The three Palo Verde stick trees we planted last year are starting to look like real trees. One of them was stunting in a bad location so I moved it down to the pool area and will have to keep my fingers crossed that it survives.
With such tiny leaves and a stick-like trunk it is kind of hard to pick out the replanted tree. It's actually easier to see the stake next to it. Anyway, the three new trees are blue Palo Verde. In the picture directly above, the tree in the upper background is a seven (?) year old yellow Palo Verde (variety Desert Museum). The Desert Museum's bark is green and it blooms more heavily and for a longer time than the blues eventually will. In the picture below are the two other blues in the back yard. They are the same age but quite a bit bigger than the one now in the pool.
This is where the moved tree spent it's first year (below). You can see there is little here but rock. I'm pulling aloe from other areas of the yard and planting it here. Aloe isn't my favorite plant but it is tough as nails and nothing eats it.
Here is a cactus variety I found growing at a little higher elevation. It's doing well here. Got to watch those nasty glochids but something occasionally will feed on these cactus.
Here is a shot of the pool garden from the deck. The shrubs grew a bit, the grass a lot, and I finally put the potted cactus into the ground at the corner of the pool since the last pictures.
