I am talking about Agave babies, which are known as ‘pups’.
Parry’s Agave with small pup.
I knew that my Parry’s Agave, above, had a little pup growing. I have been keeping my eye on it, letting it grow a little bit more before I take it and place it somewhere to grow on it’s own.
Now, I don’t meant to rub it in to my northern neighbors, but it was a beautiful day to be out in the garden so while I was taking pictures, I soaked up all of the warmth from the sun that I could. It has been rather cold lately (for us desert dwellers anyway) and today was a beautiful 68 degrees.
*I promise I will be envying your weather come August….
Little pup growing
Yesterday, on the other side of the same Agave, I had noticed the beginning of a little pup breaking through (in the far left corner of the photo). Well, as I was uploading the photo, I was in for another surprise. I noticed another pup growing right next to the Agave. I now have 3 Agave parryi pups to figure out where to place in my garden (what a wonderful problem to have). They are expensive Agave and do not produce a lot of pups as opposed to some other species of Agave.
Victoria Agave (Agave victoria-reginae) parent plant and pups.
This is another of my favorite Agaves. How many pups can you see coming up from the larger parent plant? I count 3 pups, but there is actually another that is not in the photo. This Agave is also highly prized and expensive. Victoria Agave do not often produce pups, so I am very thankful that mine has been nice enough to give me 4.
Agave lophantha with two pups.
Agave reproduce in two ways. One is by flowering at the end of their lifetime. The other way happens earlier in the Agave’s life span and that is by producing offsets called ‘pups’. The Agave sends out runners underground that produce the pups. The pups can be located right up next to the parent Agave or a few feet away.
Agave macroacantha with many pups growing around it.
To remove, carefully expose the runner and cut with pruning shears or a sharp knife works well too. Before planting, the Agave pup needs to form a callus on the bottom, so place in a shady, dry spot for at least a week before planting. Agave pups can be planted out in the garden or placed in a container. Even better, you can give some to your friends.
Personally, I would do this in the spring or fall and avoid the hot summer months as this can add more stress as the Agave pup is struggling to grow roots to absorb water. But, that being said, Agave pups can be planted year-round.
Agave americana with pups.
When most people think of Agave, they think of Agave americana (above). I do love the blue-gray leaves, but I stay away from using this particular Agave because they produce large amounts of pups. This leads to a lot of maintenance as the pups need to be removed frequently or they quickly become an overgrown mess. I have worked with many clients who have ended up pulling out their Agave americana for this very reason.
Agave desmettiana with two large pups.
This Agave started life as a pup and was transplanted 4 years ago.
It’s parent Agave flowered 3 years ago and died.
Okay, I admit, I am not the most organized gardener. I should have taken these large pups (on the right) and transplanted them last year. But, I promise I will as soon as it warms up. So, please do not wait to do this as long as I did. Agave pups do best when planted when they are small.
Agave desmettiana, (above), is a nice alternative to Agave americana as it grows large, but does not produce too many pups. It also has smoother edges in contrast to Agave americana.
Now, this photo does not have anything to do with this post, but my dog, Missy, loves to take advantage of any photo opportunities.
As does my son…
A Flood In The Garden….On Purpose
A Flood In The Garden….On Purpose
Double S FarmsOne of the most interesting things I encountered when I first moved to Arizona was driving down a residential street and seeing front yards full of 3 inches of water. Imagine my surprise when I learned that this was done on purpose to water the front and backyard.
Desert dwellers do like to do things differently so why shouldn’t that apply to how some of us water our landscapes? To view some ‘flooded’ landscapes, please join me for a visit to Double S Farms. Actually, Double S Farms is the home of my mother, my youngest sister & her family and they live only 5 minutes from me.
Farmer #1 and Little Farmers #1 & 2 (my nephews) opening up the flood irrigation valve.
Now, Double S Farms isn’t actually a typical farm. It is actually a home on 1 acre, which is called a ‘ranchette’ in our area because it is kind of like a little ranch. Double S Farms has citrus, plum, apple and peach trees as well as a vegetable garden. A chicken coop is currently going up and chickens will be moving in in a few weeks.
*We will be posting visits to Double S Farms in the near future, especially when the chickens move in and to show more cute pictures of Little Farmers #1 & 2.
There is nothing more fun then cool water to play in in the middle of summer.
Okay, now back to irrigating – this type of irrigation, known as ‘flood irrigation’ is very inexpensive and therefore cost effective. Our first home in Phoenix had this type of irrigation back in the 1990’s and it only cost us $56 a year to irrigate both our front and backyard – my current garden uses drip irrigation and sprinklers.
