Flowers in the Grass

IN ARIZONA, WILDFLOWERS ARE USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH SPRING, AND RIGHTFULLY SO - THE ANNUAL EXPLOSION OF COLOR IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN NATURE. NONETHELESS, SUMMER FLOWERS ARE SOMETHING SPECIAL, TOO, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE DESERT GRASSLANDS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA.

IT'S AN EARLY SUMMER MORNING in the desert grasslands of the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, about 40 miles southeast of Tucson. On this day, the grasses are 2 or 3 feet tall, and they're lush from summer storms. From spring to fall, the grasslands of Southeast Arizona offer a succession of floral delights, from the cactuses and yuccas of spring through the rabbit brush of fall, with a surprising burst of summer species sandwiched in between. This diversity provides a cornucopia of photo opportunities as I travel from Las Cienegas south to the Huachuca Mountains, into the San Rafael Valley, across the Patagonia Mountains northeast of Nogales, and west into Santa Cruz County. Although I can find things to shoot here all year long, my favorite time is midsummer, when even the grasses are in bloom. The other great thing about summer is the arrival of monsoon season, which brings stormy skies and a dramatic backdrop. For me, it offers a lasting impression that sticks around until the next time I'm lucky enough to be among the flowers in the grass.

WHITE NIGHT A white, trumpet-shaped sacred datura bloom (left) opens in the evening

and closes at dawn. The flowers were important to Arizona Indians for medicinal use, but all parts of the sacred datura plant are extremely poisonous if ingested.

HOT SPOT Soaptree yuccas (below) dot the vast desert grasslands of the

Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in Southeast Arizona.

To order a print of this photograph, see page 1.

ARTFUL IMITATION Reminiscent of a Georgia O'Keeffe painting, a devil's claw bloom (right) shows the softer side of this prickly desert plant. A PATCH OF BLUE Arizona blue eyes (below) offer bright splashes of color at Las Cienegas National Conservation Area during the summer months.

PRETTY IN PINK With a winning color combination of green and pink, wood sorrel (left)

covers spots of open ground in the forests of the Patagonia Mountains.

MOONLIGHTING In a double exposure, a pale yellow moon (below)

rises above a blooming soaptree yucca illuminated by camera flash.