DesertZone

Joshua trees, and one rotted cactus.

2012-03-11T09:31:00.001-07:00

Had the perfect day for moving a tree, no matter how small it might be.

This j-tree has been in this spot for a few years and has done nothing. I think moving it to higher ground may do it good.

This thrown awaits.

Dig far enough away from the base as not too disturb the root zone.

I can tell this plant does not like this wet area, because these roots should have a much bigger caudex by now.

Water in well, roots hate air pockets.

When your done the plant should be no deeper than it was before the transplant.

One I transplanted last week.

And I split it in half and planted this one as well.

I think these two will do much better on this hill side.

One I transplanted planted a year or two ago. Doing much better now.

This one has taken off well, now it's roots are high and dry. Three crowns should look awesome by years end.(only two showing)

The big guy is already starting to grow again.

A sucker clone from the big guy. Awesome!

And what is left from the other big one. I tried to remove this stump but still solid. It could shoot up a few sucker this season, I hope!

New growth on the big j-tree. Crown is opening up and starting to push new leaves.

Warm winter and this cactus rotted. It has been here for years, but now has grass planted near by. I took a pad off and will plant it in a drier place. Wet kills more than cold in the north.

Snow day to Sun day.

2012-03-05T18:55:00.002-08:00

The week started off like winter was here to stay, and even the dogs chose too stay inside.

The a few later days it was all but melted, and I think I even see new growth?

Desert Olive

And a Yucca rostrata is starting to grow.

This might be Y. thombsoniana?

But then it snow again, and few days later...

It started to all melt and disappearr.

I love wildlife!!!

And before I knew it....I had all the winter protection off all my plants and it must of came close to 60 deg. Fahrenheit.

Echinocactus polycephalus

A very dead but hardy? aloe.

This was covered over the winter, but before I uncovered it, I noticed a small sucker that was pushed up over the winter outside of the cover...over the winter!

Agave parryii

Is it spring? YEs, yEs, yes...

Dry creek not looking like much... progress?

A Yucca brevifolia that was later moved to a better spot. It has been in this spot for years and has done nothing.

And this Y.brevifolia will soon be moved to....

This mound.

A good spot for the J-tree

And some more of the same pics of the surounding area.

Notch Butte

The "Three Sisters Peaks", why are the called the Three-Sisters? In AZ there is three buttes and they also are called the Three-Sisters?

The Three Sisters

Old phone building

I think I lost no more than one plant this winter.

2012-02-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

My biggest Y. rostrata

This guy looks like he wants warmer weather.lol

Opuntia basilaris, a nice hardy form that my friend Jay sent me from Canada. And no they are not native to Canada.

Echinocereus reichenbachii

I believe I have lost more of these in the summer than the winter. Our summers are drier than the native habitat and so these do better with some summer irrigation.

Do not plant any of your southern natives in low areas that are wet and muddy in the winter. Our northern prickly-pears do just fine in places like this, but a hedgehog cactus even hardy will rot.

Shots of the new crowns on the big Yucca brevifolia. If you look very close at some of the leaves you can see light yellow spots from the cold. The older and bigger the leaves get the more cold resistant they will be.

Nothing too worry about on these new crowns, all of them will do just fine this summer.

This is damage from last seasons winter.

Smaller Yucca brevifolia, should take off this summer.

This was a cactus I bought off e-bay. It was suppose to be O. bigelovii, but looks a lot more like a O. ramosissima too me? I don't see how anyone could think it was bigelovii? Very cold hardy, so I think I will keep it.

Yucca brevifolia, loves it new place in the world!

Opuntia clavata

This is a hardy cactus and I think the only reason it is rotting is because it is in a low area.
Wet cold feet in the winter = root-rot!

Echinocereus triglochidiatus mojavensis

This is one of my favorite hedge-hog cactus. They are very hardy and do well in our dry summers. I love the flowers, and so do the humming-birds.

