Month: September 2019

Fall Landscapes

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Tomorrow is the first day of Fall. It’s sort of a time for reflection on how to stay sane during the winter months.

Capitata Mauve

I spent too much on air plants because I realized that I couldn’t mail order after freeze. I got some succulents and a bromeliad, too. I didn’t realize that they came in so many bright leaf colors.

Close of the Day bromeliad

And, I took the plunge for my first landscaping project since I hurt my back putting daylilies in buried pots 3 years ago.

Front yard before

Xeriscaping. Because who plants grass on top of a slope in clay in the desert and expects success 70 years later.

Front yard after

I started putting this checkerboard around the yard various places a decade ago. It’s held up pretty well, so my bald spots can now hold succulents, cacti and other drought hardy plants in the summer.

Side of front yard before

Five trips to Home Depot over 2 weeks. Lots of buckets of dirt removed. Blisters on both hands. TGF Motrin.

Side of front yard after

The Last Bud

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Hundreds of scapes. Hundreds more buds. Purple Corn Dancer is the finale of the finales. I think she will have her last bloom tomorrow.

And, so, I focus more on my houseplants. Landscaping a little, too. But, the blog will rest now. I’ll log on if I have some interesting houseplant blooms. But, until June 2020, the daylilies will rest.

Purple Corn Dancer 9/9/19

The Last of August

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I’m sitting in my tent, dosed in natural melatonin. There is cool air . . . It feels nice. Desert camping was hot all but about 2 hours a night. It will get down to 50 or so tonight. Good sleeping weather.

Purple Grasshopper 8.31

This shift also means only 3 blooms today. Honestly, it is a little bit nice to not have a million photos to take. But, I already miss the excitement of checking the garden for Premieres.

Frans Hals 8.31

Today brought travel to the 4-corners region. If you know Colorado, you know that means a drive over the San Juan Mountains. 10 k feet above sea level.

Ruby Stella 8.31

The largest city in the area is Durango and I wanted to see if their nursery had any nice succulents or air plants. The best route is over Red Mountain pass, which is high, curvy and no guard rail. I got vertigo and was sick for 2 days last time I drove it, so I take the longer route now. Adds an hour but oh well. I use to drive Red Mountain in chains in a blizzard at night. Those days are gone.

Animas River 8.31

So, I ended up with 2 bromeliads – one in bloom and one with 2 pups. I also got a small red desert rose (succulent) and another cool succulent. I was thinking of what I read about not having too much variety. The bromeliads are the same family as air plants so they bring familiar features.

My new baby red Desert Rose 8.31

I want air plants and succulents/cactus to be my core plants. The other major groups I’ll keep are orchids, begonias, poinsettias, amaryllis, calathea, African violets. I have a few others, but I’m giving a lot of miscellaneous plants away. Since you can decorate most plants with air plants, that should help blend things in together.

My white Desert Rose in bloom – taken a few days ago.

I have my new plantlets in the hatch covered by a blanket. The bromeliads are far from their natural habitat. The succulents won’t care. No clue what I’m doing tomorrow. It’s a nice problem to have.