Color Combo

The two 'Barbara Karst' Bougainvillea shrubs are heavy with bracts, which is surprising because a lot of rain usually brings excessive leaf growth with fewer bracts.

My lone Coral Aloe  has a very small inflorescence compared with last year's fat multi-stalks. This size variation from year to year is inexplicable.




First Argentine Giant cactus flower of the season.

This small containerized Meyer Lemon is loaded with blossoms, and I will have to thin out most of the fruit that forms, as the trunk is just too spindly to support a lot of fruit.  I do love Meyer lemons, but I think my main reason I have this little tree is to smell the blossoms in spring.

This is my one surviving Blackfoot Daisy. It is quite large now, and will bloom for another month or so.  It gets more shade than the others did, and I think that's why it is still alive. 

For the first time, my roses were hit with Powdery Mildew, and I spent a good amount of time last week trying to get it under control. Right now, it seems most of it is gone. However, most of the buds and quite a few leaves are deformed on my eleven rose bushes, so I don't know if I'll have any nice spring roses. When I visited a friend this past week, I noticed her roses also had the infection. All the rain we had this spring, followed by warming weather, probably made the conditions just right for the infection. The rose shown here is Rosa 'Lady Elsie Mae', a mid-sized landscape shrub rose. Last year, this rose struggled in the heat, and even with its crispy leaves burnt by the sun, it continued to produce blooms, albeit very small ones.  

Finally, Some Color

Desert Marigold and Desert Bluebell

My back is sore from spending hours each day picking weeds--something I've been doing since our record rains in January, February and early March. But, all the rain did bring some nice spring color to my garden. Seems like things are blooming later than usual, at least by a couple of weeks.

Mammillaria Microhelia

Several species of Mammillaria are now blooming. By now I usually have many cacti in bloom, but so far, flowers have been sparse.

 

Eschscholzia californica

I have a nice stand of California Poppies in my front yard, and very few in back. Another mystery!



 

Mammillaria Mutadae

This cactus outgrew its pot, so I just decided to plant it in the ground last fall. So far, it's been doing well, and it's one cactus that bloomed right when expected.

Happy New Year 2010!

Rosa 'Don Juan'

And ye, who have met with Adversity's blast,
And been bow'd to the earth by its fury;

To whom the Twelve Months, that have recently pass'd
Were as harsh as a prejudiced jury--

Still, fill to the Future! and join in our chime,
The regrets of remembrance to cozen,

And having obtained a New Trial of Time,
Shout in hopes of a kindlier dozen.

~ Thomas Hood

Blog Sabbatical Ends--I Think...

Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth'

Now that fall is definitely here, I've perked up a bit. The high temps just kept on and on, to the point I just needed a semi-long break from worrying and stressing about my garden and all the shrubs, cacti and and much of the ground cover that succumbed to the overly long, intensely hot summer that we had. The loss of my largest tree to monsoon winds put the finishing touch on the whole depressing period, so I decided to focus on other things for awhile--even giving up on blogging in the interim. Luckily, my hubby took up the slack and did routine garden chores for me. He has never minded the heat at all and can work outside for hours, even in mid-day.

They say that the value of a sabbatical is to revitalize enthusiasm for work, hobby or other pursuit, and though I'm not completely back into my former garden fervor, I think I'm getting there, just by "doing". Perhaps writing a blog post will speed the process. That's my plan, anyway.


When I saw the first fall bud on 'Queen Elizabeth', I was motivated to do the light fall pruning and fertilizing due for all my roses. I have the new mulch ready to spread after cleaning up all last year's stuff. Already I see new growth starting on all the bushes.

Huernia primulina

A surprise flower appeared on this Huernia, and the color is far better than it was when it bloomed in late June. Even though more colorful, it's not the most striking flower. When a plant has flowers that have a carrion smell (used to attract flies) they should at least have a knockout flower to make up for it!

This little baby had a birthday this month, and it is now four years old. I purchased a group of them at our Cactus and Succulent Society meeting silent auction. The seedlings were two years old when I got them and they were about the size of marbles, all in one container. The person that started them from seed always writes the date they sprout on the container, and that's how I know the exact birthday. It is now about the size of a miniature cupcake. I have about eight of these, all the same age. Six are still in pots, and they are actually larger than the two I planted in my garden, probably because the potted ones get supplemental water now and then. Even with my limited watering, the landscape baby barrels had to make do with rainfall, which has been really scarce this year.

