Flowers Shrubs & Trees

Health and Wellness Weather Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening

Rebirth in The Garden

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read507 views

After days of cold, high winds and dreary weather, the sun is finally coming through and I am able to get up, get out and get my gardening tools ready for Spring. I love new beginnings as it reminds me of a Rebirth in the Garden when Nature re-awakens and the plants suddenly become aware and start breathing. The days are getting slightly warmer and everything looks so lovely, even the unwanted weeds in the backyard.

The Sweet Almond Tree is starting to bloom. The Raywood Ash or Claret Ash Tree is budding (with wind-pollinated dark purple flowers opening). Daffodils, Daylilies, Violet Queen, Birgi® Lily, Belladonna Amaryllis, Hyacinth, Grape Hyacinth, Imprimis Bearded Iris, Tulips and other bulbs have been sprouting over the past few weeks.

Rebirth in The Garden.
Rebirth in The Garden.

I started weeding yesterday and I was amazed at how much I was able to accomplish. I have noticed that the best time for me to weed is a couple of weeks before Spring (when the soil is still slightly moist from rain and/or snow) and I always start early to have everything done before Summer (when brush fire warnings are high). Here in the High Desert we have a variety of weeds (most of which are Tumbleweeds) growing in our yards as well as the open land around us. It is much easier to pull them up when they are small because their thorns are still tender. As they mature, they break at their roots spreading their seeds on their way as they are driven about by the wind. Quite messy and dangerous. As funny as it is watching them spin around; it’s all laughs until a bunch of them end up in your yard, underneath your car or you get injured by the thorns.

Ideas for Tumbleweeds

Well, you know how the saying goes: “when you live with tumbleweeds, you end up finding uses for them.” Looking for decor ideas and unique inspirations for your Home? Check out how other people entertain themselves and or make a living using Tumbleweeds. I particularly like the Tumbleweed on Panel and the Living Tree Art.

Tumbleweed Ideas.
Tumbleweed Ideas: 1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 6., 7.

How about Tumbleweeds to compliment a Flower Bouquet or to use as a lamp shade? Possibilities are endless.

Tumbleweed Ideas.
Tumbleweed Ideas: 1. Tumbleweed Lamp Shade, 2. Tumbleweed Couture, 3. Flower Arrangement.
Twinkling Tumbleweeds.
Image Source: Sunset.com.

Are you overwhelmed with the plants growing in your garden and can’t tell if they are weeds or not, if they are toxic or not, if they have healing properties or not? Are the plants looking so lovely that you are divided between keeping them or getting rid of them? You may find helpful information in the following links.

Happy Gardening!

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Birds Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Winter: Colors in The Garden

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read579 views

I enjoy having beautiful color changing plants with unique leaf textures in the garden. Such plants 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.

Red Colors in Winter.
1. Pyracantha                                  2. Heavenly Bamboo                                  3. Nana Nandina

The first noticeable color in my garden is red and it’s Pyracantha.
We have one in my front yard (which we inherited from the previous owner). It’s evergreen and grows upright with fountain like arching branches. The beautiful White flowers are produced in late Spring through early Summer and attract bees and butterflies. The plant produces red berries in Fall that persist into the Winter. The berries colors vary from bright red to orange and are eaten by birds. The plant is easy to grow, drought resistant, prefers full to partial sun and requires very little water is once the plants are established.
I cut mine back each fall and they always come back stronger and healthier the following year. You must be very cautious around this plant since it is covered in thorns. The berries are edible when cooked. Pyracanthas have their share disease problems, such as fireblight (a contagious and destructive disease affecting members of the family Rosaceae). Click here and here to read about plant care information.

The second colorful plant in my garden which I love is Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina Domestica), a semi-evergreen shrub, a toxic plant, as parts of the plant are poisonous. The plant has fine-texture foliage and produces red berries in the Fall and persists through Winter and at this time, the foliage reddens before turning green. The plant produces white flowers in early Summer above the foliage. The plant prefers full to partial sun, it’s frost hardy, disease-resistant, drought resistant (though it performs best in moist and well-drained soil) and requires minimal care. Plant it in full sun for brighter leaf colors. Click here and here to read about plant care information.

One of my favorite plants for Winter color is Nana Nandina. It is a small evergreen dwarf bush with vivid green foliage that turns brilliant red in Fall and persists into the Winter. Just like the two other plants mentioned above, Nana Nandina prefers full to partial sun, it’s frost hardy, disease-resistant, deer and  rabbit resistant, drought resistant and requires minimal care. Planting this shrub in full sun will greatly reduce foliage diseases and will exhibit richer-colors. The plant requires fertilizer twice a year to encourage new growth.

1. Grevillea Noellii 2. Photinia Fraseri 3. Southern Moon® Yedda Hawthorn.
1. Grevillea Noellii                     2. Photinia Fraseri             3. Dwarf Yedda Hawthorn

Refer to the USDA Hardiness Zone Map below or click here to find your plant hardiness climate zone.

Other Winter Color plants are Japanese Pieris, Burning Bush, Hellebores, Camellias, Witch Hazels, Winter Jasmine, Winterthur, Berberis Berries, Grevillea Noellii, Ornamental Grasses and much more.

Happy gardening!

