Replacement

The wonderful part about blogging is that there is always something going on in the garden.  There are so many things to learn about as I am designing and reconstructing our property.  And of course, they should have a class on how to blog.  When I first started this journey earlier this year, I hadn't a clue on how to set up a posting.  Since then, I purchased a top notch camera, break down the posts into one central idea, and bring my equipment with me wherever I go.  In fact, I think we all have so many ideas that go through our heads that when we walk outside into our own gardens, we sometimes forget that there is a lot going on.....and I'm proof of that. On my blogging options, I'll create a list of topics for me to write about and then when I get to it, I'll post.  Sometimes I'll have a bunch of them done and release one a day or sometimes, when I'm busy, I'll go back and look at my list to see what it is that I am needing to report.

We easily get sidetracked and forget what our "mission" was for the day.  For example, today I am adding more bark mulch around an area, checking a water line, planting a guava, and adding more soil in a pot to my fatsia plant.  That doesn't sound like much until you weigh in how much time it takes to dig a hole in our desert soil.....caliche sucks. So to prep that hole digging experience... you need water and a strong metal rod to stab into the soil. Loosen. Take shovel and dig. Repeat the first steps over again until hole is established.  For people living in the desert southwest, you do need to know this.....caliche is great soil and once you have your plant in that section and water over it, the caliche will break down and disappear from that area.  I don't think a lot of people know that....but with repeated watering that stone layer in our soil will disappear.

The Crape Myrtle on the right is the one in question...behind the nandina or heavenly bamboo.

So the last post was about editing, this post is about replacement.  As the garden is getting bigger and the oak trees are extending their canopy further over the courtyard, several sun loving plants are now not doing so well. Several homeowners have suggested that I get rid of this crepe myrtle as it is not getting enough of our sun.  But here's the problem....there is another crepe myrtle on the opposite side of this particular garden growing quite well.  To remove one would also take away the balance that they both have mirroring each other....so you can see my issue.  There is no doubt in my mind that this plant must be taken out of the garden....it looks terrible.  Those of you familiar with crepe murder(posted on an earlier blog titled "crape murder") will understand the pictures better once you see them.  They were butchered and on top of that get nothing but shade so they look spindly and ugly. Part of me thinks I should just cut them to the ground and let them grow again and another part thinks that there is a better plant to put in that spot.  I am at a crossroads with this issue.  I was able to ignore it for a long time as other parts of the garden distracted me from dealing with it, but now my focus is on that section of the gardens.  The garden that is opposite of it is shown below.  As you can see, one is lush while the other is sparse and one side looks "heavier" than the other.  Editing and replacement.....both difficult, but I do know that something must be done.  Recommendations?  You guys give lots of great advice.  Thanks:)

Opposite Side

Crape Murder!!!

Here is an article I found on Crape Myrtle. It is one of the most beautiful bushes/trees we have. It's called lilac of the south and it really is a low maintenance shrub. When I first began taking care of the grounds, I chopped these bushes and created what people call Crape Murder. I am not happy with the form and I have an area now that doesn't get the sun like it used to and one of the crape myrtles looks terrible. I'm not happy with the form of the tree and I've read that I may have to chop it to the ground...ugh....here is an article for this weekend that I thought was amusing:)

Each Saturday morning after football season ends, legions of bored men armed with saws and loppers emerge from their garages to commit "crepe murder." They needlessly reduce majestic crepe myrtles to ugly stumps--in many cases, ruining them forever.

In South Carolina, the Spartanburg Men's Garden Club is working to end the slaughter. Last year, one of its members, Henry Pittman, sent me a copy of the club's excellent brochure, "Crape Myrtles: Four Seasons of Beauty" (yes, I know--they spell it with an "a"). It covers all aspects of selecting, growing, and pruning crepe myrtles. We thought so highly of its advice that we visited Spartanburg to see firsthand what they were talking about so we could tell you.

Lofty Goals
The objectives of pruning a crepe myrtle are to maintain its natural sculptural form, produce strong branches that hold flowers upright, and open up its center to reveal the smooth, multi-toned bark that forms on mature trunks and branches.

Cutting it back to thick stubs each year makes these goals impossible. A graceful tree quickly becomes a fencepost or hat rack. Pretty bark never appears. Each beheaded trunk grows a Medusa-like tangle of spindly whips too weak to hold up flowers.

The Right Way To Prune
For a beautiful plant, follow these guidelines.

Prune in late winter. February is ideal.
Remove suckers at the base, crossing or rubbing branches, and branches growing inward toward the center of the plant.
As the tree grows, gradually remove all side branches from the main trunks up to a height of 5 feet or so.
Cut back to another branch, to just above an outward-facing bud on a branch, or to the branch collar (a swollen area where the branch joins the trunk). Never leave lone or clustered stubs.
Try to remove unwanted branches before they get thicker than a pencil.
It's okay but unnecessary to cut off old seedheads.