One Flower, But A Nice One!

All the sunflowers I planted this year from old seeds appeared to be all yellow, so this one surprised me. It almost looks like a painting. This lone sunflower is the only thing blooming in my entire garden. Even the Orange Bells have given up--highly unusual--as normally they do very well in summer. This year seems extra hot, maybe because we had a fairly cool June, if you call upper 90s cool. Monday evening it rained all around us, but I didn't get a drop. Something has to give soon, or this will be the driest year I remember!

Spots of Color

I was hoping to have a few ripened prickly pear fruit this year to use for a vinaigrette, but it looks like the cochineal insect beat me to it. Every one of my prickly pear plants has the cochineal invasion. I lost a prized prickly pear last year to this insidious insect, and it looks like I'm headed for the loss of a few more. I spray with a strong stream of water to expose the bug (under the white stuff,) but so far it hasn't helped. Next, I will try insecticidal soap, and if that doesn't work, I'll just have to have them removed. I noticed that many neighbors also have the infestation, so even if I could get it under control in my own garden, it won't be long before it will be back.






Desert Petunia, a drought resistant summer bloomer, puts out short-lived flowers every couple of days. The shrub will be covered with flowers one day, then they dry up and there will be nothing for two days, and then it will be covered again. This goes on about 10 months of the year!

In mid June I found an old, half used packet of sunflower seeds and decided to plant them, as sunflowers do well even when planted in July, according to the planting schedule. Although the plants are still small (perhaps it is just the variety) the first flower bloomed this past weekend. The packet said mixed colors, but all the buds appear to have the standard yellow color.

My poor roses just keep trying! The 115 degree heat is just too much for them, and the buds they put out are tiny and they dry up before they can open. No matter how much I water, nothing will help them except lower temperatures. No chance of that for another couple of months.

Here's another reliable summer staple, the ubiquitous Red Bird of Paradise. I have about eight of these shrubs in my landscape. They provide brilliant color from early June until early September.

Another spot of color is this yard art lizard. He moves around to various places in my garden, depending on the season.

Sunday Stuff

So far, my Santa Rita Prickly Pear has retained its winter purple. I love the way the purple pad made for a colorful backdrop for the flower bud.

Rosa 'Tiffany'

This evening this rose opened, and its color was especially beautiful in the waning light. Once the sun is up, it will begin to wither as it is just too hot for the roses to last. However, all my rose bushes continue to have buds, hot or not.

A young Anna's Hummingbird found a resting place on a pot ring right outside my breakfast area window today. I took this photo through the window.

The fruit on my new dwarf Meyer Lemon tree is still hanging on. I have 28 lemons growing right now. I'm hoping at least a few will last until ripe. It's odd that blossoms are still appearing even in May. Not normal in my opinion.

Desert Rose Ramblings

Rosa 'Mr. Lincoln'

'Mr. Lincoln' is in its second year in my garden, and doing well. So far, I haven't had any of the diseases or infestations that seem to plague rose growers. I hate to even mention it, as such statements seem to bring it on problems! To date, my rose problems have been climate related. I've tried to find the best watering frequency for the location of my rose bushes, and it's been trial and error. Winds, unseasonably hot weather, lack of moisture and low humidity have taken their toll on the roses in the last couple of months. Both flowers and new growth have been repeatedly shredded. With temperatures soon to be consistently above 100 degrees, I won't see really nice roses again until probably October.

Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth'

'Queen Elizabeth' is such a pretty rose. It has grown a lot taller than I expected, and it has very long stems, making this rose my best one for cutting. In my rose garden, 'Queen Elizabeth' is second only to 'Red Intrepid' for growth fullness and vigor. Once I made the decision to add roses to my desert garden, I made myself a rule that I would not plant more than ten roses. I now have that. Taking care of these ten rose bushes takes some effort, including carrying buckets of water in between the regular irrigation schedule as temperatures climb. This will continue until October. Although I love the color and fragrance of the roses, I've come to the conclusion that roses really look better in gardens where there is plenty of grass and other greenery, rather than in desert landscapes, where they just don't seem to fit in with their surroundings. However, the bright green foliage and spots of color add welcome relief to my predominately tan, brown, and yellow landscape.

