Propagation Event

 What seemed like the wind that had broken off my tomatoes at the ground and blown them around the yard, was actually discovered to be Rolly Pollies (Pill Bugs) having nestled down into the moist darkness next to the stem and they chewed through the stem of the tomatoes and the wind just took off with them and blew them around the yard. So I took the limp broken tomato plant and stuck it into some moist potting soil and placed it into a large terrarium, sprayed it with a fine mist and covered it to keep in the humidity.

 The next day I see that 3 more tomatoes had fallen to the evil Rolly Pollies! So this called for a larger moisture retentive covered something so that they would all fit, and this storage box was perfect.  I sprayed down all of the tomatoes and added the glass of water for additional moisture and quickly put on the lid.

Here are the tomatoes the next morning completely rehydrated. If we go on like this, they will sprout roots and hopefully do so fast so that I can get them into the ground and get plenty of tomatoes this summer! This collection of tomatoes currently hanging on by a thread are Sweet 100, Roma, Brown Sugar and Hawaiian Tropic.

I then went outside and sprinkled Diatomaceaous Earth down into the holes around the stems the wind created by blowing them in all directions, because that is where the Rolly Pollies are hiding out during the day.  Last year I had tomatoes and zucchini with holes in them, and I suspected mice or something because the holes in the fruit were huge. Then I found one of my pepper plants laying on the ground and when I picked it up there were 100's of Rolly Pollies on it! When I found that out I raked up all of the mulch in the yard in an angry rampage because those bugs had multiplied into an pillaging night army!

Now I am considering placing mulch in the walkways for asthetic reasons, and I might have to shake myself and rethink that whole idea!  In the meantime, I am using the D.E. and also a snale and slug bate that is made of Iron Phosphate that is essentually coated iron pellets (think yellow Grape Nuts)that when they Rolly Pollies eat it, they cease eating and eventually die. 

I am sure that this will be an ongoing problem but hopefully this year I won't have to pick my tomatoes while they are still green like I did last year!

Thank you for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, carry on and hurry back!

Bliss with my Coffee

The temperature is perfect outside. The day started with coffee on the sunning patio lasting for about 10 minutes. I have been working in the garden all morning and here it is 2:00 pm already.
I repotted the pink Kalanchoe and placed it in the protected area behind the pillar with the cactus and succulents. It will stay outside now and eventually find it's place beside the brilliant red Kalanchoe for their early spring flower show.

Admiring the purple and green contrast in the distance, the upper walkway beacons for more description. My choices were 3/4 in. granite to define the walkway edge, or cedar mulch. Rock retains heat and this is a hot spot so I decided on the cedar.

I like this product and recommend it to my natives. Growwell is located off Cheyenne south of Nellis AFB. They also have bulk material if you are going the distance and are going to cover a
large area.

The cedar mulch is in place, the walkway looks more defined and the central bed is more balanced bringing more attention to the drystream bed.

Light reflective rock would not have had the same effect. Time for the Dance of Joy!

Here is the Pygmy Barrel Cactus. Isn't the color amazing? The little cactus garden is still under construction and slowly progressing along. I am using rocks discovered by the shovel as I carry about, so it is an ongoing work. More on it later.

Thanks for visiting. In support of Gardening,..... Carry On!

What a Wonderful Surprise

In excitement for the iris to bloom, we watched as the tips appeared and revealed in suprise the first hint of yellow. This iris purchased from the iris sale last year, was to be Hula Hands, Red with white on the top (standard), with white and dotted purple below (fall). I am delighted that instead I purchased this one because it was my favorite yellow iris in the show this year.

The cactus are in bloom. I photographed this bee inside the flower and during the photograph he did about 5 somersaults in the pollen. I walked away as he somersaulted himself silly.

I love cactus. This is the first cactus in the cactus garden. The orange flowering aloe frost bit by the snow this winter is starting to come back. The purple wandering jew is a great plant for any location and is starting to take off. More on the wandering jew later.

I purchased a couple of bags of cedar mulch for the planting beds before making a full commitment, in order to make sure that the mulch would not blow all over the yard because of our windy hillside. This is cedar mulch and so far I love it and it really does retain moisture, alot more than I imagined. I purchased it from Growwell, in Las Vegas at the end of Cheyenne by Nellis. I wish I had learned this lesson years ago. Cedar mulch also is a natural insect repellent. Last October I met a scorpion in the hallway of our home, so I am all about that added benefit.

I have noticed about 9 ladybugs on the plants in the mulch today. I think my neighbor purchased the tub o' ladybugs at the nursery and they rode on the wind over here.

The yellow butterfly iris is in bloom in the front yard. I made mention of the white with yellow and purple last post, so here is the yellow, with spots of orange, brown, and black.