Echinocereus triglochidiatus inermis

A cool little cactus my friend Jay sent me from Canada, not sure on the id? I don't think its O. fragilis?

I do however see some weeds that are going too die as soon as I'm done with this blog!

New cactus bed, just enough for one or two new cactus. This was the place I pulled the Yucca nana out of the ground from the last blog.

Y. gloriosa

A hardy form, but never have done much of anything. They may need more water than I give them?

The race before spring.

2012-02-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

I hate winter, but I need too get done everything I can before spring gets here. Hard too do hardscaping when I'm pulling weeds, mowing the grass and watering.

Uncovered a few of the plants that never needed too be covered in the first place. (mild winter)

Simple cover can go along ways. No need to heat for most yuccas. And no need to cover when older

(Most years)

Yucca faxoniana, one of the least cold hardy yuccas I have.

Yucca nana, I wish I had a neighbor that liked cactus, and yuccas.

Yucca brevifolia

Agave neomexicana x utahensis

Leaves burnt from last year's winter.

Agave parryi

Yucca thompsoniana, might be rostrata?

Recent pics of the drain, I need too keep picking.

Penstemons growing in the gravel, they love gravel.

Don't look like much in the pic, but I can say this will take all year to pic enough rock to fill in this burm.

Love it when the mountains get the snow and we don't!

2012-02-05T11:46:00.000-08:00

I love too see the snow stay in the mountains and the valley with just enough to keep the wildlife going.

PS. More snow on the ground than it looks.

Snow the four letter word!

2012-01-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

I knew our nice dry winter was too good to be true, but we did need the moisture.
Not only did it snow for 3 days but it also rained off and on for 3 days. This is the only reason we don't have 3 feet of snow on the ground. I think the wet heavy snow measured about 8 inches before it started melting down.
I posted pics from the start (more or less) and the finish of the snow.

This is to show the working "dry" creek in action. Starts with the drainage from the road.

Drains some from the roof and garden.

The cement behind the mound is drainage that comes from the roof and goes under ground to the creek.

Yuccas and southwest desert plants do much better in colder wetter climates if they are high on gravel/sand/fast draining soil mounds and not in low wet areas. Wet feet can kill faster than the cold. (usually)

SW desert oak, high and dry. First year in the ground, we will see how it does.

Yucca baccata, with wet feet! This was planted here before the path went in that blocks the drainage.

Lucky for me it does not stay wet for long.

New path is damming the water from draining. I hope the put a drain pipe to the dry creek and eliminate this water pool.

This is a good shot of a good micro climate working well. More than just heat from the wall, drain the water away and drain the soil.

If I could do this over again I would have made a berm/mound with better draining soil for this yucca elata. I lost its friend the Joshua tree that was planted next to it. It might still be here if it was high and dry.

This Yucca elata sits atop of this mound without problems. This mound is high enough only native soil is need for drainage.

This is King-Kong of my garden world.

My big Yucca brevifolia is going to be just fine after losing its crown to last years winter kill.

And this is where the road, house, and garden all drains. I think it is big enough too name! It is also where I get all my extra dirt from.(when dry!)

Idaho's first passive solar house.

2012-01-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

Went for a small road trip and headed north to Fairfield Idaho to see Idaho's first passive-solar home.
Of course many homes get some of their energy needs from the sun through the use of south facing windows, "this is why my own windows face south", but this home is different because 90% of the heat needed for this home comes only through the south facing windows.
No solar panels, fire place, windmills, electric or gas needed to keep this home warm. Almost all the warmth comes through the windows. I would love to get into more detail about this home but I am not much for writing long boring blogs. So I will post some pics and a link to more info. I thought I grabbed his email, but can't find it or his website. He does consulting in passive-solar and other green-home methods and has much knowledge on the subject.
http://www.fairfieldidaho.net/idahos-first-passive-solar-house/

On the outskirts of the wild west town of Fairfield.

Inside of the home, sealed tight and mocho installation, inside and out!

This is the hot water supply tanks. The pipes heat the water inside the barrels and the pipes are heated from the heat-collectors in front of the house.