Rosa 'Don Juan'

'Don Juan' is a climbing rose I picked up as a bare root late last year. Bare root roses don't establish as well in Arizona as do container roses, so this purchase was an experiment on my part. Growth has been slow, but I was slow at getting it in the ground. I still don't have a support for it, so until I make a decision as to what to use, its production will be hindered since climbing roses really need support and training to to their best.

'Don Juan' rose was at one time the leading dark red crimson flowered climber in the United States, doing well in Zones 6-11. Since it thrives in hot climates, it is recommended for Arizona gardens. This rose has a strong sweet-spicy fragrance and large double blooms. The dark red petals have a velvety quality, and from what I've read, it will produce orange hips in the fall.

Blossoms, Birds and Bees

All my Palo Verde trees are just starting to bloom and the strong wind gusts are blowing the flowers everywhere. Usually, I have a golden carpet an inch thick around and under the trees all spring. This year, they are going to be all over my yard, and I'll have to have the blow-and-go guys over a couple of times to clean it up. If we get any rain when there is a lot of debris on the ground, it forms a hard crust that has to be raked up. I learned this lesson the hard way last year and had to peel away chunks of the crust from around all the cacti and succulents planted under the trees, and then clean up the plants as best as possible with tweezers and kabob skewers.

These coral colored Gasteria acinacifolia flowers remind me of flamingos for some reason. It's more than the color. Do you see any resemblance, or am I dreaming again?

Rosa 'Red Intrepid' has just started to bloom. It has suffered wind damage like all my other roses have this past week. The new leaves look like they've been through a threshing machine, and the flowers all have sun and wind burn. I have a lot of tattered roses on each bush. It is such a disappointment to see them all beat up like this, as this is our peak rose time here in the Phoenix area.

The flower stalk on this Coral Aloe is now a month old with no sign of wilt or drying. I really should have several more of this Aloe species, all planted in the same location. I think a display of multiple flower stalks like this would be quite striking. Maybe in the fall....

Rosa 'Gold Glow' is in a more protected area and has suffered less wind and sun damage. This flower opened Sunday after the strongest gusts passed through.

My one Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) shrub is in full bloom right now. Unfortunately, it doesn't look this good any other time of year. Most folks use Spanish Lavender in groupings or as border plants, but I like them one at a time. In this photo you can also see several Bush Morning Glories in bloom in the background. They are now a bit past their prime.

Bees are buzzing everywhere in my garden, enjoying the blooming Creosote bushes, Spanish Lavender and Palo Verde blossoms. So many bees are a welcome sight, and provide hope that the bee population is increasing after its decimation these past few years. I also have more birds this year, especially hummingbirds. However, one bird species that I wish would show up now and then is Gambel's Quail. I've never had one visit my garden, and I miss seeing them, usually with their babies, walking in a line behind the mother, with their little topknots bobbing. They were a common sight at my previous residence, and I blame the roaming neighbor cat for their non-appearance at my current residence.

Flowers Galore

Opuntia engelmannii

(Engelmann’s Prickly Pear)

My lone Engelmann's Prickly Pear is loaded with blooms, which are a darker gold than last year's. More blooms equal more fruits, so I will be able to try some new recipes later in the summer when the fruits ripen.

Citrus × meyeri
(Dwarf Meyer Lemon)

My new Meyer Lemon has about 40 little lemons on it. I'm going to cull out most of them so the tree can spend its energy getting established rather than producing fruit. It's hard for me to do this--but it is necessary. It will probably self-thin most of the fruit anyway, so I'm going to wait awhile longer to see how many drop on their own.

Rosa 'We Salute You'

A bloom so bright it almost hurts to look at it. My spring rose blooms are really big and bright right now. March and April are the best time for roses in our part of the country, and even now, this rose has some scorching on the petal margins as it has a southeast exposure.

Rosa 'Hello Dolly'

This rose has a southwest exposure, but so far, no petal scorching. I think it's because it receives some light afternoon shade from a nearby Palo Brea tree.

