So far, I am loving Fall. The weather is nice with clear skies and the air is fresh.
Temperatures haven’t dropped enough for the trees and shrubs to start shedding their leaves. However, I moved some of my delicate succulents indoors. In the upcoming weeks, I will move the larger potted Asparagus Plumosus and Asparagus Fern to the patio for Winter protection.
The rose trees are starting to bloom again …
Hybrid Tea Rose.
The Spruce Cone Cactus are thriving with new healthy arms. I have given them lots of water this Summer, which has helped with the growth.
Spruce Cone Cactus.
This Agave witch was a pup itself not too long ago and now has put out its first pup. Contrary to what some gardeners say, this is a fast growing. Two years ago, I relocated the mother plant which was sending pups all the way to my neighbor’s yard. Next Spring I am hoping to have a few healthy young ones to gift to some of my neighbors.
Agave Ovatifolia ‘Frosty Blue’.
The Gopher plants (Euphorbia Rigida) have established themselves and are thriving. I will divide a few of the larger plants this weekend and transplant them in the front yard. The younger plants below were started from seeds this Spring. I wasn’t sure they would all make it, but grateful they did.
Young Gopher Plants.
This season, the Pomegranate tree only produced one fruit.
Lone Pomegranate fruit.
The young Lilac plants I got from my neighbor early this Spring have also established themselves, growing strong and healthy. I think I have a few varieties, with some growing faster than others.
Young Lilac Plants.
Wishing you all a blessed weekend and a joyful time gardening.
And just like that, Summer is over. Hello Fall …
I have been looking forward to welcoming Fall with its cooler weather and much needed rain. California is on fire, the air quality has been bad for a few weeks now with ashes falling from the sky and settling everywhere. We need relief and God knows those brave men and women fighting out there need some extra help. My heart and prayers go out to those who have lost everything in these wildfires.
Thick Smoke from fire.Smoke from fire.
The sun and moon remained orange for a few days due to smoke from the wildfires burning in the surrounding areas.
Orange sun from fires smoke.
Life has been very interesting with a hyperactive 2 year old in the house. Keeping this little one entertained while maintaining my sanity is challenging and a new rewarding experience. I am learning to be still and patient. My older kids on the other hand are doing really well with Distance Learning and I am so proud of them; especially my teen, who is excelling in all his advance classes.
I didn’t get to enjoy my garden and tend to my plants as much as I wanted lately. Between a hyperactive kid, a scorching hot weather and the poor air quality from the fires; my hands were tied. The Irrigation Timer stopped working due to a damaged valve and all the plants didn’t get water for a couple of days, leading to some plants eventually dying. We got that taken care for and everything is back to normal. The air is still quite unhealthy, but we are able to enjoy outdoor time during most evenings.
Insects and animals alike are preparing for Winter.
Some neighboring squirrels have been storing food all around our property, which of course, have been located and removed. One persistent squirrel is attempting to find shelter in our backyard, underneath the platform next to the storage shed. It has damaged the climbing Jasmine and chewed up drip lines to access the location. We’ve set up traps and hoping to catch it very soon.
It’s also time for grasshoppers to mate and lay their eggs into the ground. These eggs will remain dormant underground through the winter and young grasshoppers will hatch in Spring.
Grasshopper mating and laying eggs.
For a while I couldn’t figure what exactly were these small flat discs on branches. They turned out to be Katydid eggs, which are deposited on either branches or leaves to Winter over and hatch in Spring. Katydid are group of insects related to grasshoppers and crickets.
Katydid Eggs (hatched).
Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful, blessed, peaceful and safe end of Summer 2020.
“Don’t go around boasting about your achievements. Success is only as grand as someone else thinks it is.” – Joan Ambu
Most of us, if not all of us, have met a two faced person. Those individuals who don’t hesitate to disappoint whenever an opportunity arises. You can count on these folks to stab you in the back at any moment if you are not careful. These individuals are full of themselves, thinking they are better than others. They will belittle you while accepting your offering.
There’s a lady who moved into the neighborhood with her family a few years ago, and whom I thought was a nice person after meeting her during an event. Thinking back now, I remember she talked too much, had to have the last word (you know, one of those ‘is my way or the highway attitude’). Last year, they were complains about an individual calling the authorities on others just because they dislike the lifestyle of some neighbors. It turned out to be the deeds of one person. Realizing that no one wanted to mingle with her any longer, she went around accusing others to save face. Those of us who have been here for years jut laughed it out and decided to ignore her after letting her know she was wrong.
Thinking she was better than others to the point of wanting to change the dynamics of the neighborhood, which she has just joined was not wise. There is a chance she simply hoped to bring about positive changes, but who is she to decide how people should live and behave in their own homes? Who are we, as individuals, to dictate what others can do or not do just because we want things to be a certain way?
Perception is all in our heads. That’s why we have brains to help us think.
