Summer Vacation Survival Plan for Our Plants

Like many times before, the weather forecast called for rain. But this time our eucalyptus tree was swaying frantically in the wind and dropped a branch. Dan rushed outside to clear the gutters so we could harvest every bit of the long awaited rain. 

We were hoping to get a new cistern connected before we left on a family trip to Wisconsin the next day. And now we were racing the first storm of a delayed monsoon season, too. 

Dan had ordered some parts to connect a 425 gallon cistern to collect the overflow from our 200 gallon tank. During a heavy rain, the 200 gallon tank wasn't big enough to hold all the water that flowed from our neighbor's huge roof.  Hoping to get the cistern installed before the downpour, Dan had made a soft bed of sand for it to sit on and rolled the 425 gallon cistern in place on plastic pipes.

Unfortunately, the necessary parts didn't arrive before we had to leave. Neither did the rain. 

It finally rained 0.03 inches on July 2nd, just after we left for our trip. We were sad to miss it. 

But preparations for the trip had begun days before. Our "drought tolerant" plants were already suffering from weeks of extreme heat.108 degrees the day before we left on our trip! If my precious plants were to survive for the 11 days that we would be gone, I would need to deep water some - even if that took some city water.  I left the hose running on low to deep water my scorched palm tree and the surrounding agaves a few days before. 

Our droopy Mexican honeysuckle (that usually lived on rinse water) got similar treatment. 
 

I used the remainder of the rainwater in the big 500 gallon cistern to deep water the struggling pomegranate, curry, and moringa trees.  

(Dan drilled 2 small holes in each of the 5 gallon buckets to release the water slowly.) 

 

Our poor moringa had suffered greatly from the long dry winter, and the freeze (among other things.) It just needed it to make it until the monsoon rains started - when we knew it could grow 6 feet.  We gave it 15 gallons of rainwater the day before we left and covered it with shade cloth to protect it from the July sun.   

But I was really worried about my new pollinator plants (Arizona foldwing and spiderwort shown below) that needed nearly daily water in this heat.  Of course, being planted in the rain basin doesn't do a lick of good if it doesn't rain. 

Luckily a new friend came to the rescue - offering to come over daily and water those special plants and some recently planted veggies and newly sprouted herbs in our little garden! That was a great load off of my mind. 

So off we went to Wisconsin to hang out with family. 

But being the water nerds that we are, Dan did a presentation on "A Story of Water in the Desert" for Sustainable Tucson while we were there. 

We needn't have worried about not harvesting that extra rain in the overflow tank. It hadn't rained much while we were away. Sadly, the basin was bone dry, but everything in it survived thanks to the loving care of our neighborhood angel.

Dan went right to work hooking up the new cistern. 

Just in time, too! Three days after we got home we got three days of rain! 1.03 inches worth!

The spiderwort pollinator bloomed in the basin...

The Mexican honeysuckle plumped right up with orange hummingbird trumpets. 

The moringa has grown a foot so far...

The first big rain refilled our 500 gallon cistern, so we needed to use up some so there would be room in the tank for more. 

Jar collects every last drop in the hose

After deep watering the fig tree, pomegranate, moringa and curry, we went ahead and gave the mesquite on the high end of the basin 6 buckets of rainwater, even though we normally don't water it at all. After all, it was supposed to be a big wet monsoon this year.... 

 

We celebrated collecting all that rain with a new sign: "This Home Harvests the Rain." 

#lovemyrainbasin

Relocating Our Grumpy Pollinators

Bee keeper Shawn searching for the hive in our wall

If you walk past my yard, you will see signs that read, "Plants for Birds" and "Rainwater Harvesting Basin at Work." And you're likely to see birds enjoying the desert trees and bushes in our basins. But you might wonder how exactly those basins are "at work" considering we have had so little Winter rain? While things are looking a little sparse this time of year, the basins are still providing shelter for pollinators. A few of the pollinator plants I planted this year are hanging in there, like our Mexican Honeysuckle and a pine needle milkweed.

But it's the remaining mulch (made up of woodchips, mesquite leaves, horse purslane and poppy stems) that provides a nesting place for our native bees. We are always amazed to see them show up in mass when the desert broom blooms. #lovemyrainbasin

Meanwhile, in the backyard we had a less welcome pollinator - spicy honey bees. They had built a hive in the hollow support post of our back wall - right by my little veggie garden. For a while, I just lived with them - cringing when they buzzed by my ear. But then it happened... I was picking a piece of plastic out of the nearby compost pit and disturbed a bee that chased me through the yard, into the house, through the hallway, all the way to the back bathroom - where it stung me. Yep. It was time to get them out of my garden. 

