Tuesday, September 1, 2009

More Losses



If it wasn't for my volunteer Vinca plants, I'd have no flowers right now, other than the barrels shown below. The tiny amount of rain we received in the last ten days seemed to jolt the barrels into flower production. This year produced just a slim crop of various cactus flowers compared to last year. Even the cacti are exhausted from the excessive heat!








We lost our largest tree to a strong monsoon wind this past week. Over the past four years, I've lost a total of ten Mesquite trees, four Ficus trees and two Acacia trees to either strong winds or in the case of the Ficus, a hard freeze. I still have fourteen trees, so my property isn't bare yet, but at the rate I seem to lose trees, I'm concerned I'll end up with a bare property!


At last count, I've also lost about twelve potted cacti so far this summer, and another seven that were in the ground. After much thought--and for the first time--I've decided not to obsess over the bare spots and I won't replant or replace any of the trees or cacti. Enough is enough.


11 comments:

Julie said...

Oh Aiyana...this is terrible news! I feel so sad. You know when the weather is better, you will become revitalized and just putter around and get your yard filled in again! It is just this darn damn blazing heat that has us so torn down...we can't even function in this inferno...let alone our plants. That is why I always say...if it can't make it on it's own here, with drought and heat...so be it.

This is a little over the top this year though!!!

Good you are having such a great attitude about it all.

Puts me in mind to eat sausage, eggs and toast this morning...all comfort foods...we need that right now!

Here's to our first fall day! (Coming soon, I'm sure)!!!

Deb said...

Aiyana ~ you must be a patient gardener to keep up with plants in the AZ heat! I'm not sure I would continue the effort when so many have succumbed. Thanks for posting this week!

Suzanne said...

I'm sorry to hear about your lost trees and cacti. You always have such beautiful photos and I enjoy looking at the different varieties of cacti so much. Hope this next year treats your plants a little kinder!

Jean said...

Aiyana, So sorry for your lack of rain and losses. I do love the colors of your vinca and of course your cactus flowers that you do have are amazing! Mr Linky is finally up! Jean

Sue said...

Our weather is so mild here in So.Calif that I couldn't imagine the extreme weather like you were talking about. What you "do" have right now, even in the heat, is really pretty. Lucky Fall is just around the corner!

Carla said...

I'm sorry. Rather depressing isn't it? No one told the vinca though:)

Chris said...

I've given up on the monsoon this year.

kesslerdee said...

I am so sorry about all your losses. I've lost a few, but probably to my ineptness more than anything. I did step up the water to the native plants when the prickly pear started wilting and things have improved in my yard. Hope you get some rain!

Anonymous said...

Boy, that is a lot to lose. Were the trees very big when they were lost to winds? You'd mentioned wanting to find a rose that might actually survive your climate -- I've seen one that's done well in our 100F temps this summer. It's called Out of the Night, a white low shrub rose that's been bred to like dry and hot. I got mine from Pickering.

chigiy at Gardeners Anonymous said...

Aiyana,
I'm sorry to here about your trees. How terrible.
I lost a bunch of oak trees a couple of years ago in January when we had our hundred year storm. It was so hard to see those 200 year old giants come crashing down.
I hope you don't lose any more trees.

Bo Mackison said...

I have friends in Phoenix who often speak of the harsh summer, but I had no idea it was so bad you were losing trees and cacti, and at rather an alarming rate, too.

For the first time, I am beginning to re-think my long term goals. I have always worked towards a time - I thought in the next couple of years - where I would spend part of my time in Wisconsin and part in Tucson. I'm starting to question my dream.