What happened here?

As we transition from spring to summer, I've done a round of general clean-up in the garden.  Not that gardens here are ever really prepared for what summer's going to throw at them but I felt mine was at least looking fairly tidy.  Then, I saw this:

The leaves of this Yucca 'Blue Boy' were encrusted with dried honeydew

I assumed that insects of some kind were responsible for the damage but I was unable to detect any sign of the culprits.  My attempt to remedy the situation using the hose's jet spray failed to make a difference and a couple of days later I noticed that my largest Yucca 'Blue Boy' was showing signs of the same problem.

These are the two largest 'Blue Boy' Yuccas in a bed that contains a total of five

Internet sources generally attribute leaf damage on yuccas to soft scale, mealybugs, or two-spotted mites.  Given the crust of what appears to be honeydew excretions and the fact that I couldn't see anything that resembles a mealybug, I guessed the first was the most likely cause.  I removed what I could with another jet spray treatment, wiped the affected leaves with alcohol, and sprayed with insecticidal soap for good measure.  Then, because I couldn't stand the look of them, I trimmed the affected leaves.

I'm hoping the plants will outgrow the disfigured leaves but I'm a little nervous they may not.  I'm going to spray all the Yuccas here with neem oil in an effort to prevent any spread to the plants that aren't already affected.

One of my smaller 'Blue Boys' had a problem of another sort.

I think the white material surrounding the plant's base may be what's commonly known as dog vomit slime mold, which showed up in other areas of my garden last summer

Fortunately, that was easy to resolve with no apparent harm to the plant.

Last week's heat cooked the mold and it was relatively easy to remove

I think of Yuccas as tough plants but no plant is actually care free, is it?

On a more positive note, summer blooms are starting to arrive on the scene.  I don't have any dahlia flowers yet but I have ten sprouted plants so I can hope for flowers within the next couple of months.  Meanwhile, other plants are standing in the wings, readying themselves to take the stage.

At last, I have my first Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) bloom of the year, as well as many more buds

I used a few ruffled Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) in an arrangement this week and there are plenty of buds ready to take-off

One noID lily bloomed earlier this month but I've got 6 lily tree plants with buds.  I haven't had much luck with lilies in the past but the fact that the bulbs are preparing to bloom after a year of very low rainfall is a positive sign.

Hopefully, the good moments will balance the bad ones this summer.

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wednesday Vignette: Winged Visitors

A good stretch of rainy weather and the resulting explosion of flowers brought hoards of visitors into Southern California.  I'm not referring to the humans streaming into our desert areas to see the "super bloom" wildflower displays, although that's still going on.  Unlike that event, the visitors I'm talking about didn't cause traffic jams or crush plants growing in delicate desert ecosystems.  The visitors I'm referring to swarmed across the border from Mexico unencumbered by walls or border patrol agents.  And, according to most reports, they numbered as many as one billion.  The migration in question was that of the painted ladies, a species of butterflies, Vanessa cardui, that took advantage of favorable environmental conditions to disperse far and wide in search of food and mates.  I noticed them in my garden before I heard anything about their mass migration on the news.  They grabbed the attention of the media and that of almost everyone I spoke with last week as we watched them flutter along roadways, in parking lots, and just about everywhere.

This shot was taken in my backyard

and this one was taken in one of my front garden borders.  I saw what looked like a funnel cloud of them at my local botanic garden but didn't have a camera on hand.

That good news story was followed by another, one that hasn't received any news coverage that I'm aware of.  Last weekend, I noticed what I initially thought were tiny hummingbirds flitting through my garden and even buzzing our living room windows.  On closer examination, I realized that they were representatives of one of the so-called hummingbird moth species.  I've seen these featured in the posts of bloggers in other states but this is the first time I've seen any of them in my own area.

This hummingbird moth is also known as a hawk moth and as the white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata).  Like the painted lady, its wingspan is 2-3 inches and it hails from Mexico.

It flaps its wings so rapidly, even when siphoning nectar from flowers, it was hard to get a good photo.  I saw a lizard leap in an attempt to capture this particular moth when it was hovering mere inches above the ground but he failed in his attempt.

My last winged visitor is a regular returnee.  Like the butterflies and the moths, he was particularly attracted to the blue flowers of Echium handiense.

This is the common bumblebee (Bombus), not known as a big honey producer but one of the best pollinators we have

My coverage of these wonderful winged visitors is my Wednesday Vignette.  For more, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.


All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wednesday Vignette: Checking out the Dahlias

I'd been planning to stop by my local botanic garden to check out its dahlia display for well over a month.  Last weekend, the garden had an orchid show so I popped over.  There were lots of pretty orchids but nothing to swoon over; however, before I left, I swung by the dahlia garden to see what there was left to see.  The plants, like those in my own cutting garden, were on the decline but there were still a few fabulous blooms.  I wasn't the only visitor, though.

This was my first praying mantis sighting this year - I've yet to see any in my own garden

This one was fairly small yet and clearly hadn't mastered the art of camouflage

The praying mantis is my Wednesday Vignette.  For more images that caught someone's fancy this week, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.

I'll close with a few of those fabulous dahlias.  If they were labeled, I was unable to make out these out behind their screen of mildewed foliage.

All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wednesday Vignette: Welcome and Unwelcome Visitors

I've been hounded by unwelcome visitors of the furry variety all week.  Every morning is spent cleaning up after raccoons who seem undeterred by either rain or the active presence of coyotes in the neighborhood.  However, after filling holes, sweeping up dirt and replanting upturned succulents early this morning, I saw this:

Ladybug on the climbing rose, 'Joseph's Coat'

The rose, often blocked from view by my husband's truck, is the first to bloom in my garden this season.

The rose grows up the stone-fronted chimney above a grouping of succulents (previously featured in my favorite plant combinations post)

Unfortunately, annoying furry visitors don't confine themselves to nighttime stalking expeditions.  There are daytime stalkers as well.

I saw this fellow from my office window sitting on top of the Xylosma hedge staring intensely at something

Then he moved forward to the Ceanothus hedge

Then he sought a better view from the mimosa tree

A wider view shows the focus of his interest

Seconds later, his goal is achieved (but he looks disappointed to have found the feeder almost empty)

For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.


All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wordless Wednesday: Mutant Grasshopper, Alien Invader, or Locust?

All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party