February thaw.

February has been warmer than normal and I have been enjoying it.

Eriogonum Ovalifolium var. eximium 

Just when I thought spring was here.

This was the first of two similar snow storms that happened in the last week.  I was too busy at work to get pics of the second snow.  

The day before these pics I thought our snow year was over and started removing the covering on a couple of things.  I knew if I removed the winter protection this would happen.    

Yucca elata

Cylindropuntia imbricata 

Yucca thompsoniana

Yucca brevifolia jaegeriana

Yucca brevifolia brevifolia, so far has proven to the hardier out of the J-trees.  

A big cholla I can't ever remember the name of.  It has weaker branches than C. imbricata. 

Yucca torreyi 

Yucca torreyi, lets hope this wet snow don't do them in.  So far they have done fine through the winter.

Agave utahensis x neomexicana   

Yucca thompsoniana

And a typical covered plant in my garden.  No heat.

Echinocereus polycphalus 

Late fall, winter landscape interest.

Winter interest...contrast, color, shapes, evergreens, berries, wildlife and hardscaping.  Find the thing that keeps you out all season long.  

Nice shades of silver (Salvia pachyphylla)

Semi-evergreen, curl leaf mahogany (cercocarpus ledifolius)

evergreen/ silver ground covers.

Desert holly (berberis sp.) Purple interest. 

Landscape rock/boulders 

Winter fat

The blue of Opuntia basilaris makes for good winter color.

Evergreens are always great to add some life to winter.

Yucca gloriosa

Moss and lichens. 

Penstemons 

Yucca torreyi, also first year without cover.  

Yucca elata 

Hybrid yucca, Yucca thompsoniana x rupicola? I think? 

Everything was going good, until the home owner started making changes. 

I found found her to be picky and very difficult to work with.

She does not care if we live Idaho, she wants a saguaro!

Ledges make for good interest. 

Gambel oak.  Most likely it's final trim from the bottom up.

Trimmed up a bitter-brush.  It out grew the area.  I was thinking of removing it, but instead I trimmed it up.  Only time will tell how it will do. 

And newly trimmed from the waist down, Desert Olive (Forestiera neomexicana)

About 85% of the berm is rocked in.  

It can take a few years to get an area off the weed grid and start acting like a native space.

Here are areas I have been slowly working on.

Future parking area, one shovel full at a time.  All recycled gravel.

I always need more rocks, 

This little bluff is almost complete.

More rocks please!

Snow line.