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The desolate harsh atmosphere of the desert makes it challenging for animals, plants and people to survive.  Unless the species is native to the environment, it doesn’t last long and struggles through its life.

 Plumeria bloom stem

Flowers developing

 

Most of my plants I moved with me from southern California died long ago.  But I still have, “Lovely,” the plumeria I’ve had for twenty-plus years.  She struggles here too but I always move her to the garage in the winter months and bring her to a protected place on the patio once the temperatures reach above forty.  Francis and Lovely are the only two plants I have left from my move eleven years ago, aside from my Sego palms, which struggle every year, but usually battle back.  They’re hardier so Lovely and Francis take more care and keep each other company.

 Mama Palm

These are the children

 

The Sego’s are too heavy to move so they are wrapped in layers of old bedding and burlap in hopes they can withstand the extended freezing conditions of winter.  However, this year poor Mama Palm is really struggling and I hope she doesn’t give up.  Her children are doing well, but she’s over forty years old and hasn’t grown one new shoot this year.  I’ve been coaxing her all summer, but so far to no avail.  (Yes, I talk to my plants all the time.)  She’s sending up shoots from her roots as she does every year.  Perhaps she’s old and is nearing the end of her lifespan.  I don’t really know.

The first flower is open

Lovely hasn’t graced me with a bloom stem in a couple of years, but this year she’s gone to work and has one stem going that I’ve been photographing over the last few weeks.  I hope this is only the beginning of more.  A couple of years she had them on all her branches.  It was breathtaking and like stepping onto the isle of Hawaii to look at her as the fragrance carried me away.

 This is Francis

 

Hubby doesn’t know it yet, but I’m not leaving this plant or Francis behind when we move from here.

This crepe myrtle tree is struggling

The sage thrives here.  This bush always needs cutting back but gets loaded with lavender blooms about three times a year.

Other than that, much is going on here as my husband is still handling things in Oregon.  I expect him to be back by the end of the month to take a breather before going back in the fall when it’s cooler to clean out the garage.

The water issue seems to be resolved.  Do I dare say that aloud?  I’ve done a lot of cleaning up, washing and generally wearing myself out.  Along with that, I’ve changed TV carriers and had many appointments for the “welcome to Medicare” program all new people are entitled to once they become eligible.  This has been quite interesting and I’ll post more about that next time.

We did have an unexpected rainstorm, which ventured this way from Arizona yesterday.  It was actually in the seventies in July!  What a nice break.  My lawn has decided to sprout a bit of new grass in random spots.  I don’t know if it will ever recover completely.  It looks burned to a crisp despite all the watering we’ve done, along with putting on the treatment the local nursery advised.