Much to everyone’s surprise it still hasn’t snowed in the High Desert and my kids, who were looking forward to making snow angels were a little disappointed. Our mornings are chilly and the nights are long and cold. It has rained a lot lately, causing flooding, mudslides and other property damages.
Thick clouds floating at the bottom of elevated snowy mountain peaks.
Even though we didn’t get any snow (and most likely will not be getting any this Winter season), for the first time in many years, our mountains covered by thick snow look prettier than ever.
This has been a beautiful summer in the High Desert with Roses bursting all over the place. I took a morning stroll through the garden after dropping my babies off to school and it felt really good to walk among plants and enjoy nature’s beauties.
I spotted what turned out to be a cat-faced spider by the entrance to my storage shed.
Cat-faced Spider.
According to Wikipedia, the cat-faced spider is a common outdoor orb-weaver spider found in the USA and Canada.They are considered harmless with a low-toxicity venom and are useful natural predators for insects. They make their webs near lights, closed spaces, and on the sides of buildings. They can also be found under wood, overhangs, or guarded places such as animal burrows. They come in varying colors but are easily identified by the two horn shaped growths on their relatively large abdomen.
Hoping you are enjoying your day, wherever you are.
This afternoon we rescued a hummingbird from the garage. The tiny bird went in while we were all busy in the backyard and some how couldn’t get out even though the doors were wide open. For almost fifteen minutes, it kept flying high hitting the ceiling and becoming distressed. It seems that these tiny birds would not fly low unless something gets their attention. My husband used an insect catching net to carefully rescue the bird. We made sure the hummingbird was safe before releasing it.
Rescued Hummingbird in Net.
A small lizard entangled in the web was captured by a female black widow.
I love Lavender so much that I finally planted a couple in my front yard, right by my kitchen and bedroom windows. It’s beautiful, evergreen and it smell wonderful too. The plant attracts lacewings, bees, butterflies, ladybugs, praying mantises and hummingbirds. Lavender is known to repel mosquitoes, flies and other unwanted insects. Some common pest of Lavender plants are spittle bugs and aphids (ladybugs and praying mantises keep them in check).
Lavender ‘Lavance Purple.’Anouk Lavender.
The horsetails are thriving in the half barrel container. I cut them back every winter and they return stronger.
Horsetail (Equisetum Hyemale).
The Pomegranate tree has began producing flower buds and we are looking forward to lots of beautiful flowers.
Pomegranate flower buds.
The Yucca Pendula sprouts I transplanted almost three years ago are thriving on their own. I was pleasantly surprised this morning to see flower stalks emerging from the center of the rosettes. I am looking forward to seeing the fragrant ivory bell-shaped blooms. Click here to learn about Yucca Species Propagation.
Yucca Pendula Flower Stalk.
A variety of Gaura all around my property began producing a profusion of white, bright and light pink blossoms. Gaura Lindheimeri is a plant I really enjoy having around. They are self-cleaning, self-seedling, are drought tolerant, bloom for a long time and they bounce back stronger year after year.
Gaura plants attract bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, ladybugs as well as a variety of moths. A variety of moths such as the Primrose Moth and the Hawk Moth are attracted to the plant, feeding off their nectar, serving as a means of pollination and laying their eggs on the plant. The larvae and caterpillar feed on leaves and flowers. Unfortunately this plant also attracts aphids (which get eaten by praying mantis and ladybugs). Click here to learn about using ladybugs for aphids.
The Red Autumn Sage is another plant I love. It attracts hummingbirds and bees. I read somewhere that Salvia plants also attract groups of butterflies consisting of Swallowtails, Sulphers, Skippers and Brushfoots; some of which will lay their eggs on the plant.
Salvias are also self-cleaning, self-seedling, drought tolerant and bloom for a very long time (as early as spring through fall). They are very susceptible to spittlebugs (plant-feeding insects, which produces a cover of frothed-up plant sap resembling saliva). Click here to learn about controlling spittlebugs.
Salvia Greggii (Red Autumn Sage).
The Dwarf Cup flowers are in full bloom and going strong in the planter box. I found a couple of caterpillars on the plants, eating the flowers. They look like the larvae of Heliothis virescens.
Dwarf Cup Flowers.
I saw the beautiful female Mourning Dove as I was stepping out of the car and thought it was a figurine. The bird stood still as I took a closer look and flew away as my kids approached.
Female Mourning Dove.
Ground squirrels are at it again. I watched one having fun in the front yard this afternoon from my kitchen window. The rodent was busy eating the flowers on the Gaura Lindheimeri and attempted to eat those on the Desert Bird of Paradise.
I have not spent time in the garden lately and it’s been a few weeks since I shared what is happening around my home.
The weather has been intolerably cold lately that we have been sitting by the fireplace. After dropping my kids to school this morning, I took a look around my backyard and found a couple of interesting things.
Frozen Pipes.
The pipes are fine. What you see on the picture is the result of rain and wind on a very cold night. Last month, my husband covered all the outdoor faucets and exposed pipes with insulation and we drained the pipes a few days ago. Click here to learn about keeping your pipes from freezing.
Herb Robert covered in frost.
Nana Nandina, one of my favorite plants for Winter color, with its red winter foliage.
Nana Nandina.
A couple of weeks ago we cut down the Raywood Ash Tree and last weekend we said goodbye to our Sweet Almond Tree. Around June of last year it began bleeding sap and eventually died. We later found out that it was due to flatheaded borers. According to the website Yardener.com, adult borers are beetles, flat looking and colored metallic brown to dull gray. They emerge in the spring and females lay eggs in crevices in the tree bark. These hatch into yellowish-white worms, which promptly burrow into the trunk at the site where the eggs were laid. If the host tree is vigorous and healthy, these burrowing worms may be drowned by the sap. Weak trees fall victim to the borers’ activity as they tunnel in the trunk, producing sawdust-like material (called frass) and eventually girdling the tree. White, foamy sap leaking from cracks in the bark is a sign that borers are at work. Successive generations of borers widen tree wounds, burrowing more deeply into the heartwood of the tree.
I hope you are all staying warm during this holidays.
By JM Perez
