Saga of the Spiders: Chapter 1: NYC Spiders move to Tucson

Early last October, two little spiders arrived at my home in Tucson, via the US Mail. These two cute little guys, had journeyed clear the way from my wonderful, dear friends home in NYC, where they had so far lived all of their short lives in her warm and cozy kitchen. I promptly planted them both, in outdoor pots, as the weather was still very warm, and I don't have much luck with houseplants. The picture below, shows them both, newly planted.

October passed and one of them remained upright and frisky, mingling in with all the other plants and enjoying the company of the exotic pointy plants he discovered around him. The other though, was wilty and sad, and didn't want to mix with the other plants, but moped a little more as each night got a little colder.

Sometime mid November I brought the wilty one inside, gave him a nice glass of water with some rocks to twirl new roots into. I placed him on the sill of a window with a view out to the other plants, and he settled right into his solitary new home. I'll keep him in water for awhile, and let the new roots get strong, then maybe next Spring when it warms up he can join the hardy crowd outside!

Here are pictures of the two of them!

Thanksgiving skies in the desert

The cloud show started the day before Thanksgiving. I just happened to be outside right before sunset and the sky was an ever changing canvas of cloud, color and light. The palms and Cyprus were great silhouettes against the sky.




Each direction held a new color palette.

To the south it was as though the light and dark were colliding in the sky.

I could see rain streaks in the distance when I looked to the west.

Looking North to the Catalina Mountains, the storm clouds seemed to be just rolling in.

The clouds are a dark lid on the sky in my view to the West.

It was raining when I woke up on Thanksgiving morning and stepping outside this was my view. A dark heavily clouded day, with a darker shelf of storm clouds. The lone black bird flying across the cloudy sky was a surprise when I viewed the pictures.

It rained off and on yesterday, and then again last night but this morning the sky is blue and the sun is shining brightly. There are still clouds in the distance but they are a distant thought. The second sunflower decided the sun was back to stay and unfurled her beauty this morning.

Wishes of peace and thankfulness to all...

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Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!
I am ever so thankful that after most of November passing in a blur for me, life is finally going to settle down a little and I can have a little time for flower sniffing! My "pies" are coming for a late Thanksgiving on Sunday, and I am looking forward to some much needed time off. We are having rain for Thanksgiving here in Tucson, with some colder temps as well. It should drop below 40 at night but not yet freezing. I am not looking forward to freezing at all!

The garden has been doing very well without my attention and the week has brought a few surprises with it.
A neighbor gave me the potted Wandering Jew plant below. I was so surprised to see the little flower on it the other day. I guess I knew these did bloom but I've not seem many actually blooming so it was a treat. I think the contrasting purple colors between vine and bloom are just amazing.

The little snail vine I planted at the base of the bird feeder suffered a good deal of transplant shock. It probably didn't help to have birds trampling it down but after a few months, it has valiantly recovered. I noticed it put out the very first bud, since being planted. I can't wait to see the first flower.

I was happily surprised to find this little dahlia growing in my front flower bed. The pink dahlia I had purchased had never done well in the pot, and it finally seemed to die. I planted the root-ball, although all the top stems had died, in the front flower bed. I really didn't expect anything to grow but I am thrilled that it is. I hope it survives the winter. We really haven't had any truly cold weather yet.

The Sky Flower is putting out the first "golden dew drops". See the little green fruits on it? They should turn a golden color.

The Tangerine tree gave a great crop of fruit this year. They are fat and juicy and taste amazing!

Flowers wearing their Fall colors and a Curved Billed Thrasher claims the Cholla

As I walk through my garden this November I am just captivated by the deeper colors the flowers have with the colder weather. The blooms also last longer, and dry in vivid colors on the vine. They are just gorgeous-so I captured pictures of some of them.

This one is a Lavender Lady bloom, that stayed for a few days and then dried in this graceful pose.

The pink Hibiscus blooms are smaller, and a deep deep pink color now. This plant has bloomed more now that the weather is cooler than it did all summer. The blooms dry to a beautiful maroon- I am going to try and pick them and see if they will last dried.

The orange Hibiscus bloomed quite a bit all summer, and the flowers now are much smaller. The color though has completely changed from a gorgeous bright tangerine to an almost blood red orange. They dry a deep orange and Burgundy.

When I wrote last Sunday's post I had thought that the owner of the bird nests in the Cholla was the Cactus Wren who was calling out from the Cholla a few days earlier. However I've since met the real owner of the big nest inside the Cholla- a Curve billed Thrasher, with bright orange eyes and a curved bill. I caught her out searching for food and she made a dash for home. It was the big nest in the center of the big Cholla. She seemed right at home there, and very defensive about me so I didn't get close. What a beautiful bird though.

