Many of you have visited Double S Farms with me where my mother (Pastor Mom), youngest sister (Chicken Farmer) and family reside. Well, I have more family for you to meet along with their desert gardens.
I would like to introduce you to ‘The Refuge’ along with it’s residents, their gardens and the beautiful desert surrounding them. The Refuge is located in the California desert, in the Coachella Valley, and is the home of my younger sister and her family.
Desert surrounding , The desert drinks up all the rain as it runs through the wash, by The Refuge.
My entire family and I are all native Californians who grew up minutes from the ocean. Much of our time was spent at the beach. Some of us were surfers, while others, (my sisters and I), would lay on the beach working on our tans, or lack of – we are fair-skinned.
*Disclaimer – we always wear sunscreen, now that we know better. Back then, we were young and stupid ;0)
As time passed by, we all eventually found our way to the desert and have made our homes here. My younger sister and her family live in the California desert, near Palm Springs – while my mother, brother and youngest sister (and families) live in the Arizona desert as I do.
Desert surrounding , Washes in the desert fill quickly with rushing water when it rains.
Often, when people think of the desert, they picture barren, sandy hills with small scrubby shrubs and believe that all deserts look the same. However, there are differences in all deserts. The California desert around the Palm Springs area is part of the Sonoran Desert as is the larger Phoenix area where I live.
However, there are some differences between the California and the Arizona Sonoran Desert, which caused the California desert area around the Palm Springs area to be sub-classified as the Colorado Desert. You can read more about the differences in an earlier post Journey Into My Backyard – The Sonoran Desert.
Small pools like this will quickly disappear as the soil drinks up the rain water.
A Creosote (Larrea tridentata) shrub is reflected in the water.
As a child, I would look forward to visits with my grandparents who lived in Palm Desert. The beautiful barrenness of the mountains against the deep blue sky just transfixed me. My sister has a beautiful view of the tallest mountain, Mount San Jacinto, from her kitchen and it is often covered in snow in the winter.
As we drive through the California desert towards my sister’s home, you are surrounded by the stark beauty of the desert. As we turn down the street towards her home, it is easy to see why it is called ‘The Refuge’. A beautiful garden surrounds their home, creating a green oasis with colorful, flowering plants and trees.
My nephew, Mr. Green Jeans, who is the resident photographer at ‘The Refuge’.
In future posts, we will have more glimpses of the gardens at ‘The Refuge’ and meet it’s residents. My nephew, Mr. Green Jeans, is not only the resident photographer, but also grows beautiful vegetables. My brother-in-law, Mr. Compost, is passionate about composting and will perhaps do a guest posting about how he composts. My sister, Daisy Mom, grows beautiful container plants as well as houseplants.
We will soon return to ‘The Refuge’ and meet more of it’s residents, view their gardens and the beautiful desert that surrounds them.
Introducing ‘The Refuge’….An Oasis In The Desert
Double S FarmsMany of you have visited Double S Farms with me where my mother (Pastor Mom), youngest sister (Chicken Farmer) and family reside. Well, I have more family for you to meet along with their desert gardens.
I would like to introduce you to ‘The Refuge’ along with it’s residents, their gardens and the beautiful desert surrounding them. The Refuge is located in the California desert, in the Coachella Valley, and is the home of my younger sister and her family.
Desert surrounding , The desert drinks up all the rain as it runs through the wash, by The Refuge.
My entire family and I are all native Californians who grew up minutes from the ocean. Much of our time was spent at the beach. Some of us were surfers, while others, (my sisters and I), would lay on the beach working on our tans, or lack of – we are fair-skinned.
*Disclaimer – we always wear sunscreen, now that we know better. Back then, we were young and stupid ;0)
As time passed by, we all eventually found our way to the desert and have made our homes here. My younger sister and her family live in the California desert, near Palm Springs – while my mother, brother and youngest sister (and families) live in the Arizona desert as I do.
Desert surrounding , Washes in the desert fill quickly with rushing water when it rains.
Often, when people think of the desert, they picture barren, sandy hills with small scrubby shrubs and believe that all deserts look the same. However, there are differences in all deserts. The California desert around the Palm Springs area is part of the Sonoran Desert as is the larger Phoenix area where I live.
