Friday, May 8, 2009

Friday Shoot Out

To find out more about Friday Shoot Outs, go to http://midlifeandmenapause.blogspot.com/!

The high desert is truly an amazing place. Where winter seemingly pulls it's blanket over any vegetation, leaving it to appear dead or dying, the spring rolls across the desert spreading wildflowers in it's path.

One of the interesting things about plants in this area, is that although they are quite beautiful,

they are not just a pretty face!

Can you see the stickers on the stem??? And how about this?

A pretty little mesquite tree, trimmed up to a canopy. Feathery looking on the outside...
Look at the thorns on the inside!!! These trees look like dead sticks all winter, and they say not to plant anything until the Mesquites start to leaf. They know when winter is over.

Here are a few other stickery things that just pop up on their own...
A Cholla, it gets quite hairy in the summer, and believe it or not, the birds like to nest in them!



A pretty thistle of some kind...

Plus stickers!

This is my neighbor's yard across the street. She spends emmense amounts of time to keep it looking beautiful, but all those purple flowers covering the gravel? Blew in, and kept spreading their seeds over the years. Here's a close up of those flowers.


Just popping up between the rocks.


This is a house down the street that has a mesquite, desert willow, prickly pear, barrel cactus, and a desert spoon.
A prickly pear in bloom. The javelina love these!



We have quite the family of these in the neighborhood, but luckily don't see them very often. They can do some real damage to the dogs!


And lastly, what almost every garden in our town has at least one of...




a fire ant hole! Note how bare the ground is around it. Nothing will grow there.
I can't wait to share pictures once monsoon starts. The desert becomes so green and lush, you won't believe it's the same place!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing the beautiful pics. I well remember fire ants from the time I was in a flood in Texas.

The desert is an amazing place. I look forward to your pictures.

Dan Felstead said...

Shabbygirl...
Thanks for posting the pics. It is so neat to be able to see how different the landscape is from the Midwest. You took some great pictures and the Mesquite tree is beautiful.

Dan

shabby girl said...

Tricia, fire ants may be big and ugly, but the ones that strike fear in the heart of this girl are the little tiny ones here that are smothering your feet before you even realize it. Your feet look like sausages within 15 minutes! Will I ever learn to not garden in flip flops???

Dan, the mesquites can be really beautiful. I haven't quite figured them out yet. Is there only one kind? The ones in my yard have a somewhat light trunk and skimpy leaves. The one in the picture has a dark trunk and very lush canopy. Is the difference age? I'll have to check into it!
I can't wait to travel through the midwest again, being older and realizing there is beauty outside CA!!! I was young, what can I say!

Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff... said...

I LOVE these snaps Shabby Girl....AWESOME!!
I'm particularly fond of the mesquite tree and that Homestead Verbena pulling itself up through the rocks is mesmerising to say the least.
Welcome to "Friday Shoot-Outs" and I do hope that you will shoot with us next week. The theme is transportation............any interpretation that you may have of that subject.............please???
Have an EXTREME weekend and......

Steady On
Reggie Girl

Sarah Lulu said...

So beautiful and so dangerous ...
and SO different for me.

Welcome to the Friday Shoot-outs!!

Dani said...

How very interesting! I love this! SO pretty! I think my mom is growing some similar plants in southwest utah. It's surprising how beautiful even a desert can be in the spring! :) Thanks for sharing!

septembermom said...

Really terrific and unique photos! Thanks for sharing. I left an award for you on my blog today :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, I pictured the desert to be so different...I like seeing th truth!

Flora & Fauna

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  • The Way the Crow Flies
  • Fall on Your Knees
  • Poisonwood Bible
  • East of Eden
  • Shantaram
  • I Know This Much is True

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