High Desert Gardening Archives – Page 22 of 30

Insects Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Around The Garden

By JM PerezAugust 23, 20132 min read979 views

As Fall nears, colors are starting to show again in the garden. My Desert Willow, Texas Sage, Autumn Sage, Yellow Daisy, Oleanders, Gaura Lindheimeri, Plumbago Auriculata ‘Imperial Blue’, Snapdragon, most of the Roses and Gladiolus are blooming with a variety of colors.

Despite the hot temperatures, the Pumpkin vine has been thriving and producing lovely flowers of box sexes. Though there are no female blossoms yet, I have seen a couple of female buds which I will have to pollinate by hand for it to become a pumpkin (if there aren’t bees around to pollinate it). So far it’s looking promising.

Dainty Bess Hybrid Tea Rose, is one charming Rose. I instantly fell in love with the Rose when I saw it at Mark and Nellie’s Nursery a couple of years ago. The beautiful “Dainty Bess” single flowering rose with elegant stature and five light pink silky petals is one of my favorite repeat bloomer Roses. The flower opens and closes over its burgundy, purple or maroon stamens.

Dainty Bess Rose. — *Dainty Bess Hybrid Tea Rose (bred by Wm. E.B. & Archer, England 1925).*

Most of my mini Rose bushes are in bloom. I particularly loved the one below. It’s one of the Roses I bought from the 99¢ Only Stores early this year (smart way to grow a Garden for less).

Below is my miniature Rose “Let Freedom Ring.” I planted a couple in the front yard two years ago and just a few months ago they stopped flowering and looked like they were dying. So I moved them into a raised bed in the backyard and much to my amazement, they have been thriving ever since. Another 99¢ Only Stores purchase.

Finally, a Bee pollinating a Yellow Daisy.

I am feeling so grateful for every minute spent in my garden and for the wonderful moments with my family.
Happy Gardening!

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By JM Perez

Cockroaches Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Cockroaches: Destructive Pests

By JM PerezAugust 21, 20132 min read659 views

A new found pest in my Garden this month are cockroaches. In addition to dealing with Cutworms, Curl Grubs, Slugs and Snails, I am now forced to deal with cockroaches. After noticing that only one of my Rose Bushes bloomed all Summer (some bloomed and the flower sort of disappeared the following day) and finding a colony of cockroaches underneath my dead Red Riding Hood Beardtongue plants which I have owned for less than three months, I knew I had a serious problem to handle. These pests are busy eating the roots of my plants as well as flowers on my Roses. I knew they were a nuisance, but never knew they could destroy an entire plant. This morning I was surprised to find a colony of cockroach at the base of an Oleander bush.

Cockroach in Mulch. — *Cockroach in Mulch (…).*

Just like Beetles, some species of Cockroaches burrow a couple of inches into the soil and lay their eggs. They feed on pretty much anything, thrive in hot weather, multiply rapidly, they are survivors, they adapt and evolve. All of which make it difficult to completely eradicate them.

A few solutions:

Place cockroach (sticky) traps among your plants
Apply cockroach spray or some Insecticide Ready-to-Spray Liquid (recommended on ornamental trees, flowers, fruits and vegetable gardens)
Spray Neem Oil over the breeding area to repel the insects
Keep your garden free of food and water source to minimize their presence

Click here to learn more about Cockroaches.
Get a Trapper Insect Trap (Great for Bed Bugs, Spiders, Cockroaches) – Includes 90 Traps.

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By JM Perez

Caterpillars Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Outdoor Moments

By JM PerezAugust 16, 20132 min read668 views

It’s a lovely day here in the High Desert, except for the high temperatures. Just a couple of weeks ago, the weather seemed to be getting cooler and now we are back to Summer heat.

Not being able to do some gardening, I took a twenty minute break from my daughter to walk around the yard and admire the plants. Everything looks beautiful in the backyard, so I made my way to the front yard. Only two of my mature Rose bushes are starting to bloom and my Bird of Paradise Bush was in full bloom, with clusters of beautiful yellow flowers and red long stamens (looks more like Pink to me).

