It's only Oleander

Oleander is everywhere in Tucson. It is as common as the cactus here and used extensively in landscaping. I tend to look past the Oleander in my yard, but the other day when working in a couple small raised beds I have in the area near the citrus trees, I happened to notice it was in full bloom, and just how lovely it was. I have three colors of Oleander but have never known what variety they were. The pink ones are along the fence on the Southern side of my property.

The red is my favorite- It grows in the SW corner of my property, leaning out over the sidewalk.

The White Oleander that surround my back yard, providing a privacy barrier are huge! These get watered with the run off from my washing machine, so they tower over the other Oleander which don't get additional watering.



I did a little Oleander research for this post and discovered there is an International Oleander Society. Their website has great information, and a nice variety listing. I was amazed at all the pretty colors available. If you check out the website don't miss the poetry section. There is some beautiful Oleander themed Haiku and poetry there. I really enjoyed it. And the folklore section- Did you know that one Greek legend has it that Leander was a man who swam the Hellespont every night to see his beloved and one night he was drowned. His beloved wandered the beach calling "Oh Leander" and when she found his body a small white flower was in his hands. She kept it as a symbol of their love. I also confirmed what I had heard, that Oleander is extremely poisonous. Pretty to look at, with a very interesting history, but don't serve it up for dinner!

Goodnight Tucson

Goodnight from Tucson....Please visit SkyWatch Friday for other interpretations of the sky.

The decorative side of the garden

As I have mentioned many times in my blog, my big yard is far from picture perfect. Much of the Northwest side of my house (the bird area) has now had a wide variety of plants put in, and I've got a rather funky bird feeder my son built me, and then the especially funky bird bath I created from a cement cylinder, a clay dish, rocks and the side from some big spools. It probably suits the birds ok, but it leaves quite a bit to be desired by most human standards.

I've browsed local stores but really haven't found much of anything, but the standard stuff, so I was particularly excited to get an opportunity to review a product for a company that specializes in outdoor furniture. The website has so many cool products for the yard and garden I was amazed. I was especially taken with the garden art- actual paintings done on aluminum that are made to survive outdoor weather. They have some really neat fountains and just about anything you can imagine for your yard and garden. And the birdbaths-so many cool designs-some that have a sundial integrated into them. Check out the website and watch for my upcoming review.

Garden of Earth Day Delights

Work has kept me so busy I haven't had time for blogging or visiting blogs lately. However when I came home from work yesterday and walked through the garden, my heart went pitter pitter pat, at how incredible everything was looking. I had 4 cactus open their blooms for Earth Day! This first one is a Gymnocalycium mesopotamicum. I am really falling in love with all the Gymnocalycium in my collection now that they are blooming.

This one was just labeled Echinopsis Hybrid- the furry buds are so cute and the red blooms amazing!

I don't know what kind of cactus produced this gorgeous pink flower. I do know that it looked dead after the winter here- all purple and wilted- and didn't come back much with the sun. However it did produce a bloom- and what a bloom it is!

This little orange bloom is on a Mantucana weberbaueri cactus. I love the orange blooms!


I hope everyone had a wonderful Earth Day!

Gymnocalycium- putting on a show for Cactus Monday

This cactus is called a Gymnocalycium baldianum. The blooms start out red with brownish tones, and as they age the blooms turn more of a pink color.

Head on over to Teri's Painted Daisies and join in the prickly posting on this fine Cactus Monday.

You could be my neighbor

The house next door to me is up for sale. It was a victim of the mortgage crisis and the price I heard was really low- just barely over 100,000. The house and yard need a new owner- and I could use a new neighbor. Could it be you?
There are rose bushes going up the front walkway that sure need some love from a dedicated green thumb type.

Theres a two car garage and extra room inside.

I've been taking care of a couple of the trees for you. I think this one is a Kumquat- and I couldn't bear to see it die. So I've watered and added compost- it is setting blooms now!