However, there are some differences between the California and the Arizona Sonoran Desert, which caused the California desert area around the Palm Springs area to be sub-classified as the Colorado Desert. You can read more about the differences in an earlier post Journey Into My Backyard – The Sonoran Desert.
Small pools like this will quickly disappear as the soil drinks up the rain water. A Creosote (Larrea tridentata) shrub is reflected in the water.
As a child, I would look forward to visits with my grandparents who lived in Palm Desert. The beautiful barrenness of the mountains against the deep blue sky just transfixed me. My sister has a beautiful view of the tallest mountain, Mount San Jacinto, from her kitchen and it is often covered in snow in the winter.
As we drive through the California desert towards my sister’s home, you are surrounded by the stark beauty of the desert. As we turn down the street towards her home, it is easy to see why it is called ‘The Refuge’. A beautiful garden surrounds their home, creating a green oasis with colorful, flowering plants and trees.
My nephew, Mr. Green Jeans, who is the resident photographer at ‘The Refuge’.
In future posts, we will have more glimpses of the gardens at ‘The Refuge’ and meet it’s residents. My nephew, Mr. Green Jeans, is not only the resident photographer, but also grows beautiful vegetables. My brother-in-law, Mr. Compost, is passionate about composting and will perhaps do a guest posting about how he composts. My sister, Daisy Mom, grows beautiful container plants as well as houseplants.
We will soon return to ‘The Refuge’ and meet more of it’s residents, view their gardens and the beautiful desert that surrounds them.
Early Signs of Spring on the Farm….
AZ Plant LadyYesterday was a glorious winter day accompanied with warmer then usual temperatures; 68 degrees F. I went over to Double S Farms to help my brother-in-law (Farmer Dad), prune the fruit trees – (the fruit trees had sadly been neglected and mistreated by the previous owners, so we had to quite a bit of corrective pruning).
I brought along, my now repaired camera, intending to take pictures of how to prune fruit trees for a later post. Once I arrived, I was so happy to see early signs of spring all around me….
A single peach bud, just beginning to show a flash of pink.
Snap Peas beginning to grow in the vegetable garden.
The grapefruit tree is heavily laden with delicious fruit.
The “Formerly Overgrown, Neglected Rose – Glamis Castle” beginning to leaf out.
The apple trees were full of buds and I was able to find this glimpse the pink petals impatiently waiting to burst out.
Double S Farms resident Costa’s Hummingbird, was happily perched on top of the almond tree watching over our activities.
Flowering Once In A Lifetime….
Agave, Arizona garden, AZ Plant LadyImagine a plant that lives for years, never flowering, and then towards the end of it’s life, expends all of it’s energy to produce flowers on a giant stem and then dies….
Agave colorata getting ready to flower.
Agave Stalks Begin Growth
The story begins with an agave starting to grow it’s flowering stalk, or inflourescence. The growth is incredibly fast, growing up to 1 ft. each day. Depending on the species, the flowering stalk can reach heights up to 40 ft.
Agave murpheyi sending up it’s flower stalk. *I took the picture, above, at a client’s house and she referred to the flowering stalk as an ‘asparagus stalk’ because that is what it looks like.
When most people think of Agave, they think of the Century Plant, (Agave americana), and believe that it will flower once it reaches 100 years old. This is actually a myth. Although the timeline can vary, Agave americana does not live that long and flower much sooner. There are over 250 agave species and most flower towards the end of their life and then die.
Actually, the length of time an agave lives is largely dependent on the species. In my experience in the managed landscapes, most agave live approximately 5 – 15 years, once planted from a 5-gallon container.
Different Types of Flowering Agave Stalks
I am not completely sure what species this particular agave was. Note the ‘pup’ growing from the side of the agave.
There are two different styles of the flowering stalk (inflourescence). The paniculate, above, and the spiculate, below. You can clearly see the difference in the shape and design of the stalks.
Octopus Agave (Agave vilmoriniana) I planted this agave (as a 5-gallon) in 1999 and it flowered in 2005.
Agave Reproduce in Several Ways
Agave reproduce both by flowering (seeds) and vegetatively (bulbils & offsets).
You can read more about how agave produce offsets (pups) and how to plant them from a previous post – Pups In The Garden…Not The Soft Cuddly Kind.
