Moths on Pink Yarrow

I don't know what type of moths these are, but they're teeny-tiny (the size of my fingernail), and they LOVE my pink yarrow!

Desert Willow Seedlings

This is the first time I've started desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) from seed. I've had terrific success germinating them in 4" pots by spritzing them daily with water from a mister bottle and then keeping the pots covered with a clear, upside-down drip tray (to keep the soil moist but still allow sunlight in). The seeds should be planted shallow (just barely covered with soil) as they need sunlight to germinate.

The internet tells me to overwinter them indoors in pots the first year and then plant in the ground next spring. Supposedly the seeds lose viability rather quickly. I plucked these off of the tree (select brown pods that are dry and starting to split open) and seeded them the same day.

The seedlings below are from the tree in my back yard ('Bubba') which I got 20 years ago from Garden World in Abilene. They are still displaying their cotyledons and are just starting to grow their first true leaves. I've started four pots of these, and all germinated successfully in about one week.

Desert Willow seedlings

 

Desert Willow 'Bubba'

 These are the first seeds I started back in the summer, and these came from the tree over at the park which has more white in it than the tree in my back yard. August 10, 2022; pictured with two chocolate ghost pepper plants:

 

Transplanted into 1-gallon pot today:

Desert Willow transplanted into 1-gallon pot

Chocolate Ghost (Bhut Jolokia) Heirloom Peppers

I bought these seeds on clearance back in the summer and potted them up back in July which is a bit late to get production before it freezes in about a month from now. I'm going to overwinter them in pots and transplanted them up into 1 gallon pots today.

Pictured below with a dessert willow seedling:

Chocolate Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)

Mother of Millions, Kalanchoe laetivirens (Bryophyllum)

I bought this plant last year at the Lubbock Garden & Arts annual plant sale. It was a bit rough and unruly but has filled out and developed a more balanced form and has probably doubled in size. It IS making babies everywhere, ha ha!

Bryophyllum is a subgenus of Kalanchoe, and the species is native to Madagascar. Laetivirens may be a hybrid between K. daigremontiana and K. laxiflora.

Close-up of little plantlets that rim the serrated leaves.

My succulent plant stand on the patio. K. lativirens is on the lower shelf, back left.

The little plantets drop of and take root everywhere. I have started several new plants by putting these in pots. Any strays will die this winter as this plant will not tolerate freeze at all.

Leaf Mold

I was super excited that my new SunJoe leaf shredder arrived a few days early which means I get to play with it all weekend! (Yes, I am a nerd.)

 

I have made leaf mold for years now, but it really does take 3-4 years for it to decompose here in Lubbock, being as hot and dry as it is. 

 

Fully decomposed leaf mold from 2019

 

I can get probably 30 - 35 bags of leaves every year from the groundskeepers at work, but they're just not breaking down fast enough and now I have a backlog! So I decided to step up my game and start shredding them. Plus, the shredded leaves make a really wonderful mulch, and the City of Lubbock hasn't been running their wood chipper lately so we can't get any more free mulch from there for the time being.

 

You can shred leaves with a lawnmower and bag attachment which I did a couple of weeks ago. It was a bit of a hassle, but doable. Since I have A LOT of leaves to shred, I decided to get a dedicated leaf shredder. This one costs $109 on Amazon and uses .095" trim line to shred. 

 

SunJoe leaf shredder

 

You just dump leaves into the funnel on top and it spits out shredded leaves. I tried it first just dumping it into a big blue feed bucket from the farm, but you really do need to attach a bag to keep from generating your own mini-haboob. 

 

 

It's still a dirty job, but the final product is amazing! 

 

 

Composted leaves, or "leaf mold," is about one of the best things you can add to your soil to improve soil structure, increase moisture retention, and enhance the microbiome of your garden and flower beds.

 

These are still last year's leaves that I'm shredding! So I'll use part for mulching in before winter and let the rest break down in my leaf mold bins. And then go take a shower because I am covered in dust!

 

 

Filling the leaf mold bins back up

Be sure to wear safety gear and a DUST MASK!

Shredded leaves make great mulch

Read more about leaf mold

Rock Rose (Cistus spp.)

Rock rose (Cistus spp.) is a 3' to 5' tall blooming shrub. It tolerates heat, drought, and poor soils, but mine do best with some afternoon shade and supplemental water in the summertime.

My neighbor gave me some rock rose seeds 20+ years ago, and they're still reseeding themselves all these years later! So pretty!

 

Rock Rose

Rock Rose bloom

Rock Rose leaves

Rock Rose seeds

Rock Rose seeds