As Spring is nearing, bulbs are emerging out of the ground and buds are appearing on trees. The night seems to be getting a lot colder and we’ve had quite a bit of rain lately.
Purple Gem WaxFlower.
A lone Grape Hyacinth …
Grape Hyacinth.
Purple-Leaf Cherry Plum trees have began flowering and leafing out.
Purple-Leaf Cherry Plum (flowers and buds).
Navajo Globe Willow are leafing out.
Navajo Globe Willow leaf buds.
Julia Rose Itoh Peony is sprouting and looking healthy.
Julia Rose Itoh Peony sprouting.
Butterflies and moths are out …
I found a Painted Lady Butterfly (also known as the cosmopolitan) resting on the driveway. I love its orange-brown wings with black and white spots on forewing. I didn’t get to see its undersides, which has a black, brown, and gray pattern with four tiny eyespots.
The kids are out of school for Winter break and I am so happy to finally get some personal time to tend to my plants. Yes, it’s cold outside, but I have a few unfinished projects. The mountains are once again covered in snow, and the view from my backyard is breathtaking. All I need is a cup of coffee and a nice spot where I can soak up some (limited) afternoon sun.
So far the days of the week have been brighter than the previous week as we went through a few days without seeing any sunlight. We have beautiful sunrises and sunsets. For the first time in 12 years, the intensity of raindrops from the heavy, non-stop rain we had a couple of weeks ago created soil erosion here and there, and the ground in some areas is still soft.
Rain (double rainbow), Fog and Frosty Roof.
Heavenly Bamboo also known as Nandina, is a beautiful evergreen shrub, drought tolerant and a toxic plant too. This plant as well as Dwarf Nandina ‘Nana’, add dimension and color to the landscape as their foliage make them a great accent to the yard as they brighten and light up the grey, dreary days by becoming the focal points in Winter.
Heavenly Bamboo.
This summer we redid our 44 years old driveway and in doing so, we had to remove three of our mature Photinia Fraseri ‘Red Robin shrubs. There is still a gap next to the gate and as you can see, the ugly stumps in the landscape. The good news is that new growths are forming at the base of the stumps and they will continue to fill their place in the landscape as they regrow.
Photinia Fraseri ‘Red Robin.’
My Agave Ovatifolia has gotten really big. Five pups can be seen coming up from the larger mother plant (the 5th one is still breaking through). There is another pup that is not in the photo because it’s growing on my neighbor’s yard.
Agave Ovatifolia ‘Frosty Blue’. Mother plant and pups.
I went to Lowe’s last week to get a couple of fuses for the Christmas lights and I ended up buying a few Asparagus plants, including Plumosus, as seen below.
I am still collecting Antique cast iron patio sets. The arm chair is one of the new additions I got this year (the matching bench/settee can be seen in the first picture). I am searching for the extremely hard to find planter.
Asparagus Plumosus.
I am grateful that my yard is still weed free. I did well, the weekly maintenance if paying off. This is also a good time get outside and pull out those weeds, while the ground is soft and the weather is not too cold.
Weed Free Yard.
It has been a wonderful year with no set backs:
We are safe, happy and healthy
Our families and friends are doing great
We completed two major projects
We were given so much and we gave as much in return
It’s Saturday and Saturdays have become the day we rake leaves and clean up the front yard. We no longer have trees in the front yard. Strangely however, with a little help from the wind, these falling leaves from neighboring trees tend to find solace in our yard.
Fallen Leaves.
I noticed a while back that one of my Photinia Fraseri in the front yard wasn’t as tall as the rest and I suspected that it wasn’t getting enough water. Sure enough, while inspecting the plant I realized that not only was it not getting water, the irrigation tubing was damaged. Somehow roots found their way into the tubing and clogged it. We checked how far the damage went, cut out the damaged section and replaced it.
Damage Irrigation Tubing by Plant Roots.
I planted two Dwarf Myrtle shrubs a few years back, only one survived. This drought tolerant, deer resistant and evergreen shrub with delicate creamy-white flowers is one of my favorite shrubs in the garden. The foliage and stems exude a pleasant scent when crushed. I usually don’t pay much attention to the plant once its done flowering. I recently and accidentally realized it was covered with dark blue berries.
