A Lovely Day in the Garden
By JM PerezI 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).
The horsetails are thriving in the half barrel container. I cut them back every winter and they return stronger.
The Pomegranate tree has began producing flower buds and we are looking forward to lots of beautiful flowers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Happy Gardening!