Now not all homes in the Phoenix area are irrigated this way. Actually only a very few are and you have to live in certain areas where this is available.
Addy, Little Farmers # 1 & 2 and Farmer #1 going inside after turning on the irrigation valve. In the background are their numerous citrus trees and an apple tree.
In the summertime flood irrigation occurs twice a month and in the winter time only once a month. Water sinks deeply into the soil which makes for deep roots for both grass and trees. It also helps to flush out salts that accumulate in the soil.
Okay, you may be wondering how the water gets from the mountains down into the yard. Well, the water comes from a series of reservoirs that collect water from snow melt and rain. Water users (homeowners) sign up each time that they want water and then only the amount needed is released from the reservoirs through the dams. This water then runs through one of seven major canals where a ‘zanjero’, (Spanish word for ‘water master’), opens a gate from the canal to allow water to flow into smaller lateral waterways that serve certain neighborhoods.
This is how deep the water is when the valve is turned off, about 2 – 3 inches deep. Behind their fence are cattle.
omeowners are told at exactly what day and time they can turn on & off the water. Each property has a certain allotment of water they can use.
I can tell you from experience that it is not fun when you have to get up in the middle of the night in January to open up the flood irrigation valve and then wait to turn it off. I have vivid memories of having to walk through freezing water to turn off the water in the middle of winter. However, nothing can beat how refreshing it is to irrigate during the summer months. Dogs and kids alike look forward to playing in the water.
What could be more fun then playing fetch in the water? *Sodapop is the daughter of my dog, Missy.
Many of you were so kind to comment on my previous post “What Planet Have I Landed On?” and had a lot of questions regarding the photo I posted of flood irrigation. I hope this has answered some of your questions. If you would like to learn more, please click here .
Pups In The Garden…Not The Soft, Cuddly Kind
AgaveI am talking about Agave babies, which are known as ‘pups’.
Parry’s Agave with small pup.
I knew that my Parry’s Agave, above, had a little pup growing. I have been keeping my eye on it, letting it grow a little bit more before I take it and place it somewhere to grow on it’s own.
Now, I don’t meant to rub it in to my northern neighbors, but it was a beautiful day to be out in the garden so while I was taking pictures, I soaked up all of the warmth from the sun that I could. It has been rather cold lately (for us desert dwellers anyway) and today was a beautiful 68 degrees.
*I promise I will be envying your weather come August….
Little pup growing
Yesterday, on the other side of the same Agave, I had noticed the beginning of a little pup breaking through (in the far left corner of the photo). Well, as I was uploading the photo, I was in for another surprise. I noticed another pup growing right next to the Agave. I now have 3 Agave parryi pups to figure out where to place in my garden (what a wonderful problem to have). They are expensive Agave and do not produce a lot of pups as opposed to some other species of Agave.
Victoria Agave (Agave victoria-reginae) parent plant and pups.
This is another of my favorite Agaves. How many pups can you see coming up from the larger parent plant? I count 3 pups, but there is actually another that is not in the photo. This Agave is also highly prized and expensive. Victoria Agave do not often produce pups, so I am very thankful that mine has been nice enough to give me 4.
Agave lophantha with two pups.
Agave reproduce in two ways. One is by flowering at the end of their lifetime. The other way happens earlier in the Agave’s life span and that is by producing offsets called ‘pups’. The Agave sends out runners underground that produce the pups. The pups can be located right up next to the parent Agave or a few feet away.
Agave macroacantha with many pups growing around it.
To remove, carefully expose the runner and cut with pruning shears or a sharp knife works well too. Before planting, the Agave pup needs to form a callus on the bottom, so place in a shady, dry spot for at least a week before planting. Agave pups can be planted out in the garden or placed in a container. Even better, you can give some to your friends.
Personally, I would do this in the spring or fall and avoid the hot summer months as this can add more stress as the Agave pup is struggling to grow roots to absorb water. But, that being said, Agave pups can be planted year-round.
Agave americana with pups.
When most people think of Agave, they think of Agave americana (above). I do love the blue-gray leaves, but I stay away from using this particular Agave because they produce large amounts of pups. This leads to a lot of maintenance as the pups need to be removed frequently or they quickly become an overgrown mess. I have worked with many clients who have ended up pulling out their Agave americana for this very reason.
Agave desmettiana with two large pups. This Agave started life as a pup and was transplanted 4 years ago. It’s parent Agave flowered 3 years ago and died.
