We’ve had a very productive day today. The fruitless Mulberry Tree in the backyard has shed its last leaves and the Grasshoppers have somehow disappeared after nearly eating all of my Stella D’Oro Daylilies (surprisingly, these are the only plants they have been interested in). Most of bulbs I planted last month are sprouting including the Ice King Double Daffodil, Grape Hyacinth, Belladonna Amaryllis and the Pink Impression Tulips. I have also noticed a few sprouting from my Garden Huckleberry (Solanum scabrum). I am grateful for the warm weather.
Yesterday we went to Lowe’s and purchased a few Stainless Steel Cabinet Pulls/Handles, some electrical components as well as some wood for an upcoming project. We replaced the rest of the Switches and plates in the house as well as the cabinets pulls and the electrical outlets (using Pass & Seymour/Legrand 15-Amp Nickel Decorator Duplex Electrical Outlet).
Switches and Outlets.Cabinet Pulls/Handles.
These are all little updates that will give your home a great lift.
Today we decided to trim our fruitless Mulberry Tree.
The Fruitless Mulberry Tree as opposed to Fruit Bearing Mulberry Tree is fast growing and less messy as it does not produce fruits. Mulberry trees in general have large and dense leaves with a large spreading head that provide full shade over wide areas. They prefer full sun (though partial shade works fine too). Plant these trees away from sidewalks, driveways, septic tanks, swimming pool, sprinkler system pipes, foundations, etc! Their strong roots are invasive and will damage almost everything on their path in search for nutrients.
Trimming The Mulberry Tree.
Every year, after the tree goes dormant, we trim the branches to maintain a desirable shape. We removed broken, dried and damaged branches from the tree to keep the tree healthy. We removed excess interior tree branches to help increase air flow throughout the tree and we pruned the top branches to train them into spreading. We are very careful as not to ruin the natural structure of the tree by severely cutting back its branches. These trees are great in providing shade and are heavily planted here in the High Desert.
Click here, here and here to learn about Pruning a Fruitless Mulberry Tree.
Click here and here to learn about Trimming a Fruitless Mulberry Tree.
In addition to their roots evasiveness, fruitless Mulberry Trees produce pollen and catkins, which will wreak havoc on allergy sufferers. Click here, here to read more on Tree allergies and how to fight back.
We also removed the sandbox and covered the hole with dirt.
The day today started with some cloudy/stormy skies which have always been to me a mysterious and yet mesmerizing sight to see. You can literally sit there and watch the clouds roll in and change their shape as the wind plays havoc with them. And then, there you see an opening in the clouds as if a divine force has willed it so.
Stormy Sky.
After getting my Son ready for school, we headed out and he was witness to the dark and moving clouds. He asked me if it had rained and I assured him it had. On our last leg of the journey to school we turned onto the last road and witnessed a sight to see. There before us stood a beautiful rainbow which I pointed out to him. He was so amazed by the colors and the location as it seemed to start on top of his school. The picture below does the rainbow no justice. What a beautiful way to start the day for him.
Without a doubt, the rainy days are here. One of the first things I looked for this morning was my Umbrella. I will be using it a lot more this year and possibly in the next hour as I will be picking up my Kindergartener from school. I am glad that I urged myself all last week to complete my last outdoor projects (adding privacy to the backyard, building the last planter, pruning my Roses and setting up the drip for my bulbs). Now we just have to get ready to winterize the irrigation system for the coming cold.
The Rain, I can stand. Those high and gusty winds: I just can’t. Weed pollen and other allergens are carried by the winds causing allergies. The best way to combat these allergies is to stay indoors as much as you can. Click here to read more on measures you can take to prevent some of these allergies. In addition to the allergies, there is also the danger of falling branches/trees, debris and in extreme cases, downed power lines caused by strong winds. Click here to read about safety measures you can take around downed power lines.
Raindrops on Roses (Color Magic Hybrid Tea).Stormy Sky before the Rain.
There are some things I absolutely love about a rainy day:
The raindrops on my Roses.
The smell of clean, wet dirt.
Watching it fall through the window.
The sound it makes when it hits the window and roof.
Staying in and watching a Movie or reading a Book.
It sparks my creativity.
It’s the perfect opportunity to wear my cute rain boots.
It’s always a blessing when the Universe conspire in one’s favor as it was the case for us this weekend.
The weather was at its best and we finally (5 years later) completed one of my most important projects in the backyard, which is privacy. The front yard and the sides of the house are covered, all we needed was something for the far end of our backyard, which was overlooking a huge empty lot. We chose Chain Link Privacy Slats.
I planted more gorgeous flowering bulbs yesterday, including Belladonna Amaryllis, Pink Impression Tulip and Ice King Double Daffodil. The pictures below are a few of my fragrant roses from the front yard. I picked a few yesterday to make a centerpiece and I pruned most of them.
Beautiful Fragrant Roses. Find their name on Pinterest.
Below are some Fall colors in my Garden. The leaves on my Raywood Ash tree are slowly changing too.
The plants and flowers are thriving in the garden and the bees are busy collecting Pollen. It was fascinating watching them go back and forth as I was carefully taking pictures. Click here to learn more about Bee Pollen.
Honey Bees Collecting Pollen.
Since the beginning of the month I’ve seen quite a few Grasshoppers in my garden. As fun as they are to my kids, who enjoy watching them hop around; I am beginning to worry about their number and looking into Organic Pesticide to get rid of them. Click here or here to learn more about Grasshoppers and how to control them and click here to learn about some of their usefulness (serving as food for birds, for instance).
The best part of the day was video conferencing on Skype with the Family in France. My Parents traveled late last month to attend the Graduation ceremony of my big brother. The kids (cousins) got to see each other and talked to their grandparents, uncle and aunt. They even got a sneak peek at some of their Christmas gifts.
I am happy that everyone is safe and having a good time. I am looking forward to a peaceful week ahead.
By JM Perez
