Guatemala

San PedroThe Coban RiverSemuc ChampeyRio DulceTikal...notice the humidity risingLivingstonTikal

Divine design. Living in the desert is a wonderful thing, but sometimes I need to get my "green" on and leave for awhile.  Guatemala is the land of green...the color is everywhere.  This country is also one of the most colorful in the world with the Mayan Indians contributing to most of the design in this very special and spiritual place.  As a Spanish teacher, I travel to a lot of different countries every year. However, this year  I had to stay home due to a major home repair....air conditioning!!!  We needed a new unit...oh the cost:)  I find that the garden keeps my mind off of my would be travel for the summer.   There is next year and I look forward to planning another adventure.

These places inspire me with their unique designs and gardens.  The desert, while a hostile place for many tropicals, can have a variety of these beautiful plants amongst our native trees and bushes.  The key to growing tropical here is obviously proper watering, bright shade or a little shade, and protection from the winter nights.  Wind also can play a factor on such plants like the musa or banana plant.  This plant loves the sun...but hates the wind...and in Tucson, this plant can be tricky to grow.   With that said,  I have seen it done and done well.  Phoenix seems to have the better results....again water is an important factor for your tropicals.

This topic came up yesterday as I was outside talking to my neighbors and they asked me if I had any big trips planned for the summer and I had to say no. Well I am going to Wisconsin for a little over a week, but that's not a major trip...that's a family trip.:)  However, I will be going to the Milwaukee gardens and taking a lot of pics.  Apparently, they have a saguaro cactus in one of their domes....I'll be snapping pics for proof:)

I have had success with a variety of tropicals here, but with the property being so large, I've had to make sure that my natives were established first and that the tree canopies are there to protect their tender leaves from the hot summer sun.  Bird of paradise, philodendron, fatsia are some of the few that do well here with some afternoon shade. Cannas need light and do well in the sun.  Most of these guys can be planted in the ground, but do extremely well in containers.  I would recommend putting them in pots first to verify that they can handle the sun.  Sometimes I think they will burn and I plant them in too shady of an area and they don't do well....so experiment first.

Finally,  people ask me....what is the one plant that "popped" out at you in Guatemala?  There were a lot, but the one that I noticed was the castor plant along Lake Atitlan.  I have been experimenting with this plant this summer and have seen great results on the North Side of our building where it gets the right amount of sun.  I tried this tropical "weed" on the south side and it burned and in the courtyard where there is a lot of shade....and it needed more sun as it grew spindly from not enough light.  Again tricky, these tropicals are, but when in the right spot, they will add flare and beauty to your home and garden.  It's well worth the effort. Happy gardening!!

The Dread of Vacation

Vacation During the Hot Summer of Tucson

One of the greatest fears for a gardener is leaving their place for a much needed vacation.  People need vacations.  The problem with leaving is that the garden is a very personal protected place that you only know so well.  Everyday I am outside watering, pruning and sometimes nurturing a plant so that it will survive. Summer is a brutal experience here. People who don't work with the plants on a day to day basis don't know what each individual plant needs and it makes sense.  This is comparable to raising a child I suspect.  It's all trial and error. I leave soon for Wisconsin and it causes me anxiety because in a way, I am leaving my babies alone during the hot summer with the hopes that monsoon will compensate for any lack of moisture the plants aren't receiving.  And of course, I have wonderful people taking care of the place, but it still will always be in the background of my mind during vacation.....how are the plants doing? Which one will be dead when I get home? So I have one more week to get everything all done before I leave......but as I am sure it is with all gardeners going on vacation....stressful and full of anxiety.

The Fern Garden at El Presidio

I love ferns, but most of them won't grow in Tucson....so I found similiar leaf structures and patterns and put them together to create a "ferny" look.  This is my fern garden.  

Humid

It was very hot this morning waking up...93 degrees at 7 AM. Not only was it hot but very humid. The skies are heating up around here and thunder clouds are building. I will film some of this monsoon madness this weekend as it is sure to be a good one. Several of the images uploaded show the progress from the front of the building. In the background, you'll see two live oak trees, white oleander, bouganvillea, chitalpa or desert willow on the right side. On the left, you'll see the California Palm. The tree with yellow blooms is the very native Palo Verde tree. There is also another picture taken of the sky as it starts its' monsoon build up. Early build up equals early storms here. People are generally very excited when this unofficial "season" begins bringing in much needed tropical moisture. Besides general pruning, watering, and the occasional blowing, there isn't much to do during this month except make sure that all the plants are happy:) Planting is halted as is any general gardening project until fall.

