Nature Archives – Page 4 of 12 – Strength Of The Small

Little Ray of Sunshine

By JM PerezFebruary 9, 20192 min read624 views

Today we are having a little break from the dreadful weather. The sun is up, the skies are blue and light winds are expected all day with a 10% probability of rainfall. The neighborhood is alive. Some are busy with yard clean-up, setting up for a yard sale and others are soaking up some sun while listening to music. I have barely seen my neighbors in weeks, so it feels good to know they are still alive and kicking.

It snowed a little on Wednesday night and Thursday morning was extremely cold. This is the first time in so many years that I have felt this cold and we haven’t had so much back to back rain storms either. Still, we are very grateful to Mother Nature.

*Backyard pallet deck on a cold morning.*

The view of the mountains was particularly breathtaking on Thursday morning. So much snow, so much white.

We didn’t realized that one of planters in the front yard had retained water from the rain; and this morning, the water was frozen.

Thankfully all my plants are drought and frost tolerant.

My Report Cove furry boots kept my feet warm and got me through the day. I have had these Alpine inspired boots for thirteen years and they are my go-to choice for cold weather.

The sun came up this morning and I had an opportunity to take a walk in the backyard. Not enough warmth to do some gardening, but enough to watch a horse trainer teach a horse to dance, most likely for an upcoming event.

There’s something about raindrops on plants …

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend despite the cold weather.

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By JM Perez

Weather Nature Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

End Of Year Gratitude

By JM PerezDecember 21, 20182 min read530 views

The kids are out of school for Winter break and I am so happy to finally get some personal time to tend to my plants. Yes, it’s cold outside, but I have a few unfinished projects. The mountains are once again covered in snow, and the view from my backyard is breathtaking. All I need is a cup of coffee and a nice spot where I can soak up some (limited) afternoon sun.

So far the days of the week have been brighter than the previous week as we went through a few days without seeing any sunlight. We have beautiful sunrises and sunsets. For the first time in 12 years, the intensity of raindrops from the heavy, non-stop rain we had a couple of weeks ago created soil erosion here and there, and the ground in some areas is still soft.

*Rain (double rainbow), Fog and Frosty Roof.*

Heavenly Bamboo also known as Nandina, is a beautiful evergreen shrub, drought tolerant and a toxic plant too. This plant as well as Dwarf Nandina ‘Nana’, add dimension and color to the landscape as their foliage make them a great accent to the yard as they brighten and light up the grey, dreary days by becoming the focal points in Winter.

This summer we redid our 44 years old driveway and in doing so, we had to remove three of our mature Photinia Fraseri ‘Red Robin shrubs. There is still a gap next to the gate and as you can see, the ugly stumps in the landscape. The good news is that new growths are forming at the base of the stumps and they will continue to fill their place in the landscape as they regrow.

My Agave Ovatifolia has gotten really big. Five pups can be seen coming up from the larger mother plant (the 5th one is still breaking through). There is another pup that is not in the photo because it’s growing on my neighbor’s yard.

*Agave Ovatifolia ‘Frosty Blue’. Mother plant and pups.*

I went to Lowe’s last week to get a couple of fuses for the Christmas lights and I ended up buying a few Asparagus plants, including Plumosus, as seen below.

I am still collecting Antique cast iron patio sets. The arm chair is one of the new additions I got this year (the matching bench/settee can be seen in the first picture). I am searching for the extremely hard to find planter.

I am grateful that my yard is still weed free. I did well, the weekly maintenance if paying off. This is also a good time get outside and pull out those weeds, while the ground is soft and the weather is not too cold.

It has been a wonderful year with no set backs:

We are safe, happy and healthy
Our families and friends are doing great
We completed two major projects
We were given so much and we gave as much in return

Happy Holidays!

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By JM Perez

Dragonfly Invertebrates Nature Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Fall Blooming Beauties

By JM PerezOctober 27, 20182 min read715 views

It’s been a while since it rained, so we are grateful for Saturday’s much needed rain.
The weather’s great. The plants are thriving with their leaves changing colors and starting to fall. Somehow, I am missing the Raywood Ash tree this year.

