High Desert Archives – Strength Of The Small

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Cacti: My New Addiction

By JM PerezMay 15, 20242 min read264 views

Finally, the weather is getting warmer and I have been tidying up the gardens.

I found a local nursery on Facebook last week and immediately connected the owner for a visit. We drove there the next day and I was amazed by the variety of cacti such as the Beavertail Cactus, Blue Flame Cactus, Candelabra Cactus, Claret Cup Cactus, Golden Barrel Cactus, Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus, Mexican Fence Post Cactus, Mammillaria Polyedra, Old Man Cactus, Organ Pipe Cactus, Peanut Cactus, Prickly Pear Cactus, Rat Tail Cactus, Saguaro Cactus, Silver Torch Cactus, Totem Pole Cactus, Turk’s Cap Cactus, and so much more.

I was interested in the Hedgehog Cacti, specifically to the one below whose flowers were different from the others. I can’t tell if it’s a Trichocereus Candicans or Gymnocalycium Ritterianum.

We also purchased a Lophocereus Marginatus, also known as Mexican Fencepost Cactus.

We finally have a Blue Spruce! I love everything, Cedar, Fir, Pine, and Spruce trees (especially for their cones); though I love Spruce Trees the most. A couple of months ago, we purchased a Blue Spruce from a local nursery. This, I must admit, is a gamble given the facts that these spruce trees are not well adapted to our wet springs as well as to our hot and humid summers. A couple of people I spoke to said they have owned a couple of trees for many years now and they are growing strong. I am a little hopeful.

Along with the Spruce Tree, we purchased two San Jose Juniper Topiary trees. These bonsai garden trees are a great addition to the garden and I hope they will survive for us to enjoy for many, many years.

The Yellow and White Lady Banks roses are blooming profusely this Spring and gracing the garden arches with their tiny and delicate flowers.

The Amethyst Falls Wisteria, blooming.

Best wishes for a peaceful week and Happy gardening!

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By JM Perez

Weather Nature High Desert

Colorful Skies

By JM PerezApril 10, 20241 min read264 views

Until two weeks ago I couldn’t venture outside, due to the impact of the atmospheric river storms. While providing much needed water supply to California, these storms caused a lot of damages and life-threatening conditions to the state with heavy rain and damaging wind gusts.

The skies on the other hand, have been very colorful.

A Sundog on a cloudy day …

Stay warm and safe!

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Fragrant Roses In The Garden

By JM PerezDecember 1, 20232 min read469 views

It’s December and the year is almost coming to an end. Fall decorations are being put away and Christmas lights and decorations are going up all around the neighborhood. We might be the only household around who still respects the change of seasons; though we must admit that it’s heartwarming to see colorful lights and festive activities.

One of my latest plant additions to the front garden is the Angel Face Rose, also know as Angel Face Floribunda Rose. This beauty was purchased at the Lake Arrowhead Outdoor Nursery (The Standard Design Group Nurseries). With loads of vibrant ruffled lavender blossoms, the Angel Face Rose has a very strong fruity fragrance and blooms profusely. Its glossy dark green leaves complement the flower color.

According to the websites Wikipedia and weekand.com, Rosa ‘Angel Face’ originated at Swim and Weeks nursery in Southern California and was introduced in 1968. Developed by Herbert Swim & Weeks Rose Growers, ‘Angel Face’ is a cross between floribundas, (‘Circus’ × ‘Lavender Pinocchio’) and hybrid tea, ‘Sterling Silver’. The ‘Circus’ x ‘Lavender Pinocchio’ was the female parent, and ‘Sterling Silver’ was the male parent. On a side note, ‘Sterling Silver’ was the first modern mauve rose, introduced by American hybridizer Gladys Fisher in 1957.

My Blue Moon hybrid tea rose pulled through this year with gorgeous, vibrant roses, after a year of not putting out flowers. The lilac blooms have an intense fragrance and the plant has an upright, vigorous growth.

Purchased as a bare root rose, I didn’t think my Perfume Delight Rose would make it passed this year, but it pulled through. It is thriving and I am grateful.

Perfume Delight Rose is a pink hybrid tea rose, developed by Herbert Swim & Weeks Rose Growers in 1973. The bright deep pink flowers exude an intense damask fragrance and are said to be be rain resistant and as well as disease resistant, with large, glossy, leathery foliage.