The flower of an Smooth Leaf Agave (Agave desmettiana) This is an agave from my garden, which was planted in 1998 and flowered in 2007.
You can see the small bulbils (baby agave) forming among the flowers above. The bulbils will continue to grow and will receive nourishment from the stalk. If left alone, the bulbils will eventually fall to the ground and root under ideal conditions. They can be removed from the flowering stalk and planted, but do best if left until they have formed at least four leaves.
An agave in the desert that has died after flowering.
Close-up of the, now dead, stalk (inflourescence)
Bulbils on the flowering stalk of an Octopus Agave (Agave vilmorniana) They are ready to be picked off and can be planted in well-drained soil.
Early on as a horticulture student, I fell in love with Octopus Agave and I bought my first one at a plant sale. I planted it in a large pot and it thrived. Years later, the flowering stalk started to grow. I was both excited and a little sad. I was happy because it was finally achieving it’s crowning glory….and sad because I knew it would eventually die at the end after finishing it’s life’s work.
However, that is not the end of the story….my original Agave lives on. I took two bulbils from it’s stalk and planted them (above) and they are ready to be planted out in my garden. (Actually, I could have planted them much sooner).
**Note the little seedling coming up on the left side of the pot. My son planted the seed, but we aren’t sure what it is. I think he might have planted an apple seed. We shall see….
Orchids, Las Vegas and Disappointment….
Arizona, Road Trip**An Advisory – Please do not enlarge photos until finished reading the entire post.**
Last weekend, my husband and I did the unthinkable….we left our kids with their grandparents and went to Las Vegas. We had originally planned a trip to Sedona, which is located in Northern Arizona, but the roads were closed due to three consecutive storms that had dumped 3 – 4 ft. of snow. So, we decided to go somewhere where there would not be any snow.
On the way, we journeyed through the Joshua Tree Scenic Drive which I posted about here. It was windy and rainy and the mountains along the way were dusted with snow. I was excited to take a lot of photos of the desert along the way as well as the gardens around the hotels in Las Vegas.
As we arrived in Las Vegas, it was to a spectacular sight…the mountains surrounding the city were covered with a thick layer of snow.
The place I was most excited about visiting was the 90,000 sq. ft. Conservatory at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, which has beautiful displays that are changed continually. The theme for this time of year was the Chinese New Year.
The Conservatory was covered in countless species and varieties of orchids along with bromeliads, bamboo, moss and so much more. There were easily over 200 different orchids there.
I was in absolute heaven and took about 100 pictures. I couldn’t wait to download them so that I could share them with you all.
After I returned home, I eagerly downloaded my pictures. I couldn’t wait to post my fabulous orchid photos. As I clicked on each photo, I wanted to cry….over 95% of my pictures were blurry and out of focus.
*I bet some of you thought I was disappointed that I did not win a lot of money – but it is hard to win a lot of money when you only spent $25 on slot machines ;^)
You see, just before our trip, I had just picked up my camera from the camera repairman, where I had just had the memory card slot repaired. Now, it was just too much of a coincidence that our camera was not working as it should so we went back to him. It turns out that the repairman had inadvertently messed up how the image in the viewfinder looks as opposed to how the image appears to the lens. He fixed it quickly and was extremely apologetic.
Only a few photos turned out okay and you are seeing all of them, except for a couple that I am saving for a Chinese New Year’s post.
I hope you can see from this extremely small sampling how beautiful the Conservatory was.
**Okay, you can now enlarge the photos to view them if you like, now that you have been warned that despite my best Photoshop efforts that some are still a bit out of focus.
A Forest Without Trees….
ArizonaThere is a beautiful stretch of highway through one of Arizona’s deserts that travels through a forest. However, this forest is not made up of trees….
This forest is made up of plants called Joshua trees, which technically are not trees – they are a species of Yucca (Yucca brevifolia).
They grow slowly, approximately 1 1/2 inches per year, with the tallest specimen approximately 40 ft. tall. Joshua trees live to be hundreds of years old – some experts say that there are probably some that are over one thousand years old. It is difficult to date them as they do not have growth rings as trees do.
