Gardening on the Moon ( GOTM )

Written by Jeff
Non-GOTM pictures credited by hover notes – move cursor over image

Follow Jeff on Twitter for daily garden tips and news!

• 
  

  

  Pity the poor Mesquites or in my case, the Palo Verde. This is a story of the desert garden “pest” – mistletoe. This mistletoe, however is nothing like the winter holiday plant with the same name. This variety is deadly to desert trees. It is a parasitic plant that destroys its host over several years. You can read about it at “By George! A Blog!” at the link below. [Pictured is a sample of Mistletoe on a Palo Verde.]

• 
  

  

  The desert is an amazing place. In the middle of the summer with the 110 degree days, it is difficult to find things other than a few cactus growing in the desert. The early spring, however, is a different story. In a rainy year such as this one, wildflowers abound and they put on a display that rivals some of the finest gardens. Manet would have loved to paint these beauties. For those in the Tucson, AZ area, there are numerous resources to help you find and enjoy the best of nature’s displays.

• 
  
  
  

  How long do garden seeds stay fresh? That is the perennial question (pun alert). After all, don’t you usually have seeds left over after planting season? Nobody wants to waste seeds or money. Here is a resource to help you determine whether the seeds you have are still viable. This post from the Gardener’s Rake has other links to help gardeners learn to properly store seeds from year-to-year.

• 
  
  

  

  MSNBC has a very nice animal slide show for those who like that sort of thing; I do! Somehow it seems that many gardeners are also animal lovers. Dogs seem to love gardens and cats enjoy “hunting” from behind the strategic crevices created by plants and flowers. Remember to bell the cat to save the birds!

• 
  
  

  

  Ground covers can be used to protect the soil from rain (and look good in the process). This is one category of plants that doesn’t seem to get a lot of press yet these plants can play a crucial role. Keep in mind that some climbers also make good ground covers as well!

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post