Hot Hot Hot

Spring has moved on and our Las Vegas summer is coming in strong with temperatures in the 90s. The Springs Preserve gardens continue to stun with an explosion of flowers.

 Rose garden

White Poppy

Golden 

  What an onion looks like when it flowers

California Poppy

I love unopened cactus bloom textures and colors

 Hi bee! :)

Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii)

Easy Breezy

Our wonderful spring temperatures continue, but the constant breeze makes flower and plant photography challenging! I did manage to get some nice shots of our Mojave cactus and succulent collection here at Springs Preserve. Enjoy!

 Desert Gold

 Watching the sun set through the trees last night

 The windmill here at Springs Preserve

 Red yucca flowers are some of my favorites

 Mojave cactus and succulent collection here at Springs Preserve

Winging it

Too many photo opportunities in the Springs Preserve butterfly habitat and the gardens to pass up! The cactus are looking spectacular and the butterflies continue to pose nicely. :)

 Orange barred sulfur butterfly

 Spicebush butterfly

 Dual Monarchs!

Buckeye butterfly

 Monarch 

Argentine giant cactus bloom

Easter lily cactus bloom

 Golden cactus bloom

 

 Ladybug :)

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

Flowers everywhere at Springs Preserve!

 Bee on Orange Ball Buddleja

 Spotty :)

 Colorful aloe stalk

 Desert Bluebell

White Gold

Away from the desk

The Springs Preserve is at its most beautiful so it is nice to get away from my desk and enjoy the sun! :D

Mojave aster

 Skipper butterfly! :)

Collared lizards

 These purple beauties are called 4 o'clock flowers

The cactus are still blooming like crazy

Cone flower

 Lots of happy bees

 I'm finally seeing more ladybugs out and about

Spring Break

Spent the last few days enjoying the small Xeric Garden at UNLV http://facilities.unlv.edu/landscape/xeric.html and the Marjorie Barrick Museum https://www.unlv.edu/barrickmuseum with the kids. Both are free and it was a pleasant visit. We especially enjoyed the bold and colorful paintings by John Millei.

Due to Spring break my Monday at work has been hectic, but enjoyable due to the 80F weather and the spike in Springs Preserve visitation. :D

 Pink primrose

 Daisy blue

 Rock roses

 This was the first time I have ever seen a robin in Las Vegas. Pretty darn cool!

 Callistemon bottlebrush shrub

 Southern White butterfly

 Orange barred sulfur butterfly

 Monarch

As the afternoon begins to fade the funnel weavers begin to edge out along the trails.