Some bright spots in a gloomy day

Yes, it is definitely autumn in El Paso, Texas. Rain is predicted for today. The promise of precipitation has great significance in the desert southwest, where average rainfall is only about nine inches a year. Although the normally brilliant blue sky is now a monotonous gray cloud cover, the hint of moisture in the atmosphere calls a person outside.  And walking in the yard in the early morning about an hour after sunrise,  here are some bright spots I discovered.

Pomegranate tree

The pomegranate tree (or rather bush!) has put on its light gold fall colors.  Pomegranate trees grow well in our area.  We have the one pictured in a sheltered courtyard and another volunteer plant in the back yard.  They were actual trees until a severe frost damaged them several winters ago.

Pyrancantha bush

The pyracantha bush has put on a brilliant display of Christmas red berries just in time for the season. The plant was a tiny close-out purchase from a local nursery years ago for under five dollars. The bush does take some pruning from time to time, but when the cooler weather arrives, it is one of my favorite plants. 

Green cassia

The cassia has grown into a monster!  In early spring, it will have fragrant yellow blossoms.  My husband and I keep telling each other we need to prune the cassia back, but no one has volunteered to tackle that task yet.

The sage bush, where the outdoor cat Cry Baby has a hiding spot, puts on colorful purple blooms when the atmospheric conditions (details of which are still a bit of a mystery to me) are just right.  I'm going to check for color in a couple of days because of our rain chances this week.

Sometimes we try so hard to make a beautiful yard, when all it takes is accepting what nature has to offer. This desert plant volunteered to grow in a sheltered spot, and I find it quite attractive.

I have a special place in my heart for the hardy, undemanding plants in our yard. No pampering required here!   These plants certainly lifted my spirits while I was waiting for the sun to return to the desert southwest.

A sure bet for the Southwestern yard

After living in the desert Southwest for many years, I must admit to more gardening failures than successes. We must contend with blazing hot summers, freezing cold winters, and scant rainfall. But one species of mesquite tree, the honey mesquite, is the star of our outdoor area. Four of these hardy trees grow in our front yard and driveway. And I love them.  

Over the years my husband Wayne and I have been referring to the mesquites as a family. The first two mesquites to be planted we named the mom and dad trees.  They stand together on one side of the driveway, providing shade for parking during the warm months. 

Mom and Dad mesquites

Both trees are quite large now, sprawling over the yard, keeping the scorching afternoon sun from baking the cacti and other native plants growing there. 

Desert plants enjoying some shade

From time to time, Wayne has to curb the trees’ exuberant growth pattern with his chain saw.  My job, as assistant pruner, is to drag away the cut limbs for disposal.  The trees never appear to be scalped or shorn but do seem to appreciate the new space to stretch their limbs even more.   Birds of many species, including hummingbirds, perch in the branches high above the ground.

Buoyed by the success of mom and dad mesquite trees, we added another.  It quickly became known as “teenage mesquite,” mirroring our family makeup at that time.  It has now reached the second story of the house so that I can see it from my upstairs bathroom window. Teenage mesquite has been a great tree, growing steadily while providing protection for native plants beneath it.  This tree is of course much thinner and leaner than mom and dad, as teenagers tend to be.

Teenage mesquite on right

Another addition to the mesquite family, “baby mesquite”, was the last to be planted  Its two predecessors unfortunately died shortly after planting.  But baby mesquite is thriving.  It lives on the opposite side of the driveway from the other family members. Two species of sage bushes and some hedgehog cacti are thriving underneath it, hiding from the afternoon sun.

Baby mesquite

I highly recommend honey mesquite trees for the Southwest yard.  They require no extra water once established; they grow to great heights and provide shade to large areas; and best of all, they only leaf out in the spring after the last frost.  The mesquites tell us when it is safe to start spring gardening.

Oops.  I believe I failed to mention the vary large quantity of mesquite beans that drop from the trees and litter the ground.

Mesquite beans

I suppose if I were on a true back to nature kick I would gather them and grind them into flour. That's probably not going to happen anytime soon  I'll leave them on the ground for a natural look!