Okay, I admit, I am not the most organized gardener. I should have taken these large pups (on the right) and transplanted them last year. But, I promise I will as soon as it warms up. So, please do not wait to do this as long as I did. Agave pups do best when planted when they are small.
Agave desmettiana, (above), is a nice alternative to Agave americana as it grows large, but does not produce too many pups. It also has smoother edges in contrast to Agave americana.
Now, this photo does not have anything to do with this post, but my dog, Missy, loves to take advantage of any photo opportunities.
As does my son…
A Flood In The Garden….On Purpose
What Planet Have I Landed On?
az plant lady familyThat was my first thought when I came out to Arizona as a young bride over 23 years ago. Brown mountains, strangely shaped cactus and words like ‘javelina’, ‘dust devil’, ‘haboob’ and ‘gila monster’ that meant nothing to me were soon to become part of my new world.
I grew up in Southern California. I loved the beaches, the beautiful tall mountains, the rolling hills and the trees. I had spent two years attending college in California and my dorm room had a view of the ocean and I could see the Channel Islands on a clear day. My entire family lived in California and I was sure that I would never leave. But, then fate intervened….I fell in love with an Arizonan.
Before I knew it, I was married and driving across the desert to Arizona. Now, don’t get me wrong, I thought Arizona was pretty in kind of a stark, prickly way. I mean, who doesn’t like how cool Saguaro cacti look? But, I was homesick for the bright and dark green colors that had been a part of the landscape I had grown up in.
There were trees, but not as many as I was used to. Areas of grass were more limited and were bordered by concrete curbing. The rest of the ground was covered by small rocks, called gravel which came in different kinds of colors. And people placed large boulders in the landscape on purpose.
Strangely shaped cactus
Once my eyes had adjusted, I realized that the desert was quite green. But the green colors were much more subtle with hues of gray and blue mixed in. Coming from an area with dark green plants had made me temporarily blind to the green beauty of the desert.
My oldest daughter in our backyard – 1992
I had dabbled a bit in gardening in California while growing up, but nothing serious. What made me a gardener was the purchase of our first house in Phoenix. We bought a home with a large yard which included 3 mature citrus trees, 3 roses and 10 California Fan Palms and I had no idea what I was doing.
My second oldest daughter and friend playing in the irrigation water as DH watches. Berms along the edges keep the water from running out into the street.
Even more interesting and this is an Arizona thing – our front and backyard was irrigated by flood irrigation. We would open a valve in the backyard and water would fill the backyard to a depth of about 4″ high and then flow into the front yard. My children loved playing in the water, especially in the summer. I loved the price – only $56 for an entire year back in the 90’s.
My neighbor’s garden.
With my newly inherited garden, I wanted to learn all I could and bought gardening books only to learn that they really did not apply to gardens in the desert. For example, just because a book, (written and published on the east coast), says that a particular plant can be grown in zone 9, does not mean it can survive the heat of our summers. I learned the hard way. So, I decided to go to our local library and read all I could on desert gardening. After that, I was hooked. I took out some grass and planted a perennial garden in the front and also planted 40 roses as well.
My thirst for knowledge did not end and I was at a crossroads in terms of deciding what I wanted to do in terms of a career. I had two years of college under my belt, but needed to figure out what to major in. It was then that I decided to get my degree in Horticulture. I have never looked back and absolutely love what I get to do. And the rest they say is history….
Hiking through the desert with my four youngest children.
They love the desert as much as I do.
Is It Possible To Avoid The Winter Ugly Stage?
AZ Plant LadyDo you ever wonder why some plants go through what I like to call the “Ugly Stage” of winter when they are covered with frost-damaged growth, while the exact same plant(s), located close by do not? Is their any possible way to avoid this “ugly stage” besides covering your plants during freezing nights?
My frost-damaged Bougainvillea. Not too pretty, is it?
It can be cumbersome to cover your plants each night when freezing temperatures are forecast…you have to pay attention to the forecast, rush out in the freezing cold to cover them and hope you have enough old sheets and towels to do the job….or rush to the nursery to buy frost cloth. And, if you forget to do it for one night, all your hard work the previous nights, was for nothing…
Luckily, there are some easy solutions you can implement in order to avoid this “ugly stage”.
Isn’t it amazing that there is beauty in dead leaves?