Fall is a beautiful season! Many trees in the neighborhood have graced us with their gorgeous colors; I want to believe that it has a lot to do with the rains and cool weather we’ve had this year. A couple of weeks ago we caught the gopher that was wrecking havoc in the front yard (digging holes and leaving behind mounds of dirt, mostly).

We relocated a few Agave Ovatifolia as well as a couple of Yucca Pendula from the backyard to the front and transplanted six young and healthy Heavenly Bamboo to the left side of the front yard. I am growing a few Spanish Broom from seed to gift to family, friends, and neighbors in the Spring.

Happy Gardening.

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By JM Perez

Ground Squirrel Plant Propagation Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Summer End Happenings

By JM PerezOctober 2, 20232 min read448 views

It has been quite an interesting couple of weeks here. The weather has been hectic and it’s hard to tell if we are still in Summer or moved onto Fall. One week it’s scorching hot and the next it’s very cold; then having to deal with allergies and everything in between. Nevertheless, it feels good to welcome a new season.

A few days ago, a young chicken found itself into our backyard, and it was quite hilarious to watch my kids run after it in multiple attempts to get it to return to where it came from. One of our close neighbor’s have a chicken coop, and strangely, the chickens prefer to sleep in a tree. It took a while, but in the end, the young chicken climbed onto a bench and flew into a different neighbor’s backyard. We all had a good laugh and workout out of it …

A few months ago I experienced first hand how invasive the ‘Madame Galen’ Trumpet Vine can get.
Last Fall, we trimmed the vine back to the main trunk and relocated it by an opened area next to the storage shed. We thought we took out all the roots, only to find out a few months later (after it rained heavily) that this plant is extremely invasive. Young plants began emerging and worsened each time we got rid of it. Two weeks ago, we dug a large area, found the main root and pulled it out. Keeping our fingers crossed!

Finally, after months of trial and error, we caught one of two mischievous squirrels. These rodents are becoming smarter when it comes to avoiding traps. They have destroyed so many of my tender and younger plants that I am now going back to using chicken wire to protect the most vulnerable plants.

I have been doing a lot of cleaning in and around the house. Indoors, I have been sorting, organizing, re-organizing, getting rid of, and giving away stuff someone else could use. There’s still much to do, but as of now, it’s good. Outdoors, we finally finished the deck.

Happy gardening.

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By JM Perez

Vintage Home Decor Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Scorching Weather & Beautiful Blooms

By JM PerezJuly 10, 20232 min read435 views

It’s a beautiful day out here in the High Desert.
I have not done much in the garden lately due to the scorching weather, but I go out early in the morning to make sure that all the potted plants are getting enough water. I am grateful they are still thriving.

I first discovered Allium Drumstick many years ago, when I was shopping for bulbs and couldn’t find the variety I liked. The came back year after year and I enjoyed them, until a couple of days ago, when I found the long stems on the ground. It turned out that a gopher ate the roots/bulbs.
I cut a few of the stems and placed them in a vintage vase.

*Allium (Sphaerocephalon) Drumstick Stems in Vintage Vase.*

Training, pruning and maintaining the Amethyst Falls Wisteria have been very rewarding. Our pergola is now partially covered in gorgeous lavender-purple flowers.

There are many plants currently blooming around the gardens:

*Rose Mallow (Lavatera Trimestris Loveliness).*

The Tulbaghia Violacea ‘Silver Lace’ (Variegated Society Garlic) below is one of my oldest plants, and it’s still thriving after fourteen years.

Lavender bushes are getting bigger.

Some succulents are blooming, such as the Pine Cone Cactus Flower, Corsican Stonecrop flower, and Sedum Morganianum (Donkey’s Tail).

Many rose bushes and trees are in bloom:

After a year, the Nicotiana Glauca seedling has grown quite a bit.

The steamy temperatures and high humidity have been harsh, especially for wildlife. I found a dead hummingbird as well as a few dead lizards. Ground squirrels and gophers have been active in the garden, damaging plants, sprinkler systems, and irrigation pipes.

I find so much joy in my garden. Spending time alone with Nature has always been healing and awakening.

Happy Gardening!

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By JM Perez