It’s another good year for my Agapanthus, these plants are truly drought and frost tolerant as well as tolerant to extreme heat. Despite another week of temperatures over 100 degree Fahrenheit, these plants sent up multiple stalks, with beautiful flowers atop each floral scapes.
Agapanthus ‘Storm Cloud’.
Asparagus Fern is one of my favorite plants. It’s an easy to grow plant, heat, drought and frost tolerant that will thrive nearly anywhere with proper care once established.
Asparagus Plumosus.
Grow them as houseplants or outdoors in raised planters, in garden beds or in hanging baskets; Asparagus Fern is an attractive plant that make a wonderful display.
As we celebrate the Fourth of July weekend, let us be mindful of others, of brush fires, of bodily injury and/or property damage while setting off those fireworks.
These couple of weeks have been exhausting, with extreme heat and high temperatures reaching 107 Fahrenheit almost daily. All outdoor activities are being postponed or put on hold until early evening when the weather is cooler. In times like these, some rainfall is much needed and would be greatly appreciated.
There have been interesting finds in the garden such as the gorgeous Cherry Pink Calibrachoa below (also known as Million Bells). I’ve had them for over eight years. The first couple of years they were in hanging baskets and then I moved them in containers.
Cherry Pink Calibrachoa.
This season as usual the Pomegranate tree has produced hundreds of buds with most flowering, and a few dropping due to high winds.
Pomegranate Flowers.
I enjoyed watching the Amaryllis ‘Minerva’ and White Lilies blooms. I cut a few stems and they lasted for a couple of weeks in a vase. The combination was beautiful.
Amaryllis ‘Minerva’ and White Lilies.
The Plains Coreopsis below also known as garden tickseed was part of a class experiment project for my daughter. She along with other classmates were given random seeds and were instructed to grow and care for them, reporting once a month. This seed germinated on time, but took a while to grow. I moved the seedling to a larger planter earlier in the month and it thrived. Last week one of the buds developed into a yellow flower with maroon/red center.
Plains Coreopsis.
I have different varieties of Pine Cone Cactus in my backyard, Tephrocactus Articulatus var. Inermis, Tephrocactus articulatus var. Strobiliformis, and Tephrocactus var. Diadematus. I have had all three species for a year and they have flowered for the first time two weeks ago. The plants produce delicate showy white flowers with a yellow center at the tips of the joints, lasting up to 48 hours and closing at dusk to reopen at dawn.
It is recommended to use gloves while handling the strobiliformis species as they have little glochids at the areoles which irritate and are hard to get out of the skin.
When designing our gardens thirteen years ago, we didn’t think about wildlife, we simply wanted to create a simple and relaxing atmosphere both in the front yard and back. As time went by our gardens became an attraction to various wildlife, so much that we had to take drastic actions to protect ourselves and our plants. We have many dense native bushes, shrubs and trees all over our property, which attract birds, hummingbirds, lizards, butterflies, bees, ladybugs, beetles, dragonfly, wasps, hoverflies, stink bugs, praying mantises, garden spiders, and much more (most of which are beneficial garden insects). These plants are nesting sites for birds, most of which prefer the front yard. We have bird feeders, bird baths, and water fountains all around our gardens to keep the birds and other wildlife happy.
Eight years ago we built two birdhouses in the backyard, one of which is double sided. A few years ago, a bird built its nest in one of them and laid ten eggs. Everything seemed to be going fine, the eggs hatched, and both parents went back and forth looking for food and caring for their young. At some point we noticed that the baby birds were constantly chirping and found one of the ground, dead. The parents eventually abandoned their babies most likely due to shortage of food and the remaining nine eventually died in the nest.
Birdhouses.
Early this month, a female House Finch laid five eggs in the nest. One of the nestlings fell out of the nest, in what seemed like an attempt to take flight, and didn’t make it. The remaining four flew from the nest a few weeks later.
House Finch fledglings in nest.
Last weekend while fastening Jasmine vines to a trellis, I saw a bird nest with five tiny eggs hidden among the leaves of the climbing Jasmine. I don’t know why this nesting place was chosen; perhaps it offered camouflage and protection, or because other birds have successfully raised their nestlings nearby.
Bird nest with eggs.
