Maxine & Jonathan Marshall Butterfly Pavillion

My friend Marla

While I'm in Panama and collecting lots of cool info, I thought I'd take you to a place we visited in early April at the Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Butterfly Pavilion.  This next series takes us to the Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens near the Papagayo park and Phoenix Zoo.  If you go right now, wear a hat and go early in the morning, but personally I think it's too hot to even enjoy the experience and would wait until October or November to visit. As some of you may or may not know, I am a docent for the Tucson Botanical Gardens and volunteer when I can in the Butterfly Pavilion there.  Most butterfly pavilions are closed now and quite frankly that's a good thing......it's just too hot to function is this weather.  However, we don't need pavilions here in the desert southwest during this time of year as we have lots and lots of our own native butterflies to enjoy here.  I have a series on butterfly plants written back in March so it's not too late to put a couple of those plants in for your own enjoyment:) 

The main differences between the two butterfly pavilions are that the Tucson display is enclosed and smaller while the Phoenix display is airy, open, and surrounded by a net.  The types of butterflies and moths are also different.   Our shipments come from Costa Rica, Africa, etc. and the Phoenix butterflies come from Florida.  All of them are very cool and that's what I loved about this particular butterfly pavilion.  There were lots of oranges and yellows flying all around us.  

These Julia(Dryas julia) are taking a break from their warm day and catching up on some fresh citrus.

I secretly shot my friend looking at something.  She had a stowaway butterfly on her shirt as she was trying to exit.  Many of the butterflies found in this pavilion can also be seen in the Sonoran desert.  There were Sulfurs, Buckeyes, Queens, Malachites, Longwings, and Swallowtails.  The mister would come on every several minutes to keep the moisture levels up for the butterflies.

A Swallowtail which can be commonly seen in our desert takes a break from the afternoon sun.

The Queen butterfly is a popular and welcome guest during our warm summer months in Tucson.

Stay tuned for more.........

The Zebra Longwing

Sonoran Wildflowers

Everyone has wondered where my wildflower pics are from the desert this past spring.  Don't worry, I took them.  My garden journal on plants has wrapped up, but it has taken up a lot of time and energy forcing me to post things at a later time.   This is the first of a series of shots from our visit to the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix back in early April.  It was a beautiful but extremely warm day.  My allergies were acting up with all the pollen in the air.

The Phoenix Botanical Gardens had such a lovely display of wildflowers and while it wasn't a spectacular show for us in the wild this year to the lack of rain, the Phoenix Botanical Gardens made sure we got our California Poppy fix:)  These flowers just glow with the intense sunlight. Our wildflower shows in the desert all depend on the weather.  It's natural and normal for some years to be a dud while during others, it's like going to a 4th of July fireworks festival.

 California poppies are the orange flowers.  Other wildflowers you'll see in these gardens are lupines, globe mallow, Parry's Penstemon, Pink Sand Verbena, the Blue Desert Bell, etc

There's a lot to see.  The best way to make your own garden is to throw mixed seeds around in flower beds with some water to get them going when spring arrives. They can grow crazy so do be aware that they will pop up around your landscape once you put them into your garden.  It's kinda hard to control wildflowers.....because they're wild:)

Native butterflies and hummingbirds love our display of wildflowers. I love how these will take over a rock bed and create a lush green hill of spectacular color.

Depending on the wildflower, your displays can last for a month or longer.

Many mix wet native soil with the seeds and throw it about their garden.  This keeps the seed from blowing away or from preventing a local bird a free lunch:) 

There are lots of seed packets out there.   But for success, plant in full sun for maximum display.

Wildflowers transform a landscape into a prairie type setting for a few months before returning to the cacti forest.

 The Desert Primrose.  This plant grows along the sand dunes of Yuma.

Stay tuned for more from the Phoenix Botanical Gardens tomorrow......

Big Tex BBQ

During our trip to the Chiricahua Mountains, we passed through the strange little town of Willcox.  We had been driving for hours and were hungry.  A curious looking red train caught our attention with the name Big Tex BBQ.  Now I'm not a fan of BBQ, but I was hungry and the place looked interesting.   We parked the car and I snapped several outside pics.  They had some lovely rose bushes growing along the side, but while I was doing that.......someone was trying to park their car and hit Pat's car.  It was one of those moments when you ask yourself, "Did that just happen?"

It was Pat's first ding on the car and we decided it wasn't worth the time.  I still got the license plate number just in case.  The guy, after he hit our car, said, "Did I bump you?"  I thought to myself, this guy is too old to be driving and should have his license revoked, but it was Pat's decision:)  So we moved into the train car with that on our minds.

