Gardening

Deadheading Roses

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read659 views

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.

Deadheading Roses.
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.

Happy Gardening!

High Desert Home and Garden Show

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read559 views

I am so excited for the weekend. There are a couple of events coming up. On Saturday, we will be taking the kids to The Home Depot® Kids Workshop and this time, the kids will be building Bird Feeders. These are free Do-It-Yourself Workshops which are available for adults/homeowners as well.

On Friday we’ll be attending the 29th Annual High Desert Home & Garden Show which will be held at the Victorville Fairgrounds on April 5, 6 and 7, 2013. We’ve heard great stories about the Home & Garden Show, but never found the time to attend. We already have our tickets which mean peace of mind.

High Desert Home and Garden Show.
High Desert Home and Garden Show.

Address Location:
San Bernardino County Fairgrounds
14800 Seventh Street, Victorville, CA 92395
1 (760) 951-2200

Days and Times:
Friday: 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Admission:
General: $6.00
Seniors: Free Friday
Children: under 18 free with paying adult
Parking: Free
Coupons: Daily Press

If for some reasons you cannot attend this event, a second one will be held on November 1, 2 and 3, 2013.

Visit the Event website for more information.

Flower Bed Garden Edging

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read709 views

When it comes to garden edging the possibilities are endless to meet your needs. You can choose from Plastic, Bricks, Rocks, Boulders, Bamboo, Wrought Iron/Metal, Bottles, Wood, Plates to Concrete and so much more.

Those with limited to no budget can look around their property for garden edging ideas. Do you have scrap wood, dead branches, pine cones, rocks or decorative bricks lying around in your yard? If you do, by all means put them to use. Those of us with trees of all types around our properties know that Nature has a way of stressing them to the breaking point such as:

» The weight of ice and snow
» Strong winds
» Dead branches
» Lack of nutrients
» Old age
» Plant disease (fungal infections), … etc!

What can we do with a fallen branch or a broken tree? For one, we can safely remove the fallen branch and dispose of it and/or contact an arborist to remove the fallen tree. We can use the wood for your fireplace, fire pit, as borders in your garden, and so much more.

The 2008 winter storm was so severe that it split two of my mature trees in two.
After removing and disposing of most of the branches, I kept a few branches from my broken pine tree which I am now using as plant borders.

Pine Wood Log as Plant border.

Our preferred garden edgings are the  Plastic edging  and Terrace Board Landscape edging.

Black Plastic Edging as Plant border.
Terrace Board Landscape Edging as Plant border.

I have used pine cones as plant borders for a few years now and I have placed a lot around my plants and garden beds to deter squirrel from digging. So far, it has worked for me.

Happy Gardening and wishing you a good start into the week.

Beautiful Blooms

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read644 views

What a lovely day in the garden today! I spent part of my afternoon tending to my plant and preparing a location for an outdoor Dining Table we will be building soon. I love the way everything is coming together. I replaced a couple of plants in the backyard with some I bought from Lowe’s® and The Home Depot® (Shrubs, Succulents, Mini Roses, etc). I wasn’t the least surprised to find Curl Grubs beneath the roots of the plants.

Grevillea Noellii.
Grevillea Noellii.

My evergreen Grevillea ‘Noellii’ is thriving on the side of the house in a very large ceramic planter we received from a wonderful neighbor. We placed it a few feet away from one of our bedroom windows and it’s always a delight watching it every morning. The plant is blooming with tiny lovely pink & white flowers.

Rosemary.
Rosemary.

Rosemary! Had it not been for the stray cats I was trying to keep out from my property, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with this plant. I have always known of its culinary and medicinal uses, but I had never thought of using it as a decorative plant in my garden. I love its aroma and its delicate small blue flowers (they’ve always bloomed from Sprint to Fall). My next project will be to propagate as many as possible.

Purple Leaf Cherry Plum.
Purple Leaf Cherry Plum.

Above is my Purple Leaf Cherry Plum all in bloom and looking lovely. I picked it up at Lowe’s in 2010 at the discounted area, almost dead. I spent so much time and energy caring for it and I honestly wasn’t sure it would survive, but it did to my amazement and I am so grateful.

California Puppy.
California Puppy.

Back in 2008, my husband got me some California Poppies and for some reason they didn’t make it (I guess it probably had something to do with the fact that he brought them from a different location and the poor plants couldn’t handle our harsh weather). Last December, after helping one of my next door neighbors to complete a task, he agreed to give me a couple California Poppies growing in his yard. I transplanted them right away and they are now flowering. I love the bright silky yellow flowers. Click here to learn about its uses, side effects and interactions.

Purple and Pink Tulips.
Purple and Pink Tulips.

The Tulip bulbs I planted last Fall are starting to bloom. It was a pleasant surprise to wake up this morning and discover two gorgeous flowers staring back at us. My Daughter is so excited. She has a whole raised garden bed of her own which we planted last Fall as well and she is looking forward to seeing some beautiful blooms soon.