Wonders of Monsoon Season in Southern Arizona

Monsoon in southern Arizona is a colorful, exciting natural wonder. In previous years, winds have revved up suddenly and carried much needed moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California to drench much of southern Arizona. 

Post updated 6/22/2024

See the National Weather Service for more on monsoons. 

Monsoon can be wondrous with its lightening displays and torrential downpours. It is sometimes terrifying as well, especially if there’s a flash flood and people, cars, and property are in the path of the storm.

See the bolt of lightning pictured above and a tree uprooted in a micro-burst below.

A severe monsoon may cause winds of more than 100 mph and significant damage.

So far this year, from my vantage point in Tucson, temps have been above 100 degrees Fahrenheit daily, but monsoon rain, blinding dust, damaging winds, and breathtaking lightning shows are few and far between.

I'm grateful for the rain we've had, enough to make flowers on a Texas Ranger bloom. This shrub that grows well in our clime, is also called Texas sage, Texas rain sage, or purple sage. 

Flowers  emerge during monsoon season in shades of lavender, purple, and magenta and one variety is shown in the picture below. To learn ways purple can enhance your life read this.

Red/Orange Bird of Paradise (pictured in first photo above) is a plant with a bright blend of orange, red, or yellow flowers. 

Check out Orange to Your Emotional Rescue and Ways to Use Colors to Improve Work Life Balance. They offer ideas and tips to use color energies to help you thrive.

The Saguaro, a majestic cactus, flowers with a white and yellow bloom that is the Arizona state flower. An illustration right above is a close-up of the flower portion of this plant.  

See details about what's in bloom in Tucson with a virtual visit to Tohono Chul Garden. 

There are advantages and disadvantages to monsoon season. This is what the National Geographic Website acknowledges.

“The North American monsoon can be a natural aid to firefighters. Summer temperatures in Arizona regularly reach more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, making wildfires difficult to contain. 

The North American monsoon is also the primary water source for most desert ecosystems in the region. 

However, it can also confuse and interrupt daily life for people and businesses not used to dealing with heavy rain.”

I'm thankful for monsoon rains as they add humidity that can help cool the desert. 

Summer storms make vegetation turn green and supply water for summer crops and flowering plants. 

Monsoon is a special time that produces fabulous evening lightning shows. 

Cloud filled skies are a welcome change from a mostly continually blue sky year round. 

During monsoon season, the sky can be filled with storm clouds and/or dust storms. That's one of the main reasons monsoon season has spectacular sunrises and sunsets. 

Sunrise Tucson AZ (Aug.) 

Sunset on the Desert with Ocotillo silhouette

Have you ever been in a monsoon storm and which part of the world was it in? 

Do you think you'd like to visit the American southwest in the summer and why or why not?

Have you noticed climate changes in your neck of the woods? I certainly have as I describe above.

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I appreciate the visit, and read every comment. 

Thanks for dropping by, and if you like what you see please visit Facebook and like and follow me. 

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Ikebana Flowers at Yume Japanese Gardens

Ikebana, which translates to “making flowers alive,” is a Japanese art form. Fresh flowers and natural elements including twigs, sticks, and foliage are arranged in specific designs to create beauty, harmony, and sensory pleasure. 

Post updated 2/17/2024

Although the Spring Ikebana Festival was held in February 2020 at the Yume Japanese Gardens in central Tucson, I present my post today.

I've learned through research and life experience that seeing flowers in natural surroundings provides grounding energy and a connection to Mother Earth.

Flowers have a way of brightening the day, reducing stress, and are a boon to health. Read about additional ways flowers boost well-being here.

The Ikebana tradition dates back to the 7^th century, yet its minimalist aesthetic fits easily into modern life. 

 I invite you to come along with me as we walk around the Yume gardens, and view the color-rich Ikebana floral designs.

Ikebana Flowers at Yume Japanese Gardens

The Yume Japanese Gardens, located at 2130 N. Alvernon Way in central Tucson, AZ, is closed temporarily. Check back for hours, days of operation, and admission fees at 520-303-3945. 

Patricia Deridder, Founder and Executive Director advises: the garden is closed to the public in May, yet a community project has been launched to provide hope and healing to hearts frayed by the coronavirus. 

It’s called 1,000 Cranes, 1,000 Dreams. For information about this creative origami project, look for details on the gardens' website.

Have you ever seen an Ikebana exhibit and where?

This garden has many Ikebana shows and here's a link to Stunning Flower Design at Yume Japanese Gardens 

Would you like to know how to create an Ikebana Flower Arrangement? There are several online courses you might like to investigate and many books written about this art form.

Please comment in the section below.

Which floral display is your favorite and why?

What additional life affirming ways do you use to reduce stress and which self-care methods help you relax during the day? 

If you'd be so kind, please offer ideas up to my readers in the comments section below.

I read every comment and appreciate social shares with a link back to this post.

Before I sign off, I'm delighted to share a link to an article I wrote that has been published in the May 2020 Issue of Natural Awakenings Magazine. 

It reveals one of my favorite self-care tips to reduce stress. Enjoy!

Using Journal Writing to Reduce Stress.

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Wishing You Spring Joy!

Wishing You a Joyful Spring!

This month and the months to come can be an opportunity for you and your family to show gratitude toward our earth for sustaining us.