More pics of the house inside and out.

The heat collectors that heat the hot water, but can also be used to heat the floor through under the floor pipes.

The windows that does most of the heating.

The hot water heaters/ floor heaters.

6 inches of ridged foam on the outside.

Sunsets when I got home later that day.

Picking rocks, pulling weeds.

2012-01-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

Progress?

Many more rocks needed.

One more trail busted!

A good start.

Another out of focus sunset.

I found this, could make for a cool planter.

Yucca brevifolia, looks fine this winter.

Not normal for this cactus to get winter burn, and a mild winter?

And a Yucca baccata with major winter burn? Must be a cold spot in the yard?

A first for Shoshone.

2011-12-30T20:59:00.000-08:00

This is a landscape project we put in a couple of years ago at the south entrance of the City of Shoshone. It is just over an acre and is a first of its kind for this area.

It is a multi purpose area. First it is to beautify the south entrance into the town from the main highway, second is to give drainage for the intersection of the highway and drainage from the nearby parking areas, and last is to give wildlife such as birds and other small animals an area of rest cover and food.

It uses low water to no water plants both native and other. The turf is also a low water fescue lawn that has worked very well and uses about half the water of "Kentucky Blue Grass Turf "

It also acts as a demonstration garden for the general public. This may be its most important attribute. If this helps people use less water, beautify their neighborhoods and create places for wild life then it was worth every penny spent on the project.

This project cost much less than was first projected, because most of the labor and materials came from the City of Shoshone, State Highway, and a special thanks to the local School District for the labor of growing many of the plants in their greenhouse and the labor of planting many of the smaller plants.

There is many small things that could have been done different to enhance the project overall but not bad.

A project is never done, I will try and keep updates on any progress.

One thing I would like to see in the future is some large rocks placed in the dry lake area and perhaps a few more plants. Also the dry creeks look very unnatural, needs many more boulders.

Not the best time of year to show landscape pics, kind of looks dead.

Also the Blue Spruce should have been planted high on the bench, not crowding the other plants. These are going to over grow the surrounding plants.

This was the only pinyon pine that lived, I dug the other 2 up and the roots were planted to deep in the original pots from the nursery. Never plant pines deeper than they grew originally, better to plant to shallow than to deep!

Yucca rostrata, if this dies it will be from root-rot not the cold. Landscape fabric holds lots of moister in, good in some ways, bad for some desert plants.

I love the nice clean look of some fescue grass.

Too late now, but I really wish the blue-spruce were planted on the highest part of the turf mound.

Steve doing prep work on a drainage we added more rock to.

Welcome sign, and the low water use turf. (green in summer!)

Rainbow when I made it home from work.

Mocho!

The days are getting longer and so far winter has been good.

2011-12-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

I have been getting lots of stuff done this winter. Normally in the winter it is almost impossible to pic rock because of the frozen ground or it is so muddy you cant get to the rocks. In the summer it is hard to do much hardscaping because of all the other things to do, like weeding and watering etc... So yes I have been making the best of this winter.

Put the last of the hardscape in, two big rocks in the planting bed.

Rocks almost always look better when they are buried at least 1/4 in the ground. This helps anchor the hardscape and has a much more natural look.

This is why I have no birds at the feeder today.

American Kestrel

Cactus in the winter are like fish out of water.

A bank that I started to cover with rock. I only need to find ten thousand more rocks. :o(

Can you tell from where the wind blows? ha!

I hope to have this all rocked in by the end of summer?

A shot from the garden on a nice winter day. it might have been 40-45deg

A week from Christmas and still working in the yard.

2011-12-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

Mocho taking a winter nap.

Rocho doing the same.

What I believe to be a Opuntia macrocentra/polyacantha cross.

Another Opuntia macrocentra/polycantha cross.

Will know better when these flower.

Trail busting

Echinocereus baileyi, I think?

I hope not to dry this guy out in the summer, this one needs summer water here.

