In the past, succulent plants were valued primarily for their drought tolerance and found their way into gardens in arid regions. Today, while they are still a great choice for water-wise plants are wise, they offer many other benefits to outdoor spaces including adding colorful flowers and solving common garden problems. Elk Horn (Cotyledon orbiculata) […]
The arrival of summer in the desert fills with days where the thermometer surpasses the century mark and trees are heavily laden with apples. People are often surprised to find that apple trees can be grown in our arid climate, but they do surprisingly well. I have two apple trees in my garden, which is […]
This week, I had the honor of interviewing Joe Lamp’l, host of the PBS series, ‘Growing a Greener World.’ Joe is a well-known figure in the gardening world and is frequently on NBC’s TODAY Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, The Weather Channel, etc. He has several popular books, podcast series, nationally syndicated newspaper column, and […]
I love my garden, filled with trees that provide welcome filtered shade along with flowering shrubs. While my garden gives me joy, it does take maintenance to keep it healthy and looking its best. The primary maintenance chore I have is pruning, which I enjoy doing. What I don’t like is cleaning up the clippings, […]
Living in the desert southwest has its perks, I am blessed to be able to grow a variety of citrus trees in my garden and they do very well under most circumstances because I protect citrus trees during hot weather. However, when temperatures outside of the average highs and lows occur, steps need to be taken […]
Do you have a lawn? I do. My son enjoys spending time outdoors playing football or soccer on the backyard lawn while my grandson likes to run barefoot on it. Maintaining a lawn does take work including fertilizing it twice a year. My warm-season lawn is bermuda grass, which needs fertilizer in spring and the […]
As a garden writer and horticulturist, I am often asked to review new gardening books, which is one of my favorite things to do; especially if the books are about growing plants in the desert. Years ago, there were precious few books that dealt with the unique challenges and solutions to creating a beautiful outdoor space […]
Tips For a Healthy Summer Lawn A summer lawn adds beauty to outdoor spaces while helping to lower air temperatures, which assists in providing a welcome respite from the heat. We have all seen expanses of lush, green grass that are thriving as well as lawns that are struggling and look the worse for wear. […]
Echeveria and aloe planted in an old water fountain in Santa Barbara, CA. Water features have long had a prominent spot in the landscape, where the both the beauty and sound of water help to create an enjoyable outdoor atmosphere. However, water features can be high maintenance, messy to clean, and can be problematic in […]
Growing peaches and making peach jam It’s one of my favorite times of year in the garden – my peach trees are heavily laden with delicious, sweet fruit ready for picking. Many people are surprised to learn that you can grow peaches in Arizona, but they do very well. However, they do ripen earlier than […]
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