Joan Ambu Archives – Page 35 of 96 – Strength Of The Small

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Garden Happenings

By JM PerezApril 25, 20141 min read686 views

What a lovely week we had. Easter came and went giving way to yet another blessed week.

One of my many Pendula Yucca will soon bloom with ivory showy bell-shaped flowers on its single upright stem lasting from late Spring through Summer. There are about five young shoots growing at the base of the evergreen mother plant. The ones I transplanted last year have all survived; they are healthy and fast growing.

One of the self-sown Gaura Lindheimeri seedlings has flowered within its first 3 weeks. I am still finding more seedlings around the garden area, which I am immediately transplanting.

Young Gaura Lindheimeri. — *(3 weeks old) self-sown Gaura Lindheimeri.*

Remember the ‘Little Pete’ Rose Sucker? Well, I found a new sucker growth last week and another one emerged. I tore it off from the rose bush after carefully removing the soil around the roots of the plant. It came off attached to a thick root, so I decided to plant the sucker somewhere in the backyard after cutting off the top by about half and surprise, surprise ! I noticed new tiny growth sprouting on the stem this morning. I know it’s still too early to celebrate, but it sure brought a smile to my face.

After almost five years, I lost my evergreen Grevillea Noellii shrub. While pulling the dead plant out of the planter and getting poked by the needle-like leaves, I found a tender seedling in the planter.

The Sun is shining bright. Today is a good day.

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By JM Perez

Robots Repurposing Kids Craft Children Education DIY: Projects

DIY: RecycleBot

By JM PerezApril 22, 20141 min read2.8K views

This Month at my Son’s Elementary School, they are learning about recycling and taking care of the Planet. The kids were asked to make a RecycleBot out of any materials such as cans, boxes, bottles (glass and/or plastic), bottle caps, cardboard, electronics, metal, paper, eggs cartons, etc.

After looking around the house, he found a few recyclable materials that would work for his school project.

My Son found a small LED light that changes color at Kohl’s and has a wire attached to it with a switch at the end, to turn it on momentarily (pictured below).

Materials/Tools Needed:

Yogurt Cups
Ice cream Cups
Cardboard Pieces
Fishing Wire
Sports Drink Container
Spray Paint Cover

It was such a fun project which my Son completed with the assistance of his Father.

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By JM Perez

Birds Garden Decor Love Gratitude People

Giving Cheerfully

By JM PerezApril 21, 20141 min read642 views

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
― Maya Angelou

Early this morning, my husband found a package on our porch which held a Hummingbird Elixir Feeder by Classic Brands™ LLC and Premium Ready to use Natural Springs Nectar® Hummingbird Food by Pennington®. The gift was left there for us by one of our loving neighbors as a token of their continuous gratitude.

Humming Bird Feeder and Food. — *Hummingbird Feeder and Food.*

Our beloved neighbors have been a blessing to us from the moment we moved into this city. We thank the Almighty God for them and pray ceaselessly for them.

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By JM Perez

Rabbit Nature Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening

Beautiful Weather

By JM PerezApril 19, 20141 min read603 views

The weather has been really warm lately in the High Desert. We are still in Spring, yet it often feels like Summer. I wake every day feeling grateful for the weather because I know in some States and Countries it is raining and/or still snowing. Yesterday I captured the moon as it was still up in the sky prior to driving my son to school.

A few of my miniature Hybrid Roses are blooming.

A few of my Sunblest Hybrid Tea Rose flowers are starting to produce rose buds within the rose flower. I read somewhere that this phenomenon is called proliferation and is usually caused by pollinating insects and or temperature change. According to the website HuntingtonBotanical.org, proliferation is not a disease but caused when the apical cells are multiplying so fast that they do not stop dividing when a flower is produced, but they keep on dividing and produce a cluster of new buds in the center of the earlier flower.

We’ve caught a glimpse of Squirrels attempting to access the Sweet Almond Tree in the front yard in search for food as well as Cottontail Rabbits in the empty lot behind our Home.

Wishing you all a Joyful and Holy Easter Weekend!

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Lovelies In The Garden

By JM PerezApril 13, 20142 min read1K views

Today is a beautiful day and things are looking up around here. The past couple of days have been really warm and rather than going outside to soak up some sun, I have remained indoors during the heat of the day. Squirrels are getting out in search for food with the Sweet Almond tree being their main target. The unwanted rodents have been digging at the base of the backyard fence to gain entry into the front yard with no success. We are looking into various fruit tree protection methods. Click here for some ideas.

The garden is lively with little surprises and beautiful blooms, amongst them the gorgeous Cytisus San Francisco below, also known as San Francisco Scotch Broom. From Spring to early Summer, the semi-evergreen shrub is covered in abundant sprays of fragrant yellow and ruby-red blooms.

Cytisus Scoparius 'San Francisco' — *Cytisus Scoparius ‘San Francisco’.*

The sight of this Purple Freesia and its pleasant sweet scent brightened up my day.

I have found so many tiny self-sown Gaura Lindheimeri seedlings around the gardens. I transplanted a few into pots and the rest around garden beds. It’s a great and inexpensive way to grow a garden. This drought tolerant flowering perennial will flourish in full sun and various soil types such as sandy, rocky and loamy (partial shade works too). The plant blooms profusely from Spring until frost.

To our amazement we discovered new Oleanders growth poking up through the dirt where we dug up the mother plant last Fall. In addition to being extremely poisonous, this drought, heat-tolerant and fast-growing ornamental shrub is very hard to eradicate. Last month’s three-day rainfall was enough to stimulate root growth. We dug a trench and disposed of the remaining roots. I will continue to monitor the area to ensure no shoots return.

Wishing you graceful moments in your own Garden.

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By JM Perez