BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?

Subject: BS: A good year for wildflowers?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 01:37 PM

I was hoping to go to Death Valley this week. I tried getting a hotel reservation two weeks ago, but couldn't get a room for this week. We're going to try again next week. I'm off to Anza Borrego Desert State Park in Southern California today. Wish me luck. There has been a fair amount of rain this year, and word has it that Death Valley is in Super Bloom.

Here are links to some of my photos:

• California Desert (click)
• California Wildflowers

Let's use this thread for 2016 wildflower reports.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 01:41 PM

Another Death Valley Super Bloom Link (click)

...and another (click)

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 05:35 PM

It might be very flowery in Death Valley (ironic or what?!) this year but here in my corner of north west England it gets less and less flowery every year. One of the big causes is eutrophication of soils. Motor vehicles not only emit CO2 in their exhaust gases but also oxides of nitrogen. These are not only bad for human health but they also end up in the soil and are potent plant nutrients. Paradoxically, this is bad for wild flowers. Eutrophied habitats become dominated by nitrogen lovers - like nettles and docks - and these crowd out more delicate species that can't compete. A motorway was driven through my area, a few decades ago, and as the number of vehicles on the road has risen relentlessly, year by year, plant diversity has continued to decrease.

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: pdq
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 05:49 PM

Here is the DesertUSA site. I have posted it in the past, but it is enjoyable to check out all year...

http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/wildupdates.html

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: GUEST,bbc
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 10:44 PM

Beautiful pictures, Joe. I photograph wildflowers, too, but probably won't have anything till late March or April, here in New York.

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Mar 16 - 03:10 AM

I hiked the Palm Canyon trail at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park today. It's the largest state park in California, and this trail is usually the best place for wildflower viewing. The flowers were nice, maybe 4 on a scale of 10. They were "2" last year, so I didn't take the trail. One time, the flowers were at an "8."
But this year, I saw Desert Bighorn Sheep - seven of them. They were a distance away and I couldn't get photos, but I saw them quite well. That made the experience of this hike a "10." And it was a beautiful hike, despite the relative lack of flowers. I saw all the flowers I've seen before, but not in as great profusion.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 02 Mar 16 - 07:58 AM

'Shimrod' - I wonder how bad this eutrophication is once you get a certain distance away from the main arteries of road traffic? I know there's also the problem of slurry & artificial fertilisers!

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 01:00 AM

The town of Borrego Springs is in a basin in the middle of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. The land is flat and sandy - and with sparse vegetation. The town is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and wildflowers grow in profusion in the flat, sandy soil at the base of the mountains. I explored a couple of those area this morning, and the flowers were very good - about an "8" of 10. Sand verbena and brown-eyed primrose were the predominant flowers, and they were everywhere. When I got of the car and walked around, I found all sorts of other gems - desert lilies, lupine, poppies, and one big indigo bush full of dark blue flowers.
I'm hoping to make it to Death Valley Thursday afternoon, but I may not have time.
Wish me luck.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 03:26 AM

Was just talking to someone back from death valley. Suoer bloom was n.

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: frogprince
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 03:05 PM

My main squeeze and I went to Death Valley in April 2010, and lucked out on blooming things pretty well. Then again, it looks like some of the park probably looks like a forsaken corner of hell all the time. The graphic variety of the place is fascinating of itself.

Subject: RE: BS: 2016: A good year for wildflowers?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 04:11 AM

I made it to Death Valley today to witness the "superbloom." It was indeed spectacular - carpets of gold everywhere, with lots of other varieties mixed in. I'm glad I finally got the chance to see the flowers of Death Valley in a really good year.
-Joe-

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150091752703260.284260.623958259&type=1&l=baaaa4790d