Blooming on a Sunny Afternoon

Dryland Mesa in bloom

Prickly pear cacti blooming in Dryland Mesa

Early mornings in the gardens are definitely  peaceful and cool, however some gardens, like some people, are not at their best until well after lunchtime. The south end of Dryland Mesa is currently one of these gardens and the cacti flowers, which are at their peak right now, are definitely late risers, refusing to open until the sun is at its fullest.

Admittedly an early morning visit does have the reward of the intense chocolate aroma of the Berlandiera lyrata (chocolate flowers).  The closed Eschscholzia californica (California poppies) have a certain charm too, it is fascinating to watch them open as the sun falls on them. By mid-afternoon though everyone has stretched and opened
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