I love peaches. Every year, I look forward to May when the peaches on my tree are ripe and ready. While May might seem a little early for peaches, in the low desert garden, this is when they are ready for being harvested.
There are several things that I like to make with my peaches. Of course, peach jam, peach cobbler, and pie make the list, but also something a bit unusual.
A few years ago, I was inspired to make peach vinegar after I read the book, “The Backyard Homestead”. So, you may be wondering why I would want to make homemade fruit vinegar? Fruit vinegars are one of my favorite ingredients in homemade salad dressing.
It is very easy to make fruit vinegar – especially when compared to making jam out of peaches.
You will need the following:
Peaches
White wine vinegar
Glass jar with lid
Strainer
Paper towels
First, remove the skins from the peaches. If the peaches are very ripe, you can often peel them off in large sheets. Or, use a paring knife to peel them as you would an apple.
Roughly chop the peaches into 1-inch sections. Plan on using 2 – 3 peaches per pint-sized jar.
Add the chopped peaches and pour white wine vinegar over them until it reaches the top of your jar.
Place the peach/vinegar mixture in a dark place for 4 weeks – I use my pantry. At least once a week, shake the jar to help mix the contents.
After a month has passed, pour out the mixture over a strainer to remove the peaches. You can see that the white wine vinegar has taken on the beautiful color and flavor of the peaches.
Strain the peach vinegar needs through a coffee filter (or paper towel) to remove the remaining peach solids.
*I’ve found that paper towels work better than coffee filters.
After straining the peach vinegar – pour into clean jars with lids. They can be stored in your pantry for 3 months.
Peach vinegar tastes wonderful when used on fruit salad and it makes a great pork glaze. It also makes a delicious vinaigrette and marinades. Some people even drizzle it over peach ice cream.
Don’t have a peach tree? No problem. You can use peaches from the grocery store or your farmers market. Just make sure they are ripe.
My favorite use for peach vinegar is for my grandmother’s famous salad dressing. This recipe has been in our family for years and I am going to break all the rules and risk being expelled from my family by sharing it with you. It’s easy to make and creates a sweet dressing that is popular with kids and adults alike.
Spring in the desert ‘Tangerine Beauty’ Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata ‘Tangerine Beauty’)
Capturing the Beauty of Spring in the Desert
Spring in the desert is the most beautiful time of year with the majority of plants in the landscape bursting out with flowers. It’s also a very busy time for me with landscape consultations, speaking engagements, work in the garden, and family life. I love to document the happenings in my life by taking photographs with my phone, and I’d like to share a sampling with you. It’s a fun combination that includes colorful plants, spiky pots, snakes, roses and the prom!
Pausing for ‘Tangerine Beauty’ Crossvines
No matter how busy I may be, the sight of a beautiful plant stops me in my tracks. It doesn’t matter how rushed I may be; I will always stop and take a photo. That’s what happened when I spotted this row of ‘Tangerine Beauty’ crossvines on our way into church. Even though we were running a few minutes late (as usual) I had to pause to admire the beauty of the lovely blooms and take a photo.
‘Tangerine Beauty’ does very well in the low desert garden. It has lush green foliage and orange/pink flowers that hummingbirds love. It needs a trellis or other support to climb up on and does well in full sun to filtered sun, but avoid planting along a west-facing wall as it may struggle in reflected sun.
Spring in the Desert Speaking Engagements and Garden Inspirations
As a speaker on various gardening topics, my journey often takes me to the Desert Botanical Garden, public libraries, and also to garden groups. During one of my presentations at the Paradise Valley Country Club, I was greeted by this beautiful bed filled geraniums, foxglove, and yellow daisies. The spiky shape of agave adds welcome texture contrast in this area.
Nearby, an impressive collection of spiky succulents graces decorative pots. Agave, with their striking spiky shapes, makes excellent container plants. Placed against a wall, these succulents thrive in full sun and embrace reflected heat with grace.
The Quirky Side of Presentations
Speaking engagements can sometimes bring unexpected surprises. Here is a very different entry to another presentation I was to give at the Cave Creek Branch of the Phoenix Public Library. Two identical caution signs flank the raised metal bridge, which makes you look carefully before approaching. A humorous touch, albeit one that might discourage young readers, added a dash of quirkiness to the library entrance.
‘Olivia Rose’
Embracing the Rose Garden
Back home, the rose garden is in full bloom with my favorite ‘Olivia Rose’ completely covered in fragrant, delicate pink color. She flowers more than every other rose in the garden and for the longest, ensuring her favored status.
