If At First You Don't Succeed

This is what my turtle planter looked like after its original planting back in April. 

This past April, my parents got me the most amazing planter for my birthday. It is a resin sea turtle with room for 13 different plants. Oh, I was in heaven. I went to my favorite shop for cacti and succulents - Moss & Timber - and spent I don't know how long picking the perfect mix of plants. I got them planted, packed them in with moss, and enjoyed the beauty of it. 

And the turtle more recently. Poor thing. 

Well, unfortunately the beauty didn't last. The planter is in a spot that gets good light all day, but gets a bit of direct sun for about an hour or so. It is also a window that faces West so it is a hot location. No matter how hard I tried to pamper the poor plants, they kept dying on me. It was basically impossible to have the perfect mix of sun-loving, shade-loving, heat-loving plants. I tried replacing the dying plants as I went, but it was to no avail. The poor thing ended up looking just sad with only two plants still hanging on. 

And this is where I got creative. I have several areas in the house where I cannot grow plants. We have plant ledges in the living room that are dark and almost impossible to water. My bathroom is another area. It has only a tiny window that faces north. My solution is to visit the craft store and get fake plants. The way they are made these days, you need to look closely to tell if they are real or not. So I put the substitutes in those areas to get the look of plants without the upkeep. 

I repurposed shipping Styrofoam and brown paper from a shopping bag instead of using floral foam to get the turtle ready for "planting". 

And that is what I decided to do with my turtle. I repotted the two remaining plants and then cleaned out all the potting soil and moss. I didn't have any floral foam, but I had some Styrofoam from a package I received so I repurposed that to fill in the plant holes. Then I covered the Styrofoam with brown paper from a grocery bag and got ready to "plant". I also took a day to let the burns heal on my fingers. The hot glue gun is amazing, but I have never mastered the art of using it without getting the glue on myself. 

Ready to "plant". I love the selection of plants I got. 

I ended up ordering a set of 14 artificial succulents off of Etsy. I was ecstatic when they arrived. They are high quality and beautiful. I also ordered two combo packs of preserved moss. I glued the plants in place, using the hot glue again and poking the stems through the paper into the Styrofoam. Then I added the moss, making sure I didn't have the same kind on adjacent plants. 

Finished! I love how it came out. 

I am so pleased with how it came out! Now I have my beautiful turtle planter and I no longer need to juggle the needs of 13 different plants. 

The moral of this story is: If at first you don't succeed, fake it. Literally. There is no shame in using artificial plants in difficult areas. 

Happy Harvest!

Joyous Mabon! 

Today is the Autumnal Equinox, which means it is now officially Autumn. Part of being a Earth Witch is celebrating the changing of the season - even if those celebrations don't quite mean the same thing here in the desert. 

My French Lavender (Lavendula dentata) absolutely loves the heat.

In Britain and other parts of Europe, which is from where I pull many of my traditions, Mabon marks the harvest. Last night we had the Full Harvest Moon. Traditionally the field workers would use the light of the Harvest Moon to work through the night to get the harvest in before the frost. Cellars and barns would be brimming with potatoes, wheat, squash, turnips, and other crops. 

My glorious Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicum). It has a sharper taste than Genovese Basil
and has a hint of licorice,

Well, here in the desert the frost is not coming anytime soon. It is still in the high 80s and low 90s during the day and most of the local crops are in a second growing season - they plant once in late winter to harvest in the late spring and plant again in late summer to harvest in late Autumn. It does make it hard to get in the final harvest vibe, but I do have some plants that are ready to harvest or be cut back for propagation.

My Garden Sage (Salvia officinalus) is looking a little rough,
but I will still get a decent harvest.

I have some herbs that have done beautifully this summer. One is my French Lavender (Lavendula dentata). It has choked out the English Lavender and is threatening to take over the Garden Sage (Salvia officinalus). In the next couple of days I will cut back the lavender and then make the house smell heavenly as I run it through my dehydrator. 

I will also cut back the sage a bit. Some cabbage loopers got a hold of it and I need to remove the affected leaves before the little buggers get too strong a hold. 

