N is for...
Nature.
Nature can get wild and crazy this time of year in Arizona. We have been getting a lot of rain. This is a good thing; the drought has been worse this year than I have ever seen. But now it is gratifying to see the storm clouds building up over the mountains by mid-morning, on a daily basis. There are massive thunderstorms each afternoon and lots of rain. It's enough to make a person start dancing.
It is also enough to make nature go a little crazy. The cactus in the front yard bloomed in June as hoped for, but now with all the rain a rogue flower showed up this week. That bloom is particularly large for this cactus, well more than six inches across.
In the backyard, a rogue red hot poker showed up. These hadn't bloomed this year, due to a complete lack of rain; in fact, I didn't even think they were going to grow at all. I was considering digging the things up and trying them in another location, when the rains started and the pokers suddenly started to grow. Now I have one poker a couple months after they are supposed to appear.
We had no plums off the plum tree this year. Oh, the tree bloomed and fruit started to form, but they remained small and hard and never ripened before all falling off the tree. Now that the rains are here in abundance, however, the pear tree is doing fine.
And the mimosa trees are still blooming like mad. The perfume from these in the morning is heavy and intoxicating, especially with all the humidity. The bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies are having a field day.
Of course, Nature has it's other side. With constant days of rain, the backyard has 486,990,365,389 weeds springing up. At least it makes for a lot of green.
Nature can get wild and crazy this time of year in Arizona. We have been getting a lot of rain. This is a good thing; the drought has been worse this year than I have ever seen. But now it is gratifying to see the storm clouds building up over the mountains by mid-morning, on a daily basis. There are massive thunderstorms each afternoon and lots of rain. It's enough to make a person start dancing.
It is also enough to make nature go a little crazy. The cactus in the front yard bloomed in June as hoped for, but now with all the rain a rogue flower showed up this week. That bloom is particularly large for this cactus, well more than six inches across.
In the backyard, a rogue red hot poker showed up. These hadn't bloomed this year, due to a complete lack of rain; in fact, I didn't even think they were going to grow at all. I was considering digging the things up and trying them in another location, when the rains started and the pokers suddenly started to grow. Now I have one poker a couple months after they are supposed to appear.
We had no plums off the plum tree this year. Oh, the tree bloomed and fruit started to form, but they remained small and hard and never ripened before all falling off the tree. Now that the rains are here in abundance, however, the pear tree is doing fine.
And the mimosa trees are still blooming like mad. The perfume from these in the morning is heavy and intoxicating, especially with all the humidity. The bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies are having a field day.
Of course, Nature has it's other side. With constant days of rain, the backyard has 486,990,365,389 weeds springing up. At least it makes for a lot of green.Labels: ABCalong, Arizona, gardening, Sky Watching
posted by Pat K | 9:24 PM
3 Comments:
Nature is a perfect N. Thank you for sharing the photos of unique flowers!
I love love love mimosa. Until the flowers drop. But that photo reminds me of my childhood home! Two of those trees in the front yard.
(sigh)
(((hugs)))
In the desert, Mother Nature is such a floozy! Give her a couple of drinks and she gets all gaudy and starts pollinating and procreating all over the place.
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