Wildflowers making a colorful comeback despite drought

The rain is certainly a welcome sight for wildflower enthusiasts.

From all across the country, they’ve converged on Palm Desert for the annual Wildflower Festival.

This is the ninth year the Friends of the Desert Mountains have hosted the event.

The vibrant colors seen at the festival are a sign things are looking up, despite the drought.

“We have plenty, and actually with the rains we’ve received in the last few months, it’s really helped,” said Tammy Martin, the interim executive director.

While the state’s drought has severely affected California wildlife, organizers are hoping that will change.

“The impact plays a big role. The plants need water to be able to bloom so with getting that rain we have the flowers for everyone to see,” Martin said.

Jane and Fred Monrean traveled from Alaska to check out the blooms.

They said there’s nothing like the desert’s wildflowers.

“The insects and butterflies and hummingbirds they attract, I enjoy that a lot,” Fred Monrean said.

Aside from viewing the natural beauty at the base of the mountains, the festival features art, hikes, sand sculpting and a kids zone.

“We went shopping and looked at the art and it’s beautiful. There’s some great artists here,” said Nan Bunnell.

It wasn’t just wildflowers capturing visitors’ attention.

Some wild animals from the Living Desert had center stage in the kids zone.

It was all in an effort to sustain events like the one hundreds are enjoying.

“It goes towards this event, plus the operations of Friends of the Desert Mountains and continuing our mission of being a land conservative organization and the national monument,” Martin said.

Many are hoping the overcast weekend means more rain and in turn more wildflower blooms.