I posted a note on Tucson Beekeepers Facebook page asking for help removing the bees without killing them. A few days later I got a message from Shawn (amateur bee keeper and all around bee lover) offering his services. That was the start of our bee relocation adventure. 

This process wasn't as fast and easy as simply exterminating them. It ended up taking almost three months. Unfortunately, ours was a particularly difficult removal because the bees were well established. Usually it takes two to six weeks.

First, Shawn sealed several cracks and holes with caulking just to see better where they were going in and out. They chewed right through it like was nothing but it gave him a good idea where it would need to be sealed with steel wool. But in our case it was the pretty much the entire wall that needed to be sealed with steel wool - since there were lots of cracks and holes left from the nails used by the previous owner to hold up vines. 

"The wall had so many cracks and pin holes that it was like Swiss cheese and every time we sealed them up they found another entrance further down the wall. And that's why I also offered to open up the wall to get them out that way so we weren't just chasing a very persistent hive." Shawn explained.

But apparently we can be just as stubborn as the bees, so we decided to wait it out. 

The next step was hanging a "trap out cone" which allows the bees to leave but not re-enter the hive. Since we were trying to safety remove them, Shawn also hung a box (called a Langstroth hive) and filled it with queen bee pheromones in hopes that the bees would move in there. 

Shawn used steel wool to seal any opening other than the one we wanted them to use which was through the trap out cone.

The bees that were locked out of the hive started to gather by the exit hole near the trap out cone. Why don't they just go into the box?!!!

Frightened by that swarm, I got Dan to water the few plants we still had growing under those bird cages (pictured on the right.) When it was my turn to take our kitchen scraps to the compost pile, I flung them and kitchen sink water into the pile (pictured behind the prickly pear cactus) and rushed back into the house as fast as my legs could carry me. 

On the other side of the fence the bees were trying to get back in so I had Dan water the plants in the backyard too. 

Then it was time to watch and wait for the queen to leave the hive - followed by a large swarm of frantic bees.

As I mentioned, it took nearly three months due to all the holes in the fence and because the previous hive had not been properly cleaned out or sealed. 

Shawn explained, "Since your wall already had a hive in it previously my guess is that there was already a comb built for them in there which is what takes the longest and most resources to build. They essentially got a free furnished home and only had to move in, so I'm sure they had a good stock of supplies inside which also contributed to why they were very stubborn ladies."

Since this process took longer than expected, we had to cancel having our eucalyptus tree pruned since the chainsaw might attract the already aggressive bees. Safety first. And I never did get my Winter garden planted. 

I wouldn't recommend doing this in the Winter since the worker bees get locked out in the cold. We saw some dead bees that had been locked out all night during the freeze. Why can't they just use the box? 

The bees nearly put a cramp in our annual Christmas sing-a-long celebration - since we hold it on our back patio. But we noticed that the bees didn't seem as active on the cold winter nights. To make sure, we performed a little test - turning on the porch lights and singing "Jingle Bells" at the top of our lungs accompanied by enthusiastic bell ringing. No bees in sight! The party was a go! 

We finally saw a wild bunch of bees swarming around the hive. Was this it? Was the queen finally leaving the hive?!!!  Shawn came with his smoker and bee vacuum and grabbed the hive to take it back to his property in Vail. 

I wish that was the end of the story, but a few days later we found these in the garden. 

 
"That may have been a new swarm trying to get in. Which again is why I would like to seal it up. It's a beacon to any other swarm to move into a fully furnished house You will have bees trying to get in as long as there are openings so I will check to make sure they are gone and then try sealing it up a bit."

Altogether Shawn picked up three good swarms! What's happened to the bees?

Shawn shared, "To save the bees I have moved them to my apiary here in Vail where they are next to the wash and have all the mesquite trees they could ever want without being in someone's backyard.
When spring rolls around we will requeen which means I will order in a gentle honey bee and replace their queen with her. That way when she lays eggs the new brood and bees will have those gentle genetics in them (since your girls have been very spicy!)"

I asked Shawn if the bees were doing alright. 

