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.
Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass.
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.
Crassula Muscosa and Sedeveria.
All my succulents were propagated from stem cuttings.
Growing up, I always thought of Praying Mantis as fascinating creatures. From their praying appearance to their amazing body shapes, colors and the ability to camouflage with their surroundings.
Brown Praying Mantis.
A few days ago, I saw this Praying Mantis hanging onto a grate of chicken wire, while overlooking an ootheca (its egg case). In the past I spotted numerous oothecae around the garden, thinking they were some type of chrysalis. Now I now the case holds Mantis eggs.
Praying Mantis & Egg Case.
Last week, my daughter spotted a green Praying Mantis on a fence panel and noticed something attached to its derriere. Upon closer inspection, we realized it was a female mantis laying eggs and we were fascinated by the way it crafted its egg’s case (see the video below).
The female mantis produces between 100 to 400 eggs in a frothy liquid case to protect them from microorganisms, parasitoids, predators and harsh weather. In the Spring, nymphs/young mantises emerge from the egg case and begin eating voraciously to grow fast into adulthood. Many of them do not survive as they tend to eat each other to survive or are eaten by predators.
Praying Mantis Laying Eggs.
The adult mantis continues to eat and grow; and during this time it will shed its outer skin, a process known as molting. Between late Summer and Fall, the adult female will attract a male mate and after mating, a new life cycle will begin. Similarly to grasshoppers, it is said that Praying Mantis die shortly after laying eggs.
For additional information, follow this link.
Why do female mantises eat the males after mating?
The males self-sacrifice themselves for their offsprings. Males have been found to have nutrients such as proteins and lipids and by cannibalizing the males, the females may produce eggs of greater energy density. The bodies of the ill-fated males are used to aid their production.
Sources: Wikipedia.org and TheGuardian.com
Praying Mantises are beneficial garden insects, they will keep your plants disease free.
So far, I am loving Fall. The weather is nice with clear skies and the air is fresh.
Temperatures haven’t dropped enough for the trees and shrubs to start shedding their leaves. However, I moved some of my delicate succulents indoors. In the upcoming weeks, I will move the larger potted Asparagus Plumosus and Asparagus Fern to the patio for Winter protection.
The rose trees are starting to bloom again …
Hybrid Tea Rose.
The Spruce Cone Cactus are thriving with new healthy arms. I have given them lots of water this Summer, which has helped with the growth.
Spruce Cone Cactus.
This Agave witch was a pup itself not too long ago and now has put out its first pup. Contrary to what some gardeners say, this is a fast growing. Two years ago, I relocated the mother plant which was sending pups all the way to my neighbor’s yard. Next Spring I am hoping to have a few healthy young ones to gift to some of my neighbors.
Agave Ovatifolia ‘Frosty Blue’.
The Gopher plants (Euphorbia Rigida) have established themselves and are thriving. I will divide a few of the larger plants this weekend and transplant them in the front yard. The younger plants below were started from seeds this Spring. I wasn’t sure they would all make it, but grateful they did.
Young Gopher Plants.
This season, the Pomegranate tree only produced one fruit.
Lone Pomegranate fruit.
The young Lilac plants I got from my neighbor early this Spring have also established themselves, growing strong and healthy. I think I have a few varieties, with some growing faster than others.
Young Lilac Plants.
Wishing you all a blessed weekend and a joyful time gardening.
A few weeks ago, I saw a strange young plant growing in a planter next to the Asparagus Fern and let it be out of curiosity. I am not sure how it got there, but I am guessing that it came with the potting mix. The plant flowered today and after researching it, I found out that it is considered an exotic plant.
Asclepias Curassavica also known as Tropical Milkweed, Mexican Milkweed, Scarlet Milkweed, Bloodflower, Swallow-wort, Silkweed is a non-native milkweed grown as an ornamental plant and as a food source for some butterflies. The plant produces showy red and yellow blossoms all summer and into fall. These flowers are followed by spindle-shaped pods which eventually split open to reveal ovate, flat seeds stacked in two rows.
Tropical Milkweed is deer and rabbit resistant. It is self-sowing and can be propagated by seeds and stem cuttings. It attracts butterflies (monarch caterpillars, eastern tiger swallowtails, giant swallowtails, painted ladies, pipevine swallowtails, queens), hummingbirds, wasps, and more.
Tropical Milkweed.
The warm weather is bringing out various insects. Last weekend, my husband accidentally found a Paper Wasp nest under the eaves of the patio while taking measurements for one of the windows to build a screen. Even though they are not by the entrance and they are beneficial insects, just knowing they are around is a little concerning. What if something sets them off and they suddenly attack?
Unless we can get a professional to safely remove the nest, we will let it be for now. I read somewhere that all but the queen die in Winter, making it the perfect time to get rid of the nest without being stung.
Paper Wasp Nest.
On a positive note, we caught a gopher in the front yard. This one is number 9, the previous one dating back to 2014. For the past couple of years, I was under the impression that they had left the area and we just had to deal with the ground squirrels.
I spotted this one feasting on the tender branches of the Green Feathery Senna through the kitchen window. I immediately asked my husband to set the trap and the next day, the gopher was caught in the trap. There is a sneaky one in the backyard and catching it will require planning and commitment. As for now, I am grateful for one less as it is a relief.
Trapped Gopher.
This afternoon I was thrilled to find a present waiting for me in the backyard. Another ground squirrel bit the dust. These rodents are so destructive and persistent.
Trapped Squirrel.
The presence of rodents in the garden is a pain as you constantly have to check for signs of damage (on plants as well as around building structures). Checking for holes and/or gaps around our property is a weekly chore I have entrusted to my kids and they do it diligently.
Unlike what some people might think, animals are not that picky when is comes to food source; they will eat anything and everything when hungry. Squirrel mothers are extremely protective of their offspring and will risk everything to keep them safe and fed.
I am crossing my fingers for tranquil days ahead in the garden.
Summer is finally knocking at our doors, bringing with it heat waves.
We’ve made a lot of progress in the backyard, completing a few projects and starting others. I have planted six young trees around the backyard and I go out twice daily to water and do a little maintenance, until I give my husband thumbs up to set up drippers for those plants. What’s blooming for me now are: Agapanthus ‘Storm Cloud’, Daylilies, African Iris, Lavenders, Gaura Lindheimeri, Broom Shrubs, Texas Sage, Desert Willow, Silvery Cassia, Dwarf Cup Flower, Heavenly Bamboo, Autumn Sage, Sedeveria ‘Hummelii’, Donkey’s Tail, … etc.
My African Irises (Dietes Vegeta) are flowering. While still searching for better companion plants, I have settled for Spanish Lavender, which I am shaping to grow as topiary.
African Iris.
One of my new favorite plants in the garden is this beautiful Phenomenal Lavender, given to us by one of our neighbors a couple of months ago.
According to High Country Gardens, Lavender Phenomenal or Phenomenal French Hybrid Lavender (Lavandula x Intermedia ‘Phenomenal’), is a French hybrid lavender notable for its outstanding cold hardiness and tolerance to heat and high humidity. ‘Phenomenal’ is said to be the toughest lavender there is as it is also resistant to root and foliar diseases and deer proof. They grow into a beautiful mounded shape, with purple flowers on tall stems in mid-summer.
Lavender Phenomenal.
I love ornamental grasses. One of my favorites is the Purple Fountain Grass; unfortunately, they cannot survive cold winters and are not hardy in my USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. I had a few of them for some months and they never came back the following year.
Two years ago I bought a few Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grasses, just to check them out. They have survived a couple of harsh winters and they are thriving in the garden.
By JM Perez