The leaves, flowers and berries are edible. The berries are used to make essential oil, jam, alcoholic beverage and tea. I heard it’s a plant that represents love and death (get more interesting facts about the plant here). The plant attracts many pollinating insects, such as honey bees and butterflies. It will also attract birds.
Dwarf Myrtle stems with dark blue berries.Dwarf Myrtle flowers (June, 2014).
The evergreen Asparagus Fern is a beautiful ornamental plant, ideal for hanging baskets. It is said that the stems of the plant are safe to eat. The fruits however are toxic to humans as well as dogs and cats; causing symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting and skin irritation. Birds are highly attracted to the fruits.
Asparagus Fern green and red berries.
The cold weather has given the bulbs I transplanted a head start.
Allium Drumstick shoots.
New buds emerging at the crown of Julia Rose Itoh Peony plant.
Julia Rose Itoh Peony Buds.
Happy gardening as you get yourselves into the holiday spirit.
It’s been a while since it rained, so we are grateful for Saturday’s much needed rain.
The weather’s great. The plants are thriving with their leaves changing colors and starting to fall. Somehow, I am missing the Raywood Ash tree this year.
A few of the plants in my gardens are blooming profusely this Fall. A variety of Daylilies, Trumpet Creepers, Roses, Mums, Snapdragons, Hibiscus and Gaura are still blooming. Many Hibiscus are not cold-hardy in the High Desert, so they have to be taken indoors over the winter.
Hibiscus Flower.Hibiscus Flower.
Oddly, I find Mums the prettiest in fall, especially Orange Mums. They are one of my favorites plants and stunning blooming beauties.
Orange Mums.
I love Bougainvilleas for their stunning flowers and colors. I planted a few many years ago, they lasted a couple of years and died. While digging them out, I found curl grubs (the larvae of different species of beetle) feeding on the roots of the plants. I will give this plant another shot.
Bougainvillea Flowers.
Snapdragon are also on my list of favorite plants. This plant will self-seed if its flower-head is left untouched at the end of the growing season. Just a few weeks ago, I had some white and orange flowers.
Snapdragon Flowers.
Baby Sun Rose cascading over the side of its hanging container.
Baby Sun Rose.
Asparagus Plumosus look great in hanging containers and large planters. I have had the one below for six years now, divided and repotted a few times and they keep coming back every year. Be careful while handling the plant as its stems have thorns and the plant can irritate the skin.
Asparagus Plumosus.Asparagus Fern.
Like a magnet, the rain brought out insects …
I spotted a large black bee, possibly a carpenter bee, collecting pollen from flowers.
Mexican Bird of Paradise.
I wasn’t always fond of Praying Mantises. However, many years ago, after finding out that they are beneficial garden insects, every sight of them became a breath of fresh air. I am an avid gardener, I planned my own landscape design and created my front and backyard gardens from scratch. I have so many plants and Praying Mantises as well as Ladybugs have been my garden silent helpers. While Ladybugs appear around Spring, Praying Mantises on the other hand have been seen all year round.
It’s amazing how they can turn their heads and look over their shoulders.
Praying Mantises.
I found a dead dragonfly next to one of the Purpleleaf Cherry Plum trees and felt a little sad. What a beautiful and fascinating creature.
Some of the plants which are currently bursting out with colors in the garden are Daililies, Peony, Agapanthus ‘Storm Cloud,’ Salvia, Sage, Gaura, Snapdragon and rose bushes.
Julia Rose Itoh Peony.
Julia Rose Itoh Peony is one of the newest addition to my front yard garden. I can’t get enough of its gorgeous large flowers with ruffled petals and sweet fragrance.
Julia Rose Itoh Peony.Julia Rose Itoh Peony.
Asparagus Fern always make a nice full display and is a wonderful houseplant too.
Asparagus Fern.Asparagus Fern Flowers.
I am loving the daylilies this year with their vibrant colors.
The Horsetail Reeds in one of my many sliced wine barrels have not been thriving this season. As you can see, the hard to control creeping woodsorrel have equally been competing for water and nutrients. As soon as I manually remove them, I will have stronger and healthier Horsetail Reeds to enjoy.
Horsetail Reeds and Gaura Lindheimeri.
Happy gardening and don’t forget to keep both your plants and yourselves hydrated.
By JM Perez