Bougainvillea grow very well in the desert, but will suffer from frost damage in the winter months. Now, I am okay with that….Bougainvillea look beautiful 9 months out of the year and I ignore them for the other 3. I thought this was just the way things were, until I was driving down a residential street about 10 years ago and saw a beautiful Pink Bougainvillea surrounded by frost damaged ones. What was so different about this one I wondered? Well, it was obvious as I looked at it’s surroundings. This particular Bougainvillea was located underneath the canopy of a Mesquite tree, which protected it from the cold.
This is what my protected Bougainvillea looks like. The canopy of my Palo Verde tree provides protection from frost damage.
How simple the solution was, I thought. So, I decided to put this into practice whenever I designed landscapes, including my own. I would place frost-susceptible plants under trees and underneath the eaves of a house where they would be protected from freezing temperatures. I would use trees that provided light, filtered shade such as Palo Verde and Mesquite, because many plants will not bloom under heavy shade trees.
This Bougainvillea enjoys protection from the eaves of the house.
Frost damaged Lantana
The same holds true for Lantana. Out in the open, Lantana does get damaged by the frost. However, by placing them under the eaves or underneath a tree, they usually escape frost damage.
I designed this area and had the Lantana placed underneath the overhanging eaves of this building. This photo was taken in January.
So, if you love Bougainvillea, Lantana or other frost-susceptible plants but have avoided using them because you can’t stand their “ugly stage” in the winter – there is hope! Try planting them underneath the protection of a tree or under the eaves of your home and enjoy year-round green leaves and beautiful flowers. Or just accept that they will go through their annual 3 month “ugly stage” and focus instead on your winter-flowering plants instead 😉 As this year ends and a new one begins, I would like to thank those of you who have taken the time to read what I write and have left comments as well.
I wish for all of you a very
Happy New Year.
I’ve Made My Decision…
ArizonaOkay, I realize that most of you have not been waiting with baited breath to see what three English Roses I have chosen. But for those of you who have, here is what I have decided on….
Abraham Darby (Pink/Peach)
Graham Thomas (Yellow)
&
William Shakespeare (Red)
Graham Thomas
I owe a debt of gratitude to those of you who gave me excellent advice on the English roses that you have had success with. I also did some research by checking with my local rose society to see the rose varieties that do well in our area. Which leads me to an excellent tip – the ARS (American Rose Society) ratings are based on how each variety of rose grows all over the country. So, a rose that rated poorly in the northern areas may excel in the south. I highly recommend checking your local rose society’s information page online which should lead you to excellent rose choices for your area.
You can find links to your local rose society by clicking here. Here is a link to the list of the best roses for the desert areas of Arizona.
The location for my new roses are kindly indicated by my three youngest helpers. My new roses will receive bright morning sun, but will be protected from the intense afternoon sun in the summertime.
*Notice my son’s right torn knee in his jeans. Why is it that all of his pants are that way? Only the right knee is torn on all of them… I have four daughters and my son is my youngest child, so boys are somewhat of a mystery to me.
Mexican Bird of Paradise Flower (Caesalpinia mexicana)
The small tree in the photo with my children, is of one of my favorite plants. It is blooming right now and even though I was taking pictures of where I was putting my new roses, I couldn’t resist taking this picture. I love that there are still plants flowering this time of year.
In the meantime, I cannot wait to receive my new roses. I was not able to find English roses in any of our local nurseries, but I was able to find many suppliers online. I ordered mine through Heirloom Roses. They should arrive between January 6 – 10th. For those of you who would like to see how to plant roses, it is rather simple, but you need to follow certain rules. I will show you how once my roses arrive in a few weeks.
Is It Possible To Avoid The Winter Ugly Stage?
I Have a Confession To Make…
AZ Plant LadyFavorite flowers, Mr. Lincoln
My favorite hybrid tea
I have a confession to make….
My favorite flowers in the whole world are roses. Okay, that isn’t my confession, but I will get to that later.
In my previous home, I had over 40 rose bushes that I had planted and lovingly cared for, which I wrote about in an earlier post, which you can read here if you like.
Okay, so here is my confession….I do not have any roses currently growing in my garden. Sad, isn’t it? As much as I write about roses, I think that it is tragic that my favorite flower in the whole world does not currently have a place in my garden.
I have made two attempts at growing roses in my current garden with mixed results. I believe that the reasons that I did not succeed were that the exposure was just not right. They were located next to a brick wall, which tends to absorb the heat of the day and does not cool down in the evening and so does not allow the roses to take a break from the heat. The other reason is that back then, I spent my work days designing and maintaining landscapes and at the end of the day I was too tired to work on my own garden and give my roses the attention they deserved.