This little apple tree actually set fruit last year but being neglected it never got very big. I had my son clear out the weeds, add soil and compost and I've started watering this one too. When you become my neighbor we can chat over the fence and compare our gardening stories. I'll have to confess the Pomegranate tree but it was ahhh.... errrr....Rescued from certain death. I'll buy you a new one I promise and you can have the first fruit if there ever is any. :)

My last neighbor was a gardener and he put quite a bit of love into his yard, but most of it has died now, and the back yard is overtaken with weeds. It would be nice to gain a neighbor who gardens and give this house an owner who cares. Could you be my neighbor? :)

April Roses

The pink and yellow roses that came to me with my home are just gorgeous again this year. Even the crazy wind we are having hasn't done too much to them, as they are in a protected area by my house.
I tried planting some bare-root roses but not many of them have done very well. Then I learned that bare-root roses are not good for my area- live and learn I guess! A couple of them have lived, but they sure don't bloom like these older ones.

Anticipation

Watching and waiting- seems I spend quite a bit of time pondering when this or that one will bloom. This little cactus is a Gymnocalycium stenopleurum. It "almost" opened up a few days ago, late in the afternoon. Then we had a couple days of rain and the blooms closed up tight again. Maybe today? It reminds me of the old Carly Simon song, "Anticipation- it's making me wait- its keeping me waiting"

Have a wonderful Cactus Monday!

And to see more delightful thorny things head on over to Teri's Painted Daisies.

Happy Easter

We have had a couple of rainy days and nights here in Tucson, not to mention some outrageous winds too. The rain has been nice and my garden enjoyed it too. Here are a few blooms from Easter afternoon.
The little Pomegranate tree only has a few blooms, but the first one cracked open today. The flowers in a fluorescent orange color, and is housed in a little red shell that resembles a tiny pomegranate. I can't wait until the bloom fully opens.

The pink rose bush that came with my home is going crazy with lovely blooms! I am so glad roses are forgiving of butchering.

And a twin set of blooms from the African Iris I bought last summer. It is doing well in the very shady area in the entry way of my home.

Happy Easter to one and all! Hope everyone has their taxes done- I don't! :)

A sunset walk in April

I took a little walk through my neighborhood the other day, just as the sun was setting. It seems to me that the sunsets here are always beautiful but in the warmer months they are downright amazing. The sky was blue and pink and orange and purple and it appeared that all of the colors of the day were being sucked down off the edge of the earth.

Take a tour of the skies around the world by visiting SkyWatch Friday and joining in the fun.

It's a cruel, cruel world

As I was watering my little "veggie patch" yesterday I heard a little squawk and found this baby Cactus Wren, on the other side of the fence, in the overgrown weeds of the foreclosed home next door to me.

At first I thought he was just checking things out, until he turned around and I saw that "something" had gotten most of his tail feathers. The poor thing- most likely will be dinner for a cat.

Although I've done some bird rescue in the past, with 3 dogs, 2 jobs and everything else in my life, I didn't see how I could save this one. I had second thoughts a little later and tried to find the little guy but by then he was gone. I suppose it is for the best- I can't imagine how I would have handled a bird that couldn't fly and these dogs that have Houdini qualities. Still it makes me sad- I watch the mom and dad Cactus Wrens in my yard everyday and hope that somehow this little guy will be ok.

Maricopa Arizona- home of my "pies"

My daughter and grandkids, the "pies" live in the little town of "Maricopa", which is a bedroom community of the Phoenix area. The town consists mostly of large housing developments where the houses are large and beautiful, but placed very close together so there isn't much of a side yard at all. The landscaping is just getting going as the neighborhood was new but there were still plenty of cool plants to see. I took a walk with two of my pies the other day- wanna come along?

Hey- Wait UP for ME!

I think this is a little Bottle Brush plant- I have one at home which refuses to bloom.

I think this is a Yucca that is flowering.

And a close up of the flower stalk.

I thought this cactus was really neat, the way the babies are all growing on the side. I think it is a golden barrel. I have a golden barrel at home that doesn't seem to do much at all. No blooms- no babies either.

And I think this is some kind of Agave- putting up its once in a lifetime flower stalk, after which the plant will die. Kind of beautiful and tragic isn't it?

And a close-up of the flower stalk

I don't know what this little plant is but it had almost completely covered the front yard of one home. It seemed like a great ground cover and I would love to try this one at home to cover up some of the endless dirt I have.

And the most exciting find of the afternoon was this Bee Swarm! Another hive waiting to happen here- the pies thought this was pretty darn cool! Click on this one to really see all the bees!

I hope you enjoyed the little tour of a Maricopa neighborhood. The neat and clean yards sure put my chaotic one to shame, but my heart belongs to the wild side and although it is always hard to leave the pies, I was glad to come home to Tucson.