoon grassland, cottonwoods and mesquite trees and a live oak or two

-noon flowering (yet) fields of gold, some ivy, baby mulberry trees, lots of vinca.

These are from my yard yesterday.  These cute flowers make a poisonous bean–Castor Bean

and a yellow Canna Lily just blooming

and perennial red clover

and wild Lantana

and then grass and company, wild in the wash.

-

the prior sunset

yesterday with flowering Crape Myrtle trees

and yesterdays petunia’s in a light weight cement pot I made about 10 years ago. These once hybrid petunia’s come back every year, last through most winters as well.

These are good green but also change to blue. Not quite ripe yet.

and

and

and

and

and

and a Chinaberry Shade.

or two or three…

These red flowers are hollyhocks. They are a wildflower here since I planted them. More come up every year, just need some water. Some are a foot tall and flowering, some 9 feet tall. Keep watering them and they tend to keep flowering. They flower here usually at second year.

Privet tree flowering.

and

and

and why not one more

and

Larkspurs!

and a hollyhock group with tombstone rose (lady banks rose) behind it.

and a mixed flower party

and red yucca flowers over golden barrel cactus, surrounded by verbena

and under the china berry tree

and more hollyhocks gone wild through the Rhus lancea–African sumac. Tombstone rose in center background, far background are mesquite trees, except for the mulberry tree center right below.

and not to leave out one of the guard cats, Tommy Tom near the front door.