It’s been four days since the winds started, with a little rainfall on Sunday night.
This morning I suited up and went to the backyard to make sure nothing was broken and that nothing big landed into our property (like the huge cardboard box which I found on Saturday morning nicely tucked beneath my Texas Sage shrub). I was pleasantly surprised once I stepped out. It wasn’t as cold, the winds were light and the air was fresh (I have always loved the smell of clean dirt after the rain). As I walked all the way to the backyard and back to the front yard, I saw the beautiful Red and Yellow Freesia below. Such a beautiful scented flower.
Red & Yellow Freesia.
In the garden today, I noticed something feeding on my Gaura Lindheimeri (Wand flower).
As I took a closer look, I realized it was a large caterpillar with a green head and orange spike on its tail. Mostly green with some black and tiny yellow spots. My first reaction was to jump as I freaked out (I am not fond of caterpillars and everything that looks and acts like one, even if it’s not one). My husband and the kids came out to check it out and after noticing a few birds around it, my husband relocated it on a branch of a shrub (Photinia Fraseri). Later in life, these Caterpillars turn into Hummingbird Moths.
After all the fun with the caterpillar, I deadheaded some roses. One of these days, when I won’t be as busy, I will blend a Potpourri mixture by drying out my rose heads and adding some scented oils.
Deadhead Roses.
I hope you are all in good Spirits and finding time to get out and smell the Roses despite the unstable weather.
For the past six years we have used our garage as storage for things we didn’t need in the house. It seems that for every item we’ve given away, we’ve somehow receive twice as much. This afternoon, we started re-organizing the garage, moving things around, sorting others in different boxes (those we are keeping, the giveaways and those we are simply getting rid of). I am always excited when we clean up because I know for sure that I will find items to donate to others in needs. I have learned never to hold on to things which no longer serve my needs and when it comes to donating I do it with love and never expecting anything in return, not even a simple thank you. My only reward is knowing that someone, hopefully, will put whatever they receive to good use.
While outdoors gardening, setting up the new planter and deadheading my roses, I found interesting bugs.
Goldenrod Crab Spider.
I spotted the Goldenrod Crab Spider above on the Judy Garland Rose pictured. It dropped off a flower petal when I got too close and landed on a stepping stone. Younger females especially tend to change color from white to yellow depending on their targeted flower (to blend in appropriately or become nearly invisible).
Half-Wing Moth resting on the Fence.Ladybug on Rose Leaf.Ladybug Larvae on Rose.Bee Pollinating.
Wishing you a good night and a happy, fun-filled weekend.
Have you awaken in the morning to find dead plants around your home (plants which are leaning on their side). When we look around without seeing any evidence of burrowing rodents (such as the appearance of tunnels and exit holes with mounds of dirt around it), we simply put the blame on White Curl Grubs, which are known to eat plants roots and kill the whole plant in the process.
Pocket Gophers, Groundhogs, Badgers, Voles, Prairie Dogs, Muskrats, Moles, Ground Squirrel, just to name a few are to blame. These animals are highly active during Spring and live underground using tunnels to get to their food source. They damage lawns, plants, vegetable gardens, foundation walls and give an ugly appearance to landscaped areas. Muskrats can be found around swamps, lakes and streams with vegetation at close proximity. They feed on plant roots, stems, bulbs, grass, tender bark of young trees, nuts, seeds and fruits. Some feed on mussels, crustaceans, insects, fish, earthworms, snails and slugs.
For the past six years, we’ve only had to deal with Gophers mostly and Ground squirrels.
Ground Squirrel.
Ground squirrels are highly active during the day and thanks to sunny days and warm weather, we are constantly having uninvited guests. Fortunately for us and unfortunately for them, we wrapped chicken wire around our plants last years, protecting the plants we know for sure they love. Every now and then, I will catch a glimpse of a squirrel searching for food in the empty lot behind our Home.
Just like Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis in Rabbits which is transferable to Humans, Ground squirrels can harbor diseases harmful to humans such as bubonic plague which is transmitted to humans by fleas that the squirrels carry (killing about two-thirds of infected humans within 4 days without treatment). It is highly advised to use extreme caution when disposing a dead squirrel or notify public health officials.
Dead Pocket Gophers (2008-2010).
We spent our first three years in the High Desert hunting Pocket Gophers after they nearly destroyed all of our plants. We’ve seen a couple of holes in the backyard with mounds of dirt around them. This afternoon I found a hole around our Agapanthus plants and I used a shovel to destroy the hole. These vertebrates will destroy anything on their path while creating holes leading them to their desirable food source. They are also capable of destroying irrigation lines and buried utility cables which are not properly protected.
Click here and here to learn about trapping Gophers.
How Can You Control Rodents?
They are so many options available out there. We’ve tried Gopher Gassers, Gopher Probe and poisons, none of which worked. The best and only method which has worked for us is traps with snapping latch placed near an opening (the latch is triggered when the animal steps on the trap) as you can see on the picture above. Some of these traps can be purchased at your local hardware stores and they can be hand made as well.
How Can You Protect Your Plants?
Use Raised Garden Beds
Raise your Planters/Pots (using pedestals or whatever you can think of)
Use Chicken Wire around your most cherished plants
Use Chicken Wire to protect the base of your plants (the roots) before planting them
Regardless of which rodents you are dealing with, always remember to be cautious around them.
Here in the High Desert, the first two weeks of Spring are awesome. The weather is simply at its best (not too cold, not too hot) and one is able to get out and get things done. After this time, we are ‘blessed’ with what seems to be a 24 hour high and gusty winds, which will go on for a few more weeks before finally settling. Gardening is not impossible at this time, just challenging as you have to go out there well equipped and armed:
Safety Goggles to protect your eyes from dust and allergens in the air.
Safety Nose Masks (protection from dust and allergens).
Beanie hats, bandana, Sombrero, or whatever you can think of to protect your forehead from the cold wind.
Water resistant Gloves. They will keep your hands warm, protect them from blisters, thorns, handling gardening tools, sharp edges. They will prevent dirt from getting under your nails and prevent your hands from drying).
Dress warmly to protect your skin from the wind and cold.
It has been two weeks and a half since the beginning of Spring and the first Rose blooms in my garden are fading. I had only a few days to enjoy them and now snip them off like they were never there in the first place.
Deadhead Roses.
I was busy all morning going around my Rose Garden snipping off dead flowers from my Roses to give the plants a cleaner look and to encourage more flowering. For the past six years, it has become a task in which I take great pleasure in accomplishing and I do it once a week after the Rosebushes start flowering until the plant goes dormant. Here in the High Desert, it gets so hot that our beautiful flowers fade a few days after blooming and in extreme conditions they fade before fully blooming and sometimes the Rose’s buds dry out giving an unattractive appearance to the plant and subsequently, to the yard. To me, that is just unacceptable.
By JM Perez
