a short one
Cholla (Cylindropuntia spp.) flower and bud
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Well, this weekend has flown by, and it's already far past my bedtime, but I want to share a few updated from the past week.
It's heating up! This week was the hottest one yet, and it got over 100 for the first time this weekend. I've been told that by the end of the summer the high nineties will feel nice and cool.
It still feels like spring around here, though. New folks keep blooming, while some of the flowers we've been looking at over the past few weeks (the Palo Verde and Ironwood, Ambrosia dumosa, Croton californicus) are forming fruits. The bean pods on the peas are especially fun to watch grow! I continue to be shocked by how much is blooming even as the weather gets hotter.
As our season is progressing, we're starting to get a better sense of how many collections we will be making, and of whom. So far we've made 5 (though we will be going back to some of those populations to collect again as more seed develops), and our contract goal is 20. We're thinking that should be possible, just depends on how our populations continue to progress. We are the first ever SOS collection crew in this area, and both of us are new to this, so it's been interesting seeing how communication works within the many agencies involved (BLM, Chicago Botanic Garden, other land managment agencies), and how the priorities of different groups factor into our work in the field.
I planted some summer vegetables this weekend in an old hamper I found at the thrift store - excited to see how they do, will likely be a challenge in the heat.
That's all for now!
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sweet dreams :)