The Tucson Gardener - Tucson's Gardening Information Site

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If you have gardening projects, April is the time to do them. Plan on waiting till May and you may find it's just to darn hot outside and it'll only get hotter as the days move toward summer.

By the last week of March most of my mesquite trees had fully leafed out, the citrus was in full bloom, and the beaver tail prickly pear had plenty of buds with some already blooming. It was difficult to think about gardening because all I wanted to do was sit in a comfortable spot and enjoy the greenery and blooms. The winter pansies, violas, snaps, sweet alyssum and Iceland poppies have seen better days. It won't be long before they all make their way to the compost bin.

I've started a couple different height zinnias, potted up some succulents, and have a few ornamental bananas to put in the larger pots. I've also started ornamental millet, and both Silver and Emerald Falls trailing dichondra to give a try in hanging baskets. I also have several Spikes, Dracaena indivisa, I found in a garden center last fall and kept alive in the greenhouse through the winter. They're now two feet tall and need to be planted into larger pots along with some of the summer annuals.

Most of the tomatoes I started from seed in January have gone into the raised beds as have the summer squash. I still have two beds to prepare and a few more tomatoes and Armenian cucumbers to plant along with the Black Beauty eggplant I started from seed.

In the greenhouse I have Container Choice and Tumbling Tom tomatoes along with basil. I'll also try a few bell peppers grown in the greenhouse because the garden crop usually gets decimated by leaf cutter ants. This is the first year I've tried to grow vegetables in the greenhouse during the summer.

Papaya Pear, Sunburst, and Butter Scallop squash were transplanted into the vegetable garden near mid March.
Tumbling Toms in plastic hanging baskets were full of blossoms and a few tomatoes at the end of March.

Future Project
I'm in the planning stage for a small garden tool storage shed. Like many avid gardeners my gardening tools and growing supplies have taken over much of my storage shed and a good portion of my carport. I have way too much gardening stuff, but I do use most of it throughout the year. That means I need to create a space just for gardening related tools and supplies. I could go out and buy one of the sheds made of wood or vinyl but that's not what I want. I want something to fit my gardening needs and fit a specific location.

I have to clear a spot for the garden tool shed which means cutting down and removing three or four creosotes that have grown quite large because their roots get moisture from the adjacent vegetable garden. I'll remove them a little bit at a time and bundle up the branches for trash pickup. If the garden tool storage project turns out well enough to share with Tucson Gardener readers I'll post pictures and other pertinent information under Current Cultivations.

Sad Coyote
The past few months a sad specimen of a coyote visits my yard on a fairly regular basis. I'm guessing he has some sort of mange because he's lost most of his fur and has some nasty looking wounds where he's been injured or scratched himself. Every time I see him I sympathize with his predicament and am amazed that he often has one or two female companions that look in great shape compared to him.

Less than healthy looking coyote searching for game in the front yard.

Late one afternoon while daydreaming in the hammock under the back yard ramada a coyote let out a howl not more than 15 feet where I dozed. I darn near fell out of the hammock in surprise. I jumped up and there was the mangy coyote looking at me. He trotted off down the wash. Lots of coyote howling goes on in my neighborhood at night but not too often during the day unless in response to a distant emergency vehicle siren. I like to think the coyote has managed to maintain his sense of humor because he sure did get me to jump from the hammock when he howled.

Plenty of Gardening and Kite Flying Ahead
I managed a fairly good start to spring gardening in March but I still have plenty to do in April. Part of the problem is I haven't been able to find some of the plants I want to add to my landscape. I'll have to visit a few more nurseries and continue to visit the one I shop regularly. Inventories change and you never know what you might find that will look good in the garden.

Even with all the gardening to do I manage to find a little time for other activities. In late March there were several windy days or a nice breeze came up in the evening. I happen to have a collection of fabric kites sitting in my storage shed and I developed the urge to knock the dust off a few of them. There was no need to head to the nearest park or vacant school yard to fly. I launched the kites in the street in front of my house and then made my way to the back yard where I sat under the ramada and watched the kite fly while I kept a firm grip on the kite line.

I'll admit there were a few tense moments when the wind suddenly died and I had to work the kites to a safe landing. I don't have any power lines to worry about but there are plenty of trees and cactus that could cause some difficulty when it comes to an emergency landing.

Wind, a shady spot and a comfortable chair made for enjoyable late afternoon kite flying in the back yard. This is a 15-foot cotton delta with decorative banner.

I enjoyed flying the kites and I think some of the neighbors enjoyed looking skyward to see the colorful fabric dancing in Tucson's blue skies. If I can find the time I may try my hand at a bit more back yard kite flying in April.

Plenty of Gardens to Visit in April
This month Tucson gardeners have the opportunity to visit several local gardens to see what others are doing in their landscapes. Both the Tucson Botanical Gardens and Ag. Extension Master Gardeners open up some of their gardens for viewing. The self guided tours are inexpensive and a nice way to spend a few hours on a Saturday. Check the Botanical Gardens and Ag. Extension Web sites listed under Local Links for further information.

If you like roses, The Rose Society of Tucson is having an annual Rose Show on the 17th. Check Gardening Events for further information.

There are plenty of gardening activities going on all month so you might want to watch for announcements in the local newspapers. I know I have a long list of gardening activities scheduled for April. Number one on the list is to make sure I take the time to appreciate what nature has to offer. Hope you do the same.