Restoring a Butchered Plant
If you've beheaded a big crepe myrtle to within a few feet of the ground (see photo below right), there's only one solution. Punish yourself severely by watching Nancy Grace on TV, and then cut the sorry plant completely to the ground. It will grow back very quickly. The next winter, select three to five well-spaced trunks, and cut off any others at ground level. Follow the instructions from "The Right Way To Prune" above, and you'll have an attractive tree within five years.

But maybe your sin wasn't so acute. You've only rounded off, or "hat-racked," your crepe myrtle, cutting back all of its main branches to about the same height. n this case, follow our four-step process to get beautiful plants.

Finally, a word to you ladies. The minute football season ends next year, treat the man of the house to a tractor pull, a paintball tournament, or a game of X-treme welding. Don't let him near the saws and loppers.

Excuses for Crepe Murder

Excuse: My neighbors all do it.
Rebuttal: So if the neighbors start keeping Nile crocodiles in their pools, you'll be on the next plane to Africa?

Excuse: The landscapers do it every winter.
Rebuttal: They do it only because they need a paycheck.

Excuse: The dang thing gets too big.
Rebuttal: You planted the wrong crepe myrtle. Selections such as 'Victor,' 'Acoma,' 'Hopi,' 'Tonto,' 'Zuni,' and the Petite Series grow to 12 feet tall or less.

"Stop! Don't Chop!" is from the February 2007 issue of Southern Living.

Spring Cleanup

Peach Tree, Red Baron, blooming

El Presidio Gardens

Ash Tree Where do I begin? Over the past several days a lot has gone on in the Presidio gardens. Spring is now officially here!! Or so say the trees and bushes:) Our ash tree has new leaves. Yesterday there was NOTHING on the tree. Today, there are signs of life all around from the ash tree to our crape myrtle trees. This is exciting because they are just sticks in the ground and with that little bit of green begins that joy gardeners feel when they see that the garden resting period is over. How tall will a tree grow this year? How many buds will it have? The flowers? Nothing, and I really do mean this, is more exciting than spring and seeing your garden awake. So today it begins on my very appropriate "spring break".

For inspiration today and design ideas, I went to the Tucson zoo. While it's not large like the big city zoos, it still has a nice layout for the animals. One of the things I find fascinating about the gardens at the zoo is that there are VERY LARGE bamboo plants all over which gives the zoo a bigger feel and provides privacy for the animals. Here in Tucson, we are able to grow several types of bamboo which include the Alfonse Kerr Bamboo. On the Presidio grounds, I have planted the Buddha's Belly variety because of the way the culms bulge out during times of stress. At the zoo, there were bamboo specimens taller than the trees themselves.....at least 4 stories high. I sat at the park bench and just watched and listened to how the wind blew through the culms making that hollow wood rubbing sound. It is really quite lovely and I highly recommend it for everyone if an opportunity arises. Another tree that I don't see here in Tucson often is the Silk Tree which has thorns on its' bark. These trees were mixed in with the bamboo and offered a really nice contrast with one another. If you do go to the zoo, head towards the South American entrance first and you'll find this private and beautiful section very inspiring.

Speaking of bamboo, which is not really bamboo at all, is the Nandina or Heavenly Bamboo. On the Presidio grounds we have several "bushes" of these lush plants. But as with every year, comes that painful trimming. I trimmed everyone of those bushes and it was difficult as they provide a lot of privacy. Now some of them look like sticks in the ground....but I know they will come back green and fuller than ever.....they just don't look so great right now.

Our live oaks which are very large and amazing (the whole reason why we bought our place.) are starting to lose their leaves. You see most trees drop their leaves in fall and winter, but not these lovely trees. They decide to drop in March. When I say drop, I mean DROP. Thousands of leaves all over the patio/courtyard....I just cleaned it yesterday!! And if you think that's bad, wait until the pollen drop....what an ugly mess!!! Acorns, leaves, and pollen...extremely messy tree but also a very noble tree that has earned its' right to protect us from the desert sun:)

Finally with our winter rains, weeds have had a blast establishing themselves all around the grounds. I spent several days pulling weeds and more still seem to be popping up!! Roses have buds on them...once the flowers are on the bushes, I'll snap a couple photos. I can't wait to see what happens. It's the first rose garden I have planted and I named it after my favorite librarian at the school where I work. She inspired me with her own rose garden. During April, she brings in all of her rosebuds and puts them on the desk for the students and staff to smell. Every color and every smell....I hope to have created the same feel on our grounds. That's all for today....spring is here folks in the Southwest!! Happy gardening!