Echinocereus viridiflorus

(Nylon Hedgehog Cactus)

The greenish flowers on this new cactus are supposed to smell like lemon, but I can't detect any scent at all. It has a shallow root system, so it needs regular water in hotter months. Because of this, I'm going to keep it potted so I can water it easier. I really wonder why it's called Nylon Hedgehog. There is no information that I can find as to how it got this common name.

Eriosyce kunzei ‘multicolor’

I love the long lasting, florescent flowers of this small cactus. After the blooms wilt and dry, I will be repotting it into a clay pot.

Eschscholzia mexicana

This Mexican Poppy came compliments of the potted cactus that I purchased several years ago. I've been hoping it would reseed into my landscape, but so far, it's only multiplied in the pot. This Poppy is a close relative of the California Poppy, which does come up each spring in my garden. Actually, the Mexican Poppy is better suited to our hotter climate than the California Poppy. I should just buy some seeds instead of waiting for seeds from these few plants in the pot.

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I've shown the amazing growth of this Agave lophantha for the previous two Bloomin' Tuesday posts. The stalk is now almost 16 feet tall, four-to-six feet taller than expected! It has grown so fast you can almost hear it growing, as they say about corn. From the looks of the flower buds, blooming should start late this week or early next week. When the flowers reach their blooming stage, the stalk should be fully grown. we've had strong winds the past two days, and this stalk is so strong it barely moved!






The outer sheath that originally protected the emerging buds has now begun to wilt, a sure sign that the flowers will bloom shortly. For folks interested in seeing the growth progress, see the photos toward the bottom in each of these two previous posts.

Post One

Post Two

Lots Going On

My garden looks good right now, and will continue to produce cactus flowers, blooming shrubs and ground coverings until about May, depending how high the temperatures get. The Mesquite and Palo Verde trees are not very attractive right now as they are shedding last year's leaves and in preparation for new leaves, flowers and catkins. Around May 1, the Palo Verdes are in full bloom. It's always a spectacular show, but sometimes hazardous for the tree if the branches get too heavy with blooms. This sometimes causes the branches to split if the tree was heavily watered to produce fast growth. Weak wood is the result.

I love the way the papery bracts of the Bougainvillea appear translucent against the blue sky and bright sunlight. This is the cultivar, B. "Barbara Karst".

A field of Parry's Penstemon. The stems on this stand are quite tall, about 40 inches high. If it is too breezy, many of these long stalks will break or bend. It's been calm, so as of today, they are all upright.

Hardenbergia violacea

This Lilac Vine is a new addition to my garden. My nurseryman said it will do well even in summer, but everything I've read says it's a shade plant for summers in Phoenix. Time will tell. Since the nursery guarantees all plants for a year, I'm willing to take the chance. I hope it makes it--I think the flowers, which appear only at this time of year, are quite pretty. The dark green leaves are also attractive.

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Look how much this Agave stalk has grown in just one week. Scroll down to last Tuesday's post to see the difference! Although I've seen the unbelievably rapid growth of Agave stalks, I continue to be fascinated by the whole process. It's no wonder the Agave dies after producing this stalk. It takes tremendous energy resources to produce something this big this fast. The stalk is over three inches in diameter now and ten feet tall! It is now forming flower buds.

Notice the long flower coverings with sharp points. This is protect the buds as they are emerging. These eventually wilt and dry, exposing the flowers to pollinators like Hawk-moths, hummingbirds, wasps, bees, and butterflies. Bats prefer the branched inflorescence of other Agave species.

Some Spring Color

Some of my older Parry's Penstemon plants are in full bloom now. The youngest ones are just beginning to open and I have quite a crop. The yellow flowers are Brittle Bush.



This Parodia Horstii has a straw flower-like bloom. This cactus can be solitary, or clustering, as this one is doing. The new stem is barely visible in this photo.



Valentine Emu is still going strong, so I won't be shearing it anytime soon. It needs it badly, as it is so heavy it is leaning now. These shrubs, unlike other shrubs in my garden, can take a good shearing every spring.



An out of focus Thelocactus bicolor, commonly known as Glory of Texas, is in full bloom now. In the background is Desert Marigold. Both of the cacti I've shown here are blooming early. Very few of my other cactus specimens are showing any sign of budding. By April, I should have quite a few!