The Borrego Days Parade

As last week progressed, things changed along Palm Canyon Dr. RV's appeared along the side of the road...a little campsite popped up near Jilberto's...it seemed that parking lots were extra full. Excitement was in the air! The PARADE was coming! Borrego Days Annual Event always takes place near the end of October. We have never missed a parade in the twenty years we have lived here.

Everyone seems to worry about funding the parade, getting enough volunteers to do the hundreds of chores associated with the parade, getting participants for the parade, finding a theme for the parade ...everything it takes to carry it off. But, guess what? Somehow it always happen!

Many parades have been memorable. I remember Elvis parachuting in, one year. Another year, the parade was so short that it looped around the parade route twice! Especially dear to our hearts was the Daschund contingent. The one-wheeled bicyclist is a regular, the Park always marches. Sometimes, Road Runner Club has a float. The Police pass with sirens, parade cars always honk. The queen and her court pass by. The equestrians are always fun to watch... this year, the bad guys looked mean and the ladies elegant. The belly dancers jiggled, the bag pipes piped, pretty girls abounded and two old timers were the grand marshals. Following the fly-overs, the National Anthem was sung beautifully, clearly and meaningfully, unlike some recent renditions we've all heard in stadiums. Community spirit was evident, from the tots to the high school alumni. Usually the weather is too warm for comfort- sometimes we experience winds but, this year, the weather was just perfect.

The event is a symbol of this small village, Borrego Springs . A community where each resident counts. We are happy we live here!

Time to Prune!

We knew trouble lay ahead! Another rain storm along with heavy wind probably would have resulted in damage to trees and property. We had already lost a huge Palo verde limb on a tree abutting our house and wall. We were fortunate it fell gently and did no damage. Time to prune! We called Juan ( Juan's Tree Service ) and, luckily, he came out in the afternoon with his crew. They completed pruning and clean-up by early evening and left us with a great pile of mulch. Quick service like that might be called a miracle to some of us in Borrego used to observing Borrego Clock Time, ( BCT ), which differs greatly from PST or PDT.

If you look at your Palo verde trees and notice you can no longer see the sky through them or see dead branches which have broken off and lodged in the tree or if they appear to be extra "heavy looking", it is time to prune. If your mesquite trees are leaning and have a thick canopy or have grown shoots almost touching the ground, it is time to prune!

Native trees are a great asset to your garden and property values. A large tree, purchased at a nursery is costly. Mature native trees thrive in the desert with minimal care but they DO respond favorably to pruning now and then!

Unbelievable!

My weather informant down the street called me this morning. I knew that we had received a fair amount of rain from my rain gauge- a large test tube vial that USED TO have inch and centimeter markings on it ...long erased by the desert sun. My friend has a real weather station, which I consider accurate. She always calls after a rain storm and compares my guess to her readings. This time, I had guessed well over an inch. Her reading: 2 inches!!! Unheard of for October in Borrego. Immediate thoughts? How wonderful for all the native plants, but, what about Saharan mustard? Will we have even more this year? Taller plants? It does look as if we have escaped the "fire season"...mountains are already turning green. Ocotillos are already leafing out - one week after the rain. Citrus received a boost. No serious flooding. We were lucky because the rain came down in torrents. What about winter in Borrego? Stay tuned in!

What is it? "The Herb Sweeter than Sugar "

Tish, the owner of the Health and Herb Shop in the Center Mall Knew about it. The Bob Williams Nursery in Indio knew about it. People in Japan, China, India and South America know about it and have used it for many years,

I had never heard or it nor tasted it. What is it? It is Stevia rebaudiana, AKA candy leaf or sugar leaf - an herb with edible leaves sweeter than sugar! An attractive plant- full sun, well drained soil, white flowers, grows to ten or twelve inches tall. I planted one in my yard yesterday and expect to use it in salads, chopped or diced in vinaigrette and other uses...as I think of them or hear about them.

According to Tish and Wikipedia, the plant has a history - some of it political! It is native to semi-arid areas from North America to South America. Native peoples of South America have been aware of it's properties for centuries. Stevis extract, both in powdered and liquid forms contain thirty to Forty-five times the sweetness of glucose. It also offers myriad purported health benefits. The extract was first commercialized in Japan in 1971. It is only since 1995 that the F. D. A. has permitted it's use as a " dietary supplement ".

Tish has given samples of the powdered form of the sweetener to The Fudge Factory . You can try some there, with your coffee. But...what an opportunity for the Desert Gardeners ! Who thought we could even grow our own Sweet N Low or Asparatame?

Swimming Pool Fall Color

We have tried many pool-side plants during the past twenty years, but none have pleased us more than Lantana...a plant which requires very little care or water, is colorful, attracts birds and butterflies, seems disease resistant and just requires a little trimming now and then. It soon covers the ground enough to prevent weeds from emerging and the cover it creates keeps the soil from drying out. Spent flowers and leaves seem to drop under the growth so we find no litter in the pool. Mocking birds love to eat the seeds and have even planted a few new plants for us!