Find ways to do your part to assure, maintain, and improve air quality, water purity, and unpolluted lands.

Be proactive and kind to our planet, animals, and people. See Kick off the New Year More Sustainably for fresh eco-friendly ideas.

Include live plants including herbs, a bouquet of pretty fresh flowers, and/or a colorful bowl of seasonal fresh fruits or vegetables to bring spring energy into your home.

Adding one or two colorful things to your décor brightens your outlook, increases flow of energy, and reminds us of rebirth, joy, and plenty.

This post has been updated 3/09/2024

For additional spring reading see:

Benefits of Walking Every Day

Ways Colorful Flowers Boost Our Happiness

Need tips to increase joy and improve well-being? Read Self-Care Activities to Encourage Optimal-Health.

Before you go, please take a moment to comment below. How well are you nurturing yourself this spring? Ask yourself, "What do I enjoy doing for fun?" Then, just do it! 

I love flowers and my experience has been that every time I take in (really see) the beautiful colors of spring, my spirit lifts and I feel great. What about you? 

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Ways Colorful Flowers Boost Our Happiness

When we receive a gift of fresh flowers or present them to ourselves, this caring act draws positive energy into our lives. Each flower family and its hue has an energy of its own. Read on to discover ways colorful flowers with distinctive color frequencies can increase joy and a sense of well-being in you. 

This post has been updated 4/11/2021

Flowers please our senses. Noticing a flower’s subtle or bright color, touching the petals, leaves, and stalks as we arrange them in a vase, and inhaling the fragrant aroma delights us. Our contact with this form of nature transmits the plants’ earthy, vibrant energy to us. 



Some, like me, feel an interdependent relationship with plants deep in our being. 

My food plan is a plant-based whole food one, and I know and appreciate that I can't exist on earth without flora in my life.

Now science backs up what plant-based vegans have been observing, studying, and sensing over the years.  Results from Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-based Diets affirms the major benefits for patients who decide to start a plant-based diet. 

It can help them reduce the number of medications they take to treat a variety of chronic conditions, lower body weight, decrease the risk of cancer, and reduce their risk of death from ischemic heart disease.

In another study, Researchers Jeannette Haviland-Jones, professor of psychology, and husband Terry McGuire, professor of genetics and evolutionary biology from Rutgers University in New Jersey, explored the link between flowers and life satisfaction.

This 10-month study traced and tabulated participants' behavioral and emotional responses to receiving flowers.


Ta-da. The results show that flowers are a healthful moderator of moods (stabilizes them) and has potent power to elevate moods.

*Flowers have an immediate impact on happiness. All study participants expressed "true" or "excited" smiles upon receiving flowers, demonstrating extraordinary delight and gratitude. This reaction was universal, occurring in all age groups.

*Flowers have a long-term positive effect on moods. Specifically, study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious, and agitated after receiving flowers.

*Flowers help us feel a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction.

*Flowers make intimate connections. The presence of flowers led to increased contact with family and friends.

Our reaction to colors and flowers is extremely personal, so remember to check in with yourself often, and select those that appeal to you. 

Flower Power Ideas

Yellow flowers are cheery, a symbol of friendship, respect, rebirth, and faithfulness. The birthday flower for the month of March is a yellow flower called a Daffodil (from the Narcissus family). Choosing a bouquet of daffodils is a fine way to celebrate the idea that spring is right around the corner. 

Yellow flowers convey lighthearted, whimsical, energetic vibrations. For an easy, economical way to harness this power for your good, use your imagination to visualize a bunch of your favorite yellow flowers. 

If you prefer, visit a local farmer’s market, your neighborhood green grocer, or pick a few from your garden. Set the intention to use yellow to your advantage. Invite this happy color into your home, office, and heart. 

Red Roses smell heavenly. Red and rose colored ones traditionally signify love, passion, romance. Spotting them in a garden or looking at your beloved may lead to poetic inspiration. 

Read this from Robert Burns: A Red, Red Rose. The red rose is a subject pictured in Greek and Roman art, where it was tied to Aphrodite, or Venus, the goddess of love.

Lilac is the color of the flowers below. It is a light purple shade. In florist speak, lilac flowers symbolize first love. Lilacs bloom in springtime, and for this reason represent fresh starts and renewal. Lilacs also denote confidence, which makes them a good gift for Mother's Day and grads. 

The shade, most popular for lilacs in the U.S. is captured in the picture above. Other shades of lilac flowers can be dark mauve, lavender, or white. Lilac bushes flower with lilac flowers, or other types range from pale lilac, rich lilac, deep lilac, or white.

Lilacs can be a spiritual helper, because violet is a spirit centered ray. Envision this color to help you clear a space or situation (physical, mental, or emotional) you feel you're stuck in. 

Lilacs are often preferred by feminine personalities, and those who are delicate and sensitive. Once lilacs are cut from a lilac bush, the flowers don't last for more than a day or two. Enjoy lilacs' heavenly scent and know you are worth this special short-lived treat. 😊

Please leave a comment below. What is your favorite flower? Is it the scent, color, shape, or texture you admire most? Please explain. 

How does getting a bunch of flowers make you feel? Share that too.

Would you like to learn more fun things to do with colors? 

Keep the momentum going. Get additional color and lifestyle tips and ideas by visiting my Website. 

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