Sunday, March 23, 2008

A Vist to the Desert Botanical Gardens

One of the wonderful things about living in Queen Creek is the close proximity to some of the big city offerings. Yesterday I ventured out to the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. The weather here is starting to warm up and it was a great day for a walk.


If you go the desert botanical gardens I would recommend bringing the following:

Walking shoes - you will do a lot of walking. Some of the trails are paved and others are a fine crushed gravel.
A camera - you WILL want to take photos. The cactus specimens and the butterflies are fantastic.


Binoculars - especially if you are a bird watcher. There is plenty of wildlife at the park. We ran into lizards, quail, hummingbirds and a cute little friendly prairie dog.



Bottled water - There were water fountains and vending machines in various locations throughout the park but you may want to bring an ice cold bottle with you. It get's hot here in the afternoon.
A hat and sunglasses - The sun is very bright and hot in Arizona. You will be thankful for the extra shade about your head and the protection for your eyes.
Suncreen - if you are sensitve to the sun you can easily get an uncomfortable sunburn here in the desert.

Money - they have a wonderful gift shop filled with arts, crafts, books and gardening items and plants.

This month the gardens are holding a "paintout" Throughout the park there are individuals painting and creating art. The Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Butterfly Pavilion exhibit is also open.
One of the great things about the desert botanical gardens is that it can give you a good idea of the types of plants that can be grown here in the Sonoran Desert.
I highly recommend the Desert Botanical Gardens. We should all take time to stop and enjoy the natural beauty around us. It is good for the spirit.

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