Early Spring Blooms

On our little acre of the Sonoran Desert, my first suggestion of spring flowers is the aloe. Like agaves, they send up a tall stalk on which they parade their bright flowers.

Maybe the stalk serves to allow pollinating critters the opportunity to imbibe the nectar without risk of being impaled on the spines that line each fleshy leaf — but unlikely. The only critter harmed by those spines is people.

Chances are, the stalks are a form of advertising.

Aloe flower stalks have been forming for over a month and are now in full bloom all over the garden. That's because over the last couple of years, I've pulled up all the aloes in back of the pond and replanted them all over the place. They are remarkably hardy and establish quickly. Almost as quickly they send out shoots and propagate new plants.

The other early suggestion of spring is our lone but mature yucca in the front yard. Ordinarily two or three dense growths begin forming at their tops, slowly growing slender in height, then exploding into hundreds of nectar-filled flowers. Insects love them.

This winter we received good rainfall. (I don't know whose rain we got, but thanks to whoever is missing their usual winter precipitation.) This year the yucca has fired up seven flower stalks. Count 'em.

I want to plant some more yuccas. I did spread some joshua tree seeds in the yard. Maybe they will sprout.

It should be a great spring for flowers. As I walk Nazar in the wash, I spot some weeds that display gorgeous little flowers. If only I could remember which weed is which, I would keep from digging up the ones with nice flowers that don't turn sticky or explosive as they turn to seed.