San Diegans Asked to Conserve Water

San Diegans have been asked to cut down on water usage. We are all encouraged to use 20 gallons less a day. It’s not easy. Most of my plants are drought tolerant, but I still feel the need to give them water, especially in the blazing hot month of July. I’m trying to add more succulents to the garden, in place of thirstier plants. I pulled out some shriveled snapdragons and replaced them with a variety of blooming succulents. The snapdragons never did take off this year. I hope the succulents spread and fill the empty spaces.

We’ve had years when we had to ration water. We could only water the lawn on certain days. That was before I started gardening. If people don’t work to cut down on their water usage, rationing could become mandatory, again. The San Diego Union-Tribune has a good article on personal water conservation. We all need to take it to heart. Fittingly, it was on the same page as an article on succulents in the landscape.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California put together a user friendly guide to gardening. It is helpful for those of us who need to conserve water. Most of the water wise tips are pretty basic. Some examples are:

• Keep thirsty turf grass to a minimum. Use water wise plants instead.
• Water plants only when needed.
• Improve your soil.
• Mulch.
• Plant trees.
• Group container plants wisely.

For more details about these tips read the complete article, Water Wise Landscaping. Also, Will we go native? discusses the need to grow California natives rather than thirsty non-natives. If we have to ration our water, native plant gardens will thrive.

“Even on the hottest summer days in August —- when San Diego County’s rains are months-old memories —- hikers on local mountains can find local sages bursting in blue, and monkey flowers still blooming in orange, red and yellow. And native-plant fans say established plants need summer water only once or twice a month.”

Several years ago, I read the book Gardening With a Wild Heart by Judith Lowry. I remember enjoying this book immensely. It’s an important read and encourages Californians to grow native plants. “This book is a classic in the fields of nature writing and restoration. Though based on California gardens, it has inspired readers from all over the country.” It’s not a how-to guide, as such, but is a combination of practical, poetic, and personal experience. I found it at my local library and plan on checking it out again, sometime soon. I think it was my first read about native plant gardening. It was a great place to start.

A Good Year for San Diego Gardens

A lot of San Diego gardeners have found their plants blooming more profusely than usual. At first it seemed as if the plants were dead or damaged from the frosty winter. It turns out, they were just taking a rest. Most years, the hot weather stifles the bloom period. This year, roses and other favorite plants have many more blooms and are putting on a show much longer.

My bower vines, succulents, hibiscus, lavender, lantana, Mexican bush sage, and other plants are all blooming nicely, this month. It seems they are doing better than most other years. We didn’t have a lot of rain, but the colder than normal weather helped. In 2005, we had above average rainfall. The plants looked wonderful that year. So, if we have a rainy year or a cold year or both, the plants are happier.

I was on the bus, yesterday, and saw some beautiful rose bushes. I’m going to have to buy roses for my garden. I want climbing roses and a few bushes. On two different gardening shows, the landscaper used “knockout roses.” If these are available in San Diego, I’d like to grow them. They must be good plants. My Sunset Garden book lists ten top roses for this area. I should try at least a few. I don’t think roses are as hard to grow as some people think. I hope not.

Here’s one shot of the Marvin garden-taken this spring.

The San Diego Union-Tribune has this article: From big freeze to super spring. I think it is very interesting.

Rock Collecting in San Diego

Rocks for my Garden

I love collecting rocks for my garden. I find river rocks along the shoreline in Imperial Beach. They drift north from the Tijuana River. They come in many colors-red, blue, green, gray, gold, terra cotta, and aqua. When we had a car, I loaded bags with the rocks. Now I just pick up what I can carry in my backpack. I don’t get carried away or I’ll hurt my back.

Our soil is clay and loaded with rocks. It’s hard work to uncover the rocks, but I like using them to line my garden. At first, they don’t look so lovely. After they’ve been in the sun awhile, they start taking on a character all their own. I like them. I’ve dug up some good sized boulders. If I purchased that size at a garden center, they would be worth a fortune. Still, I would like some even bigger ones…rocks that cost several hundred dollars each.

