Gardening

Insects Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Helpful Garden Insects

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read1.8K views

Living in the High Desert and being passionate about gardening can be challenging at times. Regardless of the care I give my plants, Powdery Mildew, white dusty spots found on leaves and sometimes on stems of plants, have always been an issue in my Rose garden during Fall and Spring; possibly due to the cool weather. I have had a few dieback, and lots of Aphids (plant lice) early this year. I use fertilizers on my plants and I have used fungicide to eradicate them and it worked on and off.

My Roses bloom all year round. This Summer, however, I didn’t see a single bloom and I noticed that the plants were a lot healthier. A couple of days ago, I spotted a Praying Mantis on my Camelot Hybrid Tea Rose and I smiled at the fact that it was there primarily to feed, which in turn helped keep my plants disease free.

Praying Mantis on ‘Camelot Hybrid Tea Rose.’
Praying Mantis on ‘Camelot Hybrid Tea Rose.’

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with Praying Mantises, especially with their strange shape. Though I have always known of their advantages in the garden; I had never witness the marvelous results they produce. The Praying Mantises are wonderful insect control in the garden, as they feed on Aphids, caterpillars as well as other harmful and beneficial insects. The Praying Mantis is an insect which does not discriminate.

Other Helpful Garden Insects:

  • Green Lacewings
  • Assassin Bug
  • LadyBugs
  • Dragonflies
  • Predatory Mites
  • Bees
  • Centipedes
  • Damsel Bugs
  • Spiders
  • Syrphid Fly
  • Ground Beetles
  • Ichneumon Wasp
  • Trichogramma Wasps

You can read more about the benefits of Praying Mantises here.

Pages:
JM Perez By JM Perez
DIY: Projects Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Delightful Garden Planters

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read1.5K views

For me, there’s nothing more fun than spending time outdoors with my family. Gardening on a beautiful day as well as building garden furniture pieces which are made from recycled wood scraps. These are some perfect activities for us and my kids learn tremendously.

Growing up, I was fascinated by wheelbarrows. We enjoyed transporting toys from one location to the other and I have fond memories of my siblings and I playing in them. Wheelbarrows make attractive planters and they are always a delight to the eyes. In building ours, we used dismantled pieces of wood and slabs we kept from the demolition of an old Stall as well as one of our smaller storage shed a couple of years ago. When it comes to creating, we are not interested in perfection; rather, we embrace the flaws in the wood and make them stand out. The character of aged wood is what gives it its charm.

Wheelbarrow Garden Planter.

We chose to use a real wheel for easy relocation to various parts of the yard. We started by fitting the wheel and legs, then we cut all the pieces needed, nailed/screwed them together, spray-painted the finished product, drilled a few holes on the tray base to allow for drainage then we began filling it with compost, dirt and potting soil. We placed small stones on the tray base to stop the mix from leaking out and we placed a few more on top of the mix (in lieu of) to help retain moisture. Plants in the wheelbarrow are Anigozanthos.

Ceramic Rain Boots Garden Planter.

Plants in the Ceramic Rain Boots are Texas Sage.

Raised Drawer Garden Planter.

Plants in the Raised Drawer Planter are Red Autumn Sage.

With endless possibilities on how you can decorate your yard and garden, a little creativity can turn an unappealing yard into an enchanted retreat.

Pages:
JM Perez By JM Perez
Gardening

Stray Cats: Repelling Remedies

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read649 views

How would you feel waking up every morning to find mounds of disturbed dirt in your yard/garden? It’s not a pretty sight nor enjoyable. This is exactly what I endured for at least 2 years. Most of them were vicious stray and feral cats, malnourished and I am sure carried diseases (such as toxoplasmosis as well as other health risks associated with cat feces).

The morning my son, who was learning to walk then, tripped and fell next to a pile of covered cat feces changed everything. It was obvious that I had to handle the situation on my own.
After contacting the Animal Control Department, I picked up a Humane trap and for the next two weeks, we caught at least six cats. Prior to getting the traps I tried a few remedies as well as cat repellents:

» Chicken wire
»  Rocks & stones
» Mr. McGregor’s Fence
» Motion sensor sprinkler
» CatStop Ultrasonic (doesn’t always work)
» Mulching (didn’t work for me)
» Damped Soil (doesn’t always work)
» Coffee Grounds<
» Rosemary (worked for a while …)
» Coleus Canina or ‘Scaredy Cat Plant’
» Find the pet owner if you can and if there’s one.

