Magnolia

     I always enjoy seeing my neighbor's tree on my daily walks, but especially when it is blooming.  This photo was taken over a week ago and the blooms are now gone.  

     From my favorite tree guide, The Sibley Guide to Trees:

"The magnolias are an ancient lineage of trees and are considered "primitive" by botanists.  Most other plants with showy flowers have large and colorful petals backed by smaller, leaf-like sepals.  On magnolias, these two parts are not differentiated, and the flower is composed simply of some number of "tepals", intermediate between petals and sepals.  Magnolia flowers are pollinated mostly by beetles, considered primitive, given the relatively recent evolution of bees."

     Native magnolias are mostly a southern tree (except for the tulip tree).  The ones in our neck of the woods are cultivated.  

Blooming Lilac

     This is the earliest flowering I can remember.  The scent is heavenly.  I hope the cooler weather this week prolongs the show. 

Phoenix Botanical Gardens....

.......is my favorite place in Phoenix.

Barrel Cactus in bloom

Agave species

Palo verde

Now, it's Spring!

     The grass is green and everything is popping up, including the natives.  These are two that spread well, providing nice ground cover.

Jacob's Ladder

Wood poppy

Not Spring Yet!

I hope this means March goes out like a lamb......

Yet Another Sign of Spring

     It's snowing as I write this, but Spring continues to give hints of it's pending arrival.  Killdeer calls joined the songs of the Red-winged Blackbirds this morning on the floodplain for the first time this year and the Pussy willow is already soft and downy.  This one is in my neighbor's yard.

Another Sign of Spring

     Hudson and I headed out to Side Cut Park yesterday, before the blustery weather arrived and came upon this sign of spring - Walleye fishermen.  We passed about ten in all.  

     I didn't see anyone with a fish.  A recent article in the Blade reported that in addition to a water temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit, the fish need the appropriate length of daylight in order to spawn, which won't happen for another two weeks.  So, these guys are a little early.  They didn't seem to mind.