Flowers Shrubs & Trees

Windy Day In The Garden

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read659 views

It’s been a while. So much has happened around my gardens since my last blog post and I have been busier than before. The weather has been hectic lately and days like these I think I must be completely crazy to live in the High Desert. I can’t stand the wind, dirt and debris flying all over the place. It’s just insane.

Rabbits and Squirrels have returned.
Fortunately for me, there’s nothing soft enough for the Rabbits to eat. Not being able to climb on the Almond Tree, the Ground Squirrels are so desperate for food. They have been digging up bulbs, damaging irrigation tubing as well as attempting to dig holes throughout our property.

Cottontail Rabbit.

The set of  tiny rose bushes I transplanted (Pristine® Hybrid Tea Rose and Chicago Peace® Hybrid Tea Rose) a while back have bloomed for the first time. They look more like climbing roses and the colors are different. It makes me wonder if what I transplanted was a Rose Sucker. We will build pretty trellises to support the branches.

Climbing Rose.
Climbing Rose.
Climbing Rose.
Climbing Rose.

Until next time, have a very good start to your weekend.

Long Walk Through The Garden

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read604 views

It’s that time of year with much of the city looking gloomy and temperatures beginning to plunge to freezing at night . Warmer days are far gone and the cold weather is settling in slowly, but surely.
During days like these, I find solace in my garden.

Gloomy Weather.
Gloomy Weather.

I haven’t done much around my gardens lately since Fall is one of the best seasons for my plants to flourish and thrive. Once in a while I take long walks through the garden where I go to unclog my mind.

For Mother’s day this year, I received a bouquet of Chrysanthemums from a good friend. I transferred the plant in a container and this is the second time it has blessed me with large mounds of gorgeous and impressive flowers; forever reminding me of my friend’s gentleness and kindness.

Chrysanthemums.
Chrysanthemums.

My wonderful friend also gave me a tiny Agave Ovatifolia Frosty Blue plant, which I planted in ground and has now tripled in size. As you can see, a pup is emerging next to the mother plant. Very soon this delicate plant will need protection for winter safety, even though it is said to be cold hardy. I love the formation of its leaves.

Agave Ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue'.
Agave Ovatifolia ‘Frosty Blue’.

Seven months later, my young and tender Grevillea Noellii is pulling through.

Young Grevillea Noellii.
Young Grevillea Noellii.

The Asparagus Aethiopicus is doing much better in a Pot. Growing it in a container will prevent the roots from spreading in different directions.

Asparagus Aethiopicus.
Asparagus Aethiopicus.

I planted a Common Jasmine (Jasminum Officinale) early this year and trained it to grow on a home made trellis. This morning I found a couple vines swaying away from the trellis and starting to twine on the plastic hanger of my Pachyphytum Bracteosum (Moonstones) hanging planter.

Star Jasmine Vines.
Common Jasmine Vines (Pachyphytum Bracteosum in planter).

From my garden to yours, happy Fall Gardening (and don’t let the gloomy weather get to you).

Happy In The Garden

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read531 views

You know that feeling you get after a job well done? That’s how I feel today, Happy in the Garden.

This has been a good year for my Longiflorum-Asiatic Lily ‘Birgi’. This gorgeous and exceptional perennial with erect stems, dark green foliage and large deep pink fragrant, upward-facing trumpet-like flowers.

Longiflorum-Asiatic (Lily 'Birgi').
Longiflorum-Asiatic Lily ‘Birgi’.

Silvery Cassia, also known as Feathery Cassia and Silver Leaf Cassia is an evergreen Australian shrub. The plant produces cheerful bright yellow buttercup-shaped flowers from late Winter to Spring followed by flat brown seedpods. The plant can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.

According to Growing With Science Blog, the female part of the flower is the light green part that curves off to the side from the center of the flower and the male part of the flower are the brown stamens.

Silvery Cassia.
Silvery Cassia.

My semi-evergreen Daylily ‘Pretty Woman’ are going strong this year as well. It is such a delicate and sophisticated plant with light creamy-apricot petals.

Pretty Woman Daylily.
Pretty Woman Daylily.

A Miniature Hybrid Rose with different flower colors.

Miniature Hybrid Rose.
Miniature Hybrid Rose.

I was pleasantly surprised to see tiny ivory Seed Pods (without the seeds) on my Coleonema Pulchrum. From a distance, they look like delicate flowers.

Coleonema Pulchrum Seed Pods.
Coleonema Pulchrum Seed Pods.

Wishing you all a good day and a great start to your week. Happy Gardening too!

DIY: Fruit Tree Deterrent

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read2.1K views

A couple of weeks ago, I urged my husband to do something about the Squirrels digging holes all over my front yard to gain access to the nuts on the Sweet Almond tree. He came up with a very simple, yet functional mechanism to prevent those rodents from climbing up the tree. He created a piece similar to an umbrella shape and/or a funnel shape using materials we already had on hand.

Squirrel Fruit Tree Deterrent.
Squirrel Fruit Tree Deterrent.
Squirrel Fruit Tree Deterrent.
Squirrel Fruit Tree Deterrent.

From the pictures you can see how most of the work was done.

Materials/Tools Needed

  • Zip Ties
  • Chicken Wire 1 inch spacing
  • Pliers
  • Drip Tubing
  • Compression Reducing Tees

Step by Steps:

  • He first made a circle around the tree with the tubing making sure he could have the room to place the two support pieces to hold it in place.
  • After making the ring with the supports he cut strips of chicken wire to wrap around the ring edge and making certain there was no gap between wire and tree trunk.

The effectiveness is similar to the one of the image below.

Image Source: HarrietCarter.com.
Squirrel Baffle
Image Source: HarrietCarter.com.

Click here to learn about Tree Squirrels and how to prevent them from climbing up a pole, tree, or other structure.

Windy Afternoon

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read740 views

I have kept busy in the garden lately, building plant support, planting and transplanting.
The plants are healthy, thriving and more Hummingbirds are visiting my gardens. My lone surviving evergreen vine and climber Pink Jasmine is covered in pink buds and delicate fragrant white flowers.

Have you tried Jasmine Tea? It is said to be efficient against coughs, sore throats and weight loss. Jasmine Tea can help relieve headaches, balance fluids in the body, regulate blood circulation and arterial tension. Jasmine Essential Oil is used for massaging and in treating dry, brittle, or dehydrated skin. Click here to read about Jasmine’s many benefits.

For best results, grow your Jasmine in full sun.

Pink Jasmine Flowers.
Pink Jasmine Flowers.

My Gaura Lindheimeri plants are hosts of the Caterpillars of the White-lined Sphinx (Hummingbird Moth).

Caterpillar on Gaura Lindheimeri.
Caterpillar on Gaura Lindheimeri.

Just beginning to bloom in my backyard is the Dwarf Myrtle (Myrtus Compacta); a deer resistant and evergreen shrub with delicate creamy-white flowers. The foliage and stems exude a pleasant scent when crushed.

Dwarf Myrtle.
Dwarf Myrtle.

While cleaning my Tipsy Pots Plant Tower, I found a dead Spider trapped in its own web.

Dead Spider.
Dead Spider in its web.

It’s a lovely day today and I am grateful for the Wind which is keeping us cool during hot days like today.