It’s a beautiful day here in the High Desert. The weather has turned around for the better; and with warmer days ahead, I look forward to stepping out and smelling the roses. Now that the soil has finally warmed up, my gardens are looking really good with colors and blooms. The Dwarf Cup Flowers are thriving and spreading rapidly, most are blanketed with delicate violet blue flowers. I realized years ago that this plant does better in-ground than in containers. They are self-sowing too.
Dwarf Cup Flower.Dwarf Cup Flower.
The Rose trees are all blossoming now. I can’t remember the name of the hybrid tea rose below, but I absolutely adore my Blue Moon Rose. I hard pruned it last Fall and it has tripled in size.
I will enjoy a vase of cut roses.
Hybrid Tea Rose.Blue Moon Rose.Miniature Rose.
The stash of Walnuts seeds and Peach Pits a squirrel hid around my backyard are emerging from the ground. I got rid of most and saved a couple. One of my next door neighbors has two mature Walnut trees and many Dwarf Peach Trees; he has been sharing his peaches with us and they are so sweet; I figure these seeds might be from his trees, dispersed by squirrels. I hope I can successfully grow the peaches, at least.
Walnut and Peach pits Seedlings.
The Purple Leaf Cherry Plum trees have some fruits. Depending on the taste, we may eat some when fully ripe and let the birds have the rest.
Purple Leaf Cherry Plum Fruits.
Happy first day of May and good start to your weekend as you find your happy place in the garden.
The Lilacs are blooming and they are exploding with gorgeous clusters of fragrant lavender blossoms.
I got a couple more young plants from my neighbor today. In total I have 10 Lilacs planted in the garden, all of which are Lavender Lady Lilac, as far as I can see from those flowering. I hope to be blessed with a few different varieties from the younger plants.
Lavender Lady Lilac.
I love my Periwinkle Creeping Myrtle! They are more creepers than climbers, and I hope I can successfully train them to climb. I am planting a few more on each side of the pergola.
Periwinkle Creeping Myrtle Flower.
As much as I love my property, I dislike the fact that it attracts squirrels, which I have come to despise. They dig, they chew and they damage everything. Once in a while, like every two years to be precise, a daring squirrel comes along and wreaks havoc in my garden. I don’t mind these little rodents choosing an opened area in the backyard; however, when they decide to burrow right under my drive way, garage, gas line (or anywhere near my home), it becomes an issues. We have spent so much time and money over the years in repellents, patching holes and we might end up redoing our backyard driveway.
Trapped Squirrel.
There are so many squirrels and rabbits in the neighborhood. Some neighbors thought they were so cute and started feeding them, now they are everywhere. These rodents are fast learners, believe me. They have found ways to go around chicken wires and sometimes will chew through it. Now they stopped eating plants roots. They figured that eating the root would kill the plant, so they dig next to the plants and eat everything, then return when there’s new growth. I was surprised to see walnut seedlings emerging in different locations all over my backyard. Come to find out, this squirrel stashed them all over the place.
I have tried different methods to keep them away from my property and none worked. I pruned branches, protected my containers and garden beds with wire mesh, dug a few inches into the ground to prevent them from gaining access and they just chew through the wood. I have secured the roots of plants using wire mesh, applied a thick layer of mulch, sprinkled coffee ground, cayenne pepper/hot chili pepper.
The Live Animal Trap was useless; they would go in, eat the nuts and exit without triggering it. We set a squirrel trap just to find out that the squirrel dug an exit hole at a different location. This time we used a Macabee Gopher Trap and my husband found an agonizing squirrel the next morning and took care of it. As you can see in the picture above, the squirrel’s left hand got caught in the trap.
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has many articles about managing Pests in gardens and landscapes. You can find the article on ground squirrels here.
I’ve had the Rio Samba Hybrid Tea Tree Rose for over eight years. It was in such a bad state a couple of years ago that I was ready to replace it; and then last Spring it bounced back, stronger and healthier with green leaves and abundant blossoms.
Rio Samba Hybrid Tea Tree Rose.
A few days ago, I built a simple fire pit in our backyard. It was always a matter of location for us, and I found just the right spot for it. Most of the retaining wall blocks were a gifts from a neighbor and the rest were purchased from our local Lowe’s store. We stacked them three tiers high, using the existing gravel as the fire pit’s floor. We love the outdoors and I know we will have fun nights, sitting around a fire.
