An unlucky caterpillar and my first "real" Crepe Myrtle bloom

I noticed this little guy late in the day. I have tried to keep the caterpillars off my passion vine but I have obviously not been completely successful. Figuring his eating days were over, I let him be to make his cocoon.

The next morning, this is what I found. It looks like something came along and took a bite out of him when he still had about a half of a cocoon to make. I have quite a few ants patrolling this vine so I wonder if that is what happened. It hasn't changed since, and I doubt I'll see a butterfly come from this.

Next is my first bud opening on my Centennial Spirit Crepe Myrtle. I had some earlier buds, but they opened shortly after I bought the plant. This is the first one that counts!

This mystery vine continues to grow tall and strong. And the same thing seems to be popping up in other flower beds as well as you can see from the next picture. I still can't figure out what they are- help anyone?

Here is one of the babies sprouted up in a front flower bed.

This poor cactus got bumped and one of the arms got broken off on both ends. I planted one and and the other seems to have sprouted some babies- I was sure smiling when I discovered these!

Happy Green Thumb Sunday!

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SkyWatch Friday- A Rainbow over the desert

It was a rainy day, off and on, today in Tucson. I was greeted with a soft rain when I got up and then later in the day, on my way home there was this gorgeous rainbow stretched completely over my house. A second rainbow shadow was very faint showed up along one side and is visible in the first picture.

Go here to see my other desert SkyWatch pictures.

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Bloomin' Tuesday- Garden mascots and a new salad greens bed started

Here is the huge cantaloupe plant my son brought home a few months ago. It spread and spread but only produced one melon that has gotten to be any size. Over the weekend I pulled all of this out, except for the main plant and the strands that go up the far wall, climbing the "Cats Claw" vine. In that little hanging clump is the one melon, still not much bigger than a softball, but I had to leave it just to see what happens.




Here is the main plant, after the rest of the mess was removed.



Once the cantaloupe was removed I discovered two small strawberry plants and a couple of spiders hiding under the mess! I had forgotten they were even in there.

The newly cleared bed is planted (around those 2 strawberry plants) with a mix of 7 salad greens, and spinach. Of course you can't see it yet, but give it a couple weeks and there should be green sprouts everywhere! I haven't done many veggies yet, so this should be fun!




And here is that baby cantaloupe hiding in the mass of Cats Claw- do you think I'll ever taste this one?




And some blooms for Bloomin Tuesday! Although I tend to have a real mix of plant types in my yard, I do try and keep the big front area limited to plants that once established will not require much water. I am sometimes amazed at how well these plants can do, compared to those that I have to plant and then baby along. This little Ruella brittoniana (Mexican Petunia) was just planted last weekend and it is sending out blooms like crazy! Not one sign of transplant shock in this little guy, and he is smack in the middle of an unshaded sunny area. Makes me think I should stick more to the native plants.




And finally my new garden mascots! I bought these down in Mexico the other day. I love the little deer guy- I think that is what he is supposed to be anyway!



Have a wonderful Bloomin' Tuesday everyone!

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Green Thumb Sunday- Late summer blooms and baby cactus!

The pale peach dahlias are blooming all the time these days, but the pink one next to it, hasn't given me a single bloom yet! I seem to have better luck with orange shaded blooms over pink somehow! The Angel Trumpet is still in glorious bloom- the scent is amazing! I still haven't planted it though- I am nervous beyond belief about this one.




I just planted this "Mexican Petunia" the other day, in the big area in the front of my house. I try and keep drought tolerant plants in this area, and this one should spread and do really well without a huge amount of water, once it gets established.




Another Hibiscus bloom- I know I've shown them so many times but I never get tired of seeing them- With the yellow and red tipped stamen they appear other worldly to me! This little tangerine one is prolific bloomer but my pink hibiscus is stingy with her blooms!




The first buds are starting to form on my "Red Rocket" Crepe Myrtle! Another new addition to the big front area. I have 3 Crepe Myrtle now, and all are small and recently started. One pink (Centennial Spirit) , one white (Natchez) and this Red Rocket which will have red blooms of course.




Baja Fairy Duster: The summer has been good to this little plant, and that whole top shoot with the 3 flowers is new growth. I counted 11 flowers at one time- this little guy just blooms and blooms!




My night blooming cactus (a Cereus I think?) has also been a constant bloomer, with a bud in progress at all times. The first pictures shows the latest bloom, just as it started to open at night, and then the next morning before it started to close.




These last three were a big surprise for me. Babies showing up in the Parodia that was the subject of my very first Green Thumb Sunday! And are the babies not the sweetest little things you've ever seen? I had no idea that cactus babies started out with a set of leaves like these have! These 3 are my first Parodia babies and am I ever proud!


