El Paso Twigs

07/29/2023

Gaillardia aka blanket flower, is a tough native plant with beautiful flowers almost year round in our zone. Great plant for pollinators. It tolerates hot sun quite well and has been providing bright blooms consistently even during extreme heat we have this year.
It is usually available in the local nurseries in El Paso and Las Cruces area every year.

10/18/2021

Globe Mallow
Desert Globemallow ( Sphaerlacea ambigua )
A drought tolerant Chihuahuan desert native plant with light green foliage that you may find growing in wild in many places. In nature the flowering will depend on the season and rainfall. In a garden it can bloom spring through fall if given some irrigation. Flower color may vary with with the specific cultivar or variety. This particular cultivar shown in the picture is Sphaerlacea ambigua ‘ Louis Hamilton’.
The Genus Sphaerlacea has many other species that are native to Chihuahuan desert however the species ambigua is what is available most in the native plant nurseries.

06/24/2021

Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata )
Not bothered by the above 100°F temperatures or drought conditions, it is a beautiful native plant of the southwest US. It brightens up the garden when other plants may appear stressed in the extreme summer heat. It is a good pollinator attractant. A few local nurseries in El Paso/Las Cruces area may carry desert marigold but not always available(Sierra vista growers, Eastside discount nursery, High Desert Native plants). If unavailable in the nurseries, you can try growing from seeds (easily germinates in ground.

02/11/2021

Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata), native to southwest and midwest regions of U.S., has beautiful delicate flowers and can bloom intermittently throughout the winter in our El Paso/Las Cruces climate. Flowering increases during spring and again in cool fall weather. The plant has a spreading growth pattern and is excellent in rock gardens or under larger plants in any plant beds. It is drought and heat tolerant and will grow in full sun. However, flower color will be more vibrant in areas that get full sun in the morning but partial shade/dappled sunlight during hot afternoon in our Chihuahuan desert climate. Bees and other pollinators love its blooms.
@ El Paso, Texas

02/03/2021

Cooper’s Hawk hunting birds in the garden. Birds in large flocks, crowding the feeders, fighting and making noise, is what attracts hawks and birds of prey to a garden. So how do you protect your avian guests you have invited to your garden? Dense bushes/plant cover and bird feeding breaks are two ways to give them some protection. Hawks can spot birds crowding and fighting around the feeders from high up in the sky. Your yard will turn into a hawk feeder. If the bird feeders are never empty the bird crowd continues to increase everyday. So every 2-3 weeks let the bird feeders go empty for few days. This discourages the ever increasing crowds. You will still get to enjoy the birds if you have a good plant life, healthy ecosystem and water source in your garden. They will come to look for seeds, wild berries and insects in your garden but there won’t be any large crowding in one area of the garden. Birds of prey will still visit your garden, it is nature after all. But it won’t be a frequent bird hunt near the bird feeders. Having dense bushes is very helpful for the little birds to find cover if a hawk does try to hunt them in your garden.
@ El Paso, Texas

02/01/2021

Keep Mung sprouts in the fridge for quick preparation of salads, snacks or to add as toppings to other recipes. Here is how to sprout mung at home.

Sprout mung beans easily at home to use in various recipes

01/31/2021

Salvia greggii, a great plant for hummingbirds and other pollinators, is a native of southwest U.S. including Chihuahuan desert. It is common in landscapes in El Paso and Las Cruces is beautiful in any garden design. It continues to bloom from early spring through summer and fall. If it is in a sunny southern exposure it may bloom into early winter also. It is one of the earliest one to start blooming again in spring. Bright cherry red or bright pink shades are commonly available in nurseries.
@ El Paso, Texas

01/22/2021

Vegetable plants are not just for backyard. Any space can be used for growing food. A mix container with veggies and ornamentals
always looks beautiful. Patios and balconies could also be spaces for edible gardens. This container has cabbage with pansies. Picture is from April. Container was planted in mid February. In El Paso and Las Cruces, cabbage and related vegetable(cole crops) can be planted at this time if you can provide some cold protection at night.

01/20/2021

Clouds come to El Paso, tease with a hint of moisture, and go away. Today they decided to stay, to play hide and seek with the beautiful Franklin Mountains. Ocotillos that wished they could hide in the wind yesterday are happy to be standing tall to catch the moist air today.
A fresh feeling these clouds bring to all desert dwellers in El Paso today.

01/20/2021

Life in the wild is a struggle. Loss of habitat worsen this struggle. Seeing a bird find comfort in your yard/garden is always a moment of motivation to create an inviting place for them.
1st pic. -Finch sitting on a planter on a chilly morning. 2nd pic. - Finch getting the warmth of early morning sun.
@ El Paso, Texas

01/20/2021

Garden insects: Pictures of Harlequin bugs on sweet alyssum and ladybugs on parsley. If you zoom in you will find hundreds of these bugs in various stages of their life cycle . Harlequin bugs are pests for plants in the mustard family. Ladybugs are one of the beneficial bugs in a garden. In the pictures below, these bugs are present in great numbers on plants that do not have strong defenses, late in the season. The ladybugs and their caterpillars (zoom in the pic.) are on this drying out parsley to eat aphids. Herbs late in the season, when not good enough to use anymore, if are still left in the garden it often allows ladybug population to grow. There are always pests in a garden but so are the other bugs which keep them in check. Thankfully most bugs in a healthy garden are not pests. In a healthy garden ecosystem, a pest damaged plant can often recover as other insects and critters come to its rescue. Gardening is pleasurable overall but what we all want to avoid is the unpleasantness of a fight against a pest or disease. When we start to learn more deeply about the interactions among the garden life, something changes for the better. Read more details on the post uploaded today. https://www.elpasotwigs.com/garden_pests/

01/17/2021

This picture shows Kohlrabi, Chamomile and purple sweet alyssum (pic taken in Feb 2019). Growing flowers with vegetables not only makes the vegetable garden pretty but also makes it more productive. Flowers attract pollinators that will increase the productivity of vegetables. Flowers will also bring more diversity of beneficial insects which will help diminish plant pests.