Journaling: Day 24

Okay, Readers, I apologize if you're closely following my journal progress and were left holding your breath (as if), but I fell behind yesterday.  Sundays are usually a pretty busy day and yesterday was no exception.  After church, I was getting S and H ready for camp (including last minute purchases), plus cleaning out the van so the youth group could borrow it, plus attending a Partylite party at my sister's house.

So here is yesterday's prompt and my journal entry for it -- a day late.  If we're lucky, I'll find time to do today's today, and I'll be all caught up again!

So today, the kids and I cruised around the neighborhood to find our top ten plants and trees.  We are fortunate to live in a nice development with really great landscaping along all the main roads.  They like to use stuff that will do well in the desert climate (duh), is drought tolerant and my favorite thing is that they still try to incorporate color so that our eyes get a break from the fairly monotone landscape that surrounds us.

The plants I included in my top 10 list (which is actually 11, because I couldn't handle the blankness down in the corner of the printout there, more than I don't like lists that include odd numbers), were all roadside specimens, except two, which were put in our front yard before we moved in (so they're still roadside).

Anyway, I'm including larger (and better oriented) photos of each plant/tree below so you can actually see them and appreciate them like we do.  Enjoy!

My favorite in the neighborhood is this "giant" that sprouts up from the tiniest base.  It doesn't make logistical sense.  But I love the absurdity of it and the bright yellow against the blue sky.

When the wind blows here, these plants are the best thing about it.  They flow gently in even the strongest winds like hair in a light breeze.  Gorgeous and relaxing to watch.

For me, anything GREEN in the desert is just like a breath of fresh air.  But these little guys are so happy with their spiky leaves and outgoing personalities.  Love.

And who doesn't get reminded of vacation when they see any type of palm tree?  These are darling and short, but still vacation-y enough to bring me joy when I travel around this round-about by the schools.

Right in our front yard, we have this bushy tree (it requires constant trimming) that also appears all over the neighborhood.  It blooms in the late spring with gorgeous, dainty little pink flowers that litter the grass like it's decorating our yard for a wedding party.  It's just sweet and pretty (even if the flowers are a bit past their prime by this point in the season).

These puffy plants are all over the place, too, and attract bees and butterflies like crazy.  They have the coolest little puffs of I don't know what and sweet little white flowers.  See the closeup below to get why this one is actually cute and not a big mess like the larger photo seems.

Purple plants.  These, I think, might be called Desert Sage, but don't quote me on that.  Anyway, they just really come alive during sunset and the color compliments the sky so nicely.  But they are also a favorite with bees, which makes for cute pictures (if you don't mind bees, that is).

Also in our front yard (and a lot of other places in the neighborhood) is this purple-flower tree.  I don't know why purple is popular in desert plants more than most other colors (with the exception of yellow maybe), but I like it.

These little Red Yucca plants are so hearty.  They attract insects and hummingbirds galore.  But the colors that spring up out of a pretty ordinary-looking desert plant are just amazing!  I think these styles of Yucca plants come in yellow and other colors, too.  But the red is just really eye-catching.

There are several types of trees with yellow flowers on them.  But this one caught our eye at the park because it's flowers are unique.  Maybe like mini-Columbines or something.  I don't know.  But it's purty.

Finally, we like this one that has little poofy flower bundles.  The color is brighter than most yellow on plants here, but probably just because it's so concentrated on the end of each stem.  It's a fun one, for sure.

I do wish I knew more about identifying plants and trees by names.  Instead, I just make up my own (except the Red Yucca, which is one we purposely planted in our backyard because I enjoy it so much).  Fun, right?!

Do you have a favorite out of these?