My Grandmother was a collector…big time. One of her collections was beautiful rocks. When she died, we brought some of the rocks to our house. They are the prettiest in the garden. My absolute favorite is lost under the shrubs that grew around it. I need to haul it out, so we can see it. It’s too pretty to hide.

Several years ago, my Mom and I saw a big pile of rocks that someone had abandoned along the side of the road. They were gorgeous. We wanted to take them home with us, but weren’t positive it was within our rights to do so. Next time we went that way, the rocks had vanished.

A Spring Garden Festival in San Diego
Sign on San Diego has a photo of a beautiful rock garden at the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College. Also, today’s paper has an article about attracting butterflies to your garden. It includes a photo of a rock garden at the Water Conservation Garden. Next weekend, the garden will host a Spring Garden Festival. Admission is free. The garden is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., some holidays excepted. This page has driving directions.

A Day at the San Diego Wild Animal Park

My family enjoyed a trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, last Monday. The Baja Garden, at the farthest and highest corner of the park, was my favorite attraction. Griff (my brother) and I took a hike up that way. We also took our time at the California Native Plants Garden, which is in the same area. For a change, I remembered my camera. I was able to take the photos on this page. The rest of my family went to an animal show and saw some other exhibits, which they enjoyed. In my opinion, those who stay in the lower section of the park miss the loveliest scenery.

Balboa Park has a cactus and succulent garden. I’m anxious to take some photos on my next visit. Mom and I are due to take a bus ride to the park. We should choose a day when there’s a plant show and sale. Balboa Park is often the site of plant sales. The cactus and succulent sale is my favorite and I’ve added to my collection several times. I’m usually aware when there’s a native plant sale. I haven’t had a chance to go to one yet. Hopefully… soon! Many of the native plants at the Wild Animal Park were blooming. I would be happy to add them to my garden.

Griff has a home with lots of acreage. He’s taken out most of his water hungry avocado trees and is letting native plants grow in their place. He wants plants that can survive on San Diego’s minimal rainfall. He enjoyed the Baja Garden and California Native Plants Garden, as much as I did. There are a lot of beautiful native plants that thrive in San Diego. They are actually more lovely than the imported plants, because they are growing in their proper habitat. You have to work harder to make non-native species survive. With a native plant garden, you are more likely to attract beneficial wildlife of all kinds. The birds will flock to your yard. They will love you for it. You’ll also notice more butterflies and honeybees. Your garden will be alive.

A Change in the Weather

Last Tuesday was a rainy day. It was our first real rain of this year. I was thrilled. Out of town visitors are disappointed when it rains in San Diego. That’s not what they have in mind for their sunny, San Diego vacation. But, those who live here are usually happy. We don’t have enough fireplace and sweater weather.

The pattern of Tuesday’s rain was unusual. Normally, rain starts in the North County and works its way south. This time, it started in the south and moved north. “…this … is due to the location of the cut-off low. The counterclockwise flow around the low is pulling moisture up from the south.” When the storms tap into this tropical moisture, we can expect rain to last a day or more, instead of just an hour or two. Also, the South County (where I live) can anticipate as much rain as the North County.

This morning, after I wrote the previous paragraphs, I read an informative article in San Diego’s Union-Tribune. The author, Robert Krier, considers this week’s storm as wimpy, just like all other storms this winter. He’s still waiting for a storm that delivers an inch or more of rain to San Diego and the region. My neighborhood did receive about an inch, but San Diego as a whole received less.

The article goes on to explain the reasons for the piddling storms. The explanation is quite interesting, at least to me. You can read it here. I like the last two paragraphs,”Forecast models earlier this week were hinting at the possibility of a more substantial storm here mid-next week, Wasowski said, although he cautioned that it was too early to consider that a certainty…This would be a sopping wet air mass..It would move all the way across the Pacific from Japan. It could slam the entire state. But we’ll see.” Many people will have legitimate reasons not to like this forecast. I, for one, am encouraged by the possibility of a wet season. I assume Robert Krier is too.