As I reached over to touch a flower, I saw a Yellow Caterpillar resting on a flower bud, which appears to be a Yellow larva of either the Cloudless Sulphur or Orange-barred Sulphur Caterpillar. If you take a closer look at the picture above, you will see what appears to be a web. That alone tells me that the yellow caterpillar is either building a tent or recently emerged from it. I love butterflies; though truth be told, I dislike the larval stage.

Yellow Caterpillar on Bird of Paradise Bush. — *Bird of Paradise Bush hosting a Yellow Caterpillar.*

My Common Broom plants are covered with Genista Caterpillars (the only plants they feed on in my yard). These caterpillars are the larvae of the Genista Broom Moth, Lepidoptera Pyralidae. Click here to read all about these caterpillars, their origins and how to manage/get rid of them.

Finally when temperatures cooled off late in the afternoon, we decided to spend the rest of the day in the backyard, organizing and cleaning up the garage. While we were busy working, my kids spotted a Sheriff Helicopter flying over the Neighborhood. It doesn’t happen quite often, so they are thrilled when they see one.

Sheriff Helicopter. — *Sheriff Helicopter flying over the Neighborhood.*

It’s Friday and I wish you all a beautiful weekend.

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Collecting Gladiolus Seeds

By JM PerezAugust 5, 20131 min read2.9K views

A few more Glads are blooming in my garden this morning and they are utterly charming. I have more coming on though I am not sure they will bloom at the same time.

Gladiolus 'White Prosperity'. — *Gladiolus ‘White Prosperity’.*

Gladiolus 'Early Bird'. — *Gladiolus ‘Early Bird’.*

Gladiolus 'Fiorentina'. — *Gladiolus ‘Fiorentina’.*

Gladiolus 'Yellow'. — *Gladiolus ‘Yellow’.*

Gladiolus 'Super Star'. — *Gladiolus ‘Super Star’.*

For the first time in two years, I decided to collect Gladiolus seeds. As the seed pods matured and turned brown, I cut the dry tall stalks, cracked open the seed pods and collected the seeds which I put in a plastic bag and placed in a cool area. I don’t know if the seeds are viable or if they will germinate; I will find out next Spring.

Gladiolus Seed Pod & Seeds. — *Gladiolus Seed Pods & Seeds (‘Super Star’).*

I will be sharing more pictures as soon as the other Glads bloom.

It’s a beautiful day. Happy Gardening!

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By JM Perez

Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Growing Your Garden For Less

By JM PerezAugust 2, 20133 min read769 views

Living in the High Desert can be so unpredictable for a new comer and overwhelming for a Gardener (you can read about it here). I still remember how frustrated I used to be the first year of being here. Being indecisive about which plants to buy, having to deal with Gophers and Rabbits and worst, spending so much money to replace damaged/dead plants. Once I was able to figure out my actual USDA Plant Hardiness Zone as well as which plants prefer cold weather as opposed to warm weather; I began choosing a variety of drought tolerant plants that I love, which are easy to care for and which will complement my garden.

What I did in the past (and to which I am still open) was exchange plant seeds, cuttings with neighbors, offer to take plants they no longer wanted and vice versa. When visiting local nurseries, I first stop at the clearance section where most plants on the shelves are 50% off or less. About two and a half years ago I bought a 2 Gallon Potted Rose Bush and discovered a tiny plant growing next to it. At first I thought it was a Rose sucker, but it turned out to be a semi-climbing ‘John Cabot’ Rose. Since the Rose isn’t a true climber, I have been using plant twists to attach the upright stems to the trellis for support and it’s been thriving ever since.

‘John Cabot’ Rose. — *‘John Cabot’ Rose (May 2011).*

Since my little discovery, I have been looking at the base of my self-seeding plants for new shoots or growth from seeds. Two weeks ago I found tiny Gaura Lindheimeri growing amongst my Daylilies from dispersed seeds. I carefully pulled out the young and tender plants which I moved to a more desirable location.

Early this morning I was pleasantly surprised to find two Bird of Paradise Bush seedlings underneath the main Plant.

Above is my Pendula Yucca propagating from rhizomes. I have had the plant for three and a half years. I transplanted my first sprout almost two years ago and the second one last month (both from the same Mother plant). Click here to learn more about Yucca Species Propagation.

If you are interested in Self Seeding Plants, here is a list for you (again, always check for plant toxicity):