Clambering through prickly pear definitely sounds like a bad idea! You came up with a lovely mix of flowers though. The salvia is so pretty - true blue is so hard to find. I love the wispy effect you have created in your gorgeous vase. 😃
What a great end result from your wisps and waifs and I am glad you decided against a climbing expedition! It will be exciting discovering what will grow in your new garden - and I think you said you had some roses waiting in pots?
Thank you, Cathy! The potted plants are shrubs (along with an aloe and an agapanthus I couldn't resist), but no roses yet. I'm getting ready to place an order for those, as I'm hoping to grow some of the antique tea roses and such. The climate should be excellent for them. And of course I must add Wollerton Old Hall; I have the spot picked out. But DA only ships in spring here, so far as I know. At the moment I'm so starved for roses that my carefully made grow list will probably disappear as soon as I see any for sale!
I think I potentially have a lifetime of discovery available here, Diana. It's a very unique ecosystem, one of the so-called "Sky Island" areas. Our little patch is dominated by Vachellia farnesiana (sweet acacia) and the more ubiquitous Prosopis velutina (mesquite). Just a little way down the road, it shifts to a small band of live oak. Cholla and prickly pear also have a large presence, and brittlebrush (Encelia farinosa) is quite common. Overall, it's part of the Sonoran High Desert system.
One of the most notable things about the area is the presence of the San Pedro River valley below us. It's said that 2/3 of US bird species pass through it as it's a major migration route. I've already seen quite a few birds I'm familiar with and have spotted at least one Phainopepla, which I'd never seen before.
Thanks, Kris! I had anticipated making a blue and orange arrangement with just the salvia and berries, but it's none the worse for some yellow. :) I'm trying to wait patiently for cooler weather, but I have some sow-in-place seeds like Eschscholzia ready to go...
Clambering through prickly pear definitely sounds like a bad idea! You came up with a lovely mix of flowers though. The salvia is so pretty - true blue is so hard to find. I love the wispy effect you have created in your gorgeous vase. 😃
What a great end result from your wisps and waifs and I am glad you decided against a climbing expedition! It will be exciting discovering what will grow in your new garden - and I think you said you had some roses waiting in pots?
Thank you, Cathy! The potted plants are shrubs (along with an aloe and an agapanthus I couldn't resist), but no roses yet. I'm getting ready to place an order for those, as I'm hoping to grow some of the antique tea roses and such. The climate should be excellent for them. And of course I must add Wollerton Old Hall; I have the spot picked out. But DA only ships in spring here, so far as I know. At the moment I'm so starved for roses that my carefully made grow list will probably disappear as soon as I see any for sale!
Foraging and exploring is exciting in a new garden. What will / does grow here? What supports biodiversity?
I think I potentially have a lifetime of discovery available here, Diana. It's a very unique ecosystem, one of the so-called "Sky Island" areas. Our little patch is dominated by Vachellia farnesiana (sweet acacia) and the more ubiquitous Prosopis velutina (mesquite). Just a little way down the road, it shifts to a small band of live oak. Cholla and prickly pear also have a large presence, and brittlebrush (Encelia farinosa) is quite common. Overall, it's part of the Sonoran High Desert system.
One of the most notable things about the area is the presence of the San Pedro River valley below us. It's said that 2/3 of US bird species pass through it as it's a major migration route. I've already seen quite a few birds I'm familiar with and have spotted at least one Phainopepla, which I'd never seen before.
I love the colors and the composition, Amy. The "velcro" grass is interesting too. It's still more like summer than autumn here as well.
Thanks, Kris! I had anticipated making a blue and orange arrangement with just the salvia and berries, but it's none the worse for some yellow. :) I'm trying to wait patiently for cooler weather, but I have some sow-in-place seeds like Eschscholzia ready to go...