‘Darcey Bussell’
The best performing red rose in the garden is ‘Darcey Bussell,’ and she never disappoints as I view her vibrant blooms from my kitchen window.
‘Lady of Shalott’
This rose is a relative newcomer to my rose garden. ‘Lady of Shalott’ was planted in the winter of 2018 and didn’t produce many blooms in her first year, which is typical of most new roses. However, this year, she is covered with roses in delicate shades of pink and peach.
A Touch of Prom Night
On the home front, spring means that it’s time for the prom. I can hardly believe that my son is old enough – it seemed like it was just yesterday when I came home with a darling little two-year-old boy from China.
Kai’s favorite color is red, can you tell? It takes confidence to wear a bright color like this, and he does it so well. He is the youngest of four sisters, so this was my first time helping a boy get ready for a school dance. Honestly, it is a lot simpler – all he needed was help with his tie and his boutonniere.
I revel in the bustling energy of spring and cherish the vibrant moments it brings. How about you?
Tour of My Spring Garden, Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatoni)
A Spring Garden Tour: Nature’s Pleasant Surprises
Have you ever noticed that spring has a way of surprising you in the garden? This is what I considered as I walked through my front landscape this week.
After spending a week visiting my daughter in cold, wintery Michigan, I was anxious to return home and see what effects that a week of warm temperatures had done – I wasn’t disappointed.
I want to take you on a tour of my spring garden. Are you ready?
Penstemon Parade (Penstemon parryi)
Parry’s Penstemon (Penstemon parryi)
Penstemons play a large part in late winter and spring interest in the desert landscape, and I look forward to their flowering spikes.
Echinopsis Hybrid ‘Ember’
Echinopsis hybrid ‘Ember’
One of the most dramatic blooms that grace my front garden are those of my Echinopsis hybrid cactuses. I have a variety of different types, each with their flower color. This year, ‘Ember’ was the first one to flower and there are several more buds on it.
Shrubby Germander’s (Teucrium fruiticans) Electric Blue Transformation
Shrubby Germander (Teucrium fruiticans)
Moving to the backyard, the gray-blue foliage of the shrubby germander is transformed by the electric blue shade of the flowers. This smaller shrub began blooming in the middle of winter and will through spring.
Red Powder Puff (Calliandra haematocephala)
Red Powder Puff (Calliandra haematocephala)
This unique shrub was a purchase that I made several years ago at the Desert Botanical Garden‘s spring plant sale. If you are looking for unusual plants that aren’t often found at your local nursery, this is the place to go. This is a lush green, tropical shrub. It is related to the more common Baja Fairy Duster. Mostly it flowers in spring and has sizeable red puff-ball flowers. It does best in east-facing exposures.
Million Bells (Calibrachoa) in a Self-Watering Container
Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
I am trialing a new self-watering hanging container that was sent to me free of charge by H20 Labor Saver for my honest review. I must say that I am very impressed. Growing plants in hanging containers is difficult in the desert garden as they dry out very quickly. This is a self-watering container, which has a reservoir that you fill, allowing me to have to water it much less often.
In the container, I have Million Bells growing, which are like miniature petunias. They are cool-season annuals that grow fall, winter, and spring in the desert garden.
Resilient Yellow Bells on the Rebound
Yellow Bells recently pruned
Not all of my plants are flowering. My yellow bells shrubs have been pruned back severely, which I do every year, and are now growing again. This type of severe pruning keeps them lush and compact, and they will grow up to 6-feet tall within a few months.
Abundant Onions in the Vegetable Garden
Onions growing in my vegetable garden
This past fall, my daughters took over the vegetable garden. I must admit that it was fun to watch them decide what to grow. Guiding them in learning how to grow vegetables is a joy. Onions will soon be ready for harvest.
Meyer Lemon’s Blossoming Promise
Meyer Lemon blossom
My Meyer lemon tree hasn’t performed very well for me. In the four years since I first planted it, my Meyer lemon tree has been rather stingy with its fruit production. However, a recent revelation unveiled the root cause: insufficient watering. With this issue rectified, I’m absolutely thrilled to report that my Meyer lemon tree is now adorned with a profusion of blossoms. This promises an exciting abundance in the near future!
A Fragrant Welcome from Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata)
Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata)
Moving to the side garden, chocolate flower adds delicious fragrance at the entry to my cut flower garden. It does well in full sun and flowers off and on throughout the warm season.