Another herb that will be harvested this week is my Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicum). Oh, I love this stuff. It loves the heat and it has a wonderful sharp taste that is good in just about anything. 

I will also take the chance to harvest some of my Creeping Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis "Prostratus"). Rosemary is one of those Mediterranean plants that will grow like a weed in the desert provided it gets enough water.

Here in the desert, Mabon means a wonderful, fragrant harvest. Some of it will be used fresh within the next couple weeks. Some will be frozen and some will be dried. I invested in a dehydrator earlier in the year and I am glad I did. The traditional way of drying herbs - hanging them in bunches - doesn't work here because of all the dust. No one wants dusty Basil! And some of the herbs will be tied into smudging bundles. Mmmmmm ... my favorite is Rosemary/Sage. 

Welcome Autumn.     

Surviving The Heat

One thing about the desert is that it is never the same. One summer will be mild but extremely dry. Others are scorching and we get rain. One thing is for sure: we cannot depend on past seasons to predict the coming. Yes, climate change is real. And here at the edge of the desert the weather is going haywire. 

My Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicum var. thysiflora) and French Lavender (Lavandula dentata) are growing like weeds. 

We hit some record highs in July, including a couple of weeks of 117 degrees F or higher. And we never really cooled off. We did finally get our summer monsoon -  we haven't had significant rainfall during the summer for several years. But the heat made the rain almost pointless. My plants would get a good soaking rain, then the heat would spike again and the new tender growth would scorch. 

Underneath the wisteria is a wasteland. My Variegated Mock Orange (Pittosporum tobira "variegata") and my Columbines (Aquilegia sp.) are dead and the Periwinkle (Vinca minor) and Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) are barely clinging to life. They are doing a bit better since I started my nighttime waterings. 

September is probably the most frustrating month when it comes to gardening here. The nights are in the 70s, but it is still hitting the high 90s and low 100s during the day. I want so badly to go out and pamper my poor plants, but it is still too soon. If  I prune off the dead leaves and branches, it will just expose the new growth to the scorching sun. I cannot fertilize because ditto with the new growth. 

The opposite corner from the wisteria is also suffering. My gorgeous Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora) is dead. There is a shoot from my Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) behind it. I'm going to let it take over the corner. 

I have been sneaking out after sunset and putting some extra water on my plants. And I talk to them. I promise them that I will be out soon to take care of them. Just PLEASE hang on until then. Autumn is almost here. 

Planning For Autumn

One thing I love about St. George, Utah, is that they really want to help you design a sustainable desert garden. They have two desert gardens that contain plants that thrive in our climate and they provide all the info you need to design a garden. And I desperately need the help. Our summers here just keep getting hotter and this Autumn I need to replace the plants that didn't survive.

The Red Hills Desert Garden has a beautiful layout and includes zones for different types
of desert plant

Modesto Ash (Fraxinus velutina 'Modesto,').

My favorite is the Red Hills Desert Garden. It is beautifully laid out and it has just about any kind of plant you could ask for. I took advantage of slightly cooler weather on Friday ("only" 92 degrees) to wander around and pick some plants I want to use in my own outdoor gardens. 

First of all, the garden is broken up into zones, such as yuccas, agaves, and flowers. They even have a canyon in the center with some shade-loving plants. Each plant is marked with its common and Latin names and has a link for more information. It really is awesome. 

I have tentatively picked some plants that I will use. I might change my mind before Autumn, but at least I have a starting point. 

I really want to plant a Modesto Ash (Fraxinus velutina "Modesto") in the front garden where the Bradford pear was. It is a stronger tree, is more drought tolerant, and it grows faster. We really need a good shade tree. The front of the house faces west and the afternoon and evening sun is brutal. 

Color Guard Yucca (Yucca filamentosa "Color Guard")

Also in the front garden are four chrysanthemum bushes that just look sad. Technically they survived, but they are wilted and pathetic. They only bloomed once in the two years they have been in the ground and those blooms were barely two inches across. I am taking them out and I plan to replace them with Color Guard Yuccas (Yucca filamentosa "Color Guard"). The Color Guard is one of the smallest yuccas and it is the only one I could find that doesn't have dangerously spiky or sharp leaves. It will be right next to the front sidewalk so the small size and lack of pointy things is important. 