My husband and I were on our way from Phoenix to Las Vegas last weekend and I made him pull over so we could take pictures when we arrived at the Arizona Joshua Forest Scenic Road. The Joshua trees are truly magnificent and they thickly carpet certain areas of the Mojave desert and can be viewed in areas of California, Arizona and Nevada. They grew so thickly in certain areas.
Believe it or not, the Joshua tree is actually a member of the Lily family. Native Americans used the leaves to weave baskets and make sandals. Birds also make their home among the spiny leaves.
I usually advise people who live in the Sonoran Desert against planting Joshua trees in the landscape because they often struggle in our desert. They are used to growing at higher altitudes and are used to winter rainfall…not our winter & summer rainfall. The majority of the time, they do not thrive and ultimately die. They are very expensive to purchase because they are slow to grow, so I advise growing a different type of Yucca called Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata), which thrives in our climate.
I must confess that I am guilty of being somewhat of a snob….I think that the Sonoran Desert, where I live, is the most beautiful desert in all the world and that all other deserts pale in comparison. I had visited the Mojave Desert a handful of times, but never really appreciated it’s beauty until now. It is full of lush, green vegetation and beautiful mountains.
Many of the hills are topped with stacked boulders. Ocotillo, Creosote, Saguaro and Palo Verde trees dot the hillsides.
I enjoyed our drive through Mojave Desert and can hardly wait for my next visit.
More information about the Joshua Tree National Park can be found here.
*I apologize that some of my photos are a bit blurry. My camera was having issues….
A Rainbow Of Color In The Desert Garden
AZ Plant LadyJourney with me through the garden to see the rainbow of color that awaits…. inspired by my fellow blogger, Rebecca of Prefer To Be In The Garden.
Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
RED blossoms cover my Globe Mallow in January. Bees happily collect pollen from their cup-shaped flowers. The bees are grateful that blooms will continue until the summer months arrive.
Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)
RED plumes of flowers with their yellow throats decorate the Red Yucca in my father-in-law’s garden. Flowering will continue until fall for this succulent plant.
Desert Garden, Orange Jubilee (Tecoma x Jubilee)
ORANGE tubular flowers entice hummingbirds throughout the year on my Orange Jubilee shrub that grows over 6 ft. tall. Although flowers slow in the winter, I was able to find some protected from the frost under the eaves of my house.
Desert Garden, Red Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)
ORANGE, red and yellow flowers cover this beautiful shrub throughout the summer and fall months. I view them through my kitchen window and appreciate their beauty. Butterflies love them as well.
Desert Garden, Arizona Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans stans)
YELLOW flowers adorn my large Yellow Bells shrub, attracting both bees and hummingbirds. I enjoy their blooms beginning March and lasting through November.
Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana)
YELLOW, daisy-like flowers bloom throughout the winter and spring on this low-growing ground cover. Bright winter color, drought-tolerant and low-maintenance makes this perennial a favorite of mine.
Smooth Leaf Agave (Agave desmettiana)
GREEN leaves of my Agave are wet with raindrops after a November rain.
Floss Silk Tree (Ceiba speciosa / formerly Chorisia speciosa)
GREEN colors the trunk of the Floss Silk tree, decorated with circular thorns.
Blue Viola
BLUE Violas with their yellow throats brighten a winter’s day.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
BLUE, tiny flowers bloom among the leaves, proving that Rosemary is not just a popular herb, but is also beautiful.
Baja Ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis)
PURPLE flowers decorated with white and yellow, decorate this lovely shrub with beautiful blossoms throughout the entire year.
Goodding’s Verbena (Glandularia gooddingii)
PURPLE clusters of flowers nestle between boulders on this Verbena plant.
What kind of plants and flowers make up the rainbow in your garden?
Using Plants In Place of Curtains
A Little Friend Returns For The Winter
Double S FarmsI would like to introduce you to one of the littlest residents of Double S Farms.
He is what we call a ‘snowbird’. Now, where we live, a snowbird is a seasonal resident , usually human, who lives in the desert during the winter months.
However, this particular snowbird is a little hummingbird.
I first met him when I was taking pictures of the citrus trees for a future blog post. I was quite close when I noticed him sitting in the lemon tree. Unlike many hummingbirds, he was perfectly content to sit still and have his picture taken.
little hummingbird
On another visit to Double S Farms, I saw him perched at the top of the Almond tree.