Looking forward to winter.

2011-12-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to winter. I don't like the anticipation of waiting for the worst. I would rather take a fight head on then worry about it all day. But it ain't about what I want....I guess.lol

Snow still in the mountains none here in the valley...yet!

I'm ahead of the game this year, I did not think I would have as much hardscape done.

Made it all the way around the dirt mound with the walkway.

And even had a chance to layout new walkways.

I'm more or less done with this gravel mound around the last pillar.

A few more rocks and some plants should do the job.

And the new crowns on the big j-tree looking good going into winter.

They look nice and ready for the cold, I don't think I will have a repeat of last year. :o)

And this guy looks way better than it did last year going into winter.

Nice and shriveled!

We will see how the ice plants do this year? Only last a year or two here.

And finally a Yucca torryii, looks like a spider in a cage.

As snug as a bug in a rug.

More birds

A lite snow and a couple of new plants.

2011-11-26T14:36:00.000-08:00

A view to the south

A view to the north

And a view to the northeast.

The nights have been getting much colder and snow in the mountains.

All the leaves on my trees are all but gone.

But a few of the days when the wind is not blowing 40mph the days are still warm enough to get out and do a few things, even Mocho with his thin coat agrees.

Our first ground covering snow, not much but a sign of the times.

I went to C.S.R. nursery http://www.csr-inc.com/nursery.htm for my birthday and I bought a few things for my self. This is a very cool nursery that only sells plants that are native to Idaho and within 50 miles of the border. I wish I would have found this nursery earlier in the season, but than maybe it is good that I did not. It can be hard on the pocketbook. lol

Redtwig Dogwood

Cornus sericea

Rock Spiraea

Holodiscus discolor

Scarlet Gilia

Ipomopsis aggregata

Shadscale Saltbrush

Atriplex confertifolia

A very good wildlife plant, good feed and perfect cover for reptiles like the famed hornytoad. This a grey/white plant with a very desert feel. Good for the cactus/desert garden.

And some shots to show how well the micro climates work.

South-side, snow all but gone!

West side is good for micro climates, but snow still there.

Desert Holly

Mahonia fremontii

Grass make good to soften hard scape.

A big Jerusalem Cricket.

This guy needs to find a place for winter.

Putting the garden to bed

2011-11-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

I more or less have everything put to bed for the long cold winter months. All the flowers have been pulled/cut, a few bushes trimmed, and some makeshift tents have been put over a few non hardy and even some very hardy plants. Normally I would not have covered as much, but I didn't want a repeat of last year, so I think I will do what I can until some of the yuccas get bigger and are more able to withstand the extreme chill.

Oh my... ice on the pumpkin, and you know what they say about ice on the pumpkin.

sclerocactus parviflorus

Coryphantha vivipara

Echinocereus tri. var mojavensis

Opuntia sp.

Note the shrinking of the plant cells, almost all cold hardy cactus will shrivel up some for winter.

Yucca angustissima

Very cold hardy, it did well last winter, and this was a winter that filimentosa died back.

Beautiful plant, not sure of the var. or how big it will get.

Penstemon pinifolius

Winter colors

More winter colors

I built these monuments/pillars for wildlife and to add some interest in the garden, they are built on a lava flow that I could not do much with. I put them here a few years ago and have stuck out like a soar thumb ever sense.

So I have been trying to Angkor them with some rocks and planting beds. I think this and some restaining of the mortar should give more of a natural look.

And some that I did earlier this year, I should have taken a before pic.

And last some birds by the feeder.

Perfect weather.

2011-10-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

Pacific Tree Frog

Fat and happy!

Agastache

Ice Plant

My recycled pipe trellis almost done, just need a few end caps.

New trees/bushes, only time will tell if they do good in the garden.

Bush Lonicera, not sure the species?

Buffalo Berry

Cottoneaster

And this is one from spring, not sure if I already posted it or not?

Bigtooth Maple, I hope it does better next season.

A little fall color starting to show.