Artichoke Agave (Agave parryi var. truncata)

Another choice for the front garden is the Artichoke Agave (Agave parryi var. truncata). Like with the Color Guard Yucca, it is one of the smallest of its species so it won't outgrow the narrow space. And the leaves curve in so the ouchie parts are contained. Most agaves grow up and out, which again can be dangerous next to a sidewalk. 

Giant Lily Turf (Liriope gigantea)

For the back garden, I need some plants to replace my dead Mock Orange and Columbines underneath the Wisteria. It is mostly shady thanks to the Wisteria's canopy, but thanks to the heat and water restrictions, they just didn't make it. The only survivor is the Star Jasmine on the back wall. I am thinking of putting in three or four Giant Lily Turfs (Liriope gigantea). They make pretty mounds and have nice lavender flower spikes. And they should love the shade. 

Desert Zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora)

I am also thinking of adding a couple Desert Zinnias (Zinnia grandiflora) where the shade gives out and we get more sun. It has gorgeous yellow flowers and it can take the heat. They are supposed to bloom all Summer and Autumn, so they should be a nice dash of added color. 

I am also pondering some White Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes candida) or Yellow Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes sulphurea) to add some color in another shaded corner. These are bulbs, which seem to do well in my back garden, and they also bloom Summer and Autumn. Plus the leaf shape would contrast nicely with the Trumpet Vine.  

Bonus photo - a chipmunk stuffing his cheeks with Mesquite seeds. 

As soon as the weather cools a bit more I will begin cleanup of the outside gardens. Once I have a better idea of what spaces need filling I will probably do another round of the desert garden and then hit the nursery. It will be a busy Autumn but hopefully I will end up with a more heat-tolerant garden next summer. 

Taming The Ruby Glow

Last year I bought this gorgeous succulent from Moss & Timber, my favorite shop for indoor plants. It is called a Ruby Glow (Peperomia graveolens) and it makes an excellent accent plant. I had it on my top plant shelf in the corner and it grew nicely to fill in the space. At least I thought it did. 

My top-heavy Ruby Glow (Peperomia graveolens)

Last week when I started pulling plants off the shelves, I realized that the Ruby had been growing sideways, not upward. It only looked upright because the plant in front of it was propping it up. Time for some plant rehab. 

Prune the stem just above a node

I have a specific gardening kit for my indoor garden. It contains a pair of small and very sharp scissors, a spoon to use as a trowel, a pair of tweezers for tight spaces, a 1/4 teaspoon scoop for fertilizer, and a
small funnel for pouring sand or other substrates. I also have at least two of what I call nursery pots: medium pots with standard potting soil that I use to sprout seeds and/or root plants. I will usually have seeds in the center and rooting plants around the edge.

 

Trim the leaves around the bottom node on the cutting. this leaves the node intact so it can root.

I had to trim quite a bit off the Ruby to take off weight and allow it to grow upward. To trim a succulent, use sharp scissors, a pruning knife, or razor blade to cut diagonally just above a node, which is where leaves or branches diverge from the main stem. Then trim the leaves on first node on the cutting. This keeps that node active for rooting. Use a spoon or small shovel to make a hole in the potting soil deep enough to cover the bottom node, then plant it and pack the soil firmly around the cutting. If any leaves fall off, go ahead and push the ends into the soil next to the cuttings or in another pot. They often root at well. 

My nursery pot ended up rather full. If they all root, I will have a lot of Ruby Glow.

At this point I use my favorite fertilizer to spray down the original plant and the cuttings. Dr. Q's Plant Tonic is made by Star Nursery, which has locations in Southern Utah and Southern Nevada. Dr. Q's is a concentrate that you mix with water and it helps with transplant shock and with plants that are under stress, such as one that has just been pruned. I use it in my watering can and I keep a spray bottle of the mixture for use on cuttings or seed sprouts. After giving the cuttings a good spray with the fertilizer, I put the nursery pots under some grow lights and put the plant where I want it on the shelf. 