We first noticed the flowers in media plantings at La Quinta and decided to try them in our garden. We found them at the Torres Desert Nursery on Palm Canyon Drive. They had many of the yellow variety but just a few of the Magentas with yellow centers. We liked the two planted together and bought a few more as soon as they were available.

There are many varieties of Lantana camara, shrubs and ground covers. They come in a myriad of hues and let you choose almost any type of color combination - or, if you prefer, a solid color. Best of all, they do well in our arid climate!

Hot Days, Cool Days, Hot nights, Cool Nights...October's Here !

I always think of you this time of year as I add a blanket and then remove it...then
add again. Hope the world is treating you right.

Received this note from a friend, today. It couldn't have been expressed better! October is the month for surprises...hot days, cool days, warm nights, cool nights. We Borregans are used to it but the garden needs extra help...tender shoots breaking through the ground need moisture to keep from drying out. I apply a light sprinkle a few times a day, as needed, to help them through the hot days. Drip irrigation will be installed next month.

Update, elevated beds-seeded 9/29/10
Touchon and Danvers carrots,Bright lights Swiss chard, Golden globe beets, have germinated in south bed. Avon hybrid and Bloomsdale long standing spinach germinated but something ate the tender shoots. Will replant spinach seeds in a growing flat.

Mid-bed: Rocket arugula and Perfecto radishes are up and vigorously growing. Second leaves showing. Thumbelina carrots, no show, yet. Various scattered lettuce seeds germinated. Butter crunch, 4 seasons and green ice .

North bed: White bunching onions up. Broccoli Raab up. Leeks and chives not yet showing. Half bed saved for future lettuce and carrots.

Lower bed: Five seedling tomatoes...yellow pear, beefsteak, Roma, Celebrity and Solar fire. Companion plants, red onion sets , garlic chives, basil, sage. Saved outer spaces for future planting.

La Reina Baja cilantro planted here and there in other garden beds. Parsley planted amongst flowers. Started two seed flats of marigolds, which help almost every vegetable. Intend to plant them in all beds as soon as they leaf out.

Another Borrego Happening

The phone rang at 3:40 PM yesterday afternoon. I answered it and listened incredulously to the recorded female voice telling me, with regrets, that our electric power would be cut off for a period of four hours - from 4 PM to 8 PM . WOW- what great planning! I guess the S. D. G. E.
crew needed a few extra dollars for overtime. The recent monsoon electrical storms probably did damage - but, did the repair work absolutely have to be done during dinner hour?

We Borregans are used to our little electric surprises. We are usually notified by mail - well in advance of the outage - usually so far on advance that we forget about it and , when the power fails, just say, " Oh, yeah, NOW I remember! " and go about resetting all the programs, clocks and timers.

Yesterday, however, I had planned on a great dinner, which included a baked chicken dish. Oh, well, the barbeque filled in for the oven. We even prepared for the coming darkness. Candles and flashlights were gathered together and we got ready for an intimate candlelit dinner. The dinner turned out to be hilarious rather than romantic as we laughed at the situation. Dinner was over at 7PM and all the flashlights had dimmed. The candles had waned or burnt out and it was DARK! Flashlight batteries in the garage. Who ever thinks of replacing a battery until it dies? Not us! The dishes were stacked by candle power and the road from the table to the sink never seemed longer!

Husband returned from the garage, new batteries were put in the flashlights. I said, "I'm going to read. ", tucked a flashlight between my neck and shoulder and Kindled. Husband headed for the radio. Those batteries were dead, too.

Around 8 o'clock blinking lights everywhere said " Come and fix us. " We did.
Just another Borrego surprise. Thank you, San Diego Gas and Electric!

My Peas Turned into Beans

There are several possibilities - Beans were in the seed packet, the peas looked like beans, some one else planted beans as a joke, kangaroo rats exchanged beans for peas, I made a simple error and mistook the picture of beans on the packet for peas, the prior crop of beans dried, dropped and re -seeded...and on and on.

I thought they came up too fast! Within four days of the rain sturdy sprouts began to appear. BEANS! Notice the holes where I had planted peas. Looks like the mice and rats are at it again. Replanted peas, covered with sturdy shade material. Now a wait and see game!

Organic Gardening

I just heard that THE GARDEN next to the CENTER MALL has received a truck load of organic potting soils and fertilizers. You can purchase them there.

Last night, we watched a Net-Flix documentary, Food, Inc. After seeing it, we are even more convinced that healthful vegetables come only from organic gardens! http://www.moviefone.com/movie/food-inc/36560/main

P.S. Now is the time to plant your winter vegetable garden - lettuce, beets, carrots, chard, onions, and more. Refer to the July-December planting calendar in the back of the book, DESERT GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS, available at the Desert Nature Center.