A few days later, we found two dead featherless chicks on the ground and realized the nest had been disturbed. We suspected a crow, since one of the chicks had disappeared. We moved the nest back in place, secured the opening, and hoped the last two eggs would make it.
On Tuesday, we found vines on the ground and noticed that the nest was pulled forward. One of the last two recently hatched chicks had vanished and the last one was lifeless.
Newly Hatched Baby Bird.
Our backyard is the heart of our home and the place we explore and observe. For now we are looking into ways to better protect and secure the bird nests from predators.
My gardens are fully awake and things are looking mighty festive, especially in the front yard, thanks to my perennials and annuals. The plants are looking green, hydrated, and happy. Last month I lost a patch of Siloam David Kirchhoff Daylilies to a very tenacious gopher. There is a second patch of Daylilies on the opposite side of the same garden bed, with tender shoots emerging. I will dig them up and relocate them this weekend.
Three years after planting my Julia Rose Itoh Peony in the ground, it bloomed for the first time. The plant produced just one flower, and gorgeous it was.
Julia Rose Itoh Peony.
Our wonderful American Wisteria “Amethyst Falls” has put out more flowers this year. I am still enjoying its beautiful foliage and droops of blue/violet flowers.
American Wisteria “Amethyst Falls”.American Wisteria “Amethyst Falls”.
Hybrid Tea Rose “Peace” is one that never disappoints; blooming from Spring to Fall in flushes.
There’s an interesting history behind the Peace rose. According to AmericaInWWII.com, this rose was named Peace to commemorate the end of World War II and wining the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) honors in 1946.
Hybrid Tea Rose ‘Peace’.
The French Lace floribunda rose below is one of my oldest miniature rose which I planted ten years ago. The flowers begin as delicate ivory buds with a slight apricot tint that open into white blossoms. Early last week, I saw a red bud which opened into the gorgeous flower below. As you can see, this week there is a flower with red spots on the edges of its petals.
According to GardeningKnowHow.com, there are different reasons why roses change color such as graft reversion, plant sport, temperature, and disease. Also, cross pollination resulting from different kinds of roses planted close together.
Miniature Rose ‘French Lace’.
This years, I barely got to admire the lady banks. The small and delicate petals were quickly blown away as soon as they formed by strong winds which went on for days.
The days are beautiful, but I cannot say the same for the weather which has been quite cold lately. We have had cloudy days with light rain and lots of wind for days at a time; thankfully, the High Desert weather forecasts sunny days ahead. Until then, I am keeping busy indoors.
Strangely today I miss our majestic Sweet Almond tree which by this time, would have been covered with showy clusters of white flowers. It was the perfect size and provided much needed shade for that part of the front yard, and it was so sad to lose it. Three years ago we bought a pair of medium size Purple Leaf Cherry Plum trees and planted them in the front yard garden; the location is perfect as we can enjoy the view from the kitchen and living room windows. These trees are always the first to bloom in early Spring and we hope to enjoy many more years gazing at these beauties.
One of our many American Elm trees has its branches covered in clusters of light green fruits. This tree is five (5) years old and our oldest to date. These fruits, called samaras, appear in early Spring and before the tree begins producing leaves. From a distance the numerous fruits could be mistaken to leaves, but a close-up look reveals thick clusters of immature fruits, which are considered edible.
In just a couple of weeks, these light green fruits will turn pale yellow, detach themselves from the branches, fly off, get all over everything and carpet the ground like falling petals. Just don’t let the magical sight distract and flatter you, as these seeds have the tendency of germinating wherever they land. They grow on various types of soil, they are drought tolerant, cold hardy and for these reasons and many more, they are considered invasive.
Elm Branches and Clusters of Fruits.Elm Branches and Clusters of Fruits.Elm Branches and thick Clusters of Fruits (samaras).
There is a vast selection of trees to choose from, but finding the right one for your garden can be though. For me, there are many factors I consider such as location, exposure, types of soil, hardiness zone, rodents activities, insect and disease susceptibility, tree size, growth rate, etc. Personally, I think rodents are the most difficult to deal with as they are capable of destroying a healthy tree.
The light rains and low temperatures have softened the dirt and encouraged weed growth. It’s time to get out and pull out those weeds before they get out of control.
By JM Perez