If you want the weather to change, just wait five minutes.

2011-10-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and the weather is changing fast. Last weak we had a high of 92F and yesterday we had a daytime high of 40F. Some lite snow fell in the night but did not stick. We also had about an inch of rain "which we needed very much" but was a shock after having 94 days of clear sky for the summer. The rain we had the other day was nice because it cooled off things and was not as cold. For the past 2 days I froze and I'm not sure if I can handle one more year of Idaho's cold winters. I say this every year, like if it matters, of course I can take it I have never lived anywhere else.

Coluber constrictor

"Western Yellow Belly Racer"

"Side Blotched Lizard"

Tasty cactus fruit!

Corypantha vivipara

Cercocarpus ledifolius

And a nice engine block in the back ground. ha!

Pawnee Butte Cherry, new.

Yucca elata

What I thought was nice weather to come.

Dust storm that I missed, well I could not take my camera out in it.

And after 2 days of cold, wind and rain. Doesn't look to bad in the pic though. hmmm!

Never enough time.

2011-09-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

I went to see LaMar at Plantaisa Cactus Gardens.
The garden is always good to see no matter what part of the season it is. I had about an hour or so to look around the garden, but it felt like 15 minutes. So many plants, so many questions and so little time.
I love to hear about the plants and how they have or have not made it through the winters. Where the are from and how he acquired them.
There is always a next time.

A few more pics, sorry if I always take pics of the same things. I think it is what my wants to see.

Monster E. trig's "white sands"

And some goodies I took home.

Look how large the pads on this prickly-pear are.

Last day of summer, what a bummer.

2011-09-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I love to work outside in the cooler temps of fall. I just hate the shorter days and the thought of winter.
Even winter has an upside for my garden, I just wish I could miss it by going south.

Delosperma "ice plants"

I try these ever year and they always freeze the first or second winter. So I try again.

Yucca Brevifolia

This has been a log time in the making, a finished turn around-parking area.

One five gallon bucket at a time.

PS I am still seeing hummers flying around, I hope they make the journey south or west OK. I would hate to see them get into trouble.
And I have seen more lizards this year than any other, and that always puts a smile on my face :o)

Trip to Boise foot hills, back home to garden.

2011-09-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Boise Idaho foot hills.

Went to Boise for a wedding and took a couple of shots from the foot hills. It was a nice sub, but I would have hard to time living that close to people and I'm not big on hoa's. It was not a very clear day but was still a nice view. The only thing that could make the view better is to be on the east side of the foot hills for a view of the down town area.

Back Home for more of the same garden pic.

Zauschneria

An awesome plant for Hummers!

Datura

I thought I had gotten rid of this plant but it keeps coming back, but so pretty I think I will leave it.

O basilaris

This is a plant I got from my friend Jay in Canada.

Took a beating from last winter, but still lives.

My strange rostrata, with narrow leaves, but does not look like linearfolia.

Weed removal still in progress.

This is one cool native plant, found growing straight out of the lava and needs no water.

I only wish I could remember what it is?

Yucca brevifolia is looking beat up, but keeps on growing.

11 new crowns!

More pics of my Idaho desert garden.

2011-08-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time in the summer to write about the plants and animals in my garden. I hope the pics will be good for now.

Neonate (baby) Side Blotch Lizard

(Uta stansburiana)

White-lined sphinx moth (hyles lineata)

Crappy Humming-bird pics, I don't know the species.

Gopher snake caught in live pack-rat trap.

I hope this snake does better, I have seen him around and he does not look so good.

Smoke from summer fires, don't believe what you hear about fires being good for habitat, for the most part they leave behind weeds and loss of wild plants and animals.

Echinocereus reichenbachii v.albispinus

Soap-tree yucca

(Yucca elata)

Curl-leaf Mahogany

(Cercocarpus ledifolius)

Petunias gone wild but grow without any extra water, no rain here sense June 5 from our records at work.

More neonate side-blotch lizards, good year for babies. I have only seen one adult, but lots of young.

