Surprises and Striations at Valley of Fire State Park

In my last post, I left off with a photo of Elephant Rock at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. If you only have time to visit one natural area during a trip out that way, this is a good one because there's so much to see. It's about 45 miles northeast of downtown Las Vegas.

As this sign describes, Valley of Fire was Nevada's first state park, and it included 8,760 acres (now it includes more than 40,000 acres). While we hiked in other natural areas near Vegas, we drove during most of our tour of this park.



There were some surprises during our day, including several patches of Silver Leaf Senna (S. artemisioides). I didn't really have preconceived ideas about the plants we would see, but this one was lovely and colorful against the red rock.



Another surprise was how close the bighorn sheep were to the road. It wasn't difficult at all for me to simply roll down the window and click a few photos of the regal creatures. While I'd seen them before during other trips, I believe this was the closest I've been to them in the wild.



We knew about the petroglyphs in the area, but there were so many and they were easily accessible during stops along the driving tour.



This set of historic cabins was built for travelers with Valley of Fire sandstone by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The cabins are nifty to explore, both inside and to view the scenes around them.



Another surprise: this petrified log from millions of years ago.



This sign explained its transformation from wood to stone. Other info described it as an "ancient pine" that grew near the park during the Age of Reptiles, about 150 million years ago.

Other fun finds at Valley of Fire included the red rock formations, including Elephant Rock shown at the beginning of this post. Many were marked and named, but I didn't take photos of all the signs.



There were naturally formed caves,



Rock ranges poking out of the sandy soil,



And stratified, striking rock structures, formed from compressed and cemented ancient sand dunes.

Many of the formations resembled animals and other living creatures:



A rabbit?



Some type of alien creature?



A horse eating vegetation?

There were so many amazing views, just a few included here:

The rock formations and scenes were fascinating and awe-inspiring, both close up and wide angle. I'm remembering this trip with great fondness--for many reasons, including the pure beauty of it. Highly recommended.

Still Blooming in October

Tithonia rotundifolia 'Goldfinger'

I was near certain most of the blooms in this post would be curled up and gone after our forecast of a hard frost or freeze a few nights ago. But Mother Frost decided to spare us for a few days. I felt compelled to participate in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, because this likely will be the last one of the season for me, in my USDA hardiness zone 5a garden.

Sometimes when the surrounding area is hit with frost, we are spared because of the woods, our position on a hill, and the warmth of a nearby lake.

We did have some wicked winds with nasty windchills, though, but the only plants that were affected were most of the Coleus varieties in pots, and the Tithonias. The latter are still alive, though, and are blooming again.

Canna indica 'South Pacific Orange'

I admit I covered the potted All-America Selections (AAS) winner, Canna 'South Pacific Orange.' It hadn't bloomed all summer (because of my shady garden), and since it was just about to bloom, I wanted to spare it. I won't protect it again, but with mild weather this week maybe it will put on a brilliant show on its way out.

Impatiens hawkeri 'Sonic Light Pink'

I also covered the potted New Guinea Impatiens because...well, I just wanted to. Turns out, maybe I wouldn't have had to, but who knew?

Fuchsia 'Dollar Princess' with friends

None of the Fuchsias were covered, but they're just fine, including 'Dollar Princess,' in two pots by the door with various Impatiens, gnarly Coleus, and Thuja occidentalis, which will serve as year-round centerpieces. For the holidays, I'll surround them with pine cones and other decorations.

Fuchsia 'Marinka'

'Marinka' just keeps blooming and budding. I'll probably bring a couple of these indoors to overwinter, because I love them so much.

Fuchsia triphylla 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt'

Standing Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt' is new for me. It has budded and bloomed continuously since early May when I bought it.

Mixed Zinnia elegans

I cut a bunch of Zinnias because I thought they were my last; they're still waiting to go in a vase--I need to get my act together.

Z. elegans

Turns out, more Zinnias will bloom this week.

Calamintha nepeta

The tiny blooms of Calamintha nepeta are so precious and fragrant.

C. nepeta

The bees love them, too.

Tagetes erecta 'Big Duck Gold'

This AAS winner, Marigold 'Big Duck Gold' keeps going strong, and has plenty of visitors.

T. erecta 'Big Duck Gold'

If you look closely, you'll see that the grasshoppper in the previous photo was joined by a painted lady butterfly; the blooms are so big they can share a perch.

Conoclinium coelestinum

Some of the Blue Mistflowers have gone to seed, but some are still blooming.

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' with C. coelestinum

In the side sunny garden, the Mistflower is trying to take over, and is crowding the Sedum a bit. I do like the color combination, though.

Lantana camara 'Bandana Rose'

The Lantanas were crowded out a bit, too, this year, but they're still blooming.

Cuphea 'FloriGlory Diana'

Another AAS winner, Mexican Heather 'FloriGlory Diana,' is still blooming and setting buds. Although I have it in partial sun, it faces south and gets enough light to flower.

Coreopsis tripteris

Tall Tickseed is new for me this year...well, I should say it's new in its current spot. I found a volunteer in the sunny garden last season and moved it. I've been warned that it can be aggressive, so I put it in a confined area. I really like this bright, native plant, but I'll try to keep it from spreading too far.

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sensation Mix'

Finally, the elegant Cosmos flowers keep sharing their airy beauty. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a place where Cosmos always blooms?

How about you? What's blooming in your garden? I'm linking in with "Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day" over at May Dreams Gardens. Check it out!

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UPDATE on the monarchs from a previous post:

• Jeffrey was indeed a male (there was discussion of renaming him Jennifer Lopez if a female, but no need). RELEASED
• Gus was a female, so her full name is Augustina. RELEASED
• Spike was a female and was set free in front of all the 4th and 5th graders at the school. RELEASED
• The late bloomer, named "Youngblood" by the students, formed its chrysalis on Monday, 9/23. Female. RELEASED, 10/7--before the cold weather set in.