Vibrant Verbena Blooms in the Cut Flower Garden
Verbena in bloom
In the cut flower garden, my roses are growing back from their severe winter pruning. The roses aren’t in bloom yet. But my California native verbena is. This is a plant that I bought at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden.
Promising Young Peaches
Young peaches
I have some fruit trees growing in the side garden including peaches! I can just imagine how delicious these will taste. They will be ripe in May.
Apple Tree Blossoms: A Desert Delight
Apple tree blossoms
My apple trees are a few weeks behind the peaches. It surprises people that you can grow apple trees in the desert garden and they will ripen in June – apple pie, anyone? I love the flowers.
I hope that you have enjoyed this tour of my spring garden. All of these plants are bringing me joy.
*What is growing in your garden this spring that brings you joy?
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The past couple of months has been a period of busyness, a new look, and opportunities for me.
Normally in December, work in the garden slows down, which means that I have fewer landscape consultations. I welcome this time of year as it allows me to focus on Christmas and a welcome break from work. However, this time it was a very busy time for me as I have been working on two big projects.
One is the free webinar that I gave earlier this week. It was the first live webinar that I’ve presented and although I was a little nervous, I loved it!
The second project is one that is near and dear to my heart – it’s my online class called Desert Gardening 101. You can learn about it HERE.
You may have noticed that things look a little different. I decided that it was time to freshen up the appearance of my website and I’m pleased with the results. I did this with the goal of making it easier for you to navigate and find the information that you need.
During the periods of busy work, I did take time to slow down and enjoy some new opportunities. One was adding a playhouse to my garden.
Although I think it would be a great mini-garden shed, I think it works best as a playhouse for the grandkids, don’t you think?
For Christmas, we added a badminton net to the backyard. The kids got into it right away and had so much fun. Now, my husband and I go out to play three times a week or more, for about a 1/2 hour. It’s a fun workout, and the weather is beautiful!
Back indoors, I have been using my extra free time having fun in the kitchen with my new Instant Pot. My family is huge fans of what I’ve made so far which include Bolognese sauce, porcupine meatballs, and roast chicken. Do you have Instant Pot recipes that you recommend?
We are pizza lovers, and my newest recipe is based on the Pioneer Woman’s Stuffed Crust Pizza. I made some changes by leaving out the string cheese, adding sausage and shredded Mozzarella on the top. It is so good and easy to make!
The day after Christmas is my birthday and my dear husband, who is no great baker, does know how to order my favorite Freddy’s Ice Cream Cake with Heath Bar added – YUM!
Finally, I can’t wait to get back out into the garden this week. It’s time to prune back my roses. I find this task gratifying as I get to decide which canes to keep and which ones to cut back. Although it is hard to cut them back when they are in bloom, I keep thinking of how beautiful they will be in spring, in large part, due to my pruning.
What are your plans for this new year?
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I am always looking for ways to help people on their desert garden journey and so I’m offering a FREE class on 5 reasons you are struggling with your desert garden.
As a horticulturist and landscape consultant, I have seen people making the same mistakes, which prevent them from having a beautiful outdoor space.
Because of this, they unintentionally ‘hurt’ the plants by over-maintaining them and spending money on unneeded products and landscape services.
If this sounds like you, I AM HERE TO HELP!
I’ve been helping people like you for over 20 years and I can help you too!
5 Reasons You Are Struggling With Your Desert Garden
This LIVE class is on January 17th, at 1:00 MST. *If you want to register for this free class, but can’t attend it live, it will be recorded so you can watch it at our convenience for a limited time.
Knowledge is power and once you know what you are doing wrong in the landscape – you have taken one GIANT step toward having a desert garden that you are proud of.
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Revitalizing a Desert Landscape An Outdoor Renovation Story
Desert landscape beauty? Yes please! Have you ever renovated the interior of your house? Seeing the old, outdated elements peeled away and replaced with new paint, flooring, etc. can leave you feeling refreshed and even excited. Well, I get to do that with outdoor spaces, assisting clients with already established desert landscapes, create an updated look. The key to this is NOT to tear everything out and begin from scratch. Deciding what should stay and what we should remove and replace is a delightful puzzle.
There is immense satisfaction from assisting people in crafting an appealing desert landscape, especially when I have the opportunity to revisit the site several months later to witness the plants’ growth. I recently had the chance to return to a desert landscape I designed, precisely one year after its completion, and I was thoroughly pleased with the outcomes.
The Desert Landscape ‘Before Picture’
I’d love to show you photos of the finished product. Here is what it first looked like.
