The status of my garden 123001

My sunflowers are GROWING and growing! Look how tall they are! And, I also have California poppies and African daisies sprouting and growing out front. This area gets full sun and is right up against our front fence. Out back, the sweet peas are growing up our chain link fence. I also planted some other seeds there and they are coming up. I constantly have to weed this area as many weeds are enjoying the water and fertilizer! HA! The neighborhood scrub blue jay is still around. I saw him out front yesterday morning (I feed the birds out there...) AND I saw a mountain woodpecker! That's two mountain birds down here in our desert! I know it was a mountain woodpecker because I've seen them up in our local mountains! What is going on? Have a safe, happy, and enjoyable NEW YEAR!

Red berries~Ruby Tuesday 122909

From yesterday's yellow Chinaberries, to red berries today for Ruby Tuesday! These were found up at the ranch where I board my horses in our local mountains near Palm Springs, CA. Ruby Tuesday for December 29, 2009.

Mellow Yellow Monday 122809~Chinaberry berries

I've been experimenting with the macro setting on my camera lately. These are Chinaberry tree berries, which are still hanging on the tree. In spring, mockingbirds will eat these berries. HOWEVER, they are toxic to pets and livestock! The birds do LOVE the berries. We also have a tree in our backyard, but our tree still has its leaves. Our pets have never bothered the berries, but mockingbirds sure LOVE them! This tree is up in our local mountains, where I board my 5 horses. Mellow Yellow Monday for December 28, 2009.

Cacti~Today's Flowers 122709

We don't have many natural flowers blooming here in our desert right now, but I found these cacti in our archives. Something different! Today's Flowers for December 27, 2009.

"W" is for...ABC Wednesday 12 23 09

wings. And, here are two very different examples of wings, from the small hummingbird to the big black bird. Both photos were taken at the Living Desert Reserve here in Palm Desert, CA. ABC Wednesday for December 23, 2009.

Ruby Tuesday~Candy Canes 122209

I spotted this house with candy cane lights over the weekend when hubby and I were out for a walk and couldn't resist taking a picture of it. Ruby Tuesday for December 22, 2009. For other Ruby Tuesday entries, please visit: http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Yellow beauties~Mellow Yellow Monday 122009

I found these yellow beauties yesterday morning, when I was out & about early. I don't know what they are...I just enjoyed their color! Mellow Yellow Monday for December 21, 2009, the shortest day of the year!

Today's Flowers~Orange Canna Lily ~December 14, 2009

I decided to post this photo because I'm tired of looking at gray skies and I wanted to see some color! More rain is forecast today (the 3rd day)...sigh...Today's Flowers for December 14, 2009. One good note: the rains have sprouted my California poppies and African daisies! They are just babies now and when I have something to post, I'll post pics of them. I believe this is an orange canna lily, but I could be wrong and there was no identification on it that I remember. HELP!

Today's Flowers~Arboretum~120609

HA~NOT my garden! No, these beautiful flowers are at the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia, CA. Today's flowers for December 6, 2009.

Desert storm ~SkyWatch Friday 120409

I have previously scattered some African daisy and California poppy seeds out in front of my fence, where I grew them last year, but we haven't had any real rain here in the desert yet and I've had to soak the area with the hose. A few scraggly plants have sprouted, but nothing great, considering the amount of seeds I threw out there. So, last weekend, I was thrilled when our desert got its first sprinkles! And, another storm is forecast next week. One with REAL drizzles! YEAH! So, I threw out two more packets of daisy and poppy seeds and I'm hoping that with next week's rain, they will sprout and thrive. For some reason, seeds really need the natural rainwater. Maybe our water district's water is too hard? This is a peek looking back toward the San Jacinto Mountains Sunday morning. SkyWatch Friday for December 4, 2009.

"S" is for sunflowers~ABC Wednesday 112509

These are some photos of my sunflower garden in the front of my yard last spring. I planted the seeds next to my front fence in December 2008. By April, they were 6 feet tall! We used to have a huge eucalyptus tree in that spot, but during a windstorm a few years previous, it fell over onto our fence. Our son came by and replaced the broken fence boards and I had a large bare spot. So, I figured I'd plant sunflowers there and see how they did. They grew and grew and grew! I'm sure it wasn't up to code, and my neighbors on one side sprayed the next crop with ROUNDUP, but I, and others, enjoyed these sunflowers that year. ABC Wednesday for November 25, 2009.

Cactus Blossoms~Cactus Monday 112309

I found this beautiful cactus blooming at the Living Desert Reserve in May one year. I couldn't resist a closer look, like many of the insects that visit cacti. While I don't have any cactus in my own garden, I always enjoy seeing them at the Living Desert. See the blossom that hasn't opened yet? Cactus Monday for November 23, 2009.

My African Daisies~Today's Flowers~110809

These are some pics of my African daisies from my front yard last spring. I threw out the seeds last December and by April, they were in full bloom. I threw out seeds again a couple of weeks ago, but they haven't germinated yet and a neighbor threw dirt and debris from the street all over them, so I'm going out this morning to toss more seeds out and rake the area out by my front fence. Today's Flowers for November 8, 2009

Yellow morning light~Mellow Yellow Monday 110209

When the time changed, I went out into my front yard and noticed the light hitting my chimes. I'm never home at this time during the week, so I was amazed to see how pretty the morning light was yesterday. Mellow Yellow Monday for November 2, 2009.