Once inside, we forgot that we were in a dumpy almost ghost town.  It was a lot of fun and the food was good.  It was homemade and tasted like something you'd eat at home if your Mom was still around to cook for you.  My hamburger bun was fresh out of the oven and the coleslaw was delicious and simple!  They used some wonderful vinegar.

The prices were decent and it was a really nice meal with some good service.  I definitely recommend this place for people visiting the area. It's open from 10AM until 9 PM. It's located off the Hwy Business 10 route on the way(or back from the Chiricahua Mountains). 130 E Maley St. in Willcox, AZ.

Until next time.....

Elberta Peach

Why a post on peaches in July? Well anyone who has peach trees growing in their landscape will tell you that the peaches are ready to be picked.   In Tucson? Oooooh yes!!  I have 3 peach trees growing on the property and it's time to enjoy the *excuse the pun* fruits of my labor:)  Peach trees have low chilling hour requirements and make great fruit trees for our Tucson area.  Let's look at the Elberta Peach. 

Of my 3 trees, this variety has produced some of the most delicious peaches.  I wrote about the Red Baron Peach back in February.  While it had beautiful dark and large pink flowers, it hasn't produced any fruit yet.  The Elberta, which I placed into the ground less than a year ago, has produced two crops of fruit!  The above pic is a sample of the profuse pink blooms that covered our tree at El Presidio.

Here is a pic of the fruit in May.  I have about 12 or 13 of these delightful peaches on the tree right now.  Protect them from the extreme wind......and ants:)  It loves full sun with regular watering.  It's a moderate grower with a roundish habit. You can buy this plant as a dwarf, semi-dwarf, or normal size plant.  Mine is a semi-dwarf variety that will reach 12-15 feet.  The tree can get 15-25 feet high with a spread of 8-20 feet .  The chill hours required are listed at 750-800 hours.  Remember that chill hours are anything below 45 degrees during our winter months.  This winter we had A LOT of chill in the air:) However this variety was listed with a chill hour requirement of 450-500 hours.  So far, it has been the best performing peach tree on the property.  I look forward to people sampling the amazing peaches this summer.  Until next time.....

Panamint Nectarine

'Panamint' is suited to California and the warmer areas in the Southeast. It does not require a heavy winter chill. The nectarines are medium to large, freestone, bright red with excellent flavor. Midseason bearing. Most adaptable of all fruit trees for home gardens. When planting, they should be spaced to allow a spread of 20 to 25 feet. At 3 to 4 years of age, they begin to bear large crops and reach peak productivity at 8 to 12 years. To maintain size and encourage new growth, heavy pruning is needed. Nectarines, like peaches, require well-drained soil and a regular fertilizing program. Peach leaf curl, peach tree borer, and curculio can be a problem. This tree is doing well and makes a nice addition to the garden.  Fruit is ready to pick now.

Cultivar: Panamint

Family: Rosaceae

Size: Height: 15 ft. to 30 ft.

Width: 15 ft. to 30 ft.

Plant Category: edibles, fruits, trees

Plant Characteristics: high maintenance

Foliage Characteristics: medium leaves, deciduous

Foliage Color: green

Flower Color: pinks, whites

Tolerances: heat & humidity

Requirements

Bloomtime Range: Mid Spring to Mid Spring

USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9

Light Range: Sun to Full Sun

pH Range: 4.5 to 7.5

Soil Range: Sandy Loam to Some Clay

Water Range: Normal to Moist

Popular warm climate variety with heavy production.  Excellent flavor, juicy and sweet.  Large red skinned yellow flesh freestone.  Midseason.  250 hours.

Until tomorrow......

Babcock Peach

It's no lie that I love peaches. You may be asking why I'm writing about peaches now.  Simply put, it's peach and nectarine season here in Tucson!!!  Over the next 3 days, I'll explore some additions to our gardens this past spring.

This is a new experiment for me.  While there hasn't been any fruit on this tree because it's new to the landscape, it has required more work than my other peach trees.  It requires more watering but appears to be surviving the heat.  It fruits in June.  Here is more info below.

Cultivar: Babcock

Family: Rosaceae

Size: Height: 15 ft. to 30 ft.

Width: 15 ft. to 2.5 ft.

Plant Category: edibles, fruits, landscape, trees,

Plant Characteristics: high maintenance

Foliage Characteristics: medium leaves, deciduous

Foliage Color: green

Flower Characteristics: fragrant

Flower Color: pinks, whites

Tolerances: heat & humidity

Requirements

Bloomtime Range: Mid Spring to Mid Spring

USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9

AHS Heat Zone: Not defined for this plant

Light Range: Sun to Full Sun

pH Range: 4.5 to 7.5

Soil Range: Sandy Loam to Some Clay

Water Range: Normal to Moist

Chill hours 250-300

Self-fruitful.

Large to medium sized white-flesh peach.

