High Desert Nature Archives – Page 2 of 5

Garden Decor Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening

And The Wind Blew

By JM PerezJanuary 29, 20212 min read1.1K views

I woke up this morning to find my neighbors’ large trampoline hanging halfway into our property, breaking a couple of wood panels as it rested on the top rail. Had the fence not been there, the damage would have been significant. As fun as trampolines can be, they can also pose serious dangers. Please, secure your trampolines to prevent them from blowing away.

We have had very strong winds lately, unlike the previous years. I have always been wary about this trampoline from the moment they moved it to their backyard. It was never secured and it was a little too close to our side. In the front yard, thankfully, only a few branches from their unattended pine trees broke and fell on our side. I guess Nature is finding ways to keep us busy and engaged during quarantine.

Some rain showers at last! Not as much as we would have loved, but enough to revive the plants and keep them hydrated. Early in the week we had our first wave of light snow followed by a mix of rain and snow the following days. I am so grateful it only lasted a day or two and melted in no time.

There is nothing new around the garden as most plants are still dormant.
The Gopher plants are doing extremely well, with new growth emerging from the center of the plant. I am so excited and looking forward to see the clusters of chartreuse yellow flowers this Spring.

Nandina Nana, also known as Dwarf Heavenly Bamboo is one of my favorite plants for Winter color. A small evergreen dwarf bush with vivid green foliage that turns brilliant red in Fall and persists into the Winter.

One of the last Yuccas on my property. Yucca is a drought-tolerant plant; however, if constantly watered and properly fertilized, this plant could take over your garden and become a nuisance (if planted straight into the ground). It took us months to completely remove roots and rhizomes from my yard.

I saved a few young plants which I am growing in pots. I have been clipping the tips of the sword-like leaves to prevent injuries. I remove dead leaves from the Yucca and prune it to help the plant stay healthy and give it a beautiful and neat appearance. Next weekend, if the weather permits, I will be cutting back the ornamental grasses.

Ground Squirrels in the neighborhood are coming out of hibernation and becoming active. I have destroyed two large holes in the backyard and I am getting the traps ready (the sooner they get caught, the better).

I hope you are all safe and well.

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By JM Perez

Praying Mantis Insects Nature Gardening

The Fascinating Life of Mantises

By JM PerezOctober 30, 20202 min read1K views

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.

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.

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).

Praying Mantis Laying Eggs (Video)

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.

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.

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By JM Perez

Insects Weather Nature High Desert

Goodbye Summer

By JM PerezSeptember 22, 20202 min read795 views

And just like that, Summer is over. Hello Fall …
I have been looking forward to welcoming Fall with its cooler weather and much needed rain. California is on fire, the air quality has been bad for a few weeks now with ashes falling from the sky and settling everywhere. We need relief and God knows those brave men and women fighting out there need some extra help. My heart and prayers go out to those who have lost everything in these wildfires.

The sun and moon remained orange for a few days due to smoke from the wildfires burning in the surrounding areas.

Life has been very interesting with a hyperactive 2 year old in the house. Keeping this little one entertained while maintaining my sanity is challenging and a new rewarding experience. I am learning to be still and patient. My older kids on the other hand are doing really well with Distance Learning and I am so proud of them; especially my teen, who is excelling in all his advance classes.

I didn’t get to enjoy my garden and tend to my plants as much as I wanted lately. Between a hyperactive kid, a scorching hot weather and the poor air quality from the fires; my hands were tied. The Irrigation Timer stopped working due to a damaged valve and all the plants didn’t get water for a couple of days, leading to some plants eventually dying. We got that taken care for and everything is back to normal. The air is still quite unhealthy, but we are able to enjoy outdoor time during most evenings.

Insects and animals alike are preparing for Winter.
Some neighboring squirrels have been storing food all around our property, which of course, have been located and removed. One persistent squirrel is attempting to find shelter in our backyard, underneath the platform next to the storage shed. It has damaged the climbing Jasmine and chewed up drip lines to access the location. We’ve set up traps and hoping to catch it very soon.

It’s also time for grasshoppers to mate and lay their eggs into the ground. These eggs will remain dormant underground through the winter and young grasshoppers will hatch in Spring.

For a while I couldn’t figure what exactly were these small flat discs on branches. They turned out to be Katydid eggs, which are deposited on either branches or leaves to Winter over and hatch in Spring. Katydid are group of insects related to grasshoppers and crickets.

Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful, blessed, peaceful and safe end of Summer 2020.

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Busy in the Backyard

By JM PerezMarch 24, 20192 min read658 views

Spring break was wonderful. I slept a lot, ate a lot, and gardened a lot, just as I wished I would. My backyard looks amazing, it really does and I love how everything turned out.
We are redesigning parts of it, but as of now, we are working around the gazebo. I have been training a different set of climbing roses to make their way up the second set of garden arches by the side gate.

On Friday we saw a sun dog, (a little late as it was fading away). It was bright and quite a sight.

The Spanish Lavender I thought I had lost last Fall came back strong this Spring. It did poorly in a planter, so I planted it in ground, in a well drained soil and it’s thriving. I love the pleasing scent and vibrant flowers.

The Julia Rose Itoh Peony has tripled in size since last week and the delicate leaves will soon turn green.

A lone California Poppy plant.

Today was such a wonderful day and I decided to reward myself with a simple pleasure. For dinner I had a barbecue chicken pizza, a glass of beer (I hardly drink beer, if at all. But when I do, the only one I can handle is Stella Artois). I also enjoyed a delightful read (Didn’t My Skin Used to Fit?: Living, Laughing, Loving Life After Forty!) by Martha Bolton.

*BBQ Chicken. Stella Artois. Martha Bolton.*

I feel blessed in my garden after all the work we have been putting into it these past years.

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By JM Perez

Butterflies Insects Weather Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening

Spring is Nearing

By JM PerezMarch 12, 20191 min read1K views

As Spring is nearing, bulbs are emerging out of the ground and buds are appearing on trees. The night seems to be getting a lot colder and we’ve had quite a bit of rain lately.

A lone Grape Hyacinth …

Purple-Leaf Cherry Plum trees have began flowering and leafing out.

*Purple-Leaf Cherry Plum (flowers and buds).*

Navajo Globe Willow are leafing out.

Julia Rose Itoh Peony is sprouting and looking healthy.

Butterflies and moths are out …
I found a Painted Lady Butterfly (also known as the cosmopolitan) resting on the driveway. I love its orange-brown wings with black and white spots on forewing. I didn’t get to see its undersides, which has a black, brown, and gray pattern with four tiny eyespots.