Links for you:

• The job of a meteorologist is to study and explain the character of the atmosphere and the changes that take place in it almost continually. It may be warm, sunny, windy, rainy, snowy, or stormy. All of us are influenced by the weather and benefit from the services provided by meteorologists. Two articles for those who are considering a career in meteorology can be found here and here. Read them to find out more about what a meteorologist does and what qualifications you need.

• If you are a weather enthusiast, amateur or professional, check out WeatherMatrix, the “largest” online weather community. “WeatherMatrix is a worldwide organization of over 10,000 online amateur and professional weather enthusiasts — meteorologists, storm chasers and spotters, and weather observers from all parts of the globe.” Other networks of weather enthusiasts can be found on this page.

• When I’m curious about the weather and want to find an up to date forecast, I turn to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. This site has many kinds of U.S. weather maps. You can start off here to find the map you need. If you want to learn more about meteorology, you can find free online courses and factual articles. This theme page on El Nino, is informative. Also, be sure to visit the NOAA’s History page, which includes numerous images and stories from the past.

• The internet has plenty of weather links for children, starting with the NOAA’s Fun for Kids page. Don’t miss Weather Wiz Kids, created by meteorologist, Crystal Wicker. It allows kids to learn more about the fascinating world of weather. She links to lots of other great weather sites for children. Nick Walker, meteorologist for The Weather Channel, is also known as the “Weather Dude.” He has a wonderful website, with meteorology made simple for kids, parents, and teachers. You can read his online book, Weather Basics, or listen to some song samples from his CD/Book, Sing Along With the Weather Dude. Another meteorologist, Dan Satterfield, has a super fun site, Dan’s Wild Wild Weather Page. It is for kids between 6 and 16 years old and for their parents and teachers, too–or anyone else.

I’m anxious to post this. I’ll probably add more favorite links as I find them, or I’ll write a separate post. Weather is fun to observe and is much talked about. Get outside and enjoy the sunshine, the whispering breezes, or the dripping fog. Watch the clouds march across the sky and use your imagination to find fun shapes. You can observe a lot of changes, even from your own front yard.

A Nighttime Offender

My family had two red-eared turtles, Frieda and Ferdinand, for thirty-six years. They lived in a plastic child's swimming pool in our backyard. Thirty-six years is an average life span for red-eared turtles. We assumed they would eventually die of old-age. Instead, last November, my Dad found them out of the pool and lying on their backs. He rescued them, but saw that their front legs were missing. They could barely walk. We were all aghast at their situation and perplexed. What had attacked our much-loved turtles?

We didn't have to wait long to learn the answer. That evening, in the darkness, a raccoon crept into our yard and approached the pool. He staked it out and prepared himself for another meal. That is when my Dad looked out and saw him. Dad rushed outside, grabbed the turtles, and brought them inside. The raccoon boldly stayed by the pool and was occupied for several minutes. Then he wandered off.

If the turtles hadn't been so horribly injured we would've been excited to see a raccoon in our yard. It was a first for us and we didn't know they had ever been in our neighborhood. Skunks and opossums inhabit our yard, but not raccoons. We put Frieda and Ferdinand in my bathtub and ran some water for them, then pondered what we should do next.

The next day, Mom made numerous calls before she found a vet that could help our turtles. Most veterinarians don't treat turtles or even euthanize them. We knew they needed to be euthanized. It was the compassionate thing to do. Mom finally found an exotic animal hospital in nearby Chula Vista and made an appointment.

The veterinarian told my Mom our turtles' sad injuries are not uncommon in San Diego. Ever since the devastating fires of October 2003, raccoons have been coming into the suburbs to find food. Turtles are easy prey. Frieda and Ferdinand could have survived, but we knew it was time to say goodbye to our beloved pets. We will remember them for a long time.

