To explore California’s natural wonders, my family traveled to the Mojave Desert to visit Joshua Trees National Park. It is a marvel of adaptation where Native Americans stewarded the land for thousands of years. The park spans the Mojave Desert in the west and the Colorado Desert in the east, protecting 792,510 acres with over 80 percent (558,000 acres) managed as wilderness. In the Mojave Desert, the vegetation includes pinyon, juniper, scrub oak, yucca, prickly pear cactus, and Joshua Trees. The Joshua tree, which can grow to 40 feet or more, is not a tree but a species of yucca. It has waxy, spiny leaves with little surface area exposed, which conserves water. The tree is home to many birds, including Scott’s oriole, red-tailed hawks, ladder-backed woodpeckers, American kestrels, scrub jays, Gambrel quail, and loggerhead shrikes. The chunky songbird, loggerhead shrikes use the Joshua tree’s sharp-pointed leaves to impale their prey! Although we didn’t see any on this adventure, the desert is also home to rattlesnakes, desert tortoises, desert iguanas, and bighorn sheep. We did see plenty of comical roadrunners. https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/all-i-want-for-christmas?

All I want for Christmas is peace on earth, health, happiness, and journeys to savor nature’s wonders. What’s on your list? Enjoy the golden moments, sentimental journeys, and the idle hour! https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/all-i-want-for-christmas?

As we wait for real rain in California, Cynthia Brian enjoys a double rainbow after a drizzle and offers tips for autumn planting, including sod. k: Press" target="_blank">https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/waiting-for-rain?
Press Pass: https://www.vapresspass.com/2024/11/11/waiting-for-radin/

Mum is the Word this Halloween. Check out Cynthia Brian’s article on chrysanthemums and zombies. https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/mum-is-the-word? Happy Halloween! Happy Gardening!

It’s been hot, hot, hot in California the first month of autumn, so we need to know what drought-tolerant plants will survive and thrive. Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian shares her suggestions in this endless summer. https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1817/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Endless-Summer.html

Are your dear deer devouring your garden? Goddess Gardener, Cynthia Brian, shares what to plant and what not to plant to keep the hooved herbivores from your verdant restaurant! https://open.substack.com/pub/cynthiabrian/p/deer-dear?

With the intense heat of this past summer, a cooler fall offers a welcome prescription to plant. Do your homework and make a list of what you’d like to grow. Prepare and loosen your soil, add organic matter, and smooth the soil surface. Wait until the weather is cooler and then implement your prescription to plant. Goddess Gardener orders! Believe in tomorrow! https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/plan-to-plant?

Nature may like to hide but with the naturally naked Amaryllis belladonnas and Lagerstroemias in full bloom in my garden, the curtain has been pulled wide open and the spectacle is a showstopper.
https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/naturally-naked?

Kids love being in nature and they especially enjoy collecting fresh eggs and picking fruit and vegetables from the garden to eat. Grow your dinner. https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/growing-dinner?

Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies are darting about. Give working outside on your patio or deck a try. The chill of winter is only six months away. Savor the warmth and sweetness of summer. https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/the-sweetness-of-summer?