Another setback (...sigh...) My garden destroyed

As I've posted before, I have had problems with my neighbors to the east of me. Last spring, they instructed their gardener to spray ROUNDUP on my sunflowers, which were NOT in their front yard. Instead, they were quietly growing next to MY FENCE on MY PROPERTY!!! So, he trespassed on my property and did the deadly deed. I asked my other neighbor, a landscaper, if she would confirm it, and she did. There was an oily residue on them and they turned completely brown in a couple of days. Mind you, these were healthy plants. I confronted them and we had a nasty screaming contest. I told them that they were my third graders' science project and, of course, they denied everything. I KNOW they did it, additionally, because their other neighbor, 2 houses away, had the same thing happen to his flowers. IDIOTS! We haven't spoken since.
So, imagine my HORROR when I went out to water my African daisy seeds and California poppy seeds on Friday morning. SOMEBODY came by and THREW dirt and debris that I had raked up from the day I raked over the planting bed and threw it on top of my seeds to make a point that I needed to pick it up. I DID pick it up, except for a small pile on the street outside the planting area.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? Here I am, trying to make my property a little greener, a little more attractive, and some IDIOT came by and threw dirt and rocks on top of my little area of heaven? I mean, how cruel is that?
So I'm off this morning to Home Depot to buy more seeds....sigh...what can I say? They KNEW it was recently planted as I had spread mulch over it.

New garden by street~That's My World 102709

I spent Sunday morning raking the area out in my front yard where I had my sunflowers last spring. At that time I gathered up many of the seeds from the dried flowers and I kept them over the summer. I planted not only sunflowers, but also some four o'clocks, African daisies, and California poppies. I got tired of waiting for rain to come. We've had zero rain this season! So, off I go to water them this morning. That's My World for Tuesday, October 27, 2009.

Sweet peas

My grandfather used to grow the most gorgeous and healthy sweet peas! He had a strip in his own garden at home and he planted one for my mom. They always grew over 6 feet tall and I could smell them on grandma's kitchen table when she cut them for a bouquet. I have decided to plant some where I had my sunflowers last season, then rotate the sunflowers there after the sweet peas dry out next spring. Anyway, that's the plan for now. We've had nice, cool days and nights, but the temps are shooting up to 99 degrees here this weekend, so I'll have to wait to plant the seeds. I bought about 7 packs at (...ugh...) Home Depot because Lowe's didn't have any last week. They will grow up the front fence and face the street, safe from our dogs.

Flowers~Mellow Yellow Monday 100509

My garden is dormant. We are between seasons. Everything has died over the summer and I'm still afraid to plant for fall in case we get another blast of heat. But, in the meantime, I visited my local Lowe's yesterday to check out the flowers. It is really too late to plant marigolds, and perhaps too early for pansies. I'll wait another two weeks before I plant anything. In the meantime, I cleaned out my planter yesterday. Mellow Yellow Monday for October 5, 2009.

Sunday Stills Challenge~Purple~091909

I found this purple bougenvilla at Target several years ago and planted it in my front yard on one of the posts on our porch. I didn't want the traditional hot pink one. I wanted a purple one, which is less common. It is beautiful here in the desert in the spring. Right now, it is resting after a long, hot summer, but next spring it will be back with its blossoms. Sunday Stills Challenge for September 19, 2009.

Flowers at Home Depot~Today's Flowers for 091309

NOT my flowers...no way, but aren't they gorgeous? I spotted these one afternoon at Home Depot last spring. Today's Flowers for September 13, 2009. I wish...(sigh)...

Today's Flowers~L.A. County Arboretum 090609

I grew up a block away from the back entrance to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and I visited it often as a child. I always loved the Queen Anne cottage and its carriage house and gardens. I took these photos a couple of years ago when, as an adult, I went back to visit the arboretum. Aren't the flowers gorgeous? Today's Flowers for Sunday, September 6, 2009.

"g" is for...ABC Wednesday 090209

"G" is for garden. This was my garden out in front of my house last spring. All is gone now, and I'm thinking about what to plant there soon. I'd like to put in some sweet peas, but behind them plant some sunflower seeds. And, of course, I'll plant African daisies again! ABC Wednesday for 090209

Cosmos~Today's Flowers 082609

Cosmos are a favorite here in the desert southwest. Aren't these beautiful? Today's flowers for August 26, 2009.

"F" is for flowers~ABC Wednesday 082609

HA! I wish my flowers looked like these. I took these pics at Lowes last spring. Aren't the flowers gorgeous? ABC Wednesday for August 26, 2009.

Shadow Shot Sunday~early morning desert 080909

I love to wake up early and grab my camera when I can. One spring morning this year, I walked up to the Santa Rosa visitors' center in Palm Desert and wandered through their gardens before the visitors arrived. I saw these lovely shadows against their rock wall. Shadow Shot Sunday for August 9, 2009. Enjoy your day!

Shadow Shot Sunday~reflection on wall 080209

One morning I went out back and just took photos of whatever I saw. My neighbor put up this block wall a couple of years ago and the morning sunlight made this nice shade pattern! Shadow Shot Sunday for August 2, 2009.

Texture~Sunday Stills Challenge for July 12, 2009

Not my garden, but these cacti are at the Living Desert Reserve, in Palm Desert, CA. Aren't they pretty? Sunday Stills Challenge~Texture~ for July 12, 2009.

Navajo garden Wupatki

Hubby and I stopped at Wupatki ruins yesterday afternoon. They have a demonstration garden there and I read with interest how they water it. They use a drip irrigation system and their sunflowers, I noticed, had much thicker stems than mine at home, which were so spindly that they bent over. I'm going to have to think about that when I replant them next month. Here is a picture of the garden at Wupatki.