Spring Has Sprung in Las Vegas
/Spring comes early to the desert. The nights are still cool in the 40s and 50s, but the days have warmed up significantly. It’s in the 80s this week! We’ve had more rain this season than usual and the plants are loving it. Trees in the community have all leafed out and everything is looking healthy and, at least for the time being, green.
A couple of weeks ago we met up with a friend in Death Valley and though it wasn’t a ‘super bloom’ year, the flowers that were in bloom were gorgeous.
Death Valley desert marigolds
We have desert-scaped our front and back yards in order to conserve water. Bright yellow lantana lines the back wall along with some native grasses. We’ve planted some Spanish lavender which is blossoming nicely and each time I enter the backyard I catch a sweet whiff.
Our Spanish lavender is thriving
About three years ago, we acquired a Judy Garland rose bush. We thought Judy was a goner several times. She had been overtaken by the lantana in our absence and probably didn’t get enough water. I pruned her back in January and David increased the water drip a bit to see how she’d do. I’m pleased to report this is the first year Judy is thriving and she’s just produced her very first rose with several more rosebuds in the offing. To add to the excitement, we noted that a couple of the recently released ladybugs have actually stuck around to keep Judy company.
Our free Early Girl tomato plants are about a foot high and both are beginning to blossom. Usually we plant too late and never see the fruit before it roasts on the vine, but maybe this year, we’ll be surprised.
Our Early Girl is blooming early. Maybe we’ll see a tomato this year.
We walk the neighborhood each morning and are amazed at the rate of growth of some of the plants. Many of the cacti are in full bloom and the flowers are spectacular.
From our trip to Desert Springs and some further reading, we’ve learned that there are two distinct planting seasons here in southern Nevada: one in late September through December and again in late February through early-mid May. This year we’re hoping to take advantage of this and plant some veggies in the autumn. We’ve identified some specific species that can thrive in our arid, hot climate.
I just love Spring, don’t you? Everything is fresh and green and blooming. The days are getting longer. I hope those tomato flowers turn into tomatoes soon. It’s also time to start planning our summer getaway.