Stray Cat in my front yard.
Stray Cat in my front yard.

We all know that cats have sensitive noses and dislike scented plants. We also know that cats don’t know boundaries and are unpredictable, which means that if they can, they will turn any unfortunate situation in their favor. The most effective remedies are costly. This is a never-ending problem which some of us will endure as long as irresponsible pet owners allow their cats to roam.

In summary, if cats love your yard they will find a way to get in as it is difficult to confine an outdoor animal. Pet owners who truly care about their pets keep them indoor. I do not hate animals but I get very upset when they use my yard/garden as a litter box and I don’t have to put up with that.

Click here to learn about the difference between Feral and Stray Cats.

Pages:
JM Perez By JM Perez
Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

High Desert Drought Resistant Plants

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read850 views

When my husband and I were looking to buy a house, we both agreed on a small backyard (less maintenance). However, we instantly fell in love with a smaller house our realtor showed us. Five years later, living in the High Desert of CA, we have never loved having a huge backyard more and enjoy a quieter lifestyle.

Of course, we have a lot of Weeds growing and we also have to deal with Gophers and Ground Squirrels, which can be quite overwhelming. Thankfully with patience, available tools, techniques and a willing mind – we turned it into a fun, relaxing, beautiful and inviting space.I have a few criteria before I purchase plants. They have to be evergreen or semi-evergreen; adaptable landscape plants  and definitely have to withstand heat/dryness and cold-hardiness. Last but not least, appealing to the eyes.

Daylilies: Mid-season bloomer.

1. Pretty Woman Daylily – Soft pink flower.
2. Stella D’Oro Daylily.
3. Siloam David Kirchhoff Daylily – Purple, lavender flower.


Sword Lilies: Produces beautiful tall spikes with large flowers.

1. Gladiolus ‘Super Star’                             2. Gladiolus ‘Yellow’
3. Gladiolus ‘Fiorentina’                              4. Gladiolus ‘Peter Pears’


Rosebushes with beautiful blooms, colors and sweet scent.


Succulent & Cactus: 1. Hen and Chicks  2.  Pink Crown Cactus

Herbaceous Perennial & Shrub:

1. Red Autumn Sage – Drought resistant with long period of bloom.
2. Common Broom – Erect shrub with bright yellow flowers in spring and summer.
3. Lindheimer’s Beeblossom – Perennial with white flowers, light pink/pink.


Ornamental Grasses: Add charm to landscapes.

1. Purple Fountain Grass – Reddish leaves and colorful flowers.
2. Elijah Blue Fescue Grass – Remains blue throughout the year.

Asparagus Plumosus
Asparagus Fern Beautiful vine with wiry climbing stems (contain sharp thorns).
Pendula Yucca
Yucca Recurvifolia Beautiful evergreen specimen (clusters of white flowers).
Lily of the Nile
Agapanthus ‘Storm Cloud’Produces purple trumpet-shape flowers in summer.
Crimson Glory Tea
Leptospermum Scoparium Evergreen shrub with deep-red flowers on needlelike foliage.
Lilium ‘Birgi’
Longiflorum-Asiatic Lily Produces beautiful deep pink flowers in Summer.
Asparagus Fern
Asparagus densiflorus Needlelike foliage with tiny thorns (can develop small red poisonous berries).
Noel’s Grevillea
Grevillea ‘Noellii’ Evergreen Shrub with long blooming pink & white flowers
Pink Agapanthus
Tulbaghia Violacea ‘Silver Lace’Grass-like foliage with strong garlic odor & lavender flowers.
Rosemary
Rosmarinus Officinalis Wonderful herb that makes a beautiful ornamental plant.
Daffodil
Narcissus Hardy and easy perennials to grow with attractive flowers.
Bird of Paradise Bush
Caesalpinia Gilliesii Evergreen shrub with large  yellow birdlike flowers.
Pages:
JM Perez By JM Perez