Gardening Archives – Page 14 of 34 – Strength Of The Small

Do-It-Yourself Maintenance Spiders Gardening High Desert

Quiet Afternoon

By JM PerezSeptember 18, 20141 min read624 views

These past few weeks in the High Desert have been quite hectic and like so many residents, I have been praying for more rain. In just a couple of days, Fall will be here.

I was pleasantly surprised in the garden when I found gorgeous delicate clusters of yellow flowers on one of my numerous Mexican Bird of Paradise evergreen shrubs. The plant is drought tolerant to a certain degree and can re-sprout after colder temperatures. I planted them last Summer from seed, in full sun, and they have been thriving ever since attracting hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.

As I was deadheading my spent Roses, I spotted an Argiope Trifasciata (orb weaving spider) hanging head down in the center of its web above a miniature Rose bush. You can clearly see its web linear decoration, zig-zag band of silk structure also known as stabilimentum.

I wondered if it could be the same I captured last month by my garage door and released in the backyard.

*Argiope Trifasciata, a Banded Garden Orbweaver.*

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

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By JM Perez

Spiders Gardening High Desert

Garden Orb Spider

By JM PerezAugust 22, 20141 min read682 views

The Summer vacation has come and gone. The kids are once again back to school and I’m finding it hard to believe that September will soon be here.

Mother Nature has been so wonderful lately that I didn’t get to do much in the garden.
After Wednesday’s light rain however, I had some clean up to do around the house. I spotted a young Argiope Trifasciata (also known as orb weaving spider) hanging head down on my garage door. Argiope Trifasciata is a species of spider found around the world where the habitat is favorable.

The spider is known to make a highly symmetrical orb web and is found in late summer and early fall as temperatures start dropping. Though considered harmless, the Banded Garden Orbweaver might bite if it feels threatened.

Wishing you a great day. Take time to enjoy your weekend!

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By JM Perez

Rabbit Gardening High Desert

Cottontail Rabbit Hunt

By JM PerezJuly 24, 20141 min read621 views

As Summer heat hit its peak, critters and other living things alike come out in search for food and shelter. Sometimes they are lucky and sometimes they find an unfortunate fate.

For almost a month now, some of my plants in the front yard have been decimated by a Cottontail Rabbit, which made itself at home every evening to feast. Most of my Gaura Lindheimeri young plants are either halfway gone or a total loss. Those cute little animals are a menace as they can be very destructive to unfenced gardens.

As you can see on the above picture, the young Cottontail Rabbit remained hidden underneath the Gaura Lindheimeri plant and didn’t budge when my husband got his Pellet Gun ready and opened the door. The first shot missed the Rabbit which still didn’t move. The second shot got it in the ear and that was the end.

I will move on to revive the rest of the damaged plants and secure my front yard fencing.

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Happy In The Garden

By JM PerezJune 25, 20141 min read620 views

You know that feeling you get after a job well done? That’s how I feel today, Happy in the Garden.

This has been a good year for my Longiflorum-Asiatic Lily ‘Birgi’. This gorgeous and exceptional perennial with erect stems, dark green foliage and large deep pink fragrant, upward-facing trumpet-like flowers.

Silvery Cassia, also known as Feathery Cassia and Silver Leaf Cassia is an evergreen Australian shrub. The plant produces cheerful bright yellow buttercup-shaped flowers from late Winter to Spring followed by flat brown seedpods. The plant can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.

According to Growing With Science Blog, the female part of the flower is the light green part that curves off to the side from the center of the flower and the male part of the flower are the brown stamens.

My semi-evergreen Daylily ‘Pretty Woman’ are going strong this year as well. It is such a delicate and sophisticated plant with light creamy-apricot petals.

A Miniature Hybrid Rose with different flower colors.

I was pleasantly surprised to see tiny ivory Seed Pods (without the seeds) on my Coleonema Pulchrum. From a distance, they look like delicate flowers.

Wishing you all a good day and a great start to your week. Happy Gardening too!

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By JM Perez

Reptiles Insects Nature Gardening High Desert

Breezy Sunday Afternoon

By JM PerezJune 22, 20141 min read721 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.