Just to show how well a good micro-climate can work, this reading is always in the shade.

Missouri primrose

Opuntia fragilis, with winter burn.

Yucca brevifolia sucker, nice!

Mountain mahogany

(Cercocarpas montanus)

Garden, Castleford car show.

2011-08-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Echinocereus reichenbachii

Garden, Hailey Car Show.

2011-08-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yucca baccata

Yucca elata

Yucca faxoniana

Coryphantha vivipara

Rocko

I don't know how someone would harm these little dogs, glad they are part of or family now!

Echinocereus reichenbachii

Amorpha canescens

Loved

Hailey Car Show

Miracle Hot Springs in the Hagerman Valley, and then back home to my garden.

2011-08-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

Miracle Hot Springs is one of many swimming holes in the Hagerman Valley. The valley is carved by the Snake River in a partial canyon that is full of waterfalling springs that disperse out of the walls of the canyon. It is also known as "Thousand Springs" and for good reason. I look forward to sharing more pics of the area in the future.
The reason we went to this swimming hole and not one of the others is because this one has some big gators that survives the cold winters with their very own hot pools.

Carved from lava rock, I would love a few for my garden!

Big and Bad!

And then back home.

Opuntia basilaris

And the only pediocactus I still have. They are a favorite of mice!

Sclerocactus parviflorus

Echinocereus triglochidiatus 'Inermis'
You can see some winter burn from last winter.

A small Yucca brevifolia

I don't know what this is yet?

My big Yucca brevifolia or "j-tree" (joshua tree)

Did not do very well after the very early cold snap last November, but is starting to regrow.

Thank You God.

New growth. :o)

Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)

Zauschneria garrttii "mountain flame"

Oenothera pallida "white stemmed primrose"

South hills plant expedition.

2011-07-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

Today I went with the Idaho Native Plant Society for a plant expedition to the "South Hills" a mountain range just south of Twin-Falls. They are more blunt than the big sharp Sawtooth range just north of me, none the less they are very pristine. A wide range of native habitat is still very much intact, and I was glad the Idaho Native Plant Society shared their knowledge of the area with me.
Link to their website, http://idahonativeplants.org/

Elevation 8000ft

Pediocactus

A bad agastache pic.

Buckwheat, Eriogonum sp.

Indian Paintbrush

Monkey Flowers,

Around this water falls was 3 different sp of ferns, beautiful.

Ferns in Idaho are not common.

La Mar Orton and his wonderful wife, owner's of Plantasia Cactus Gardens.

And a few parting pics of Plantasia Cactus Gardens

Yucca tompsoniana in bloom.

Yucca rostrata in bloom.

Desert willow

Nothing new.

2011-07-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Rocko & Lilly

Moch the Roach

Echinocereus reichenbachii

Yucca filamentosa

Primrose, Idaho native, but I forget which one.

Opuntia erinacea

Larkspur, just came up one day. I don't know if its native or not.

South to Twin Falls

2011-07-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Went to one of my favorite places in the South, good for me that place is only about 20 miles drive from my home in Idaho. The place is Plantaisa Cactus Gardens. Five wonderfully landscaped acres, and one of the best places for wildlife plants. I would like to post all names of the plants (at least the ones I know) but to busy doing summer things. lol

Back home with a box full of goodies for my garden!

Just more blooms from my garden.

Ants that sometimes polinate my yuccas. they eat holes in the seed pods and sometimes polonate them.

Fern bush, awesome plant for natives bees. I see new species every year on the flowers.

Summer fun!

2011-06-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

I love summer and I love my dogs!

Took a quick trip to Boise.

Poppies by a friut stand in Boise.

A very nice rest area just east of Boise.

Back home for more of the same yard pics.

Gambel oak

It's a garden thing,

2011-06-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

The weather is still cool, I like it, but I don't think it is good for my plants. I have lost a few more yuccas do to the prolong cold and wet weather. The Weather man said we have been below our normal temps 77% of the days sense March first.

