"IT'S HERE - The first poppy of the year blossoms at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve." RICH BREAULT/Valley Press
Posted on 03/08/2008 1:34:27 PM PST by BenLurkin
Out on Lancaster's west side sits the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Downtown, at the State Parks Mojave Desert Information Center, senior park aide Judy Elgin fields phone call after phone call inquiring about the reserve. "Almost every call we get this time of the year is, 'Are there poppies yet?' When I tell them there are no poppies yet, some people are really disappointed," Elgin said.
However, since Wednesday, Elgin doesn't have to disappoint callers - the reserve has its first poppy of the season.
The 1,800-acre reserve, on Lancaster Road (Avenue I) at approximately 150th Street West, might have a couple of more poppies pop up since Wednesday, but it probably will be at least several weeks before the celebrated wildflower blooms with any consistency.
Jean Scott, interpretive specialist for the Mojave Sector of State Parks , walked some of the trails at the reserve Wednesday morning, looking for poppy plants.
"Some of the poppy plants are big enough to be identifiable, but none are almost regular size," Scott said, cupping a young poppy plant with her hands. "I think there's the beginning of a bud."
"We have red stem filaree blooming on the side of our walks and a poppy bud has been seen by one of our researchers, but it will be a while before we start seeing poppies."
Overlooking the first poppy at the reserve would have been easy. The stem was only a couple of inches high and wind gusts bent the young flower almost sideways. The flower was just off the exit road beyond the park's kiosk.
"I hope it's a sign of a good bloom that's coming," Scott said after she learned of the sighting.
Elgin said she hopes to pass on poppy updates to enthusiasts who phone the information center.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
"IT'S HERE - The first poppy of the year blossoms at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve." RICH BREAULT/Valley Press
Take a picture before Global Warming wilts it.
There’s a place where the ground is covered with green and has flowers? Around here, it’s all white and grey, with occasional patches of sticky mud seeping up through the ice.
http://weather.cbs2.com/auto/kcbsV3/CA/Lancaster.html
It’s a beautiful sunny, windy, balmy day at the Poppy Preserve.
How many of the callers are just disappointed because they need a fix and the Afghan crop hasn’t come in yet?
ping
Monday Gardening ping!!!!
Mornin’ all!
I miss poppies. They won’t grow here. When I was little we lived on a farm in Ohio. There was a huge patch of poppies down by the creek. The big, dark red ones with black centers.
i wouldn’t know a poppy from a pansy.........only kidding, I’m not that bad, just not a flower person :)
No prob! I like words, and names for things. I get razzed a lot about it. Grin
It finally quit raining about noon Sat. and then I thot we were going to get blown away. The greenhouse was rockin and rollin! Yest was beautiful, cool. Heavy frost last nite and cool today—supposed to get up in the low 60’s.
No prob! I like words, and names for things. I get razzed a lot about it. Grin
It finally quit raining about noon Sat. and then I thot we were going to get blown away. The greenhouse was rockin and rollin! Yest was beautiful, cool. Heavy frost last nite and cool today—supposed to get up in the low 60’s.
I’ve yet to see a robin or crocus and here it is a third of the way into March.
Global warming my......
I didn’t think it was ever going to stop raining on Sat. Everytime it seemed like it was over, another squall came through. it finally quit about the time I needed to leave for work :(
And the wind....OMG. That finally went away sometime overnight, and although it’s a really pretty day today, it’s still too cold for me !!!!
How bout it! They just did lift the burning ban a week or so ago. I think we’re the only county in the state that’s not under a burning ban. It rained a flood here, but the wind dried stuff out pretty quick. Yard and driveway are still flooded.
Don’t feel bad, I haven’t either and I’m a good bit south of you :)
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