@joyal333.bsky.social
Plants. Peoples. Places.
Sometimes more.
Sometimes more.
Remember this from 2021?
September 20, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Remember this from 2021?
Early morning light on volunteer sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) and the very first blue-masked lovebird (Agapornis personata) in the backyard. Peach-faced lovebirds are frequent visitors. Sonoran Desert oasis.
September 12, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Early morning light on volunteer sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) and the very first blue-masked lovebird (Agapornis personata) in the backyard. Peach-faced lovebirds are frequent visitors. Sonoran Desert oasis.
Ginger sprouting. This is the largest piece of ginger root that I’ve ever seen for sale. I’m surprised that it wasn’t broken. I bought the bag because it’s sprouting and—even though it’s a bit late in the season—it will soon go into the ground.
Mekong Plaza market, Mesa, AZ
2025 July 22
Mekong Plaza market, Mesa, AZ
2025 July 22
July 25, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Ginger sprouting. This is the largest piece of ginger root that I’ve ever seen for sale. I’m surprised that it wasn’t broken. I bought the bag because it’s sprouting and—even though it’s a bit late in the season—it will soon go into the ground.
Mekong Plaza market, Mesa, AZ
2025 July 22
Mekong Plaza market, Mesa, AZ
2025 July 22
Natural pest management?
July 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Natural pest management?
From 2024. It’s only worse now that it’s 2025.
July 4, 2025 at 10:01 PM
From 2024. It’s only worse now that it’s 2025.
No Kings! Fourth of July
Pedestrian bridge over US 60
Tempe, Arizona, USA
7:39 am MST
83 F / 28 C
49 % relative humidity
62 dew point
Pedestrian bridge over US 60
Tempe, Arizona, USA
7:39 am MST
83 F / 28 C
49 % relative humidity
62 dew point
July 4, 2025 at 2:45 PM
No Kings! Fourth of July
Pedestrian bridge over US 60
Tempe, Arizona, USA
7:39 am MST
83 F / 28 C
49 % relative humidity
62 dew point
Pedestrian bridge over US 60
Tempe, Arizona, USA
7:39 am MST
83 F / 28 C
49 % relative humidity
62 dew point
San Pedro cactus
Echinopsis (Trichocereus) pachanoi
Apparently, this first flower wasn’t pollinated. Not sure if it’s because the flower was hidden in Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) branches or whether there were no pollinators in the area. It fell to the ground a week ago.
2025 June 29
Echinopsis (Trichocereus) pachanoi
Apparently, this first flower wasn’t pollinated. Not sure if it’s because the flower was hidden in Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) branches or whether there were no pollinators in the area. It fell to the ground a week ago.
2025 June 29
June 30, 2025 at 6:50 PM
San Pedro cactus
Echinopsis (Trichocereus) pachanoi
Apparently, this first flower wasn’t pollinated. Not sure if it’s because the flower was hidden in Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) branches or whether there were no pollinators in the area. It fell to the ground a week ago.
2025 June 29
Echinopsis (Trichocereus) pachanoi
Apparently, this first flower wasn’t pollinated. Not sure if it’s because the flower was hidden in Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) branches or whether there were no pollinators in the area. It fell to the ground a week ago.
2025 June 29
A wonderful solstice to all of you.
Here’s a meme of the sun’s position on the solstice from different sites across the world. Anyone else notice that four of the eight are located in the Andes of South America? What other places have ancient markers of celestial events?
Here’s a meme of the sun’s position on the solstice from different sites across the world. Anyone else notice that four of the eight are located in the Andes of South America? What other places have ancient markers of celestial events?
June 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
A wonderful solstice to all of you.
Here’s a meme of the sun’s position on the solstice from different sites across the world. Anyone else notice that four of the eight are located in the Andes of South America? What other places have ancient markers of celestial events?
Here’s a meme of the sun’s position on the solstice from different sites across the world. Anyone else notice that four of the eight are located in the Andes of South America? What other places have ancient markers of celestial events?
Volunteer native Passiflora aridus in my backyard.
June 20, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Volunteer native Passiflora aridus in my backyard.
Passionflower
Passiflora arida
maracuyá
They’ve been flowering for a while but mostly high up in the desert willow tree (Chilopsis linearis). This plant volunteered in the Dioon sonorense and is growing up into the Palo chino (Havardia mexicana) but not so high that a few are at eye level.
Passiflora arida
maracuyá
They’ve been flowering for a while but mostly high up in the desert willow tree (Chilopsis linearis). This plant volunteered in the Dioon sonorense and is growing up into the Palo chino (Havardia mexicana) but not so high that a few are at eye level.
