High Desert Archives – Page 18 of 43

Reptiles Insects Nature Gardening High Desert

Breezy Sunday Afternoon

By JM PerezJune 22, 20141 min read556 views

What a lovely Sunday afternoon at Home with my Family. The days are getting hotter and the weather has been hectic lately. Walking around my backyard, I saw a few interesting things which brought a smile to my face.

As I sat on the swing, watching the wind blow and looking at some of my tallest plants wave back and forth in the breeze; one of the Allium Drumsticks stem got caught in between the legs of my King Frog garden stake and if I didn’t know any better, I would say Mr. Froggy was enjoying the moment. What an interesting sight.

Frog and Allium Drumstick. — *Frog and Allium Drumstick globe-shaped flowerhead.*

While watering the mini Rosebushes, a Desert Spiny Lizard emerged from underneath the plants, staring at me.

I spotted a set of Harlequin Bugs on my Dwarf Cup Flower ‘Purple Robe’ plants. These bugs, members of the stinkbug family, are very active during the Summer and destructive to cabbage, broccoli, radishes as well as some ornamental flowers. These bugs cause damages to plants by sucking the sap which in turn cause the plants to die. They have a high reproductive rate. For more information on this insect pest, click here.

Wishing you all a wonderful afternoon.

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By JM Perez

Ground Squirrel Birds DIY: Projects Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

DIY: Fruit Tree Deterrent

By JM PerezJune 17, 20141 min read2K views

A couple of weeks ago, I urged my husband to do something about the Squirrels digging holes all over my front yard to gain access to the nuts on the Sweet Almond tree. He came up with a very simple, yet functional mechanism to prevent those rodents from climbing up the tree. He created a piece similar to an umbrella shape and/or a funnel shape using materials we already had on hand.

From the pictures you can see how most of the work was done.

Materials/Tools Needed

Zip Ties
Chicken Wire 1 inch spacing
Pliers
Drip Tubing
Compression Reducing Tees

Step by Steps:

He first made a circle around the tree with the tubing making sure he could have the room to place the two support pieces to hold it in place.
After making the ring with the supports he cut strips of chicken wire to wrap around the ring edge and making certain there was no gap between wire and tree trunk.

The effectiveness is similar to the one of the image below.

Squirrel Baffle
Image Source: HarrietCarter.com.

Click here to learn about Tree Squirrels and how to prevent them from climbing up a pole, tree, or other structure.

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Windy Afternoon

By JM PerezJune 3, 20141 min read660 views

I have kept busy in the garden lately, building plant support, planting and transplanting.
The plants are healthy, thriving and more Hummingbirds are visiting my gardens. My lone surviving evergreen vine and climber Pink Jasmine is covered in pink buds and delicate fragrant white flowers.

Have you tried Jasmine Tea? It is said to be efficient against coughs, sore throats and weight loss. Jasmine Tea can help relieve headaches, balance fluids in the body, regulate blood circulation and arterial tension. Jasmine Essential Oil is used for massaging and in treating dry, brittle, or dehydrated skin. Click here to read about Jasmine’s many benefits.

For best results, grow your Jasmine in full sun.

My Gaura Lindheimeri plants are hosts of the Caterpillars of the White-lined Sphinx (Hummingbird Moth).

Just beginning to bloom in my backyard is the Dwarf Myrtle (Myrtus Compacta); a deer resistant and evergreen shrub with delicate creamy-white flowers. The foliage and stems exude a pleasant scent when crushed.

While cleaning my Tipsy Pots Plant Tower, I found a dead Spider trapped in its own web.

It’s a lovely day today and I am grateful for the Wind which is keeping us cool during hot days like today.

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Yellow Garden Flowers

By JM PerezMay 19, 20141 min read672 views

With temperatures soaring, our High Desert Plants seem to be at their best.
As I wandered around my backyard garden this morning, I noticed various shades of Yellow Flowers.

How could I miss the fragrant flower of Miniature Rose “Thanks To Sue” and its eye-catching delicate apricot petals?

Miniature Rose "Del Sol." — *Miniature Rose “Del Sol.”*

The Stella D’Oro Daylilies have burst with vibrant yellow blooms.

With weeds out of sight and temperatures rising, I don’t spend as much time gardening as I used to. I spend time planning, designing, moving furniture and plants to new locations as well as watching the plants grow. I still have a long way to go with my gardens, but for now, I am content with .

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By JM Perez

Ground Squirrel Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Squirrels Damage on Yucca

By JM PerezMay 14, 20141 min read1.1K views

It’s been a while since I last shared my thoughts on this blog. So much has happened around here. Mother’s day has come and gone and the weather is getting hotter here in the High Desert of California.

Things have been looking up around my gardens until last week when I started finding damaged plants around my property. I read a while back that one of the main reasons why Squirrels and other rodents are damaging the Shrubs and Trees is because they are looking for water. In this case they are targeting the moisture found in the sap of Trees. Most damages occur during drought conditions.

Squirrel damage on Yucca. — *Squirrel damage on Pendula Yucca.*

I am very thankful that the plant wasn’t completely destroyed and I can still save it. I may not find the idea of wrapping every single plant with chicken wire, but for my sanity and my plants health, it just might be the right thing to do until I have a permanent solution. Click here to learn about other Problems associated with Yucca Plants.

We enjoyed spending time outdoors today building garden Planters, conversing, transplanting seedlings, watching the Sunset and the full Moon rise over our beautiful High Desert Mountains.

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By JM Perez