Small Blessings

When I moved to the Sonoran Desert, I took the time to select out the plants that I thought had a fighting chance of survival down here.  I still took a lot of losses that first summer. 

There is no way to understand the impact of that low humidity/high heat until you live through several months of it.  Michigan one year had a week of weather that was in the high 90s with 'low' humidity of around 40%.  Ha ha.  Low?  Low is 4% - how little did I know. 

Things died.  Thankfully, I have blanked out most of what I have lost.  Nature can be kind. 

And some things just limped along, looking pathetic, but not so gone as to be mercy tossed to the compost pile.  My african violets were in that category.  I came down here with four, quickly losing one to wilt.  One went into a long decline, finally rotting out at the base.  I have its leaves in a bag with some potting mix, hoping one will root and I can recover the plant. 

The other two?  Have suddenly decided they might be okay after all. They are both blooming very prettily at the north window I have settled them.

Although this show of happy may be short term; in late July through most of January, the humidity levels are naturally higher.   I have started to put my plants in humidity trays, and I will add these two to that system soon. 

But for now, I'm just sitting back and enjoying my small bright blessings. 

Comments

[Iowa Gardening Woman]

It really is the small things in life that make it enjoyable, isn't it?

[Judith Woelke]

You can keep African Violets alive in the Sonoran Desert? I can't keep them alive in MA nor could I in MI.

[KMU]

Greetings ~

Your post sure brought back memories of our first summer here in the Great Basin High Desert of Northern Nevada! Never in my life have I used lip balm and hand cream before! We also lost a lot of plants that first summer. I'm doing better now, but this is only our 3rd spring here.

My small blessing for the week is that the sugar snap peas and sunflowers have germinated.

By the way, also love the photo of the lizard. They aren't out around here yet, but I am hoping they will invade my garden again this year.

I'm on travel for work next week, so now I have something to do while hanging out in a hotel - I can check out the rest of your site.

Thanks for a cool blog!

[Ki]

4% whew! And I thought 20% in the winter with the drying heat was bad.

Hey whatsmatta with your African violets. Don't they know this is the environment where they should be thriving. Actually it's not. They like high humidity. But when you think of Africa, desert seems to be the first association. African violets' scientific name is quite interesting - Saintpaulia.

[James]

Wow..what a wonderful small flowers. that reminded me my those days when I used to go in farms. I love flowers & such a wonderful flowers represents our feelings very well.

[Lisa L]

When I have an AF rotting out at the base, I cut some of the leaves and put them in shot glasses with water with a bit of foil to keep justs the stem in the water. Then I can watch them grow new roots. The biggest mistake I make is waiting too long to transplant back into the dirt.