I love visiting other gardens and getting ideas. Last week I went to the Tucson Botanical Gardens and the butterfly green house. It was amazing. The greenhouse was full of plants that grow in San Diego such as hibiscus and Pentas lanceolata, which was beautiful. I might try to plant it. I see it grows as a perennial here and as an annual other locales.

I had some little garden helpers with me on the tour. The butterflies were attracted to them.

We really enjoyed the butterfly house, but there was so much more to see. So many of the plants both inside the 80 degree green house and outside the butterfly house, can grow in San Diego. That’s what so amazing about the climate here. We can grow almost anything.

But here is a shady fountain that they have planted and turned into a flowerbed. I think that’s Dusty Miller, which, I am surprised to learn, is a type of Artemisia. I don’t usually like Dusty Miller, but I love my Artemisia Powis Castle. I am not so great at growing it, but I love its smell and its silver gray color. I love all the funny names it has too like Wormwood. I read that is has been grown since “the time of ancient Greece.” (Sunset Western Garden book.) Now that I read this, I see I need to prune it in the fall. Maybe that’s my problem. Anyway, here it is in Tucson:

I also loved the Barrio Garden with its roses, fig trees, purple heart (the deep purple houseplant-type that grew profusely in the flowerbeds in the house I grew up in), pomegranates, and tombstone roses. Just beautiful!

I love the look of this garden path (see below), which is lush and full, despite the heat. This pictures shows a pomegranate, a mesquite and some other flowers in the wildflower garden area. If you are ever in Tucson, be sure to visit this wonderful place!

Of course, March is a wonderful time to visit Tucson.  Everything is blooming–the Palo Verde trees are full of yellow blossoms. They float down the street reminding me of buttered popcorn. My great-grandma tried her whole life to paint one that satisfied her with its perfection. The vibrant yellow flowers against the sage green branches made a very compelling subject. Since I don’t paint, I write, and I can write about her trying to paint, but mainly I prefer to watch them because they are full of pollen and make me sneeze! (If I find a picture, I will post it.)