John F. Kennedy (Hybrid Tea Rose)
This was one of my attempts at growing roses in my current garden a few years ago.
Well, I have decided that life is too short not to grow the flowers that I love most. That and the fact that since I now work solely as a Landscape Consultant, I instruct people on how to achieve the garden they want; I don’t do the work myself, so I have lots more energy to work on my own garden.
I have also found a new area in the garden that I think will work. It faces east and will receive afternoon shade, which is important in the summer months, because roses do not like the intense desert afternoon sun.
I have decided to try growing 3 different varieties of English Roses. In my previous home, I grew mostly hybrid teas and a few English Roses. I love the appearance and fragrance of the English Roses and from my experience, were easier to maintain.
Here is another one of my early roses, but I cannot remember which variety it was.
So now, I am happily trying to decide what 3 varieties of English Roses I will try. Bare-root season for our area is in January. So I have to make my decision now, so I can place my order.
For those of you who have grown English Roses, what are your favorite varieties? I could use some suggestions. I have grown Abraham Darby and Sweet Juliet in the past with good results, but I would love your input.
**From my photos of hybrid tea roses, it should be obvious that I don’t have any photos of English Roses, so I hope my English Roses take off quickly so I can take lots of pictures of them to share with you.
No Snow….
AZ Plant LadyIt is rare that we receive any snow in the Phoenix metro area where I live. I have enjoyed living vicariously through many of you who have posted pictures of your beautiful snowy wonderlands. So, unlike many of you, I do not have any beautiful photos of snowy landscapes to share. But I do offer the following pictures of my world, taken by my husband who is an amateur photographer.
A building in Old Town, Scottsdale, Arizona. Some snow does fall in the upper elevations of Scottsdale, but rarely sticks to the ground.
A couple of time a year the outer areas of Phoenix receive snow and there is a lot of fuss made over it….everyone runs outside to see it before it stops. The news reporters are out in full force to cover the fact that there is snow. Of course, it usually does not stick to the ground and what does melts quickly.
A farmer in Gilbert, Arizona in the early morning. It does not snow here….
We live inside of a valley edged with mountains. A few times a year, they are covered in snow. There is just something so beautiful about snowy mountains with Saguaro cactus covered with a dusting of snow.
A new morning dawns over the Superstition Mountains. A few times a year, these mountains are dusted with snow.
In a perfect world, I would have one week of snow at Christmas. I would play outside with my children and enjoy the beauty of my snow-covered garden. But, the reality is is that we have to drive 1 1/2 hours to get to the snow, which we will do in January so the kids can play in the snow.
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon does receive a lot of snow, but we usually only visit in the summer.
I grew up in Los Angeles, so have never had a “White Christmas”. That is probably a good thing you see, because then I don’t know what I am missing…..
I promise you this though….if we get that rare snowfall, I will be one of those crazy people running outside to enjoy what little snow falls and take as many pictures as I can before it all melts away….
I Have a Confession To Make…
December Gardens Can Have Flowers and Lots of Color
Flowering AnnualsSummer time brings a riot of color to our desert gardens, which are but a distant memory in December. However, cooler temperatures do not mean that our gardens have to take a holiday. In our desert climate, there are many plants that flower reliably in December. Here are some of my favorites plants from my December garden.
December Garden, Parry’s Penstemon (Penstemon parryi)
Beautiful flowers and a magnet for hummingbirds. Need I say more….?
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)(Penstemon parryi)
The delicate light blue flowers are so beautiful.
Baja Ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis)
I just love this shrub and it’s pretty purple flowers. Most blooms are produced in spring, but some flowers are still produced in winter.
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)
Reliable bloomer fall through spring. Hummingbirds will appreciate this small shrub in the garden.
Pink Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
Blooms fall through spring.
Baja Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica)
Flowers year-round. Slows down in the winter, but continues to flower in protected areas.
Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii)
My favorite plant in the garden.
Angelita Daisy (Hymenoxys acaulis)
Year-round bright color. Heaviest blooming occurs in the spring.
Valentine (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’)
This is what my Valentine looks like in December. However, peak flowering occurs in February, hence the name ‘Valentine’.
So, just because it is December, it does not mean that you have to resign yourself to a landscape without flowering plants. Try one or more of these and see the difference a little color in December adds to your desert garden.
No Snow….
Christmas In The Desert….Tumbleweed, Cactus, Boulders And Washes
AgaveChristmas in the desert is much the same as it is around the world. Christmas lights adorn homes and trees, with a few notable exceptions. This is the desert after all….we sometimes do things a little differently.
