Flowers Shrubs & Trees Archives – Page 5 of 27

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Awoken Beauties

By JM PerezApril 17, 20212 min read714 views

My gardens are fully awake and things are looking mighty festive, especially in the front yard, thanks to my perennials and annuals. The plants are looking green, hydrated, and happy. Last month I lost a patch of Siloam David Kirchhoff Daylilies to a very tenacious gopher. There is a second patch of Daylilies on the opposite side of the same garden bed, with tender shoots emerging. I will dig them up and relocate them this weekend.

Three years after planting my Julia Rose Itoh Peony in the ground, it bloomed for the first time. The plant produced just one flower, and gorgeous it was.

Our wonderful American Wisteria “Amethyst Falls” has put out more flowers this year. I am still enjoying its beautiful foliage and droops of blue/violet flowers.

Hybrid Tea Rose “Peace” is one that never disappoints; blooming from Spring to Fall in flushes.
There’s an interesting history behind the Peace rose. According to AmericaInWWII.com, this rose was named Peace to commemorate the end of World War II and wining the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) honors in 1946.

The French Lace floribunda rose below is one of my oldest miniature rose which I planted ten years ago. The flowers begin as delicate ivory buds with a slight apricot tint that open into white blossoms. Early last week, I saw a red bud which opened into the gorgeous flower below. As you can see, this week there is a flower with red spots on the edges of its petals.

According to GardeningKnowHow.com, there are different reasons why roses change color such as graft reversion, plant sport, temperature, and disease. Also, cross pollination resulting from different kinds of roses planted close together.

This years, I barely got to admire the lady banks. The small and delicate petals were quickly blown away as soon as they formed by strong winds which went on for days.

Wishing you a great weekend and Happy Gardening!

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Spring Gazing

By JM PerezMarch 21, 20212 min read925 views

The days are beautiful, but I cannot say the same for the weather which has been quite cold lately. We have had cloudy days with light rain and lots of wind for days at a time; thankfully, the High Desert weather forecasts sunny days ahead. Until then, I am keeping busy indoors.

Strangely today I miss our majestic Sweet Almond tree which by this time, would have been covered with showy clusters of white flowers. It was the perfect size and provided much needed shade for that part of the front yard, and it was so sad to lose it. Three years ago we bought a pair of medium size Purple Leaf Cherry Plum trees and planted them in the front yard garden; the location is perfect as we can enjoy the view from the kitchen and living room windows. These trees are always the first to bloom in early Spring and we hope to enjoy many more years gazing at these beauties.

One of our many American Elm trees has its branches covered in clusters of light green fruits. This tree is five (5) years old and our oldest to date. These fruits, called samaras, appear in early Spring and before the tree begins producing leaves. From a distance the numerous fruits could be mistaken to leaves, but a close-up look reveals thick clusters of immature fruits, which are considered edible.

In just a couple of weeks, these light green fruits will turn pale yellow, detach themselves from the branches, fly off, get all over everything and carpet the ground like falling petals. Just don’t let the magical sight distract and flatter you, as these seeds have the tendency of germinating wherever they land. They grow on various types of soil, they are drought tolerant, cold hardy and for these reasons and many more, they are considered invasive.

*Elm Branches and thick Clusters of Fruits (samaras).*

There is a vast selection of trees to choose from, but finding the right one for your garden can be though. For me, there are many factors I consider such as location, exposure, types of soil, hardiness zone, rodents activities, insect and disease susceptibility, tree size, growth rate, etc. Personally, I think rodents are the most difficult to deal with as they are capable of destroying a healthy tree.

The light rains and low temperatures have softened the dirt and encouraged weed growth. It’s time to get out and pull out those weeds before they get out of control.

Happy Spring and happy gardening!

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Still Pictures: Gopher Plant

By JM PerezMarch 3, 20211 min read1.1K views

“The flower that follows the sun does so even in cloudy days.” – Robert Leighton

Happy gardening!

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By JM Perez

Garden Decor Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening

And The Wind Blew

By JM PerezJanuary 29, 20212 min read1.1K views

I woke up this morning to find my neighbors’ large trampoline hanging halfway into our property, breaking a couple of wood panels as it rested on the top rail. Had the fence not been there, the damage would have been significant. As fun as trampolines can be, they can also pose serious dangers. Please, secure your trampolines to prevent them from blowing away.

We have had very strong winds lately, unlike the previous years. I have always been wary about this trampoline from the moment they moved it to their backyard. It was never secured and it was a little too close to our side. In the front yard, thankfully, only a few branches from their unattended pine trees broke and fell on our side. I guess Nature is finding ways to keep us busy and engaged during quarantine.

Some rain showers at last! Not as much as we would have loved, but enough to revive the plants and keep them hydrated. Early in the week we had our first wave of light snow followed by a mix of rain and snow the following days. I am so grateful it only lasted a day or two and melted in no time.

There is nothing new around the garden as most plants are still dormant.
The Gopher plants are doing extremely well, with new growth emerging from the center of the plant. I am so excited and looking forward to see the clusters of chartreuse yellow flowers this Spring.

Nandina Nana, also known as Dwarf Heavenly Bamboo is one of my favorite plants for Winter color. A small evergreen dwarf bush with vivid green foliage that turns brilliant red in Fall and persists into the Winter.

One of the last Yuccas on my property. Yucca is a drought-tolerant plant; however, if constantly watered and properly fertilized, this plant could take over your garden and become a nuisance (if planted straight into the ground). It took us months to completely remove roots and rhizomes from my yard.

I saved a few young plants which I am growing in pots. I have been clipping the tips of the sword-like leaves to prevent injuries. I remove dead leaves from the Yucca and prune it to help the plant stay healthy and give it a beautiful and neat appearance. Next weekend, if the weather permits, I will be cutting back the ornamental grasses.

Ground Squirrels in the neighborhood are coming out of hibernation and becoming active. I have destroyed two large holes in the backyard and I am getting the traps ready (the sooner they get caught, the better).

I hope you are all safe and well.

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By JM Perez

Plant Propagation Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Moving Succulents Indoors

By JM PerezNovember 11, 20201 min read703 views

We had our first rain shower of the season last Saturday and a little more on Sunday morning. It was much needed and felt good for a change. We are patiently and excitedly watching the leaves change colors, ultimately fall and dance in the wind.

Hameln Dwarf Fountain grasses are especially beautiful at this time thanks to their delicate purple looking plumes on erect stems. I have thousands of scattered seeds from these ornamental grasses, which easily and readily reseed. They have spread all over the river rock bed and I transplanted a few seedlings last month (which are thriving). I will be collecting more seeds this weekend and planting them right into the ground; and I will transplant the rest by next Spring in the back corner garden.

Temperatures started dropping last Friday and today I moved a few succulent pots (I have had for less than a year) indoors: Microlepia Fern, Dragon’s Blood Sedum, Crassula Muscosa , Sedum Dasyphyllum, and Crassula Ovata ‘Gollum’, etc… most of which are not cold hardy. The rest of the succulents will be just fine outdoors. My Sedeveria plants have survived a couple of snow storms, therefore they will remain outdoors.