"Oh ya I checked in on them yesterday with my kids. We walked to their set up and could see them being busy bees bringing in pollen so they got right to work!"

LATEST UPDATE FROM SHAWN

"They have what's called "capped brood" now which means the queen has laid eggs they fed the larvae and they sealed up the cell they were in for the bee larvae to pupate into an adult bee. So they are doing well and very VERY spicy girls haha. They do not like me. haha." 

But Shawn definitely likes them... 

"I save the bees because they are awesome! Just sit and watch them for a while and you'd be amazed at their little collective mind. They are also a pollinator for a lot of plants and while there are many other insects that aid in pollinating none that I know except for the humble honeybee that give us back honey! On my property I have a little orchard. So they love spring and go crazy for all the different apple, peach, pear and wildflowers I have. Then of course in my area we have acres and acres of mesquite trees that they collect the nectar from which gives you the signature mesquite honey."

"I started doing this since I was beekeeping and one day a friend said they had bees under their shed and asked if I could help since I had a bee suit. I said "Ya, we can give it a shot" and went for it! And I fell in love with it! Since then it just has grown by word of mouth and referrals."

So that's our bee adventure! What I learned was to get them out as soon as possible when you see them. Don't let them go for months!  Don't let it go until Winter. And be sure to seal up the wall (and/or wash it out with soap) if you have bees exterminated or relocated. 

Thank you, Shawn. I look forward to getting back to my garden. 

Observations of a Crazy Winter on our Rain Garden

As a "would-be citizen scientist", I guess it's time to share my observations about the impacts of our crazy weather on our front yard rain garden this winter. 

The leaves on the jujube trees have fallen, as expected this time of year. We have taken the advice of local rainwater harvesting guru Brad Lancaster and left them in the basin to nourish the soil and retain as much moisture as possible. 

The globe mallow (the green shrub above) seems confused by our crazy winter weather. Is it sticking around in response to the unseasonably warm weather? (Many days around 80 degrees.) We haven't had our usual winter rains, so there isn't enough moisture to allow it to grow flowers. 

But take a closer look... Tiny yellow wild flowers have come up in the mulch. I spotted some little butterflies and bees pollinating them. (There is actually a species of native bees that burrows down in the mulch.) 

Our poor moringa trees also seem confused by the variable weather. They haven't frozen yet, so that's good. We still hope to gather some leaves for tea. (We have already harvested them twice this year. But they usually grow back...) They have sprouted new leaves. But I have watched in anticipation for weeks, and the  leaves don't grow big enough to harvest. And a few leaves have turned yellow. 

The latest development is some buds sprouting, but even with some additional rainwater from our cistern, they are struggling to bloom. (Thank heavens for the one winter storm in November that filled our cisterns.)

Moringa story continued here: 

Wrapping up for the freeze

Despite being watered daily, our sunchokes never grew beyond a foot before they withered up and died. They grew 3 feet last year and had yellow flowers. Last December I harvested more of the yummy tubers than we could eat...

As passionate rainwater harvesters, we always look forward to the winter rains filling our basins and cisterns. So it is pretty discouraging to have such a dry winter. Believe me, this isn't normal. Check out the normal highs and lows and rainfall in December and January from the National Weather Service. 

Our mesquite trees are starting to turn yellow and lose their leaves (which is normal this time of year.) The leaves that are left after the leaf cutter ants get their share become a part of the mulch in our front yard basin.  

 I'm afraid we won't have the abundant wildflowers we had last year. But I still find joy in seeing a variety of birds digging around in the mulch for food. I recently caught this goldfinch (below) getting a drink in our bird bath. 

Every morning Dan and I watch from the dining room window as the birds land on our decorative saguaro rib and then dive down to get a drink or splash around in our bird bath. 

Some regular guests are the Gila woodpeckers (pictured below), mourning doves, curve-billed thrashers, mockingbirds, sparrows and finches. We even had a red tail hawk once. 

This particular day there were so many birds all around our rain garden. I shooed away a stray cat that was hiding under the hackberry ready to pounce. That's why we keep ours in doors. Here is Freddy watching safely from his perch in the house. 

So, what have I learned from my observations during this unusual winter? That it is important to leave the leaves in the basin. The pollinators and birds really appreciate it. Cold weather or hot, rain or no rain, I still love my basins!  #lovemyrainbasin

More information: 

Basin Observations from a Would-be Citizen Scientist

Reporter shares my passion for rainwater basins

Anyone who has followed my blog for a while knows how passionate I am about our rainwater harvesting catchment basins. I've been known to share the benefits with anyone who strolls by our yard. I even started a #lovemyrainbasin campaign to promote them. 

