High Desert

Spring Birds Insects Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

New Season of Regrowth

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read857 views

It’s the first day of Spring and a lovely day. I took pictures of a few lovelies blooming in the garden this morning. Some Freesias, which are said to symbolize innocence and friendship.

According to Teleflora.com, the 7th Wedding Anniversary Flower, Freesia, is a symbol of trust and fidelity. Freesia is an antidote to the proverbial saying that the seventh year of marriage provokes restlessness. Representing faithfulness through the seasons, it’s a traditional reminder of love’s honorable character.

White Freesia.
White Freesia.
White Freesia.
White Freesia.
Red Freesia.
Red Freesia.

A lovely lone Purple Tulip amongst Freesias.

Purple Tulip.
Purple Tulip.

The Purple-Leaf Cherry Plum is blooming with beautiful delicate scented light pink flowers.

Purpleleaf Cherry Plum.
Purple-Leaf Cherry Plum.

The Martini Tea Trees are starting to produce reddish-pink flowers.

Martini Tea Tree.
Martini Tea Tree.

For about a minute, I watched a pair of Crows perched on a wire share a moment of tenderness.

Crows in Love.
Crows in Love.

This first day of Spring wouldn’t have been complete without the sound of the Female Nuttall’s Woodpecker drilling holes in a utility pole. Click here or here to learn more about this bird.

Female Nuttall's Woodpecker.
Female Nuttall’s Woodpecker.

A White-Lined Sphinx Moth resting on a wood fence panel.

White-Lined Sphinx Moth.
White-Lined Sphinx Moth.

“It’s Spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”
― Mark Twain

From my Garden to yours: Happy Spring and Gardening!

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

Fighting Plant Pests

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read513 views

Today in the backyard garden, I was a little sadden to find out that one of my Stella D’Oro Daylily wasn’t thriving as the rest and I knew the soil was infested with a bunch of Cutworms since I made a similar unpleasant discovery on another Stella D’Oro Daylily last month when I noticed that the leaves were getting eaten by something. The moth larvae hide under the soil during the day and come out in the dark to feed on the plant leaves.

I sprinkled GardenTech Sevin at the base of the plant and then I deeply watered it. The product label states that it can be used on vegetables, fruits, flowers, shrubs and lawns up until harvest and it kills 65 varieties of insect pests. There is about a three weeks gap between the before and after picture below and I now have a healthy plant.

Reviving Stella D’Oro Daylily.
Reviving Stella D’Oro Daylily.

I have seen ants fighting others ants, but I had never seen ants fighting their queen before this morning.
According to the article Queen Ant Will Sacrifice Colony to Retain Throne written by Jeanna Bryner it looks like this ant colony had more than one queen and the worker ants are attempting to eliminate this queen. The article states that soon after the young workers hatch, the little ones begin to slaughter surplus queens until only one remains, but occasionally they are so revved up that they kill all the queens.

Ants fighting a Queen.
Ants fighting a Queen.

Happy Gardening!

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Gopher Rabbit Animals High Desert

Backyard Uninvited Guests

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read415 views

Since the rain passed more critters are coming out from their hidings.

I am not sure how the little Cottontail Rabbit got into my backyard and I was surprised to see it. I guessed it came from the neighbors, making its way through an opening between the wooden fence panels and ended up in our backyard. It was fun watching it run around in search for a way out when it realized I wasn’t going anywhere. I saw it a few minutes later on the empty property lot behind our Home.

Seeing that Rabbit explained the damages on my Pretty Woman Daylilies as well as the Siloam David Kirchhoff Daylilies in the front garden. I wrapped some chicken wire around the plants to prevent further damages.

Bunny.
Cottontail Rabbit in the Backyard.

My husband set a Macabee Gopher Trap yesterday after finding a couple of freshly dug holes in the backyard. Sure enough we found a trapped Pocket Gopher the following day, making it the second in less than a month.

Gopher Trapped.
Gopher Trapped.

It is impossible to completely rid the garden of pests and animals. Placing Chicken wire at the base of plants and around them help minimize damages and give the gardener some peace of mind. Though there are pests and animals repellents out there, we must never forget that a hungry animal will risk anything to feed.

