The Evening Garden Walk

Tuesday was the first evening tour at the BioPark.  With some recent docent injuries, we were down to 3 tour leaders, including moi.  With 60 ticketed guests, that meant 20 visitors/guide.  

I was leading the third and last group.  We started out in the Spanish-Moorish Garden, went through the other formal gardens, and then strolled through the Lebanese area to the new Orangerie.  

From there we explored the Mediterranean Conservatory.  That's always good for the Nepenthes and the Bougainvillea story.  

At the 4-way junction north of the conservatories, both the Curandera and the Camino de Colores were blocked by the earlier two groups.  We went west, hopped the rail fence, and took the back path to the Herbarium.

After that, we avoided the others by heading to the farm (the Highland cows were very accommodating).  From there we enter the Cottonwood Gallery to talk about Nature's Notebook while looking for Datura blooms and native 4 o'clocks (Mirabilis).  

We exited the CWG to the horticultural work areas and entered the Japanese Garden through the back gate.  From there we returned via the Camino de Colores, the Desert Conservatory, and the Festival Green.  All in all, a very complete tour with some really good backstage offerings.  

In the Garden

Wednesday was a surprisingly big push to get the backyard shipshape and Bristol fashion.  Then friends came over for a home-made pizza dinner.  A busy day.  

Caro has added some finishing touches (and noticed that the first mosquitos of the season have arrived).  The result is a very lovely and relaxing yard.  Here's a sampling... 

Penstemon neomexicanus

 

Bonsai Banzai

 And it's a wrap.  The 2026 ABQ Bonsai Club's annual Mother's Day Show is in the books.  Once again, we took over the ABQ BioPark's Botanic Garden Atrium and put on our two day show.

A small portion of the show

48 specimens were displayed.  Still waiting on the results from the "People's Choice" voting.  

May the Fourth Be with You

Yes, it's Star Wars Day.  Forecast was for a windy afternoon, but here in the North Valley, it never got more than slightly breezy.  Definitely not windy enough to stop Debbie and I from a midday bike ride in her neighborhood.  

Now we're waiting for the forecast rain showers.  Radar shows the storm just north of I-40 -- very close.  There's also much more stretching from Quemado down to Tucson, Rocky Point, and El Rosario.  I'd call it a bona fide atmospheric river.  

In other news, the war with Iran continues with contradictory reports coming out of Washington.  All the while, the GOP reveals its racist underpinnings with its immediate response to the recent SCOTUS ruling that all but killed the Voting Rights Act.  We now know exactly who the bigots are in this country.  

On that uplifting note, I'll leave you with this photo of my little kokedama, a Norfolk Island Pine.  

May Day or Mayday?

I've already said my "Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit," so no need to go down that proverbial rabbit hole.  Here are today's topics of interest.  

Although there hasn't been as much publicity as there was for the No Kings marches, today is supposed to be a one-day general strike.  Very appropriate for Worker's Day, May Day.  Of course, the Strait of Hormuz is still closed and a tenuous ceasefire is in place despite dualing blockades.  I suppose one could consider today's "strike" a practice run for what might be necessary if (when) TCF tries to stop or overturn the November elections.  In any event, being retired, this is an easy one for me:  an acequia walk or a garden visit, some Ingress, tidy up the office, cook something interesting, Gardener's World on BBC tonight.  

Speaking of tonight, today is the first of two full moons in May.  That's very auspicious, since Caro and I always celebrate an important lunar anniversary in May.  Moules and frites are on the menu along with a favorite rosé wine finished off with dessert from Flying Star.  

Also auspicious is the fact that a thunderstorm rolled through tonight.  The forecast had written ABQ off for any measurable rain, but we've gotten 0.2" so far.  

Late yesterday the NPN-USA folks hosted a Zoom webinar where University of Arizona students presented their research using Nature's Notebook data.  Our BioPark observations were highlighted by one student (thanks, Bellamy!) and Theresa kindly complimented us on our work in the Cottonwood Gallery.  

Screen grab of Bellamy's poster

Like Ships Passwording in the Night

Doing some minor maintenance like password updates this morning.  Expecting to have howling winds by midday, so it's a good day to plan on indoor activities.  I'll make a run to the store to restock vino supplies, but other than that, I'll be done for the day.  

Here are some shots from yesterday afternoon that highlight textures and colors in the backyard garden beds.  

Euphorbia myrsinites

Foeniculum vulgare

Ranunculus cv.

Osteospermum cv.

Antirrhinum majus

While we've had an abundance of native bumble bees, this season there are few butterflies and European honeybees.  Still waiting for black swallowtail caterpillars to appear on the fennel.  

This 4-day weekend is the observation period for iNaturalist's City Nature Challenge.  So far, I've had little time for making observations since everywhere I've been has been cultivated.  Tomorrow, though, I'll be out in the Cottonwood Gallery with plenty of native plants, insects, and birds.  

Stand by for tomorrow's photos.  

Contemplating Baba

Meher Baba taught that one could never know the results of one's actions.  Good deeds could produce evil unintended outcomes.  Evil deeds could yield good.  We're seeing the latter these days. 

President Donald Trump calls environmentalists “terrorists.” Yet he is responsible for destroying more oil and gas infrastructure, and possibly more fossil-fuel demand, than the most optimistic ecoterrorist could in their wildest dreams. By going to war with Iran, the president, who has been openly hostile toward the clean-energy transition, may unintentionally turn out to be one of its greatest allies.
Mark Gongloff - Bloomberg

Donald Trump has done more to accelerate the energy transition than anyone else alive. The attack on Iran is not the way any of us wanted this to happen, but the unintended consequences of Trump’s pointless war could help sink Trumpism everywhere – and the corrupt and filthy industry that props it up.

George Monbiot - The Guardian 

Van Morrison said it in "You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River." 

And we was contemplating Baba, William Blake and the Eternals

Goin' down to the Sisters of Mercy

Looking for the Veedon Fleece

I can only hope that my efforts, meant in the best of intentions, do not in turn on themselves.  After spending a morning in the Lebanon & Beyond Garden at the BioPark's Botanic Garden placing labels with Maria, it was a domestic and restful afternoon.