If you're looking for a way to conserve water, putting in catchment basins to water native plants is one of the most effective and affordable things you can do. Sure, covering your yard with gravel and drought tolerant cactus and agaves saves water, too. But there are more productive uses for that space that actually enhance our desert environment. With a little love and care, you can create a shady habitat to enjoy the frolicking birds or glean delicious food from your own edible forest.

I recently had the opportunity to share my basins with Clara Migoya, a reporter with the Arizona Republic, who had read about our campaign. 

Spurred on by the water crisis, a few reporters have done mini-stories on our rainwater harvesting features. While I excitedly pointed out the benefits of our basins, they inevitably zoomed in on our rain tanks. So it was refreshing chatting with an environmental reporter who seemed genuinely interested. 

After the usual interview questions, I showed off how our gutters and downspout direct rain into the long basin that nourishes our three jujube trees (Chinese fruit trees). I explained how Dan had to remove a hedge of ugly, aging oleanders before digging the basin and planting the saplings. The tree on the far end grew four times faster than the two that were planted where the oleander had poisoned the soil. Clara snapped pictures as I pointed out how the native grasses slowed down the water, keeping it from washing away the mulch and organic matter. The roots of those grasses also allowed the water to sink in and helped build healthy soil. The basins soaked in so much rainwater, that I haven't had to water the jujube trees this spring. And the two smaller trees have grown nearly as big as the tallest tree! 

The next stop was the right of way basin. Dan rooted out the bermuda grass that had taken over the area, and dug basins around higher mounds where we planted moringa seeds and a wolfberry plant. He filled the basin with woodchip mulch (that has since broken down into soil). And we planted native bunch grass to help the water infiltrate and prevent erosion. Along with the mulch and other organic matter, it creates a sponge to hold the moisture longer.

Three moringa trees, a wolfberry, Mexican honeysuckle, a volunteer desert broom and some wild flowers provide sustenance for a variety of pollinators. We harvest the moringa leaves to add nutrition to various dishes and dry them to make a healthy tea. 

The moringa trees die every winter during a hard freeze. But they come back from the roots in the spring. Native grasses really did their job here. So much water sunk in from the rainy season that we haven't had to water them so far. During a rainstorm the water will continue sinking in long after our 500 gallon cistern is full. Here I'm demonstrating how high the moringa grow during one monsoon season. That means the roots under the surface must be that long as well.   

I pointed out a good angle to shoot our mesquite guild with the slimline rain tanks in the background. Noticing the Audubon's HABITAT AT HOME sign, Clara asked what makes it a habitat. I was happy to point out the native plants in the mesquite guild that provide food and shelter for birds, pollinators, and other desert critters.  

The mesquite tree provides shade and nitrogen to the desert hackberry and our cactus garden. It acts as a "nurse plant" to protect a young saguaro cactus from the harsh desert sun.

You might be asking, "Where is the basin?" Dan built a berm to direct roof water away from the foundation of the house and into a shallow basin. The desert plants were placed on the high end of that basin. I remember when Dan brought home his scrawny "Charlie Brown mesquite tree." Now it is thriving! 

A gravel path separates the other side of the front yard basin where we have planted a native acacia and another variety of hackberry. Birds enjoy shade from these trees as they peck for seeds from volunteer wildflowers and native grasses. A sign proudly proclaims: PLANTS FOR BIRDS. 

No tour of our yard is complete without a stop at our little garden. The garden is watered with rainwater collected in our rain tanks. Yes, I appreciate them, too. The catchment basins conserve water leaving more in the rain tanks to irrigate our garden! 

What a lovely way to spend the afternoon - discussing a shared interest with an inquisitive environmental reporter (and my son Jeremy who took the pictures of us.)  

Clara and I searching for worms in the compost pit

Wanna help promote rainwater harvesting basins?  Share a pic of your favorite basin on your social media pages. Add the hashtag #lovemyrainbasin 

 If you don't have a basin, you can still help out by "liking" or commenting on other people's posts. 


READ CLARA'S ARTICLE (in the Arizona Republic): 

It's free, it's drinkable. Why don't more Arizonans harvest rainwater during a drought?