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Wasps Flies Spiders Insects High Desert

Critters After the Rain

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read679 views

While walking in my backyard this morning, I found an insect resting on the leaves of my Coleonema Pulchrum. I searched online and found it to be an Ichneumon Wasp. I can’t tell if it’s a male or a female but I read somewhere however, that for most Ichneumons, the females have long ovipositors (sometimes longer than their body) and the males do not possess ovipositors.

The body of an Ichneumon Wasp consists of a thin waist with a very elongated abdomen and long antennae. They have five eyes which give them a wide range of vision. Ichneumon Wasps are considered beneficial insects as they are important parasitoids of other insects (living in or on a larger host and eventually killing it).

Ichneumon Wasp.
Ichneumon Wasp in the subfamily Ophioninae.

The pictures below are of that of a male Phidippus Johnsoni, also known as Red-backed Jumping Spider.
This particular species builds conspicuous tubular silky-like nests on the ground (under rocks, wood or debris). They remain inside their nests at night as well as during bad weather and prey during the day. They are sight hunters feeding on a wide variety of insects including spiders.

Both male and female have a bright red abdomen with the female exhibiting a black central stripe. The rest of the body is black. This species of spiders is very hairy. The Red-backed Jumping Spider bite is not fatal and only occurs when threatened, resulting in swelling and pain at the bite site lasting for several days.

Phidippus Johnsoni.
(Male) Phidippus Johnsoni.
Phidippus Johnsoni.
(Male) Phidippus Johnsoni.

It’s that time of year when Roses in the garden are being visited by Hoverflies.
Hoverflies are small to big flies with large heads, large eyes, and small antennae. They are important pollinators with some species imitating the appearance of Wasps and Bees to avoid predators (while they have two wings, Bees and the Wasps have four). They hover to attract mates and while feeding at flower blossoms or around aphid colonies. They are considered beneficial insects since their larvae  feed on aphids, scales, thrips and caterpillars while adults feed on pollen and nectar.

The picture below is that of a Pied Hoverfly, with three pairs of white comma markings on the abdomen.

Pied Hoverfly.
Scaeva Pyrastri (Pied Hoverfly).

Click here to learn more about Jumping Spiders and here to learn more about Hoverflies.

The rain has passed and so insects and other critters come out from their hidings.

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Repurposing Nature Flowers Shrubs & Trees High Desert

Finally, Some Sunshine

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read652 views

After nearly three days of rain, the High Desert is starting to see some sunshine and blue skies.

Mountains covered in Snow.
Mountains covered in Snow.
Mountains covered in Snow.
Mountains covered in Snow.

I awoke this morning to a beautiful view of the Mountains, which were covered in snow. The soil on the other hand, is still damped from the excess humidity and moisture in the air. As I walk around the property, I am pleased that there are no damages to the plants and the structures. All the plants look a lot happier and healthier.

Flowering Photinia Fraseri.
Flowering Photinia Fraseri.

A few of my Photinia Fraseri shrubs are already showcasing their small white flowers and red color of new growth. Fraser’s Photinia is a beautiful drought tolerant shrub that is great for hedges and privacy.

Coleonema Pulchrum (Pink Breath-of-Heaven).
Coleonema Pulchrum (Pink Breath of Heaven).
Coleonema Pulchrum (Golden Breath of Heaven).
Coleonema Pulchrum (Golden Breath of Heaven).

My Coleonema Pulchrum “Pink Breath of Heaven” and “Golden Breath of Heaven” are covered with beautiful tiny delicate pale pink flowers and fragrant leaves. What I love most about this shrub is that it’s drought tolerance, wind tolerant, non-invasive, evergreen and has an aromatic fragrance when crushed. It blooms from late Winter through late Spring.

Thuja orientalis 'Berkmans Golden.'
Berkman’s Golden Arborvitae (Thuja orientalis ‘Berkmans Golden’).

This time of year, the Berkman’s Golden Arborvitae in my backyard are looking lovely with their delicate and attractive golden foliage. I have a few of these disease free, hardy and drought tolerant evergreen shrubs with the tallest being on each side of the entryway to my enclosed Patio. The shrubs are starting to produce cones.

Wishing you a wonderful time in your Garden today!

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JM Perez By JM Perez