Rainy days are back in the High Desert. Yesterday we woke up to a very cold morning and by the time we stepped out, there were thick cloud formation moving over the mountains and blocking the view. We had periods of rain developing early in the afternoon. Today is cold, the sky is white and it’s drizzling.
Thick clouds formation over the mountains.
Roses glistening and dripping with raindrops, what a lovely sight.
Raindrops On Roses.
Some of the leaves on the Raywood Ash in my front yard have now turned a deep purple/red color and started falling. It’s always the first tree to change colors and the last to shed its leaves. The leaves on the Mulberry are almost all yellow. Soon enough we will be raking leaves.
Raywood Ash and Mulberry.
We will have to keep busy indoors since this cold and soggy weather will continue through Saturday.
Despite the hectic weather, it felt good stepping out today and watching the wind send leaves flying everywhere in the backyard as I slowly made my way towards the front porch. It was time to bring my Boston Fern indoors. I walked around the backyard and spent a couple of minutes with my Roses. These are some of the moments I cherish the most. Growing and caring for Roses is hard work as it demands a lot of determination, time, patience and love. In the end it pays a thousandfold and I have had a wonderful year with my Roses.
French Lace Rose.Little Pete Mini-multiflora Rose.Blue Moon Rose Bud.
On my way to collect the trash can from the street earlier in the week, I couldn’t resist stopping by my Rose Garden where a couple of rose bushes where blooming. As I began taking pictures of the beautiful blooms, I spotted a large Green Valley Grasshopper (from its rather large size, I believe it’s a female). I can’t tell if the insect was just hanging out, perhaps resting from a long flight or just getting ready to feed on my plants.
Green Valley Grasshopper.Spartan Floribunda Rose.
Today my heart is particularly filled with gratitude for the gift of Life and beauty in the World.
Gorgeous, gorgeous weather here in the High Desert. On our way to Harbor Freight Tools we saw a gathering at the Carriage House Antiques (in celebration to what turned out to be their 5th Year Anniversary) and all agreed to stop by the Shop on our way back home. It is the first Antique Shop we visited when we first moved to the High Desert and it has become one of our favorite Vintage/Shabby Chic Shops here in the High Desert.
Upon arrival each visitor got a free cup of Lemonade, Hot Dog and Chips served outside. In addition to the free cup of tea visitors are welcomed to have inside the shop, we enjoyed Shrimp Cocktail, Cookies, Cupcakes, Cheese and Tomato appetizer and so much more. We also enjoyed wonderful live Music by “Quiet Fire” (Janet and Chris). They are absolutely wonderful ladies with beautiful voices and it was a pleasure meeting them.
With Janet and Chris From “Quiet Fire.”
Janet and Chris are very talented and they perform Music for all occasions. You can reach Chris on (760) 964-3805 and Janet on (760) 887-1941 for inquiries and additional information.
We had a wonderful time at the Carriage House Antiques.
What a change and what a lovely day! The winds have finally settled down, the dirt has hardened a little from the little rain we had on Monday and the thick grey clouds melted away. There was no damages to the plants and structures; but a backyard covered with so many tumbleweeds. I didn’t mind as I was happy to see a beautiful blue sky, the mountains covered in snow and some of my late blooming perennials.
Snowy Mountains.
I was so delighted to see my Mums all in bloom. They are easy to grow, low maintenance and late bloomers. I am growing mine in containers along with other Fall perennials. They have remained green for a very, very long time and just recently burst open with bright colors ranging from red to yellow. More information here.
Chrysanthemums.
I love Dianthus and mine seem to surprise me every day with a new color. I love the varieties.
A few Dianthus variety.
As I was walking around my Rose Garden, I saw a huge dried up stem which snapped as soon as I pulled on it to expose a tiny cream-colored larvae. According to the website fs.usda.gov (USDA Forest Service – US Department of Agriculture), adult flat headed wood borers are small to relatively large beetles with small antennae and a characteristic oval body shape and they are called metallic wood borers because they are iridescent or metallic looking underneath and sometimes on top. Larvae are white, legless grubs similar to bark beetle larvae, but the body shape is elongated, and the head area is different than bark beetle larvae. They attack stressed, dying, or dead trees and can also attack freshly cut timber before it is dried.
For more information, click here to download the PDF file.
Flat Headed Borer Larva.
Can you see the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug below? I wouldn’t have noticed it if it wasn’t for my husband. What a clever attempt to camouflage and blend into its surroundings.
What do you do when it’s windy and the day is slow? I could watch TV, a Movie, listen to Music, read a Book and so much more. What I love to do on a windy day when gardening is not an option, is simply walk around my garden and take pictures of my beautiful flowers. This morning I went around my Rose Garden and captured a few images with my camera. There are a lot more Roses which are yet to bloom.
By JM Perez