My rehabbed Ruby Glow back on the shelf. I love the contrast of the leaves and the rounded pot. 

I ended up with a bunch of cuttings and loose leaves from the Ruby. I have no idea what I will do if all of them root. I may end up doorbell ditching plants like we used to do with our excess zucchini when I was a kid. 

If you live in the Desert Southwest, you can probably find a Ruby Glow at your local nursery. If you are in the St. George, Utah, area, you can check out Moss & Timber. Or Star Nursery is in Southern Utah, Southern Nevada, and Northern Arizona. Links are on the sidebar.  

Bring In The Green

The desert keeps getting hotter and spending time in the garden isn't so pleasant when It's 117 degrees out. Last summer I created an inside garden for myself the play in while it is too hot to dig in the dirt outside. 

Two of my plant shelves, badly in need of rehab

I started with one shelf on a bookcase. My dad kindly installed a grow light for me and I started bringing in succulents and cacti to fill the space. When I ran out of space, I bought more grow lights and expanded to another shelf. And then another. I tried out all kinds of pots and plants, trying to mix and match shapes and textures. It has been a blast. As an added bonus, having the grow lights in my room has helped with my depression. 

I covered the other two plant shelves with contact paper to protect the wood. For some reason I didn't with this one. My first step was to clean it and get it covered. 

It has now been more than a year and my indoor garden is in need of rehab. Some plants sadly didn't make it. Others did really well and have needed to be trimmed and/or repotted. The result is a garden that looks more chaotic than calming. Let the reorganization begin!

I started by cleaning off the biggest shelf, scrubbing it clean, and covering it with clear contact paper. I have no idea why I didn't do this before. The wood ended up warped and messy, but it should look fine once I get more plants on it. 

As I started moving things around, I found a couple of plants that had grown rather wild. I just didn't notice because they were in a corner and other plants helped prop them up. Those will need to be trimmed and/or repotted. Others just look sad and will also need to be repotted or simply placed where there is more or less light. This is not a project that will be done in a day or even a week. I plan to give each plant what it needs. 

Diedra and Ivy Girl had to inspect my work

You can see in the pictures that I have different grow lights on the bottom shelf. They aren't as pretty, but I love the flexibility of  being able to move the lights around to give different plants what they need. And all of my grow lights are on timers. Bonus!

And as I reorganize my indoor space, I will document which plants are where and how they do in any given space. I have a gardening journal that one of my sisters gave me a couple years ago. I will use it to keep track and to help myself ID each plant. It will help me create better micro climates so that I hopefully won't lose as many plants as I have with my haphazard "it kinda looks good there" method. 

Let the fun begin!

Reintroduction

I did a soft launch of this blog last year, but things happened. 2020 happened. And I just couldn't gather my thoughts enough to write anything. 

Well, I am now beginning my second quarantine thanks to the Delta Variant and my compromised immune system. The difference is that I am now feeling more focused and I have some energy for projects. So here we go again with the blog.

The good, the bad, and the dead. On the left, barely visible, is a white carpet rose that didn't make it. In the middle is a red carpet rose that has flourished for years and is now barely hanging on. To the right, behind the sign, is a desert daisy that has doubled in size. You just never know how the plants are going to do. 

It has been an absolutely brutal summer. We have regularly had temps of 110 degrees Fahrenheit and above for most of the summer. My outdoor gardens are roasting, and it's not getting better. Next summer is likely to be hotter. All summer I have watched my gardens wilt and burn and there was nothing I could do. And so I have made plans for next summer. I have made lists of plants that are doing well and those that have died. (It absolutely breaks my heart when I lose a plant). And I have come up with ideas to keep my gardens safe and flourishing next summer. 

More surprises. On the right is a Texas sage that was all but dead this spring and is now three feet tall. And that plant in the middle is actually all that is left of our Bradford Pear tree. A wind storm snapped the trunk in half. We will get a new tree this fall. 

Once the temps decide to stay below 100 degrees, I will start my garden rehab. And I will share with you what I have learned about gardening in a desert that will only get hotter and dryer thanks to Climate Change. 

Welcome to my journey.