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Spring Behind, Summer Ahead
I'd like to have another month like the April we just left behind. It may have been a bit windy now and then but temperatures were down right pleasant. Most of April offered great days to be in the garden. I spent quite a bit of time (maybe too much) sitting and admiring the wonders of nature as plants and animals put on a show. I had to get in the habit of wandering the garden nearly every day or I'd miss a one day bloom on a cactus or picking a ripe strawberry or two before the birds discovered the fruit. I'd get glimpses of young cottontails and it seemed liked there were fledgling Mourning doves and lizards everywhere. Tripod, a three-legged spiny lizard that showed up in my greenhouse three years ago is still around and I fed him a few grubs to show him I still remember. He's getting bigger and his head seems a bit redder and he no longer likes earthworms from the compost bin. He seems to be getting a bit finicky in his middle age.

The javelina started visiting again and made a night time raid on the vegetable garden forcing their way under the fence and nibbling the growing tips out of several squash plants. That set them back a few weeks while a new growing tip could form. I also found the piggies yanking up sweet alyssum between the flagstone walk and had to chase them away. What they didn't get the quail have been going after on a regular basis.

A ground squirrel nibbled one of the flowers off soon after it opened. The other bloom lasted the day. You have to remain vigilant or you might miss the show.
Another one day bloom with a few buds below.

Somehow I managed to get quite a bit of gardening done as well. Small clay pots were emptied and a few new, larger pots purchased and planted. Trees were deep watered so they'd be ready for the heat of May and June and I did some pruning to remove dead wood on several mesquite trees. That's where I may have made a mistake because after pruning one tree I noticed a few days later that a large branch was suddenly a different color than the rest of the tree. On closer inspection the leaves were losing their life and falling from the tree. I'd sterilized my pruning saw before making any cuts but didn't do anything with the electric chainsaw. I may have introduced a pathogen (disease) and I'm waiting to see if another portion of the tree shows sign of stress.

The tree was quite healthy before I started pruning but I kept getting stabbed by the long thorns on the low hanging branches every time I walked under the tree. I decided I'd raise it a bit so I could pass easily without getting injured. If the tree dies there goes 14 or 15 years of growth and a tree that not only offers shade but screens my heavily used ramada from some of the neighbors. I started the mesquite from seed so it has a bit of gardening success value. I hope only the one branch is infected but I'll have to wait and see.

I've witnessed several native Foothills Palo Verde in the neighborhood succumb in a very short time. I don't know whether it's from disease, Palo Verde borers or due in part to our prolonged drought. I have a couple of mature native Palo Verde in my yard that have suffered slow die back and didn't produce as many blooms this year as in the past. Unfortunately you don't realize how much a tree can mean to your landscape until it's gone.

That First Home Grown Tomato
I've been watching my greenhouse crop of tomatoes closely. I have four 10-inch plastic hanging baskets with Tumbling Tom cherry tomatoes that were planted as an experiment. The plants have grown quickly and with my daily tapping of the baskets I've managed to get a lot of fruit to set. On a couple of the plants there are so many fruit the stems have trouble supporting the weight. I hope the tomatoes ripen before the branch breaks.

The first tomato was plucked and tasted on Sunday, April 25th. The skin was a little tough but I figured it had to be to hold in all that tremendous tomato flavor. I'm eager to say farewell to store bought tomatoes for the summer.

The branch of these Tumbling Tom cherry tomatoes can barely support their weight.
The first Tumbling Tom grown in the greenhouse was eaten on April 25th and others were soon to follow.
Clusters of Container Choice hybrid tomatoes in late April grown in the greenhouse.

I also have several five gallon plastic nursery containers planted with Container Choice hybrid tomatoes growing in the greenhouse. The plants look healthy and there are plenty of tomatoes but I've had a bit of a problem with blossom-end rot and have had to toss a few of the green tomatoes into the compost bin. Keeping the containers evenly moist has been a problem.

What I have noticed is if I'm going to grow tomatoes, especially indeterminate varieties in the greenhouse I'm going to need a bigger greenhouse. A 10 by 12 doesn't seem very large once you're growing a few large plants.

Big Clay Pots
I'm always on the lookout for a new decorative container or two for my patio, porch or ramada. The bigger the better come summer, so I don't have to water as often. I happened to spot Joel's Pottery at the corner of River and Oracle Roads when I was stopped at a traffic light. I decided to pull in to see what Joel's offered and was surprised at the size of the pottery and the price. I purchased several pots with matching saucers and Joel loaded up the bed of my truck for me. The big pots aren't for the faint of heart -- they're heavy. Once you fill them with a good potting soil and water, I don't think you'll be moving them without the assistance of a dolly or some other wheeled cart.

This 20-inch inside diameter pot won't be getting knocked over by passing javelina and rabbits will have to hop a bit higher to get at the zinnias.
Three small decorative Mexican pots were added to the parapet near the front entrance. Rocks were added to add weight so, hopefully, they won't get blown off when thunderstorm winds arrive.

If you're looking for painted and glazed Mexican pottery, of all shapes and sizes, to add to your porch or patio you might want to see what Joel's Pottery has to offer.

Summer Gardening Ahead
As the temperatures rise so does the need for more garden diligence. May isn't June but it's still plenty hot and dry. Watering becomes important and you can't miss too many days on potted plants or they'll wilt, sometimes beyond recovery. Plants are going to grow and insects will multiply. In my yard I look forward, with a bit of trepidation, to the baby pocket gophers, Harris squirrels and rabbits. They're always fun to watch but they also have to eat. When times are tough, they look to this Tucson Gardener's garden for nourishment and then it becomes somewhat of a battle with the wildlife usually winning.

No doubt about it, we're heading into a tough gardening season.

The Tucson Gardener
May, 2004