It has been a difficult few weeks since the hail event which knocked out every scrap of my desire to garden. It had been my habit for years to go out into the garden first thing and check everything out. I couldn't bear to look at the agave all the while trying to make a decision whether to pull. That, and to clean up all the leaves that were down; the anacacho orchid tree leaves burying the stone drainage channel along the garage wall and worse still the very fine leaves of the ironwood caught in among the rocks and cactus spines in the back garden. The promise of a heavy rain got me moving as I knew things would only get worse unless they were moved.
This tree is very fortunate because it got its leaves back in the form of a mulch. It is a very happy tree and blooms with the most spectacular bloom each spring.
It certainly made me feel better to see the plants free of their burden of leaves. The fine leaves I collected I have been used for mulch around my peas and herbs ( raised pots).
But I think the thing that really got me going was joining the Tucson Cactus and Succulents Society. One of my neighbors has just taken up gardening and he was planning to go to their recent meeting. He asked me to join him. I'm not much of a night driver these days and the meeting is held quite far away so I was more than happy to ride with him. What a crowd! They have over 1700 members, although I'm sure many are enthusiasts from places outside of Tucson. After the meeting and presentation they have a fun little raffle for plants, 6 chances for $5, and I was lucky enough to win a 'totem pole' cactus, Lophorocereus schottii monstrose. Hardy to 14 degrees.
As I plan to restrict my in-ground garden to only plants that can withstand the difficult Sonoran Desert climate it is perfect. And at the end of the meeting we each got to choose a small cactus to take home. Not so smart this time.
Notocactus wariasii is only hardy to 40 degrees so is likely to be a candidate for pot culture. I brought a lovely clump of this plant from Austin, planted it in the garden and overnight it was eaten bu the javelina. Even with all those spines they were not deterred.
And it did rain. We collected a full inch and my rain barrels were full to overflowing. The good winter rain may make for a good wildflower season. Already I hear the Anza Borrego Desert is blooming. We have booked a campsite for the beginning of March so fingers crossed it will be a big wildflower season for us in Oro Valley.
Things are definitely looking up in my gardening world.