The Sunflower that sprouted from leftover bird seed, has opened at last. It is just beautiful.

And a couple of pictures of the bird area.

I was going to plant these pansies in this pot the other day, when the pot broke on me. I planted them anyway, in what was left of the pot, and they seem to be fine. They are so pretty, and remind me of home!

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Desert Wren encounter for Green Thumb Sunday

I was standing near the big scary Cholla yesterday, contemplating the Cape Honeysuckle and the affect of the lower night temperatures on the blooms, when I heard the distinct sound of the Cactus Wren. I looked up and perched on the Cholla, staring right at me was a darling little Cactus Wren, one of the inhabitants of the many nests in my big Cholla cactus. I quick put the camera up and took a few pictures, as she chittered and hopped among the thorny limbs. These birds are known to be quite outgoing and she seemed to be quite at ease being so near to me, but still protected in her thorny home. In reading a little about the Cactus Wren I discovered that they build many nests, but only one is the real nest for the babies, the others are decoy nests that serve as roosts. That would make sense why there are several nests in this cactus, the newest being almost in the center of the plant, and very protected by the sharp thorny arms of the cactus- hopefully her protection doesn't become her killer in the end. These little birds live on a diet of mostly insects, and a little fruit, so I love having them in my yard. The Cactus Wren is also the official state bird of Arizona. The second picture below is a shot of the newest nest in the Cholla.

I wanted to post the tiny lavendar bouganvilla flowers that are forming at last. Now all three of my Bouganvilla have begun to bloom. It was a long wait for some color on these but definitely worth the wait.

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Happy Green Thumb Sunday!

Bloomin Tuesday- November in my desert garden

I am really enjoying the slightly cooler weather and watching as the garden goes through Fall changes. Although I had some plants last Fall, I had only a handful and I didn't have the focus on my garden then, as I do now, so this feels like my first Fall gardening experience.
It can get fairly cold here but so far the days are still warm with much cooler nights. The average this week was 90s in the day and 48-50 overnight. I can't decide if I need the cooler or the heater but the garden seems to be thriving! When I lived in colder states, I would so dread the cold and ice and snow. I feel so blessed to be enjoying the sunshine and living in the place that is right for me.
Here are some pictures from my November garden. Hope you enjoy the little tour!
The Dahlia keeps putting out blooms- this plant has been incredible all summer long! It's mate, the pink variety didn't make it. I don't understand how two plants, bought together and treated the same could have such different results.

The little Baja Fairy Duster- another amazing little plant that is just bloom bloom bloom ever since it went into the ground.

The pink and orange Hibiscus both continue to bloom. Doesn't the pink one below look like a lipstick?

The Lavender Lady Passion Flower below has blooms that seem to want to shoot into the sky. They are actually lasting a few days now that the weather isn't so hot. The white Passion Flower isn't blooming currently but seems to be concentrating on sending out growth at every possible angle. It also has a couple of good sized caterpillars that I've let munch away, figuring I may as well share a little of the vine which is starting to be quite large indeed. Hopefully they will make their cocoons where I can watch! If they only knew what fame awaited them on the internet!

I'm not sure what kind of cactus this is in the picture below- I bought it before things like proper names mattered to me. Anyone know? This one bloomed in the summer and seems to be putting a new round of blooms out.

The little Blue Plumbago plant I bought is just blooming like crazy. I love this plant- it never missed a beat when being transplanted from pot to ground. I am thinking I need to plant more of these next year. I'd love to see it all over the fence!

The Sky Flower is gorgeous. I am anxiously awaiting the little golden fruits to form. This is another plant that has really impressed me with the way it took off right after planting.

See what is growing up around the bird feeders? This is one of three, and I think they are Sunflowers, sprouted from bird seed gone astray! I hope it doesn't get real cold and wipe these out!

The Lantana is just beautiful. The Texas variety is the first picture below. This plant has done really nicely and the yellow/orange/red colors are just striking. The next is the Purple Trailing Lantana. I have this in a couple places in my yard, and the area that gets afternoon shade is doing the best. The plants in full sun seem a little scraggly but still blooming some. The last picture is New Gold Lantana- one of the first blooms on some tiny plants I planted in August. I've got these mingled in with the purple variety in a sunny area.

Happy Bloomin' Tuesday! Don't forget to Vote!!!!!
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