Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden
Just came back from a fabulous trip to Arizona visiting Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Sedona. I read many good reviews about the Desert Botanical Garden and was looking forward to it. It totally exceeded my expectation because it's not the normal botanical garden I'm used to in East Coast. It was eye opening and I learnt a lot of things about succulents.
The daytime temperature was in the nineties but I didn't think it was unbearable probably because it's desert heat, it's different from NY summers. I'll be posting pictures here on my blog and in my flickr in the next few weeks. So stay tune!
Look at all the cactus for sale!
Beautiful Chihuly glass display in the background.
The Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
I read an interesting article about The Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora), it's one of the most low-maintenance and drought-tolerant plants. I'm all ears about any plants that satisfies those two conditions. This is the first year I've tried growing the Moss Rose from seed. It's not really a rose but it's a succulent covered with bright flowers in shades of bright yellow, red, and white. You can plant them on the hottest part of your yard and they only need to be watered occasionally after it's established or if there are signs of wilt.
It's very easy to sow the seeds outside, just make sure you don't cover it completely with soil because they need light to germinate. I just sprinkle it on top of the soil and lightly press the surface so the seeds won't get blown away.
Seedlings
Thanks to the rain I finally have some seedlings! I planted them just a couple of weeks ago. It's been raining for three days straight and suppose to last until the end of the week. I don't mind the rain at all, I think it's mother nature's reward to all gardeners. 
Sometimes the best time to take pictures is when the sky is overcast.
Nasturtium - Cherry Rose and Alaska
Thyme - Pink Creeping
Scallions
Braunii Hens & Chicks
This is not really a seedling but I thought it looked really pretty with the raindrops.