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Health and Wellness Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening

Safe and Non-Toxic Plants

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read2.3K views

In just a few days, the month of January will come to an end and a few more days after that, the month of February too, will come to past. We will then be in March. I don’t know about some of you, but I am very excited and looking forward to Spring (when Nature looks lively and plants start to grow). After purchasing and planting my Bulbs last November, I made my Garden to do list. I got new plants for my huge planters and as soon as the weather warms up, the Weed Eater and other gardening tools will receive a good tune-up.

Last month, I compiled a list of Toxic Plants and today I am sharing a list of Safe/Non-Toxic Plants (this is just a few). Please, do remember that even though most of this plants are safe to Humans, they can be dangerous to pets, some livestock and they can also cause skin irritations to some individuals. Be cautious.
Safe Plants.
Safe Plants.
Safe Plants.
Safe Plants.

Though Non-Toxic, the following plants can cause skin reaction (sharp leaves, spines, sharp edges, thorns, glochids, leaf hairs, and irritant fibers):
Plant-Related Skin Irritation.
Plant-Related Skin Irritation.

Image Source: ImageJuicy, EasyBloom, 123rf, Wikipedia, HowStuffWorks, BHG, National Park Service, Cambridge 2000

Click here and here for information on how to relieve Skin Irritation from Plants.

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Plant Propagation Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Rabbits: Garden Menace

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read1.7K views

For the past couple of weeks, I noticed a reduction in the amount of leaves in my barrel planters. At first I placed the blame on the Grasshoppers, then early this week, we moved all the barrels in the garden storage shed after discovering that some of the plants in the barrels were completely gone and the others were half ways gone. The rabbits ate the early Daffodils sprouts, some of my Anigozanthos and a few of my Stella D’Oro Daylily. Though heartbreaking, I couldn’t do much about it then because of the freezing temperatures.

This morning, however, I was able to step out in the backyard all thanks to the warm weather. Since the barrels were gone, these little bunnies decided to eat all of my Aptenia Cordifolia (two out of four pots) and started working on my Brooms. We took a trip to Lowe’s and bought some Chicken Wire. Prior to that, I cut a few stems from my other two ‘untouched’ pots and I propagated them. This time, I placed the pots in my Vintage Planter Stands. Like most succulents, Aptenias are easy to propagate as they sprout new growth at their base when put into contact with moist soil. They are beautiful in rock gardens and make beautiful flowering ground cover.

Aptenia Cordifolia Propagation.

Steps to Propagate Aptenia Cordifolia

  • Using a pruning tool or a sharp knife, cut some stems.
  • Dig a few holes in the potting mix with your finger or with a weeder.
  • Plant the end of the cut stems in the holes and press the soil around their base to set them in place.
  • Place the pot in direct or indirect sunlight.
  • Water the soil (do not over water).

Rabbits are cute little creatures and some people enjoy petting them. To gardeners however, these adorable creatures are one of their worst nightmares. They are voracious eaters as they would eat pretty much everything tender and they have a very rapid reproductive rate. How can we keep them away from our gardens?

Rabbits (Bunnies) Repellents

  • Put up a Chicken Wire Fence, Mr. McGregor’s Fence
  • Traps (close to Rabbit feeding or resting areas)
  • Use raised Garden Beds
  • Buy Hot Pepper Spray and use it on plants or learn to make your own (click here or here)
  • You could hunt them down

Happy Gardening!

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Health and Wellness Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening

Deadly Beauty: Toxic Plants

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read4.9K views

Contrary to yesterday, today is a beautiful day (still a little windy, but manageable). I’ve been out watering some plants in the backyard when I stopped and took a good look at my Oleanders. What a terrific, yet toxic plant! The plants bloom beautifully in the Summer and they are appealing to the eyes. These deadly beauties were here long before we bought our home and we’ve talked about getting rid of them and/or replacing them. We are all very conscious of their presence and our kids will tell you that ‘Oleanders are deadly and they must not go close to them.’ Still, we always keep an eye on them whenever we are outdoors. Then I thought about my Daffodils.

What about Pheasant’s Eye, Lily of the Valley, Jimson Weed, Poison Ivy, Rhododendron, Jerusalem Cherry, Hydrangea, Mistletoe, Lantana, Mountain Laurel, Dumbcane, Wisteria, Chrysanthemum, Delphiniums, Belladonna, Foxglove, Ranunculus, and Spathiphyllum? These plants are poisonous. Some cause  delirium and hallucinations. Most of us gardeners love them for their beauty, bright colors and fragrance. We care for them without knowing exactly what we are dealing with. Still, we love them. Below is a list of toxic, deadly plants (just to name a few).

Image Source: BHG, io9, Wikipedia, MNN, F1online, Whatafy, Britannica, BCLiving, HorticultureWeek.

Click here, here and here for a list of poisonous plants.

Toxic Plants.

Aside from their poison and toxicity, some plants are dangerous. Take Poinsettia for instance. Though non-toxic, its latex can cause an allergic reaction to some individuals when coming in direct contact with the plant. What about Roses? Their thorns could cause serious injuries to anyone who come in contact with them. Some Cacti and Succulents are dangerous, even poisonous, click here for more information. What about those beautiful house plants/air purifying plants? Some are dangerous to kids and pets.

Some plants can cause discomfort, others can kill. The good news is that we can prevent it by being informed. Once you know what you are dealing with, you will be ready, aware and prepared.

I compiled a list of Safe/Non-Toxic Plants here .

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JM Perez By JM Perez