donna's garden – Page 2 – Nature Along the El Camino Real

Keep Those Leaves!

October 27, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Donna Lewis

Fall is slowly arriving, and the leaves are starting to fall into our gardens.

Some of you are thinking, “How messy! I’ll need to rake or mow them up.”

I used to think like that, too, especially when I lived in the city. Now that I live in the country, I have learned better. My bad back has also learned to take it easier.

Mother Nature also has made those leaves fall for a purpose, to protect the new plants that will emerge in the spring and to protect little critters that live and sleep away the winter among the fallen leaves. Those are two good reasons to just let them lie.

Today (October 24, 2021), I walked through my garden to catch one of the last monarchs heading south, lovely and gentle as she had a little sip from a milkweed in my garden.

After I left the garden, I went over to the Celeste fig tree that has frozen back every winter, and has just put out the first edible figs ever! I was so happy. A little snack for me.

Remember, leaves are the baby blankets for next year’s new plants. So leave them….

Donna’s Garden in August

August 5, 2021August 21, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Donna Lewis

Here is what my garden looks like here in the hot month of August. Many wonderful things wait until it’s really hot to come out and look pretty.

This year the weather has been a little crazy. Something I think will be the norm going forward. We just need to be flexible in our expectations and go with the flow… and share our experiences.

Click on any of the photos to see an expanded view.

The entrance gate with Passion Vine and Cypress Vine

More Flowers from Donna

August 2, 2021August 2, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Donna Lewis

Here is the next set of wildflowers and other things I saw on July 28, 2021. I will break the blog posts up to include a few each time. Look for more tomorrow!

There are so many amazing plants outside right now.

1. Cowpen Daisy. This bad boy gets going and likes to spread everywhere. It does not need rain nor help in any way.

2. Coral Honeysuckle. This is the hummers’ favorite plant at our place. So easy to grow, and I have lots of babies to share.

3. Zinnia. An old-time favorite that every species of butterfly likes, really worth having in your garden.

4. Fire Wheel, native plant that grows in the pastures.

5. Xemia. Sweet little yellow flower, looks great in the garden.

6. Sedum. The flowers attract lots of butterflies.

I bet all of you have these flowers either in the pasture or in your garden. If not, then plant some for the pollinators, and you will enjoy the beauty of butterflies, hummers, and many more beautiful little creatures.

The Fennel Forest

July 22, 2021July 20, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall2 Comments

by Donna Lewis

I know you all were wondering earlier this year what I was going to do to this small garden in my front pasture area. The freeze took every single plant to the ground. Laid to waste.

I was not able to weed it, or really do any work in it like I always have for many years. Injuries, a few too many years…it all adds up. I have been 29 several times I think.

So, let’s talk about what the garden is right now. It looks messy to us humans. But, I didn’t plant it for us. I planted it for the wildlife. This garden had lots of native plants in it and a perch I made for birds to rest on.

I planted zinnias, fennel, yarrow, sunflowers, sage, coneflowers, salvia, cowpen daisies, and a host of native things that just blew in. Freebies! And very important, I made a perch for the birds to sit on.

Many gardeners forget to put something for the birds to perch on and get off the ground where they feel safe. I cut a cattle panel in two, then took some hognose clips and made it to where it would open up. The birds love it.

All those “native plants” I had put in for years came back after the horrible weather. Even the heat and too much water has not deterred them. But all the mess has lots of bugs in it. Food for hungry birds. So, I may have just given you a reason to get out of all that work, trimming, weeding and other back breaking work.

Remember who we are gardening for…

Donna, the happy bird girl

June in Donna’s Garden

June 18, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Donna Lewis

It’s heating up.

So here are the June photos of my pollinator garden.

After days of rain, the sun and the humidity have returned in force.

We have gone from too much rain to too much heat. Now I have to actually think about watering my plants. I have to do that while I stay in constant motion so the mosquitoes don’t eat me for lunch.

The first tall plants were beat down by the wind and rains we had. Mostly purple Larkspur. They were really pretty and the Swallowtails liked them alot.

There are so many different flowers that I cannot name them here.

Just know I make sure that every plant or vine has some value to nature.

Zinnias, Indian blanket, black-eyed Susans, etc.

The tall sunflowers really fit the bill because they have both nectar and bugs. The nectar for the pollinators and the bugs for the birds. The cardinals and the wrens go crazy over them. Zinnias are just popping up and just about all the butterflies like them.