4.03.2007

Printemps: oooooooooooooo, that smell!



As if on cue, spring sprang here in the desert southwest abruptly on March 21st. The world began greening automatically.

That evening, I went outside around 10:30 pm and the aroma in the air was spectacular: smooth, fragrant and subtly intense. The perfume continues to waft through our daily lives, as the mesquite trees around us engage in the blooming process.

Likewise, all other plants seem to be participating in the annual ritual; the prickly pear and other assorted like nopales have sprouted nubs, the euphorbia obesa have followed suit, the Adam’s Needles and other yuccas are shooting forth long and colorful asparagus like projections and most notably a few chosen agaves in our neighborhood (ours among them) are bursting with a huge expanse of new growth which portends a flowery climax, although we shall have to watch and see. Even my poor beautiful aloes, whose winter blooms were frozen by the unexpected January frost, are once again budding happily and about to burst forth with lovely flora.




Having spent 16 winter and spring seasons in northern California, this cyclical reminder of a different (though oddly similar) response to the ubiquitous springtime prompt is altogether fascinating. What a pleasure to be able to observe, explore and perhaps even document a new version of these phenomena of nature.





I find myself looking forward to the metmorphoses of the season; to seeing that which I have never witnessed before as it changes and progresses... and to observe as each of these amazing plants emerges a bit more, daily. Will keep you posted.






....................................................................................

Daunting projects looming ahead in your endless schedule?
We can help.
Visit Wordsmith at Griffonage Studios and let us make your workload more manageable.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Agaves are the coolest things!

Anonymous said...

Are prickly pears nopales? Guess I will have to look it up and see...
Such beautiful plants!

Anonymous said...

Gosh, I never knew that the desert had seasons, but you are making me pay attention to places other than where I live. Thanks.. I enjoy your blog.

Anonymous said...

Gosh, I never knew that the desert had seasons, but you are making me pay attention to places other than where I live. Thanks.. I enjoy your blog.

Anonymous said...

Love to read your blog. Maybe I will like to vist the dessert southwest sometime too.

Anonymous said...

Nice little blurb.
Glad you are enjoying springtime in the southwest.
Thanks to Wordsmith for helping me with the biggest dilemma I have ever faced... I highly reccommend it!
Love the blog........

Anonymous said...

Enjoy reading your blog. The cactus are very pretty too.

Anonymous said...

Oh snap...prickly pears are nopals. Looked it up.

Anonymous said...

Such interesting information. I really like to see your blog when it changes. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I too, lived in the desert southwest for a long time and I always loved the spring season. Hard to believe that anybody thinks that there aren't any seasons in the desert. You just have to be very watchful and I guess you are. Enjoy for me.

Anonymous said...

Not this pretty back east, I can tell you.