june-early july pics

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 6:28 pm

A couple of pics from the garden.

Desert olive

And some high desert hills from Idaho

Snow in the mountains

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:22 am

Really beautiful country out there Aaron! That desert olive is interesting, is it and evergreen or semi evergreen? I wonder if you could get away with some of those crazy live oaks that in the high altitudes of inland NW? That would be pretty cool, I have a real fascination about all the different kinds of evergreen/semi evergreen oaks out that way. To bad they couldn't take more moisture, it seems like all the tougher ones like it dry.

Bill

henry5 zone5 · Post by **henry5 zone5** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:10 am

Wow!!!!!!!!!!WOW wonderful , beautiful i'm envious , u really have a pretty cactus collection .

thank for your pics BRAVO

Henry

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:23 am

Beautiful pics,beautiful place!

We have a lot of the same flowering cactus,
when did they start blooming?

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:13 am

hardyjim wrote:Beautiful pics,beautiful place!

We have a lot of the same flowering cactus,
when did they start blooming?

Hi Jim,
We do have alot of the same cactus, this year mine did not start to bloom until the end of June. A normal year and they would bloom late May/ early June. We are one month behind.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:19 am

Thanks everyone for the nice comments

Bill,
The desert olive is suppose to be simi-evergreen, but not here. But it is very hardy.

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 11:51 am

Aaron,
Can you tell me more about that olive tree? I'm interested in it. Would it grow here or is it to wet? Latin name? Sorry for all the questions but I always wanted and olive tree.

Thanks,
Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 3:58 pm

Fabulous, Aaron, incredibly beautiful area you live in.

Can't let my dog see those pics (ha ha), I'm forever picking cactus spines out of her feet when she heads up into our hills here.
They DO look like Jim has the same cactus!

I also like that Desert Olive.
I had a Russian Olive, unfortunately died from too many sprinklers near it, but it was stunning.
Longish olive/grey/blue leaves, fabulous aroma from tiny flowers each spring.

Since olives generally grow in the Mediterranean, wonder if you could grow a Russian Olive in Iowa.
Would also look good against your rock mulch and your house color.
Apparently olive trees need it hot and dry, but I don't know how cold they can take it.

Thanks for the great pics.
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:34 pm

BILL MA wrote:Aaron,
Can you tell me more about that olive tree? I'm interested in it. Would it grow here or is it to wet? Latin name? Sorry for all the questions but I always wanted and olive tree.

Thanks,
Bill

Just so we are on the same page, this is in the olive family but is not the "european-olive" This is a desert native of Cal. to texas. It's latan name is Forestiera neomexicana. I have not watered mine for a few years now and it sets on a hill, so I don't know how they will do in the wet? They do however take lots of cold and have nice look when they are kept trimmed. They have that olive look but have greener leaves. I like the bark because of the white appearance.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:47 pm

Bill,
You might want to try silver-buffalloberry (shepherdia argentea) Looks just like "euro olive" but has red fruit that the birds like

I have bought this a few times but rabbits eat it before it can get to size.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:19 pm

As it turns out, Russian Olive is extremely invasive and on the "NO" list in Indiana.
Sorry I suggested it.

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http ... s%3Disch:1

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:28 pm

DesertZone wrote:
hardyjim wrote:Beautiful pics,beautiful place!

We have a lot of the same flowering cactus,
when did they start blooming?
Hi Jim,
We do have alot of the same cactus, this year mine did not start to bloom until the end of June. A normal year and they would bloom late May/ early June. We are one month behind.

You'll probably end up with a warm fall early winter unless the past 3 years
below avg temps are shifting west

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:50 pm

hardyjim wrote:You'll probably end up with a warm fall early winter unless the past 3 years
below avg temps are shifting west

Yes, our falls have been on the warm side, and then without notice winter hits everything that is still growing.

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 7:25 am

Beautiful pics and beautiful area to live in.....

Thanks for sharing.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 7:44 am

Damn Mike-your weather sticker says 99f at 10:30am WTF!

I hope your plants are under water!

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:32 am

Love you garden plants and you have a great landscape out there!

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:38 am

Yeah it is hot here, 101 right now I think...It hasn't really rained in 3.5 weeks to speak of besides a shower two weeks ago...Soooooooo Dry! Ugh!