It’s been a while since my last post. I hope everyone is healthy, safe and I am praying for those who are facing hard times. To reduce exposure to Covid-19, all schools were closed starting March 16th and Distance Learning began today, April 6th. Finding balance between work, keeping the kids entertained at home and remaining sane has been challenging. My kids are adjusting well and have found ways to stay active. They wake up at 7:00 am and are asleep by 7:45 pm.
We had a very cloudy and wet week here in the High Desert. I love rain, but I am not a fan of too much rain, however, I know we need these Spring rains to ready the garden for our hot Summer days. Now it’s a good time to plant. For the past couple of weeks, I have been enjoying my Tulips and Grape Hyacinth.
Tulip Blue Diamond.
I love the display of color changes and patterns of these Tulips.
Tulip Angelique.
Grape Hyacinth are popping up here and there.
Grape Hyacinth.
I received a few Spruce Cone Cactuses as gifts recently. I love the uniqueness of this cactus and I am looking forward to watching them grow, while learning a thing or two.
Spruce Cone Cactus.
The Yellow White Lady Banks flowers have began bursting with life and colors. I planted one on both sides of the second arch by the gate leading to our backyard. I also planted one on both sides on a separate arch in the backyard. Some of these roses are just a few months old and others less than two years.
Yellow Lady Banks gracing the arches.
If I have to stay home, I figure, I should garden. Last week I planted Red Autumn Sage, Silvery Cassia, Euphorbia Rigida (Gopher plants), Periwinkle Creeping Myrtle, Dwarf Cup Flower and Amethyst Falls American Wisteria.
Fortunately for us, we have been blessed yet again, with a weed-free yard. Now we can focus on other outdoor projects.
It’s a new month and the weather has been at its best since the beginning of the year. It rained a little today, more like sprinkles to be precise.
What has everyone been up to? Well, I have enjoyed the company of my Mother who I don’t see often and her delicious cooking. I have been weeding, lending a helping hand to my neighbors and just recently, began tending to the gardens. I have significantly reduced the amount of Gaura Lindheimeri in the front garden and replaced them with Salvia Greggii Red. I planted some African Iris (Dietes Vegeta) and I am currently looking for a few companion plants.
The majority of the bulbs are emerging from the ground, a few trees are starting to leaf out. What’s blooming in the garden? So far only two plants; the Purple Leaf Cherry Plum trees and the Gopher plants (Euphorbia Rigida).
Purple Leaf Cherry Plum Blossoms.
Euphorbia Rigida, which were a gift from a neighbor, are currently blooming. The first time I saw the plant, I thought it was either an overgrown weed or a rare cactus species. Also known as Upright Myrtle Spurge, Silver Spurge and Gopher Plant, these hardy yellow flowering plants are drought tolerant and self-seeding (remove spent flowers to prevent self-seeding). The plants attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds; and susceptible to aphids, nematodes, spider mites, bacterial and fungal diseases. It is however, deer and rabbit resistant.
Euphorbia Rigida are a wonderful addition to desert landscaping. The attractive succulent-like plant features erect stems with narrow leaves and evergreen foliage that are flushed with red in Spring and blue-green in other seasons. The flowers are bright yellow-green in Spring with orange nectar gland (the color can vary). The plant can be propagated either by seeds, cuttings or division. Be advised that this plant is a deadly beauty, as all parts are highly toxic if ingested and the milky sap may cause irritation to the eyes and cause skin rashes. Wear gloves at all times when handling the plant.
Gopher plants (Euphorbia Rigida) in Bloom.
Somewhere in my backyard, I found two pairs of Lizards in an empty terracotta planter. I am not sure if they are all resting in there or perhaps if they are stuck. I will check on them tomorrow to make sure they got out.
The weather has been at its best all year long and I am very thankful for it all. Christmas was wonderful at our home yesterday and this morning, we have been blessed with more snow fall. We woke up to a sublime sight as everything was covered in white (our second snowfall of the year).
Doe and Buck.
Early in the morning after breakfast, I excitedly walked around the backyard with my phone, taking photos of this beautiful winter scenery. Personally, I am quite content with this amount of snow and I am really hoping that we wouldn’t get more of it.
Partial view of my backyard.
My daughter pointed out the palm tree on the picture below, stating that the weight of the snow on some of the fans has transformed the tree into a fancy dress. Can you see it?
Partial view of my backyard.
I love the view from my backyard, which is still a work in progress. I love how snow makes pretty much everything look beautiful, fresh, dreamy and magical.
Partial view of my front yard.
With one or two days of sunshine, the snow will be completely gone, revealing all the lovely green. Before that, we should be able to build a snowman this time around.
Plants covered in snow.
I hope everyone is staying warm and having a wonderful time this holiday season.
By JM Perez