Links for you:

• First, I will focus on links pertaining to wildlife. The San Diego firestorms of 2003 displaced raccoons and other wildlife and sent them into our neighborhoods. Even mountain lions have been sighted close to human dwellings. Several websites are dedicated to helping us avoid human/animal conflicts. The Humane Society of the United States has worked since 1954 to protect animals from all forms of abuse. In order to coexist peacefully with wildlife it is helpful for us to get to know our wild neighbors. The HSUS takes a closer look at many of the species that are a part of our lives. Another quality site with a similar purpose is Living with Wildlife, created by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Project Wildlife, a San Diego based non-profit organization, provides care for needy wild animals. "Each year, Project Wildlife gives a second chance to over 11,000 wild creatures. All types of wild land and sea birds, as well as wild land mammals, can be helped by Project Wildlife." Visit their website for more about living with "our furry and feathered friends" and for guidelines about the temporary care of wildlife. For more about wildlife rehabilitation, you can also visit the website of the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.
• In the 60's or 70's my father subscribed to National Wildlife and my brothers received Ranger Rick as a gift. I loved to pore over the photos in both magazines and read the articles in Ranger Rick. It's been a long time since I saw either of these magazines. Thankfully, the National Wildlife Federation has a beautiful website, eNature.com, which has a vast article archive where you can read some of the best nature writing available. The site offers field guides for more than 5,500 species. You can learn what species are found in your "neck of the woods." Save online lists of your sightings. You can send free nature ecards to your friends or download a screensaver for your computer. Be sure to visit this site.
• NatureServe Explorer is an online encyclopedia of more than 65,000 plants, animals, and ecosystems found in the United States and Canada. InfoNatura is a database with more than 8,500 species found in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• The best zoo in the world, the San Diego Zoo, has fun to read Animal Bytes. These are essays about animals and the lands they inhabit. Take a look at the 'bytes' about turtles and the Galapagos tortoise. San Diego has one of the largest captive colonies of Galapagos tortoises in the world. They came to the zoo in 1928 and are now well over 100 years old. When you visit San Diego, be sure to spend at least a day at our beautiful zoo!

• The World Chelonian Trust is a rich source of information for turtle lovers or those who are interested in turtles and tortoises. A similar site is kept by the California Turtle and Tortoise Club. They both have care sheets and lots of articles in their archives.

I will write a separate post about wildfires. This is fire season in the West, so it's a good time to learn to protect ourselves from the threat of fire. I was going to include some links with this post, but decided the subject needs its own entry. 

Hoping for Butterflies

Early last Friday, in the fog and drizzle, I plucked dozens of snails out of my garden, but let a solitary caterpillar stay perched on a euonymous branch. Maybe it will soon be transformed into a butterfly. I hadn't thought about the fact butterflies have been scarce this year;not until I saw this article in the San Diego Union-Tribune. This is shaping up to be one of the worst years for California butterflies in nearly four decades. It's quite a contrast to last year's "bumper crop" of butterflies. Californians witnessed swarms of painted ladies and other butterflies migrating through our state. My own neighborhood had a magnificent display with hundreds flying by each hour. Many stopped to rest in my garden.It's too soon to worry about the fate of the butterfly. The weather was unusual this year. Our winter rains came a month later than is normal. February was warm and March was wet and cold. This was quite confusing for the butterflies. Hopefully, they will rebound as the weather improves. Now I know to keep my eyes out for these beautiful insect friends. I will appreciate each one I see.

In the late sixties, before luxury condominiums mangled Coronado's beach, I was strolling along the seashore and happened upon thousands of ladybugs. It was a thrilling moment. Ladybugs were everywhere. These might have been convergent ladybirds which hibernate up in the mountains over the winter and migrate to the lowlands in the spring. They come down from the mountains to feed on aphids, mate, and lay their eggs.

