14. March 2017
This week there is no doubt about the burst of bloom from Lavender "Madrid". It is in full glory, much to the delight of bees. Its very deep color is an asset in the now-intense sunlight (compare with a cloudy day just two weeks ago). The Lavandula stoechas varieties are distinctly seasonal here, so I relish this mass of bloom while it lasts.
24. January 2017
After last week's Tuesday View, I began to carry out my plan of cutting back and cleaning up in the South Border. I trimmed down Pennisetum setaceum rubrum first. This allows the plants behind to get more sunlight. What chiefly shows up is my still-small Cereus peruvianus, which I expect will eventually dominate the lower half of the border. It has some growing to do, but then it has a reputation as a fast grower. Then there are the sweet peas - my young seedlings just visible - which will be...
18. January 2017
At the risk of repeating myself, the garden does seem to be just between two seasons at present. A good clean-up of the borders is in order, and in the South Border this will mean cutting back the grasses to allow more light in to irises and such. The Muhlenbergia plumes have completely faded, as have most on the Pennisetum; but they still catch the light beautifully, so I've been in no hurry to cut them..
11. January 2017
Now that the holidays are past and the weather has changed a good deal, I am restarting the Tuesday View, inspired by Cathy's meme at Words and Herbs. While so many gardens lie under ice or snow right now, the small sunny garden is enjoying a desert winter, so it seems like a good time to take a quick look at what is changing. At first glance, the South Border looks much like it did a month ago, except that the grasses are fading.
07. January 2017
So yesterday I felt ever so slightly guilty. I was hearing about cold temperatures and snow, from Copenhagen to Houston to Italy. And I went out in the sunny garden to plant out my sweet peas.
17. December 2016
Well, this post is two days late as the holidays have kept me busy, but it seemed a shame not to go ahead and post for December's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Not surprisingly, given the mild weather, there is plenty to choose from! Most of the bloom is from long-flowering plants enjoying the cool temperatures, not to mention a bit of much-appreciated moisture. (A little more would be even more appreciated!) I have put in only a few cool-season bedding annuals so far. The most noticeable are...
29. November 2016
This week's flower selection began with snipping a single trumpet off the newly arrived flowers of Rhodophiala bifida, commonly known as Oxblood Lily. A Hippeastrum relative, it has a reputation for growing well in very rugged conditions of the hot and dry sort. Not surprisingly, it has a tendency to bloom in response to rain, and a couple days worth of showers last week popped the first one out of the ground. This first blooming stem has grown to about a foot tall; like another relative,...
16. November 2016
It is the middle of the month now, the middle of November at that! Time for a look at what is blooming in the garden with Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. This is a lush season here in the desert, as temperatures are quite comfortable. It might be even lusher if we could get some rain, but so far that hasn't happened. Perhaps a little later... Meantime, here is what the garden is doing. This month I divided the plants according to seasonality, only to find that...
01. November 2016
This week's view of the South Border was photographed earlier than usual in the day. The grasses are both a wealth of delicate color and texture, and they look perfect with the sunlight glowing through from the east. It was perfect for the miniature rose also.
31. October 2016
This week's vase is made of some of the lighter components of the garden: plants that yield those wonderful airy flowers that often serve as filler and "back-of-the-border" types, along with various grass flowers.