“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
Two faced cowards are dangerous individuals and have no loyalty. They neither respect themselves nor others. They talk the talk and go with the flow, but when it comes to walking the walk, they are nowhere to be found. These individuals will bail on you when you need them the most and when confronted, will either pretend they do not know what just happened or will tell you the opposite of their previous statement. These individuals are not bad; however, the fear of being true to themselves and standing for justice makes them extremely dangerous. It is unpleasant to be associated with such people.
I always encourage people to love and do so without expectations. That being said, be cautious.
Learn to read people. Check if their words and actions compliment each other. Are they filling you up with knowledge and hope or are they requiring so much from you and leaving you feeling empty? In other words, how do you feel after encountering such individuals?
Whatever you do and whoever you are, don’t be too proud. Always choose to Love.
A few weeks ago, I saw a strange young plant growing in a planter next to the Asparagus Fern and let it be out of curiosity. I am not sure how it got there, but I am guessing that it came with the potting mix. The plant flowered today and after researching it, I found out that it is considered an exotic plant.
Asclepias Curassavica also known as Tropical Milkweed, Mexican Milkweed, Scarlet Milkweed, Bloodflower, Swallow-wort, Silkweed is a non-native milkweed grown as an ornamental plant and as a food source for some butterflies. The plant produces showy red and yellow blossoms all summer and into fall. These flowers are followed by spindle-shaped pods which eventually split open to reveal ovate, flat seeds stacked in two rows.
Tropical Milkweed is deer and rabbit resistant. It is self-sowing and can be propagated by seeds and stem cuttings. It attracts butterflies (monarch caterpillars, eastern tiger swallowtails, giant swallowtails, painted ladies, pipevine swallowtails, queens), hummingbirds, wasps, and more.
Tropical Milkweed.
The warm weather is bringing out various insects. Last weekend, my husband accidentally found a Paper Wasp nest under the eaves of the patio while taking measurements for one of the windows to build a screen. Even though they are not by the entrance and they are beneficial insects, just knowing they are around is a little concerning. What if something sets them off and they suddenly attack?
Unless we can get a professional to safely remove the nest, we will let it be for now. I read somewhere that all but the queen die in Winter, making it the perfect time to get rid of the nest without being stung.
Paper Wasp Nest.
On a positive note, we caught a gopher in the front yard. This one is number 9, the previous one dating back to 2014. For the past couple of years, I was under the impression that they had left the area and we just had to deal with the ground squirrels.
I spotted this one feasting on the tender branches of the Green Feathery Senna through the kitchen window. I immediately asked my husband to set the trap and the next day, the gopher was caught in the trap. There is a sneaky one in the backyard and catching it will require planning and commitment. As for now, I am grateful for one less as it is a relief.
Trapped Gopher.
This afternoon I was thrilled to find a present waiting for me in the backyard. Another ground squirrel bit the dust. These rodents are so destructive and persistent.
Trapped Squirrel.
The presence of rodents in the garden is a pain as you constantly have to check for signs of damage (on plants as well as around building structures). Checking for holes and/or gaps around our property is a weekly chore I have entrusted to my kids and they do it diligently.
Unlike what some people might think, animals are not that picky when is comes to food source; they will eat anything and everything when hungry. Squirrel mothers are extremely protective of their offspring and will risk everything to keep them safe and fed.
I am crossing my fingers for tranquil days ahead in the garden.
Summer is finally knocking at our doors, bringing with it heat waves.
We’ve made a lot of progress in the backyard, completing a few projects and starting others. I have planted six young trees around the backyard and I go out twice daily to water and do a little maintenance, until I give my husband thumbs up to set up drippers for those plants. What’s blooming for me now are: Agapanthus ‘Storm Cloud’, Daylilies, African Iris, Lavenders, Gaura Lindheimeri, Broom Shrubs, Texas Sage, Desert Willow, Silvery Cassia, Dwarf Cup Flower, Heavenly Bamboo, Autumn Sage, Sedeveria ‘Hummelii’, Donkey’s Tail, … etc.
My African Irises (Dietes Vegeta) are flowering. While still searching for better companion plants, I have settled for Spanish Lavender, which I am shaping to grow as topiary.
African Iris.
One of my new favorite plants in the garden is this beautiful Phenomenal Lavender, given to us by one of our neighbors a couple of months ago.
According to High Country Gardens, Lavender Phenomenal or Phenomenal French Hybrid Lavender (Lavandula x Intermedia ‘Phenomenal’), is a French hybrid lavender notable for its outstanding cold hardiness and tolerance to heat and high humidity. ‘Phenomenal’ is said to be the toughest lavender there is as it is also resistant to root and foliar diseases and deer proof. They grow into a beautiful mounded shape, with purple flowers on tall stems in mid-summer.
Lavender Phenomenal.
I love ornamental grasses. One of my favorites is the Purple Fountain Grass; unfortunately, they cannot survive cold winters and are not hardy in my USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. I had a few of them for some months and they never came back the following year.
Two years ago I bought a few Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grasses, just to check them out. They have survived a couple of harsh winters and they are thriving in the garden.
By JM Perez
