Home » Blog » Visit a Winter Desert Visit a Winter Desert February 20, 2015 Education, Landscape, Plants, Seasonal, Winter Every season brings a different tone, and for us here at the garden center, winter is an opportunity to take a deep breath before next year’s seedlings sprout and we all start running around again. Along with those deep breaths, most of us try to take our vacation at this time of year too — getting away from all this snow is a welcome break! Last week Jen went to Texas and visited Big Bend National Park where it was still a bit cool (50s and 60s) but definitely no snow. So here’s a mini-virtual escape via her pictures and notes on some of the best winter flora in the desert. Enjoy the blooms, and think spring! Yellow Spiny Daisy: These were seen pretty frequently in little clumps along the hiking paths in the desert areas of Big Bend. A welcome change from the miles-wide views of petrified rock and prickly pear! Blackfoot Daisy: Not being a Texas wildflower expert, this is my best guess as to what this friendly little clump of flowers is. Yellow Daisy?: This one really stumped me on variety, but so pretty I had to include it! Prickly Pear: There are 16 different types of prickly pear that have hybridized themselves over time. Tough to tell which particular variety this one is, but trust me — they were everywhere! Texas Blue Bonnet: It’s a bit early for them (main season is March usually) but they added a lovely purple color to the expanses of rocks and cacti, and the Chisos Mountains in the background. Mexican Fire Barrel: Again, my best guess is that this is a Mexican fire barrel cactus. Not nearly as abundant as the prickly pear in Big Bend, this was a nice discovery.