BACK TO TUCSON

I almost missed out on Arizona this year.  Encouraged by the cold wings which were headed to my London base, I decided on a shortened escapade; no Desert Garden and Phoenix, just wonderful Tucson.  In case you are wondering, this has been on my calendar for the last four years. The itinerary is much the same as the years before, a Canyon visit, a couple nurseries, and this time the Ironwood Forest National Park.  I am truly grateful to Marty - Arizona Agave  for the effort in making the visit enjoyable, and that includes the delicious meals at the family Mexican restaurant. I will start off with Arid Lands which I love visiting, and is the kind of nursery that we do not have here in the UK.
To get there , I flew from London Heathrow via Dallas Fort Worth in Texas, and I stayed most of the time at Four Points by Sheraton at Tucson Airport.


In pursuit of looking at young plants, the nurseries are my first stop. And Tucson has a wonderful selection of the best succulent nurseries.  My choice this time was the Starr Nursery, and the well-known Arid lands Greenhouses. 











No plants expresses the beauty of Agaves than Agave Parryi.  Here are a few close-up photos of the wonderful Agave parryi var huachuacensis.  Even if you are not interested in Agaves, these plants are more than worth a try.
























IRONWOOD FOREST MATIONAL MONUMENT

Situated in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Ironwood Forest has an extensive collection of desert plants which can rival any National Park in the USA.  It is located in Silverbell, just out of Tucson, and presents a stunning example of succulent habitat terrain.




















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