This is a wildlife garden, and so most animals are welcome here. I will remove rattlesnakes when I find them, but they are rarely seen. In fact I have seen more in town than I have ever seen out here. I think in the 17 years I have been out here I have only seen 2. On the other hand all other snakes are always welcome, I prefer them over mice any day of the week.

It was a good week I found three different gopher snakes in the yard.

You can see that they are not the same snake by the different markings on their heads/necks

Gopher snake #1.

Gopher snake #2

Gopher snake #3

This was my favorite Yucca rostrata!

Still working on those dam weeds, I would love to spray but the wind will not give me a chance.

Cochise County Vacation Part 2

2011-06-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

The next few pics are of our little ranchette by Old Pearce. It is a nice area with nice views and is not far from the main road, but is not an easy place to get to. It would be easy if they had just a straight shot off Ghost Town Trail rd, but instead it's a few gates and a small safari to get there.

Or the county could regrade the main road back to a drivable condition. If I ever build out there I bet there will be a better way in. Not asking them to grade every road, just the main road into the subdivision.

Last year I planted about 20 or more plants, mostly cactus and a few palms I knew would most likely not live without extra help. I took a chance and found out this year that nothing I planted lived. Not even one barrel cactus. I think in a normal year I would have had many happy little cactus, but I think the cold was just to much for the small sized plants.

Tarantula hole.

The drought was bad this year, notice the plants have very few leaves if they have leaves at all.

Even the creosote brush was struggling.

A real life hillbilly!

My favorite neighbors Bill and Carline. I already miss you guys even though we talk every week.

Dasylirion wheeleri, the photo does not do this justis. I would say this plant is about 6ft high and about 5ft wide. It was off one these I got seed from. Private property, with permission

The old mine, Pearce.

Harsh!

Agave palmeri, big!

And the saddest part of the trip was seeing first hand the devastation of the Chiricahua fire. Knowing all the wildlife and wild lands have been destroyed by a camp fire that I heard from the locals was started by an illegal alien. What a waste.

The next pics are taken from a drive down Ghost Town Trail rd. It is a glimpse from the past that takes you by three remains of mining towns.

The last place Johnny Ringo was seen alive?

And a nicely restored jail house. It is Private property, but can be seen from the road.

The big saguaro at Pearce is still standing.

Cochise county has more history than the dinosaurs. This hotel was once owned by Big Nose Kate.

Most of the town of Cochise is occupied, but others parts are for the ghosts.

Once huge Opuntia ficus stood along side this 2 story building.

Saguaros with winter burn, at the power plant near Cochise.

The town of Elfrida

Is a small farming community south of Pearce. It has a nice park and nice, friendly people.

I was surprised at the number of palms the little town had.

Nice park! For Arizona standards, not easy to grow grass with little water. The park in Elfrida also had a Fire Station with many W. filifera palms and a desert garden.

Desert willow up close.

Agave palmeri

Agave lophantha

Paloverde, winter burn...wow!

Bisbee... home of the really big agave!

Our friendly birds at the Copper Queen Hotel. The resident birds are all bums and have no problem taking food from strangers. They were the highlight of the day.

The food was very good here.

Oleander with major winter burn, and one of the biggest I have seen.

The two big W. filifera's in Bisbee, Glad to see they lived through the winter.

Welcome to Tombstone!

The big guns at the old school

(W. filifera)

W. filifera (left) and W. robusta (right)

Salvia greggii

St David

Holy Trinity Monastery

http://www.holytrinitymonastery.org/

Trachycarpus, looking good.

European Olive

(Olea europaea)

Lots of winter burn.

Ferocactus wislizenii

Small robustas, dead.

Trichocereus Terscheckii

Three of them at the Post Office, all with winter burn.

A drive into the Dragoons,

very, very dry.

Surprise AZ

On the way back home we stop at the Olive Garden,

mostly because I liked the landscape.

Over look a few miles south of the Hover Dam