Crafting a New Desert Landscape
The interior of the house is also undergoing renovation when I first visited. The front yard consists of two palm tree stumps, a few agave, overgrown gold lantana, and boulders.
The landscape rock was thinning and mixed in with the river rock. Unfortunately the asphalt from the street was crumbling away.
I identified the parts of the landscape that I could reuse, including the boulders and the gold lantana. Clearly, there is potential for re-purposing the river rock. We removed everything else.
Combining Old and New
To establish the framework for the new desert landscape elements, we added extra boulders. We improved the existing contouring by raising the height of the mound and creating a swale in the front center. The circular collection of rip-rap rock serves to mask the opening of the end of a French drain which helps to channel water from the patio.
Simple Yet Impactful
We placed a saguaro cactus and a totem pole ‘Monstrose’ (Lophocereus schottii ‘Monstrose’). This placement creates vertical interest. Next we pruned the existing gold lantana severely to rejuvenate them and added others to establish visual continuity. We incorporate other succulents like artichoke agave (Agave parrying var. truncata) and gopher plant (Euphorbia biglandulosa) to introduce texture through their unique shapes.
Removing the existing river rock, we then washed it off, and replaced it, along with fixing the crumbling edge of the street. This helped the landscape blend seamlessly with the natural curves of the desert.
Anchoring Corners for Desert Landscape Curb Appeal
Anchoring the corners with a grouping of plants is a very simple way to enhance the curb appeal of a home. This collection of volunteer agave and old palm tree stumps weren’t doing this area any favors.
We elevate this corner slightly, forming a gentle rise in elevation. We added a large boulder to the existing one, and we transplanted a beautiful, specimen artichoke agave from the owner’s previous residence to this spot. Angelita daisies (Tetraneuris acaulis) will provide year-round color as they fill in, and we planted ‘Blue Elf’ aloes to introduce a delightful splash of color.
A Welcoming Front Entry
Entering the front courtyard, you’ll notice the corner occupied by an overgrown rosemary shrub. We removed the dwarf oleander shrubs because they were too large for the smaller scale of this area..
Mexican fence post cactus(Pachycereus marginatus) helps to anchor the corner and will grow at a moderate rate, adding more height as it grows.
We can guarantee year-round color with angelita daisies and ‘Blue Elf’ aloe. These plants won’t outgrow this area.
Transforming a Lackluster Space
Moving toward the front entry, this area is somewhat underwhelming. The natal plum(Carissa macrocarpa) adds a pleasant green backdrop. It is thriving in the shade. The Dasylirion succulent should never have been planted here. It needs full sun to look its best.
The solution in this area is quite simple. Pruning back the natal plum to a more attractive shape makes them an asset. A lady’s slipper(Pedilanthus macrocarpus) adds height and texture contrast and will grow in the bright shade. We kept the trailing purple lantana(Lantana montevidensis), for the color that it provides. Rip rap rock is placed to add some interest at the ground level.
Tying Together Separate Spaces
In the backyard another old rosemary shrub was removed from the corner. It is replaced with ‘Blue Elf’ aloe and angelita daisy, repeating the same planting from the corner area in the courtyard, helping to tie these separate areas together.
Creating Cohesion
Aloe vera(Aloe barbadensis) are along the shady side of the house where their spiky shape creates interesting shapes. The key to keeping them attractive is to remove new growth around the base as it occurs.
A Backyard Transformation
The corner of the backyard is a very high-profile spot and faces the golf course. The homeowner’s wanted to get rid of the dwarf oleander hedge to improve their view. Clumps of agave look slightly unkempt. Volunteer agave remain and grow. The gold lantana adds ornamental value. Same for the small ‘Firesticks’(Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’).
One of the clumps of agave was removed. This opened up this area and allowed us to add two aloe vera, which will decorate this corner with yellow blooms in winter and spring. The existing gold lantana provides beautiful color spring through fall. The centerpiece of this group of plants is the water feature.
Enhancing Views and Aesthetics
It’s been over 20 years that I’ve been working on landscapes. Watching the transformation is a joy. I love being a part of it and combining the old with the new for a seamless design.
Thank you for allowing me to share this particular project with you!
UPDATE: This blog post originally was published six-years-ago, and I still like to grow vegetables in pots. It’s hard to believe that my garden helper is now 16 years old and driving a car!
I hope you enjoy it!
I started growing vegetables in pots earlier this year, and it was so easy and the vegetables so delicious AND attractive that I had to do it again.
