Gardening Archives – Page 32 of 33 – Strength Of The Small

Grab Your Umbrellas: Rainy Days are Here

By JM PerezNovember 8, 20122 min read734 views

Without a doubt, the rainy days are here. One of the first things I looked for this morning was my Umbrella. I will be using it a lot more this year and possibly in the next hour as I will be picking up my Kindergartener from school. I am glad that I urged myself all last week to complete my last outdoor projects (adding privacy to the backyard, building the last planter, pruning my Roses and setting up the drip for my bulbs). Now we just have to get ready to winterize the irrigation system for the coming cold.

The Rain, I can stand. Those high and gusty winds: I just can’t. Weed pollen and other allergens are carried by the winds causing allergies. The best way to combat these allergies is to stay indoors as much as you can. Click here to read more on measures you can take to prevent some of these allergies. In addition to the allergies, there is also the danger of falling branches/trees, debris and in extreme cases, downed power lines caused by strong winds. Click here to read about safety measures you can take around downed power lines.

Raindrops on Roses. — *Raindrops on Roses (Color Magic Hybrid Tea).*

Stormy Sky. — *Stormy Sky before the Rain.*

There are some things I absolutely love about a rainy day:

The raindrops on my Roses.
The smell of clean, wet dirt.
Watching it fall through the window.
The sound it makes when it hits the window and roof.
Staying in and watching a Movie or reading a Book.
It sparks my creativity.
It’s the perfect opportunity to wear my cute rain boots.

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By JM Perez

Home Improvement Weather Family Nature Gardening High Desert

Nature at its Best in the High Desert

By JM PerezNovember 4, 20122 min read444 views

It’s always a blessing when the Universe conspire in one’s favor as it was the case for us this weekend.
The weather was at its best and we finally (5 years later) completed one of my most important projects in the backyard, which is privacy. The front yard and the sides of the house are covered, all we needed was something for the far end of our backyard, which was overlooking a huge empty lot. We chose Chain Link Privacy Slats.

I planted more gorgeous flowering bulbs yesterday, including Belladonna Amaryllis, Pink Impression Tulip and Ice King Double Daffodil. The pictures below are a few of my fragrant roses from the front yard. I picked a few yesterday to make a centerpiece and I pruned most of them.

*Beautiful Fragrant Roses. Find their name on Pinterest.*

Below are some Fall colors in my Garden. The leaves on my Raywood Ash tree are slowly changing too.

Fall Foliage — *Purpleleaf Cherry Plum . Heavenly Bamboo . Burning Bush.*

The plants and flowers are thriving in the garden and the bees are busy collecting Pollen. It was fascinating watching them go back and forth as I was carefully taking pictures. Click here to learn more about Bee Pollen.

Since the beginning of the month I’ve seen quite a few Grasshoppers in my garden. As fun as they are to my kids, who enjoy watching them hop around; I am beginning to worry about their number and looking into Organic Pesticide to get rid of them. Click here or here to learn more about Grasshoppers and how to control them and click here to learn about some of their usefulness (serving as food for birds, for instance).

*Seaside Grasshopper . Baby Bird . Heart Shaped Stone.*

The best part of the day was video conferencing on Skype with the Family in France. My Parents traveled late last month to attend the Graduation ceremony of my big brother. The kids (cousins) got to see each other and talked to their grandparents, uncle and aunt. They even got a sneak peek at some of their Christmas gifts.

I am happy that everyone is safe and having a good time. I am looking forward to a peaceful week ahead.

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By JM Perez

Christian Books & Bibles Weather Family Gardening High Desert

Beautiful Day in The Garden

By JM PerezOctober 30, 20122 min read662 views

I am so grateful for the bright and warm weather we’ve had since the beginning of the week, contrary to what we had last week. As much as I enjoy Fall season; I am not fond of the cold nights, especially when the temperature goes down to 32 degrees °F (Fahrenheit) and I begin to wonder whether or not it will snow (how bad and for how long)? Snow is really not something I look forward to.

Yesterday, the kids helped their Father finish putting together the Halloween Robot he built for them. They used Solar Cells to light up the chest area (red) and eyes (green). As cute as the project turned out; I wouldn’t want to stumble upon such a thing at night as I might be scared out of my mind.
We will create a separate post with pictures as well as a DIY Tutorial.

I planted some California Poppies in the backyard as well as some Roses from the 99¢ Only Stores. I’ve come to love Roses from this store. The store carries so many varieties and they are so gorgeous. Some of my favorites are: Let Freedom Ring, French Lace, Moonstone Hybrid Tea, Madame Plantier, among others.
Determined to help me garden, my kids’ favorite activities were watering, drawing on the dirt and of course, splashing about! No matter how things turn out, family time is very much cherished in my house.

I will setup my new Hammock and enjoy the rest of my afternoon reading.

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By JM Perez

Plant Propagation Gardening High Desert

Propagation by Simple Layering

By JM PerezOctober 20, 20121 min read1.2K views

It’s always a delight, for a Gardener, to wake up in the morning and find little surprises in the garden.

A simple layering is the process in which a branch or a flexible stem is buried/bent to the ground and partially covered with soil. Some gardeners will wound the area beneath a bud to induce rooting. This propagation technique works best on plants with low-growing branches such as Roses, for instance.

In my case, Nature did all the work for me. All I had to do was to transplant the new growth and voilà!

Rose Simple Layering (Pristine®) — *Pristine® Hybrid Tea Rose.*

Early this year I transplanted my first growth. I waited for the new growth to reach a certain height before carefully separating it from the main branch. The Chicago Peace® Hybrid Tea Rose is a gorgeous fragrant Rose. Ever since I purchased mine, it has never produced the same colored flower twice. At first, I was afraid the little plant would die, but to my amazement, it is doing well and I am looking forward to watch it bloom.

Rose Simple Layering (Chicago Peace®) — *Chicago Peace® Hybrid Tea Rose.*

Click here, here and here to learn about Propagation by Simple and Tip Layering.

Happy gardening!

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By JM Perez

Plant Propagation Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Growing Trees from Branches

By JM PerezOctober 12, 20122 min read1.3K views

As we know, all trees grow from seeds. Some grow from stem cutting and others don’t. Success often depends on the timing, the type of tree and as well as the methods of propagation (Rooting, Seeding, Grafting, Cuttings, Layering, Separation, Division, etc).

Mulberry

I grew the Mulberry on the right using a branch from the main tree. It started by mistake, really. In December 2010, we cut off some branches from the main tree and decided to use them as decoration for the backyard. We placed them in pots and added dirt and water to hold them in place. After about two weeks, I spotted new buds at the base of one of the branches.

As surprised and amazed as I was; I cringed at the idea of having a second Mulberry tree as they shed all their leaves in the Fall and I do not look forward to raking and picking them up (though I always do). On the other hand, I told myself, why not? We could always use the shade it provides during Summer (and Summer here is really hot). So, we planted it somewhere in the backyard and it’s been almost two years now.

Navajo Globe Willow

Growing up in his parents home; Eduardo’s Dad got a hold of some willow Saplings which grew and grew and grew. On one of his visits he asked if it could grow from a branch and his Dad said” Yes they can and will”. Three branches about an arm’s length came from the San Joaquin Valley up to the High Desert and after sprouting roots and getting planted; only one branch survived. After a year or so, we cut a branch from that first one and after it grew roots; we set it down with plenty of water to drink. They are both doing well so far.