The Desert Botanical Gardens have been on my list for quite some time but for whatever reason I have never been there. That was until last weekend when I found myself near the Phoenix airport and needing to kill a few hours. Glancing at my Yelp bookmarks quickly reminded me of this place and I was all in.
I had seen a few photos and knew of the Chihuly art installations in the garden. While I can appreciate the amazing execution of his work I can't say that I am a huge fan as much of it looks so similar to me and I was a bit nonplussed by the thought of littering the beautiful NATURAL landscape of this garden.
Well, I have to go on the record and say that I was not only completely surprised but was in awe of his creations throughout the gardens. So many different styles and uses that enhanced and complimented the natural beauty of this place that I was dumbfounded. For the first time I feel like I had seen a space that completely worked with his vision.
Enough of that though because what one really comes to see is the huge variety and diversity of natural desert fauna. I am a big fan of barrel cacti and had never seen so many varieties. Some with subtle difference while others looking not from this world. Very cool to see while many were still in bloom. Also of note are the views of the Papago rock formations from the garden that frame picture perfect shots of the fauna in your photos.
The entire walk around the gardens is not hard or strenuous but will take you some time to fully appreciate the beauty. Along the way are happy surprises by the wild residents of the desert. I saw all sorts of ground creatures and even a tree snake that one of the garden employees pointed out to me.
The Desert Botanical Garden is a very special treasure and I am so glad I checked it out. I am sure you will too. :)