The Desert Botanical Garden is located on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona in the United States. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon , and it has many trails and walkways winding through 55 acres of cultivated gardens. If you go during the warmer seasons, don’t forget to bring plenty of water! The garden was founded in 1939 by a group of enthusiasts, including Swedish botanist Gustaf Starck. It’s home to over 50,000 plants, including 379 considered rare or endangered. This garden shattered the notion for me that the desert is devoid of beauty. It’s there, sometimes you have to look for it.
1: Some brightly colored flowers burst from the top of this teardrop shaped cactus.2: This plant looks kind of like an artichoke, but I like the way the leaves are outlined in white. They are thick for storing lots of water.3-4: The gardens extend well beyond the cultivated areas, and at the edge you can see some larger examples of cacti.5: A flower bursts from the end of a cactus, like a shot out of a gun.6: I like the contrast of this plant, the thorns look like the teeth of a saw.7: This spindly cactus is covered in needles, because desert plants must adapt to the harsh environment.8: It’s amazing that something so delicate can emerge from something so hardened to the environment.9: Cacti aren’t always green, this one is purple!10. I feel like I could play a game of catch with this one. It would be a painful game of catch! Any takers?
