So Much Beauty in the World

Before ever visiting Arizona (many years ago), I associated it with mountains, cacti, heat and cute little geckos.  Since moving here, I’ve gotten to experience those nature-focused aspects (so…much…heat…) and more.   From trying to tackle Camelback, to gazing at the Grand Canyon or observing a forest of prickly plants, there’s a lot to explore in this state’s “outdoors”!

 

In Chicago, I’d probably be hibernating about now.  Book in one hand, hot cocoa (overflowing with mini marshmallows) in the other, huddled on my couch, the fireplace crackling.  The thought of going on an outside adventure this time of year wouldn’t even be a consideration (my phone just reported that it’s -27 degrees F wind chill there tonight – stay warm, my friends!).

 

But, Phoenix is a whole other world, (yes it was rather cool – for here – last week but doesn’t seem to stay that way for long) and the bright days have coaxed me into a fleece and out to find more treasures.

 

Thus, when I needed to drive to Mesa in December and read about a rose garden (which turned 25 years old in 2023) at the local community college, it planted a seed of curiosity (sorry!) so I had to check it out.

Upon arriving at the campus, it appeared that the rose footprint was somewhat small but I hadn’t noticed the ongoing sprawl.  Apparently the college partnered with the Mesa-East Valley Rose Society and created the largest public rose garden in the Desert Southwest!  Does that mean someone has a bigger (but private) rose garden?

 

 

The no-cost-to-visit area boasts almost 9,000 rose bushes with more than 300 varieties and a range of colors making for a nice stroll.  While I wouldn’t recommend a special trip if you aren’t already going to be in Mesa, if you find yourself nearby give it a whorl*.  But try to stick to March – June or Nov. – Dec. to view the prettiest blooms.

 

*Whorl when related to botany refers to “the radial arrangement of leaves, sepals, petals, stamens and carpels.  There are 4 whorls in a flower.”  Yes, I am a nerd who thinks her puns are funny!

Inspired by my floral exploral (ok not a word, but rhymes so well…), last week I decided to check out the Desert Botanical Gardens located in Papago Park (which was written about in this prior blog).

 

At a minimum, I expected to come across a bunch of vegetation varieties and get some Vitamin D.  Plus, the 2^nd Tuesday of each month is free (just go to the Garden’s ticket page and scroll to the Community Day section to book a slot).  And both TripAdvisor and U.S. News and World Report ranked this locale as a top “thing to do” in the area.

When I entered, there was a sign for a .3 mile trail and I mistakenly thought that was the whole of the botanical gardens (plus the restaurant and requisite gift shop, of course).  That’s twice now in this blog post where I initially didn’t see the forest for the trees but to my delight both times turned out to be way better and more extensive than I thought.

 

 

I intended to re-do the .3 mile trail for additional steps but ended up on another walkway, and another… turns out there are 5 paths (those posted maps around the property are our friends).

 

Having also learned (informational signage is our friend, too) that the property is spread across 140 acres, housing 50,000+ plants (focusing on those that thrive in our Sonoran Desert),  I guess it made way more sense that there’d be more breadth** beyond that first path.  Insert embarrassed but smiling emoji here.

 

During my mid-afternoon visit, the sun was at just the ‘right’ angle and some of the flora looked like they were glowing.

 

 

A 2-hour visit provided a boost of beauty which didn’t even include the butterfly exhibit (although that might only be open from March to May so there wasn’t actually an opportunity to have 2,000 insects land on me).

 

Speaking of wildlife, I did happen upon a Western Whiptail Lizard and once again avoided any snake run-ins. 

With quite a lot growing and thriving in the middle of winter, Arizona continues to impress.

 

But even in more temperate surroundings, I did indulge in a delightful hot cocoa the other day.  You can take the girl out of the frigid weather, but don’t you dare try to take away her drinking chocolate (or any chocolate…) if you value your hand.

 

**What movie is this from (my all-time fave film): “When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.”?