Well that sums up the week in my desert garden. What is blooming in yours?


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Bloomin' Tuesday- Will the real Lavender Lady please stand up?

My first Passion Vine purchased was labeled a "Lavender Lady", but when it bloomed the flowers were definitely not lavender. Take a look at the blooms from the original plant here.

I had purchased another unlabeled Passion and it has finally produced some blooms and lo and behold, this one is a true "Lavender Lady"
The blooms are gorgeous, a deep violet color, and when fully open they look like they are almost going to take off in flight.
Now if only my Ruby Glow Passion would flower. I read somewhere that the Ruby Glow doesn't flower in Arizona- I sure hope I can prove that wrong!

Which is your favorite?

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Green Thumb Sunday- Angel Trumpets

I completely fell in love with this plant yesterday at the nursery. It is a Brugmansia (Angel Trumpet).

When I got home and started reading about them I discovered they are very poisonous and have actually been the cause of some teenage deaths due to them ingesting the flowers, in an attempt to get the hallucinogenic effects. Evidentially they were used by Indians of ancient cultures as well for this same reason. I seem to run into quite a few of my favorite plants being poisonous- the Mescal Bean trees have that quality too.

Regardless they are beautiful and the scent is amazing. The blooms smell a little like baby powder to me, with an exotic fruity smell crossed in with it. Truly heavenly!

The Angels Trumpet is good down to 10 degrees so it should winter just fine here, and since they like a little shade, I can plant it on the side of the house near the bird sanctuary and it should do well there. It looks like this comes in many other colors as well- oh no! Here I go again!

Happy Green Thumb Sunday everyone!

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Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors Saguaro

My neighbor just up the street is so lucky! She actually has this gorgeous cactus in her very own yard! I've always wished I had a Saguaro, but will have to do with coveting my neighbors. I took these pictures at sunset the other night. I love the contrast between the sky and the cactus and I never tire of watching the sun set over the Saguaro.

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Bloomin' Tuesday- A new Passion plant!

I just can't seem to pass up a new variety of Passion Flower, so when I saw this one labeled "Ruby Glow" with a dark red flower and purple filaments I couldn't pass it up. I planted it on the fence, and hopefully it will grow wild and cover up the view into the neighbors yard.

My neighbor seems to have been a victim of the mortgage problem, disappearing into the night a month or so ago and the yard is horribly overgrown with weeds. It makes my weed problem look mild. The pictures above show the passion plant in the pot from the nursery, one of the amazing tendrils on the plant and then the final one of it on the fence. No blooms yet but I am hopeful!

One cool thing about this plant is that the plant puts out small yellow dots, which resemble butterfly eggs. It is thought that this is one defense the plant has evolved in the ongoing war between Passion plant and butterflies/caterpillars. Evidently butterflies don't like to deposit their eggs in a communal setting, and seeing the yellow spots they think someone else has already taken that spot.

The last picture below is my little Hibiscus plant- 3 blooms today! Definitely a record for me!

Happy Bloomin' Tuesday everyone!

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Early September morning in my desert garden

I was up early, watched the sun come up and then took a walk outside about 6:30 AM. Here is an overall shot of the bird area. Of course the minute I stepped outside the birds all flew away. I am tempted to remove the screen from my office window so I can get some good bird pictures! The snail plant at the bottom of the bird contraption is a little worse for wear, with the birds trampling it and it having a bit of transplant shock but it is coming along, and will rebound better than ever I hope!

The "Texas" Lantana is taking off.




And finally, at long last the "Cape Honeysuckle" is starting to bloom. This is one of the older plants I have, actually planted over a year ago. I have seen them in bloom all over town, and wondered what I was doing wrong with mine, when it finally started sending out buds the other day. It has grown like wild, and I probably need to prune it back but for now wild is fine, and I will definitely enjoy the bright orange flowers. Look close at the first one, and you can see some shiny black beetle like bugs connecting in a buggy kind of way. There are also a couple of them running down the stalk portion. I am not sure what these are but they are running rampant on this plant and don't appear to be doing it harm. That I can see anyway. Guess I should do some research.






And last the "Texas Sage" is in full bloom again, following a rainy week. I thought the flowers were just gorgeous in the morning sunshine.
Happy Green Thumb Sunday everyone!

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SkyWatch Friday- Desert Showers

I was driving home from the Phoenix area, after visiting my daughter and grandkids and just as I hit the Tucson area I noticed this raincloud off the interstate. I had to pull over and capture it for SkyWatch Friday.

We've had a good deal of rain here. Notice the tall green grass in the forefront of the top picture- you will only see green like that in the desert during the monsoon season.

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