Until tomorrow.....

My First Attempts

Recently I found two pictures of my first attempts at sprucing up the Fern Garden of El Presidio.  My wonderful neighbor snapped a couple shots and told me that I should keep a visual record of the garden to show people where I started and where I will go with my project.  I thanked her and took the pics putting them away and thought of kicking myself for not keeping a visual of the space before I touched it so you'll have to imagine that there was a dead Euc in the middle of the space leaning against the building and nothing else except for the beautiful San Pedro Cactus on the side:)

Today I have a better camera and better shots are taken of the overall property.  What has changed since this photo was taken in 2007? Let me give you one more angle.....

Being too critical of my work, I still see the imperfections in front of me. A lot has changed within a matter of 3 years and a lot of money and time has gone into making things worse before making them better. I loved the side planters but had to remove them because the rain would enter the inside of our building through the walls.   The other planters seem to be fine around the place but the grade was angeled poorly on this side allowing for water to enter into the home causing structural damage.  New trees were added to the sides.  Among some of the trees added were the Arizona Ash, Chinese Elm, and Desert Willow. The Chinese Elm, in the middle, would eventually die from Texas Root Rot. The palm would later be removed as would the large Ficus tree leaning from the planter on the side of the building. Of course, more work is still needed today as is digging.  I'm hoping that within the next year and half to have this side completely redone. Today it is not the sun searing southern side it used to be like when we first moved in, but instead a breezy and shady corridor. 

A Pool No More

Spring projects can flow into summer projects.  Here is an update on our "pool".  We are now at Phase 2 of the plan.  The pool was filled in with concrete and dirt.  An electrical line was put in for future use with a large fountain or gazebo area. It seems that a gazebo is in order with a fountain away from the oak trees.  A fountain in the center of the courtyard would be quite messy during the months of November thru April when the oak trees are losing acorns, leaves, branches, and pollen drop. During a board discussion, it was addressed that the large fountain would have to be shut down between the months of November and April.  Homeowners appeared to rethink the fountain idea and be in favor of the gazebo.  This next stage will be discussed by homeowners at the next meeting in August. 

I also ask homeowners to please be patient with the planters along the 922 building.  Our landscaping money has been used to pay off the first quarter of this years plan to remove plants in the planters along the 922 building.  The cost was a total of 1,500 dollars(which included the whiskey barrels purchase). Landscaping money is three hundred dollars a month and payments began in February thru the month of June.  During the month of July, once I arrive back into the States, I'll begin the next phase of the planters and side projects.  Please be patient as the HOA and landscaping have tackled several very large tasks all at once.  It will all come together. I look forward to the transformation that will take place.

Amethyst Amongst Gold

A light and wonderful look into the grasslands that surround the Chiricahua Mountains:) Just pictures today.....enjoy.  Picture taken in May of 2011 before the fire.  You can see how dry it was and why the fires took off the way they did. Very sad news for Arizonans around the state.

July Gardening for Tucson

This month should be relatively low care for you the Tucson gardener with all the heat happening outside.  Monsoon is here. Watch for flooding, microbursts, and lightening. Strong winds can knock branches down.  Some years are better with rain while others are quite dry. This year, the report is that we will receive an average monsoon with around 6 inches of rain.   Monitor your plants for watering and watch the local weather for rain reports. Here are some tips.....

Avoid planting new plants except summer wildflowers or monsoon-season crops ● Collect rainwater through water harvesting ● Use BT mosquito dunks in any standing water ● Maintain watering for most plants, but discontinue temporarily after heavy monsoon rains ● Stop watering cacti & succulents if moderate to heavy rains arrive ● Prune drooping tree limbs or wind-damaged branches

Let's look at specifics....

-If you haven't done so, apply mulch around plants to retain moisture.

-Plant palm trees, making sure to keep their root balls consistently moist but not overly wet through the summer.  Palms are among the few landscape plants that actually thrive when planting in the heat.

-Sow seeds for sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds and portulaca

-Sow seeds for pumpkins, okra and cantaloupe.  After mid-month, sow seeds for winter squash, snap beans and a second planting of sweet corn.  Corn requires high amounts of water and nitrogen to survive here.

If you haven't considered rain barrels, you should really think about doing this as you will save on your water bill as the barrels will collect nitrogen rich monsoon rains.  Run off from your roof, if planned properly, can save you from watering plants in this humid weather.  In Tucson, Silverbell Nursery offers some wonderful options for rain barrel instalation.  Right now, you should be staying inside your cool home and enjoying the green lovely foliage outside from your window.  During this time of year, I usually wait until mid afternoon to determine whether or not I'll water plants in the evening.  Again watch local forecasts to determine whether or not you will need to water. Until then, stay cool gardening friends.......