Planning for a Southwest Summer

I would like to write about springtime, but in my home town of El Paso, Texas, winter turns into summer so quickly that if you blink, you may miss springtime, as the saying goes. The local TV channels even run a contest for viewers to guess the day the mercury will first hit 100 degrees.  So instead of enjoying traditional spring weather, I am planning what the upcoming Southwest summer will bring to our household.

Unlike many people, I avoid traveling in the summer season because the house and yard need so much extra attention.  And who needs to be part of those crowds of tourists anyway?  I'm content to stay home and watch over the plants and pets. A stroll around our property as the weather is warming reveals opportunities for summer enjoyment but also summertime projects.

An early morning walk onto the second floor balcony reveals a calming scene to start the day. The neighborhood is still quiet, and I catch a glimpse of the mountains in the distance.   

The balcony is best enjoyed early morning or late afternoon.  I make a mental note to buy a small outside wicker table to complete a seating area. Where else am I going to put my glass of  jamaica (a refreshing Mexican drink make of hibiscus leaves)?

Time to go downstairs and out to the main courtyard.

A hummingbird feeder is in place in front of the kitchen window. Watching the tiny birds swoop in is a lot more entertaining than washing dishes.

The kiva fireplace is ready for use on a slightly chilly evening.  (Yes, we do have some chilly evenings in the desert.)

A large collection of pots, watched over by Mama Cat, reminds me that there is much work to be done this summer.  I need to discard the cracked pots and fill the others with colorful blooms to perk up our desert landscaping.  Thank goodness for low maintenance bushes like the pyracantha with its white blossoms and red berries.

The outside oven, the horno, is picturesque but not much used these days.  I need to locate a bread recipe to bake in the oven.  My husband, Wayne, tried to cook a pizza in the oven once but forgot that the pizza pan was bigger than the opening!

This area in the vegetable garden was designed to be a "secret garden" sort of spot.  Somehow it looks bare and uninviting. At least the pear tree provides shade.   Maybe a blooming plant for the table centerpiece would perk it up?

Walking around to the pool yard, I check the small cacti that I moved from inside several weeks ago.They already look like the sun is too strong for them in this location.  I hope the volunteer desert palm grows up nearby to provide shade.

Continuing around to the front of the house, I notice that this seating area (dubbed Sunset Heights because it is the perfect place to view magnificent Southwest sunsets) needs some attention.  The plants in the round area have not lived up to expectations to survive the harsh summer afternoon sun.  I"ll have to search out some truly tough plants.  One of the chairs has a crack, but it is easily and inexpensively replaced.  The metal seasons bench could definitely use a coat of paint.   

Thank goodness for the hardy, undemanding native plants that provide color and shade in this yard.

Creosote Bush

Volunteer mesquite bush 

I do truly enjoy a Southwest summer, although ask me again in August when we have had never- ending days of triple digit temperatures.  One of the tricks to enjoying our blazing summer season is  to beat the sun up in the morning and stay up late enough to enjoy the cooler nighttime temperatures.  No wonder the afternoon siesta came into vogue in hotter climates.  

As I go overboard making a list of summer projects, I remind myself to stop and enjoy what nature offers free of charge during a Southwest summer.