I’ve paired nine shots of Arizona fall color with Etsy finds that match their autumn vibes! Each pair is a place to go along with fall-inspired decor and other fun stuff.
Every fall, this Chinese Pistache Tree at Boyce Thompson Arboretum turns brilliant shades of orange. You can see it from far away, as it stands out from the green leaves of trees surrounding it.
BTA is a great day trip from the Phoenix area! It’s just about 45 minutes from the East Valley via US 60.
In similarly striking oranges and yellows, you could use these fall foliage stems as part of a flower arrangement or on their own, grouped together to make a standout seasonal centerpiece.
At 24 inches tall, they could really add some height to your Thanksgiving tablescape!
Sourced by BoutiqueBarn + shipping from New Hampshire.
I wasn’t planning on taking a photo of a tree stump while I was admiring the view from Mount Lemmon. Then I noticed teeny – almost cute – little mushrooms growing out of it, and those needed to be captured! Continue reading “Pairings: Arizona Autumn + Fall Decor”
Naturalist, artist, and author Roseann Hanson is an explorer. But her definition of the word doesn’t require you to have traveled extensively on 5 continents the way she has.
To her, being an explorer is more about how carefully you study something – whether it’s the Sahara Desert or a grain of sand – than how far you go. (Incidentally, I agree!)
She gave a talk at the Natural History Institute in Prescott called “The Art of Exploration: How Field Sketching and Journaling Bridge Science, Conservation, and Well-being.”
Krkonoše Mountains drawing by archaeologist Jan Erazim Vocel, c. 1841. Photo via State Regional Archives in Prague + Wikimedia Commons.
Field Note History
In the days before you could just carry a camera with you, it was common practice for scientists and explorers to draw what they were observing out in the world.
Their field notes often included beautiful illustrations, along with handwritten descriptions.
Ancient rock art in Twyfelfontein. Photo by SqueakyMarmot / Mike, Vancouver, Canada – CC BY 2.0
Sketched in Stone
The impulse to make a visual record of what’s around us and what we’ve seen on our journeys goes all the way back to the Stone Age, to cave walls and sandstone boulders. Roseann Hanson sees these drawings as early field notes. Continue reading “Field Notes: Drawing (on) Your Experience”
When the Tucson Gem + Mineral Society held their inaugural show in the 1970s, it was the first of its kind, welcoming both professionals and the public. It continues to be the largest gem and mineral show in the world! Continue reading “10 Things to Know About Gem Shows in Tucson”
Agave has been cultivated in the Tucson area for hundreds of years.
While tequila might be the most widely known product made from agave (a.k.a. the century plant or maguey), it’s certainly not the only one! Different species of the plant are distilled into different spirits, collectively called mezcal.
Native peoples would also use agave to make food, medicine, and even rope. They developed farming techniques to maximize the plant’s adaptability and drought-resistant qualities, so they could grow it where other crops wouldn’t thrive.
Mural of Mayahuel, the agave goddess, by Rock ‘‘CYFI’’ Martinez.
Tohono Chul is a nature preserve just north of Tucson. On its 49 acres, you can find art, shops, gardens, a bistro, and lots of paths winding through the desert.
A Desert Corner
The name comes from the words for “desert corner” in the language of the Tohono O’odham (“desert people”), who were the ancestral inhabitants of this region.
I’d heard about this beautiful place from my Master Gardener uncle long before we moved to Tucson. For awhile I thought it was called “Tohono Jewel.” It is a gem of a place, so that fits too.
Phillip and I finally made it in there when my parents and their friends who were visiting from the Midwest decided to spend a day in Tucson.
They drove down from Phoenix and met us at the entrance on a sunny morning in February 2020 – when we were all blissfully unaware what the next 12 months would bring.
Routes to Drive from Phoenix to Tucson
Tohono Chul is actually in a pretty convenient location for people making the trip south from Phoenix.
There are two main ways to get from the Phoenix area to Tucson:
1. I-10 Freeway (“the 10”)
1.5-hour approximate drive time.
Quickest, most direct route.
Tohono Chul is about 15 minutes east of the 10 (exit at Ina Rd.)
2. Highways / Scenic Route (“the back way”)
2.5-hour approximate drive time.
Slower, more interesting route through Florence to State Route 79 then to Copper Corridor Scenic Road (SR 77).
Tohono Chul is just west of SR 77, so this route practically drops you at its front door.
“Regal Horned Lizard” by Dave Stone.
Art in Nature
Even though the sun was out, it was pleasantly chilly when we arrived. Many of the less cold-tolerant plants in the gardens were covered up because of a freeze warning, draped in sheets like furniture in an unused room of a Victorian mansion.
Part of “Two Cactus Wrens” sculpture by Mark Rossi.
Of course, plenty of the cactus varieties there are unfazed by frost. For example, no one needs to cover 30-foot-tall saguaros. Which is good. They take care of themselves and tend to outlive us humans.
Which brings me to my favorite plant we saw that day: a friendly-looking crested saguaro! Crested saguaros have a rare mutation that causes them to fan out at top.
“Standing Life-size Vulture” sculpture by Kioko Mwitiki.
While we didn’t go into any of the galleries, we did see several outdoor animal sculptures woven throughout the gardens, like a life-sized rusted metal vulture (by Kioko Mwitiki) and a much-larger-than-life horned lizard (by Dave Stone).
During the summer, it would be great to spend the morning exploring outdoor trails and then retreat into the galleries during the heat of the day.
There’s an outdoor geology wall that uses rocks from the nearby Santa Catalinas to illustrate the layers of stone under the mountains.
The Desert Living Courtyard showcases several types of gardens you could DIY with plants that grow well here, including a moorish garden and a “barrio garden” that replicates a backyard garden space with art from upcycled materials. For each garden vignette, there’s a list of plants and materials you could use to recreate it.
More Tucson Gems
After Tohono Chul, we ate lunch at the nearly 100-year-old restaurant El Charro. While there is a much closer location in Oro Valley, we opted to go to the original old building in Downtown.
It was the time of year where the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® happens at the Tucson Convention Center. If you don’t have time for the massive, main show, you can get kind of a sampling at dozens of smaller gem shows that spring up around it.
I knew that we’d be in walking distance of Hotel Tucson City Center, which had its own free, open-to-the public show with 300 vendors selling minerals and fossils on their property.
Before our guests returned to Phoenix, we took a drive around Downtown, stopping for ice cream at HUB.
Everything Changes
I’m extra grateful we happened to go on that day a year ago, just before a certain coronavirus would shut everything down, when 2020’s dumpster fire was only a spark.
After being closed for months, Tohono Chul has reopened 7 days a week with pandemic precautions in place (details below).
Many Downtown Tucson restaurants are open for takeout. El Charro is celebrating its 99th anniversary with a special menu. HUB Ice Cream Parlor has remodeled and now has a walk-up window.
On a more personal note, my parents’ Midwestern friends were getting ready to launch their annual winter visit, when my dad received a cancer diagnosis and found out he would need major surgery right away.
It has all given him – and us – a new perspective.
After coming through his surgery successfully, he made himself a rule to focus on the moment we have now. It’s a good thing to practice.
Treasure your corner of the desert.
– More Tohono Chul info –
Not to be confused with Tucson Botanical Gardens (which is a collection of urban gardens in the middle of town).
_(cropped).jpg)