First of all, we have a town Christmas tree made entirely out of tumbleweed. It is painted white and really looks quite beautiful at night when lit up. We have a huge celebration each year when the lights are lit for the first time.
See…. I told you it was made out of tumbleweed. For those of you who do not know what tumbleweed is, it is the light brown, prickly, round shrub that you see rolling through the town when you watch old Western movies. *Disclaimer – contrary to popular belief, it is rare to see tumbleweed rolling through the desert.
We desert dwellers also decorate our cactus whenever we get a chance. Saguaro cactus is relatively easy to decorate. There was a home we used to drive by that had 3 saguaro cacti and every year they would decorate them as the 3 wise men – they looked just great.
Water is a much celebrated natural resource and some landscapes have fake desert washes running through their front yard. During Christmas, some decorate their washes with blue lights to signify water.
*Fake desert washes were extremely trendy, but are thankfully, on the decline. I admit that I did design some for homeowners who insisted on having them, but I would use large boulders and embed them along the sides to imitate a natural creek bed.
Ocotillo make a great stand-in as a Christmas tree. Just hang some ornaments and string the lights. I may have to try this on my Ocotillo next year.
You know those nets of Christmas lights that you can spread over shrubs? Look carefully, this homeowner spread his lights over his boulder. I’m not sure where I stand on this one….
Agave Americana all lit up. I love how this looks.
Some people feel that they have to throw lights on everything in their front yard. They just do not know when to stop. I’m not sure the lights make this Prickly Pear cactus look any better.
The majority of homes in the desert are beautifully lit and look like many of the homes where you live. This is one of my favorites. The arborist in me just loves how the lights define the beautiful tree trunks of the Palo Verde and Mesquite trees.
*None of these pictures are from my home. My husband is somewhat of a minimalist when it comes to decorating the outside of our home for Christmas…a string of lights around the house is as fancy as he gets. But, I get to go crazy with decorations indoors.
I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse of what Christmas in the desert looks like.
What does Christmas look like where you live?
December Blooms – Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day
AZ Plant LadyToday was a beautiful, crisp day. Temps are in the upper 50’s and there are still flowers present in the garden.
Firecracker Penstemon
Hummingbirds just love the flowers. Blooms will continue until late April.
**I will have some seeds available this spring. Click here to see if this perennial will grow where you garden.
Stolk
Flowering in my children’s pool garden.See
earlier post about planting this garden.
Angelita Daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis)
This bright perennial will bloom all year.
This particular flower is from my neighbor’s garden.
Valentine (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’) (Tetraneuris acaulis)
My Valentine shrub is really starting to bloom.
Blooming peaks in February, but continues into late April.
Rio Bravo Sage (Leucophyllum langmaniae ‘Rio Bravo’)
Surprisingly, my Sage is still blooming, although there are not many left.
**Look closely at the little hairs covering the flower…this helps to protect the flower from the intense heat and sunlight in the summer months.
Whirling Butterflies (Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’)
This perennial blooms spring through fall. It is slowing down, but I was able to get some pictures of the last blooms.
My neighbor’s yellow rose.Roses
continue blooming through December and into January.
We actually have to cut them back severely in January to force dormancy. It just kills me to prune off the beautiful rose blooms of my roses….
My Purple Violas are blooming beautifully.
Goodding’s Verbena (Glandularia gooddingii)
A few blooms remain.
Next to the flowers is a volunteer Victoria Agave that has sprouted from the parent plant.
Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
Blooms fall through the spring.
Unfortunately, they do self-seed prolifically and I have to do a bit of weeding.
**If any of you are interested in seeds, I should have quite a few available this spring.
Click here to see if Globe Mallow will grow in your area.
Purple Lantana (Lantana montividensis)
A few blooms remain, but a lot of Lantana has been burned by frost.
This one is located underneath a tree, which gives some protection from the frost.
Bougainvillea
The colorful ‘petals’ are actually not the flower. They are called ‘brachts’.
The actual flowers are the tiny cream colored flowers in the center.
*I realize I include photos of my bougainvillea often, but it has done very well. Most Bougainvillea have been damaged by the frost, but this one is located underneath a tree in my backyard, which has protected it from the cold.
Thank you for joining me for December’s Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. Please visit May Dreams Gardens for more sites to visit.
Coming up soon…..A Desert Christmas Celebration. More specifically, how we decorate our homes and gardens for Christmas. You may be surprised at what we cover with lights…..