April 10th Fundraiser~Home Tour

Local designers, artists, homeowners and others quickly came together when asked by the Chamber to create a fundraiser, specifically for the continuance of the Borrego Days Parade, which has become a tradition in our family. Of course, we were happy to contribute. The home tour was great, but the gardens captured my interest. Over $7,000 was raised...HOORAY!

Valentine Bush and a Box of Chocolates

Will I receive my box of See's chocolates early this year? According to my front garden reminder, I will! Eremofila maculata valentine or Valentine bush has burst into full bloom, at least one month earlier than expected. In fact...

Everything in this desert is about one month ahead of schedule. I asked Patty Torres of the Torres Nursery what she thought caused the early bloom. She attributed it to the earlier generous rainfall and the recent warming we have experienced here in Borrego.

The past week has been unbelievably spring-like. Brittle bush is blooming, wildflowers are showing early growth, our ocotillos are flowering, my Anna apple tree has stopped losing leaves...everywhere, I see signs that the garden is ahead of itself! Heeding these clues, I set out some bean and corn seeds in my growing flats. We'll see if THAT works!

We planted our Valentine's bush about four years ago to have winter color inside the entrance area. This is an extremely drought tolerant plant, withstands very low temperatures and likes full sun. During full bloom, you can barely see the leaves.
Grows to about five feet, if you let it. I cut mine back after each bloom and love to do this job since I like the clean fragrance of the plant stems and leaves.

If you want that special person to remember Valentine's Day, THIS is the plant for you!

Borrego Midnight

Borrego midnight! Mention that to any resident and he will know exactly what you mean. I will wager that midnight in Borrego differs greatly from midnight in most other places.

It's a mystery as to who first used the phrase, but it certainly caught on quickly - and, it sure suits us! It might even be why Borrego was chosen to be the only town in California to be certified as an International Dark Sky Community- probably not - but you never know!

You've probably guessed by now...Borrego midnight occurs at nine o'clock each evening. This little village absolutely closes down at nine! See for yourself! Travel down Palm Canyon Drive at 10 p.m. and you may see no other headlights, people or signs of any activity. Now, drive through residential areas and notice the few lighted windows. I would venture a guess that most Borregans rise with the sun!

But, what about New Year's Eve, you may ask...De Anza Country Club has certainly solved that problem! They party until midnight but with a caveat...they enjoy dinner and dancing, but celebrate the first New Year's toast when the ball drops in New York - 9 p.m. Borrego time! Some go home, others wait for the Central time zone celebration, followed by Mountain and finally, Pacific time.

Happy New Year, regardless of your time zone!

The Cotton Patch

What Is That Stuff?
Don't be alarmed if you see white cottony patches on your santa rita cactus! ( Opuntia violacea var. santa rita ) We often find clumps of the wooly-cottony substance on our plants. We find it more often in humid warm weather, but, today noticed a healthy- looking cluster on one of our cactus, even in the cooler weather...yesterday low, 35 degrees, here.

The cactus is native of Texas, Arizona and Northern Mexico but grows very easily here, in Borrego. A mature plant is an outstanding addition to a desert garden. Our garden contains several specimens.

Before you worry too much about what causes the patches, let me assure you, they are very easy to control! Just hose them off with water from the strongest setting your nozzle has...and keep washing until they are gone. Sometimes , you will see a whitish puddle of water containing the "cotton". If you haven't removed all and notice others, wait a few weeks and repeat the process.

The Beetles!
The Cochineal beetle sticks her nose into the cactus pad to get nourishment. She secretes the white cottony substance to hide and to prevent drying out. She stays in one place but the male has wings and can fly to females for fertilization purposes...after which, he dies. The female is wingless, but her cotton patch will grow into colonies following fertilization and spread about the leaf and plant.
Lots of Uses...
This little beetle produces carminic acid, which can be extracted from her body and eggs to make carmine dye, now used as a food coloring (E120 on the food label) and in rouges, lipsticks, jams. preserves, sauces, meats, poultry and many other places, such as the stain for slides in microbiology.
Historic Beetles!
The Aztec and Maya people long used the dye for fabrics and valued its vivid red- purple color. When the Spanish entered the picture, they saw the value in the product and took it back to Europe and kept it as a State secret. Called the "royal" color, it was available to only the rich. They controlled the market and it wasn't until late 1700 that the rest of the world was let in on the secret!
See for Yourself!
I took a metal pick and scraped off a gob of cotton. With a lens, I looked into the sticky mess and noticed the body of the beetle. I squeezed it and saw the bright red drops of a blood-like substance. It got on my fingers, along with some glochids, and dyed my thumb purple - is it indelible? I'll let you know !