This is his favorite place to perch, probably because the Almond tree is the tallest tree and he can see the surrounding farms all around him.
Although Costa’s Hummingbirds are year-round residents in our area, this particular one left for the summer, but came back in the fall.
Now every time I visit Double S Farms, I go out of my way to look for my little friend.
*On another note, I will soon be introducing you to “The Refuge” and it’s garden, surrounding beauty and the residents.
January Flowers
AZ Plant LadyDuring this exceptionally rainy week, we did have a one day’s respite from the rain. I love how clean the landscape looks after it rains.
Aloe flower
I took advantage of the sunny day and went out to do errands, when I came upon on some blooming plants. So, I whipped out my small camera, which I always carry for opportunities like this and started snapping pictures.
Cuphea Bloom
Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa)
Chuparosa (Justicia californica)
I believe that we appreciate any plant that blooms in January because the majority of plants are dormant during the winter. This is also true in the desert. During the summer months, the landscape is riot of color. The winter months can bring shades of brown to the landscape…yet, I am so thankful for the plants that wait until winter to produce their blooms for me to enjoy.
Face Off With a Tarantula…
AZ Plant LadyWorking as a horticulturist on golf courses meant that I came face to face with wildlife from time to time. Often, I would see them ahead of time and would react accordingly. Sometimes however, I was surprised at what I found and where…
I wrote about my Face Off With Wild Pigs earlier this month. Now, I would like to share with you a new story of a face off that occurred between myself and a tarantula.
Wikimedia Commons: Albertwap (CC-by-SA license)
Cute and fuzzy isn’t it?
Okay, not really.
My story begins as I was driving in my little maintenance golf-cart checking large planting areas alongside the road. The plants were all watered with drip-irrigation and connected to irrigation valves. These valves were located inside of irrigation valve boxes in the ground.
The top of the valve boxes are covered with a plastic lid and I would periodically open them in order to turn on a valve manually.
That is what I was doing on this summer’s day. I had my floppy hat on (absolutely vital for fair-skinned people like me), my gloves and my screwdriver, which I used to open the valve lid.
Now for those of you who have opened a valve box, it is common to find bugs inside. I was used to finding crickets, sometimes small roaches and rarely a scorpion. As a result, I ALWAYS wore my gloves and would look inside before putting my gloved hand inside.
Well, this particular day, I opened the lid of a valve box and found a tarantula staring up at me. I had never seen a tarantula in a valve box before. He was kind of cute as far as tarantulas go, I guess.
I sat there pondering what I should do….the plants really needed some water. So, I worked up my courage and I actually spoke to the tarantula. I said, “I am just going to put my hand in slowly to turn on this valve. I won’t hurt you if you don’t hurt me.”
Now, I’m not sure if he understood me, but I put my hand inside and turned on the valve and he left me alone! Afterward, I was kind of proud of myself, but sadly there wasn’t anyone around to applaud my bravery 😉
I went back an hour later to turn off the water and my new friend was gone…
But, I learned my lesson that day – always look before putting your hand inside of a valve box and always wear gloves.
Rainy Day(s) In The Desert…
desertI love it when it rains. Actually, most desert-dwellers welcome the rain. Believe it or not…the rain is a welcome change to bright, sunny days.
The park near my home is starting to fill up with water – this is supposed to happen. Two previous storms this week have started the process, but we are expecting a very large storm to hit today which could bring 3 – 4 inches more (which is a lot for us).
I notice the park filling up when I took my children to school this morning, so I ran back home and got my camera and returned to take pictures.
Look around an urban desert landscape and you are likely to find examples of the above, which is known as a detention basin or dry pond. The purpose is to hold large amounts of water from rainfall and keep it from flooding the streets.
During the summer months, we often receive periodic torrential rains over a short period of time. These dry ponds rapidly fill with water, which helps to prevent flooded streets. The water in the pond is then slowly released via a small outflow opening. Water usually stands in these basins for 24 – 48 after rainfall ends.
Most parks in our area are dual purpose; they serve as a park, but also as a detention basin. The edges are raised up, forming a bowl shape, which allows them to hold water.
I snapped this photo this morning of a group of Mallard ducks taking advantage of our now wet ‘dry pond’.
Do you want to know what my favorite part is about the rain?
It is how the desert looks afterwards….