[HiJinx]

Trees come in all different shapes and sizes.

Welcome to the oldest and most spectacularly situated arboretum and botanical garden in the American Southwest, The Boyce Thompson Arboretum. In the roaring 1920s mining magnate Colonel William Boyce Thompson founded this 320 acre collection of desert plants at the foot of towering Picketpost Mountain near Superior, Arizona. He wanted to create in this place the most beautiful and useful arboretum of its kind in the world, and to instill in people an appreciation of plants. Now more than seven decades later the Arboretum has grown to include two miles of walking paths, a place for children to learn and for all ages to appreciate the beauty and importance of our desert ecosystems.

The three-acre cactus garden features cacti and other succulents from all over the Western Hemisphere. The garden , set on the north side of Magma Ridge offers several winding trails to allow patrons to enjoy the beauty of the plants and scenery.

[dixie sass]

Pretty.

[Billie]

Oh, thank you, Jinx! Really nice to see you here today, and your post is exactly what I was hoping for - seeing some of the 'gardens', etc. of different parts of the country - you probably have much of this type of landscaping in lots of Arizona. I picture white stucco houses with red tile roofs, and cactus gardens, and swimming pools!

[dutchess]

What a neat picture of the Arizona gardens. We did a desert tour outside of Scottsdale several years ago in the spring after a particularly wet winter. I could not believe all the beautiful flowers and blooms... It was awesome!

[dansangel]

I've always enjoyed a cactus garden. They are so unusual and have such great potential for creativity! Thank-you for sharing that picture!