A few of the plants in my gardens are blooming profusely this Fall. A variety of Daylilies, Trumpet Creepers, Roses, Mums, Snapdragons, Hibiscus and Gaura are still blooming. Many Hibiscus are not cold-hardy in the High Desert, so they have to be taken indoors over the winter.

Oddly, I find Mums the prettiest in fall, especially Orange Mums. They are one of my favorites plants and stunning blooming beauties.

I love Bougainvilleas for their stunning flowers and colors. I planted a few many years ago, they lasted a couple of years and died. While digging them out, I found curl grubs (the larvae of different species of beetle) feeding on the roots of the plants. I will give this plant another shot.

Snapdragon are also on my list of favorite plants. This plant will self-seed if its flower-head is left untouched at the end of the growing season. Just a few weeks ago, I had some white and orange flowers.

Baby Sun Rose cascading over the side of its hanging container.

Asparagus Plumosus look great in hanging containers and large planters. I have had the one below for six years now, divided and repotted a few times and they keep coming back every year. Be careful while handling the plant as its stems have thorns and the plant can irritate the skin.

Like a magnet, the rain brought out insects …
I spotted a large black bee, possibly a carpenter bee, collecting pollen from flowers.

I wasn’t always fond of Praying Mantises. However, many years ago, after finding out that they are beneficial garden insects, every sight of them became a breath of fresh air. I am an avid gardener, I planned my own landscape design and created my front and backyard gardens from scratch. I have so many plants and Praying Mantises as well as Ladybugs have been my garden silent helpers. While Ladybugs appear around Spring, Praying Mantises on the other hand have been seen all year round.
It’s amazing how they can turn their heads and look over their shoulders.

I found a dead dragonfly next to one of the Purpleleaf Cherry Plum trees and felt a little sad. What a beautiful and fascinating creature.

Wishing you all a peaceful and productive day.

Happy gardening!

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By JM Perez

Birds Nature High Desert

Baby Hummingbird

By JM PerezJuly 9, 20181 min read921 views

The first baby hummingbird hatched out yesterday and is as tiny as the size of the egg.
The baby hummingbird has dark skin with what looks like tiny yellow strands of hair on its back. The eyes are still closed and it has a short yellow beak.

Eighteen days later, our baby hummingbird has gained weight and put on real feathers. Its eyes are wide opened, its beak is much longer and darker.

Baby hummingbird left the nest for the first time. Realizing it had some difficulties flying back to its nest, we carefully picked it up and placed it back into the nest. I am sure its mother was grateful.

The second egg never hatched …

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By JM Perez

Birds Nature High Desert

Hummingbird Nest

By JM PerezJune 5, 20182 min read1.2K views

I have always been fascinated by hummingbirds and their sizes. I had wished to see a nest, an egg, baby hummingbird and wondered how their nests are constructed. Well, my wish came true early this morning when I almost destroyed the nest thinking it was an abandoned beehive.

Early this year I hung a shabby chic wall candle holders by the car port in the backyard to brighten and liven up those cool soiree nights. Little did I know that it would become an ideal location for a hummingbird to build its nest.

Their cute little nests are built out of small leaves and twigs, spider silk to bind their nests together as well as lichen.

The mother hummingbird patiently watched and waited for me from a distance as I peeked into her nest. A few seconds later, she returned to her nest to incubate her eggs.

A couple of months ago, my husband and I watched horrified, helplessly as a hawk trapped a bird sitting on her nest and devoured the mother along with her eggs. The bird’s carcass was then thrown to the ground. This hawk watched the mother bird for days and attacked when it was least expected. Despite the fact that the mother bird built her nest high on a pine branch, well hidden and surrounded by thick and dense branches, she didn’t get a chance.

Can you spot the nest on the picture below?
I hope this hummingbird nest is protected from the elements and from predators. I will be keeping an eye on it too.