June 20, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Passionflower
Passiflora arida
maracuyá
They’ve been flowering for a while but mostly high up in the desert willow tree (Chilopsis linearis). This plant volunteered in the Dioon sonorense and is growing up into the Palo chino (Havardia mexicana) but not so high that a few are at eye level.
Passiflora arida
maracuyá
They’ve been flowering for a while but mostly high up in the desert willow tree (Chilopsis linearis). This plant volunteered in the Dioon sonorense and is growing up into the Palo chino (Havardia mexicana) but not so high that a few are at eye level.
More thoughts on Earth Day 2025.
Credits (pun intended) on graphic).
Credits (pun intended) on graphic).
April 22, 2025 at 5:20 PM
More thoughts on Earth Day 2025.
Credits (pun intended) on graphic).
Credits (pun intended) on graphic).
Happy artichoke, French lavender and Greek (?) oregano. Because my eyes were focused on the ground, where I was transplanting a less than happy extra pepper plant from a neighbor, I didn’t notice that the pomegranate has its first flowers of the season!
2025 April 8
2025 April 8
April 8, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Happy artichoke, French lavender and Greek (?) oregano. Because my eyes were focused on the ground, where I was transplanting a less than happy extra pepper plant from a neighbor, I didn’t notice that the pomegranate has its first flowers of the season!
2025 April 8
2025 April 8
Today in Tempe!
March 20, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Today in Tempe!
Sophora secundiflora -> Dermatophyllum secundiflorum
Common name(s) include Texas Mountain Laurel, Mountain Laurel (which may be confusing to people in the eastern USA), Mescal Bean, Mescal Bean Sophora (really?), Frijolillo, Frijolito
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Common name(s) include Texas Mountain Laurel, Mountain Laurel (which may be confusing to people in the eastern USA), Mescal Bean, Mescal Bean Sophora (really?), Frijolillo, Frijolito
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
March 14, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Sophora secundiflora -> Dermatophyllum secundiflorum
Common name(s) include Texas Mountain Laurel, Mountain Laurel (which may be confusing to people in the eastern USA), Mescal Bean, Mescal Bean Sophora (really?), Frijolillo, Frijolito
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Common name(s) include Texas Mountain Laurel, Mountain Laurel (which may be confusing to people in the eastern USA), Mescal Bean, Mescal Bean Sophora (really?), Frijolillo, Frijolito
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Trees. What are they good for?
December 26, 2024 at 11:51 PM
Trees. What are they good for?
Need I say more?
December 10, 2024 at 2:15 AM
Need I say more?
Pomegranate pecked.
It was high in the tree. Split open. Then the seeds eaten by birds? Not the hens, unless they’ve acquired some new acrobatics.
2024 December 8
It was high in the tree. Split open. Then the seeds eaten by birds? Not the hens, unless they’ve acquired some new acrobatics.
2024 December 8
December 8, 2024 at 7:57 PM
Pomegranate pecked.
It was high in the tree. Split open. Then the seeds eaten by birds? Not the hens, unless they’ve acquired some new acrobatics.
2024 December 8
It was high in the tree. Split open. Then the seeds eaten by birds? Not the hens, unless they’ve acquired some new acrobatics.
2024 December 8
Pomegranates ripening.
Leaves yellowing and falling.
Not quite a haiku.
Leaves yellowing and falling.
Not quite a haiku.
December 1, 2024 at 5:48 PM
Pomegranates ripening.
Leaves yellowing and falling.
Not quite a haiku.
Leaves yellowing and falling.
Not quite a haiku.
Something to think about on American Thanksgiving Day.
November 28, 2024 at 4:13 PM
Something to think about on American Thanksgiving Day.
Wood piles? Sometimes I just stack branches. Sometimes I think about it. Velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina) & ironwood (Olneya tesota). I’m thinking about accommodating the lizards while keeping the wood available to burn in the chiminea when we remember.
Form follows function.
Form follows function.
November 25, 2024 at 10:22 PM
Wood piles? Sometimes I just stack branches. Sometimes I think about it. Velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina) & ironwood (Olneya tesota). I’m thinking about accommodating the lizards while keeping the wood available to burn in the chiminea when we remember.
Form follows function.
Form follows function.
Hoary basil with bees. Hoary basil with Cosmo. Pruning it back to make pesto; allow more sunlight in; encourage new growth; and make it easier to cover come winter.
November 25, 2024 at 3:20 PM
Hoary basil with bees. Hoary basil with Cosmo. Pruning it back to make pesto; allow more sunlight in; encourage new growth; and make it easier to cover come winter.