 

I'm always happy to see ladybugs in the garden. Without a doubt, they are extremely beneficial to the environment. They add beauty and they have an insatiable appetite for aphids. Left alone, armies of aphids can "destroy an entire yard within one month." I do whatever I can to encourage ladybugs. Even though I disdain weeds which take over the lawn at this time of year, it is good to know that they provide food and shelter for ladybugs. I might even begin to feel friendly towards the weeds. Well…almost.

 

Links for you:

 

• Beetle Science is an award-winning site developed by the entomologists at Cornell University. It allows you to develop an appreciation for the vital role beetles play in our world.
• The Story-Book of Science, written by Jean-Henri Fabre, is an online book of true nature stories narrated for the young and young at heart. Fabre, an astute observer of insects and other wildlife, wished to make natural history comprehensible to all.
• One winter, instead of destroying the nests of voracious caterpillars as he normally did, Fabre left the insects undisturbed in order to learn as much as he could about their life story. He wrote his observations in The Life of the Caterpillar, a book filled with his awe-inspiring prose.
• You can find more of Jean-Henri Fabre's books at Project Gutenburg. Read these online or download them to your computer.
• Microscopy-U.K. has loads of information for the microscopy enthusiast. The site includes an extensive library of articles about insects, pond life, cells, and much more. It also has a virtual museum, online forum, tens of thousands of images, and school resources. Have fun exploring.
• Beyond is Science like you've never seen it before. This magazine uses cutting edge web technology to present science in both a fun and educational way.
• The National Zoological Park, part of the Smithsonian Institution, has a must see site. You can read the latest issue of ZooGoer magazine or browse the archive. Learn about animals from all over the world by exploring the photo gallery. Check out the Recommended Reading List before you head to your local library.

Photos courtesy of William M. Ciesla and Robert M. McPherson.
See Insect Images.

Getting Ready to Blog

When I started gardening I had to prepare the soil and develop a plan before I could head to my neighborhood Home Depot to purchase plants. My planning stage was rather haphazard. I had some general ideas about color and design, but no desire or skill to draw a diagram or put those ideas on paper. I knew just enough about gardening to get started. My enthusiam was greater than my proficiency.

If I had waited until I was an expert gardener I never would have started. Because of my inexperience a few of my chosen plants had no chance of survival. I didn't know enough to keep them alive. I've learned from those mistakes and try not to repeat them. I also study the Sunset Western Garden Book and Fine Gardening Magazines. By reading, I gather knowledge from other passionate and more skillful gardeners. When I put what I learn into practice I have a more abundant garden.

So it is with blogging. I have enough ideas to get started and plenty of enthusiasm. If I wait until I feel proficient I will never publish a blog. Instead, I'll learn from my mistakes and keep on writing. I read many excellent blogs by talented men and women. These writers are a source of inspiration and learning. They are a good example to follow. Some share helpful tips and techniques for beginners. I'll gather what they freely give and put it into practice. Without this online community I would not have considered starting a blog. Perhaps, I can pass along some encouragement to other would-be bloggers.

Links for you:

• As I work on this post I can see it would be useful to know some HTML. Blogger's help page recommends The Bare Bones Guide to HTML. You don't have to know HTML to blog, but it might be fun.

• The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White is recognized as an excellent "little book" which concentrates on those principles of English composition most often violated. I picked up a copy at a used book sale. You can read the full text online at Bartleby.com.

• Yesterday, I checked out Blogging for Dummies, a book published in 2006, from my local library. Even though the basics of working with Blogger are easy, I would like to learn to customize the appearance of this blog. I also checked out Essential Blogging published by O'Reilly & Associates.

• ProBlogger has a series on Blogging for Beginners. This is an introduction to blogging that will help "prebloggers and newbloggers unpack some of the basics of blogging."

• A new web service, Zimbio, which has portals of information on all sorts of subjects, already has a page on "Blogging as an Internet hobby." This page will continue to grow as members add new content. Anyone interested can become a member.

The internet is a treasure trove of resources for all kinds of bloggers. Maybe you can join me in this exciting endeavor.