Solar Lights

I have been experimenting with solar lights and I like how they perform, but they must be in direct light to work properly. Sometimes, plant leaves get in the way and the light doesn't last very long. I moved them around and have found excellent results. However, I am also experimenting with string lights. They look great when they are on....but one of my sets went out and I went to replace them with another set....tonight they didn't go on right away....so we'll see how those kinds of light will do.

What's that buzzing in my garden?

During this time of year, you may hear the high buzzing sounds of a creature. A loud cresceding sound that as quickly as it begins....it ends. Welcome to the month of June!! In May, the mockingbird visits us and in June, the cicada shows its' face and some consider it not the prettiest of faces:) However, it is a welcome sight and sound to the garden....here is an excerpt on the description on this little guy.

"Cicadas arise through 1/2 diameter holes in the ground in May to late June as odd-looking nymphs that have been feeding on the roots of trees and shrubs. The nymphs climb up walls or trees and emerge as adults, leaving the cask skins of the nymphs clinging to the base of the walls or tree trunks. The adults are approximately two inches long, with large wings that fold over their backs. Cicadas have chunky bodies and bulging eyes. They fill the air with a cacophony of vibrating ribbed plates through August. The male cicada may be the loudest insect known, the mating sound can be heard as far as 440 yards."

From my travels to France, I discovered that this critter is revered by many in the southern provinces around Avignon and Nime. It is considered to be good luck and many times you will see this insect in people's homes or on fabric like curtains or table clothes. It's what I call the "Provincial Look"(from Provence:). Our gardens attract many things...sometimes unwanted, sometimes unexpected.....but they will always attract our local residents. In June and during the monsoon season, this is one of the sounds that makes me smile:) Happy gardening!!

Sweat

Today, like everyday in June, is hot. This month for gardeners is fairly easy, BUT we need to make sure our plants are getting enough water and sometimes protection from the sun. It is quite common to see leaf scald on many plants and it can be frustrating to watch happen, but the leaves on the older plants always come back again by the end of the summer or beginning of fall. I hate losing plants....this is the month that tells you what needs more water, less water....and what just won't grow. My surprise this year has been the caladiums. They have done super well and I am definitely going to purchase more of them for next year. However, with every success comes failure....here are my latest failures and why.....

At the ramada, I planted several Algerian Ivies. However they are in an area that is regularly watered and placed with tropicals that are doing very well. Verdict. It is a vine that cannot be overwatered nor placed in bright sun. While it didn't get the bright sun and did well in the shade; the water for the tropicals is what has made this vine collapse. The Algerian Ivy will be replaced with a Confederate Jasmin or Carolina Jasmin....vines which can take a bit more water.

The planting wells. I have noticed that again because of watering and in this case...lack of sunlight....the following will be replaced with more shade resistant plants that can tolerate wet soil. Colocasia esculenta, the greek urn plant, and fatsia needed more light. They were taken out of the planters and put into pots in hopes of saving them. I have several of the same specimens around on the grounds and they are doing well, but I have realized that they need more light and drier soil. I have transferred the hostas to the planter soil in hopes that perhaps they will do better in the wet and shady spot. They haven't bushed out into a healthy plant. Another planter has the same issue and the castor, elephant ears and canna plants are not doing well due to the sunlight factor. Finally, a boxwood was moved into a pot after not receiving enough sunlight due to tropicals blocking the light.

As with all things, I have taken several of the same plant and moved them around the property to see if they would do better in one spot or the other. While I am disappointed with several of the areas, I am encouraged that they grow in the other places. Again, this just means one thing...."The right plant for the right spot."

During these hot days, we begin to see the moisture creep in and everyone starts to feel the humidity. The plants will perk up again once the summer rains or monsoon begin. It appears to be about 2 weeks away. During these next several months, Mother Nature will provide our thirsty desert with the water needed to keep our Sonoran desert green and beautiful. While June is hot and the gardner must water, July and August will provide dangerous weather conditions that challenge us in different ways.....wind, torrential downpour, and lightening cause trees to lose their limbs, catch fire, or tip over which can be very dangerous causing hundreds to thousands of dollars worth of damage. That is why pruning in early Spring is so important....and why proper pruning is a must....there is nothing worse than a beautiful tree blown down to the ground.

For now, I go out at night or the early morning to water. And I currently am putting in more palms and catsclaw vine....but that's it. It takes a lot to establish a tree....and dig a hole:) Until next time....happy gardening from Tucson.

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.