Last week, my mother took my youngest kids to the nursery and picked up some plants for me.
You know what? This is one of the happiest sights in my world 😉
My son, Kai was anxious to pull out the existing plants from our pots.
All my summer vegetables had been pulled a while ago, and all that was left was the Vinca that I had planted. I realize the vinca looks a bit yellow and I admit that I didn’t fertilize them enough (I kind of hibernated inside this summer.
Kai got to work at pulling out the flowers.
He used the hand shovel to loosen the roots so he could pull out the vinca.
Then he used the shovel to ‘bang’ the root ball to loosen the soil back into the pot. You don’t want to ‘throw away’ good soil by leaving it around the roots of plants you are pulling out.
I think Kai did a good job getting all the soil out of the roots, don’t you?
**Vinca will over-winter in my zone 9 garden, but will not flower much. I prefer to treat them as an annual.
Now for the fun part – planting!
I added some more potting mix (not potting soil, which can get soggy), mixed with some compost to each container.
Then each pot was planted with a combination of green leaf lettuce, purple leaf lettuce, garlic, spinach, dill, parsley, nasturtium seeds, and petunias.
In just a few weeks, the lettuce and spinach will be ready to start clipping the leaves for salads. The garlic cloves that I planted will form whole heads of garlic, which will be ready in late spring.
I will start snipping off dill and parsley soon as well.
Garlic, leaf lettuce, spinach, parsley, and petunias
Flowers look great when planted with vegetables, and I always include some. Nasturtiums are easy to grow from seed, and their leaves and flowers are edible. Petunias (and nasturtiums) are great companion plants for vegetables because they help to control damaging insects from eating your vegetables.
I’m back with design notes from the field, where I share observations and recommendations from my work as a landscape consultant. This edition features a new build, metal art, weeds, and shade. I hope that you can pick out helpful tips that you can use in your landscape.
Designing a Modern Landscape for a New Build
Up first, is a new house that is being constructed in east-central Phoenix. The home that used to stand on this lot was taken down to the foundation. An energy-efficient home is coming up in its place. I was hired by the architect to design a landscape that will fit its clean, modern lines.
Adding Artistic Flair with Metal Garden Art
Several years ago, I solely worked as a landscape designer. I worked with homebuilders, creating new landscapes from scratch with a blank palette. Nowadays, as a landscape consultant, design is just one aspect of what I do. I have an overall plan within an existing landscape, which also includes maintenance recommendations. Now and then, I create one for new homes, and this one has some fun challenges.
The look the architect wants is simple and uncluttered. This gives the new homeowner room to add to it if desired. So, I am concentrating on using plants to create a framework. This includes two trees in the front. Then there will be two along the west-facing side to provide screening from the road and protection from afternoon sun.
Foundation Plants and Color
Foundation plants will soften the base of the house while taller shrubs will soften the corners. Ground covers will add low-level interest along with a few agave and cactuses for an accent.
A splash of color will be added by the front entry with the placement of a large, colorful pot. Fill it with an easy to care for succulent.
Design Notes Landscape Barbecue Area Solutions
Often, I am asked for advice on what to do in somewhat unique situations. In this case, the homeowner needed advice for what to do for the wall behind the BBQ. It regularly turns black after grilling.
I tend to look at problems like this as opportunities for adding more interest to the outdoor space. In this case, I recommended adding garden art in the form of rusted metal botanical panels. There is a local artist in Phoenix who creates metal panels with plant shapes cut out of them. He offers standard pieces but also does custom work.
The rusted metal garden art will add welcome interest and design notes landscape touches behind the BBQ as well as disguise any blackened area on the wall.
Botanical Panels Add Beauty
Here is an example of the metal botanical panels from another client’s home. This is where I first encountered the work of this artist. You can learn more about this metal artist here.
Battling Weeds and Embracing the Beauty of Shade
Weeds will always be a problem in the landscape. Like these I saw at a client’s home growing through the patio. The solution to this area is to slowly pour boiling water on weeds growing through the cracks. This will kill them. For travertine, only do this if the stone is sealed.
Leveraging Shade and Tree Patterns in Landscape Design
To wrap our design notes, here is a landscape. The homeowner wants to concentrate on plants up close to the house and not add any further out. If this front yard didn’t have any trees, the absence of plants would cause it to look barren and washed out. However, the patterns from the branches of the ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde add beautiful patterns on the ground here. So you can get away with leaving it bare, which draws attention to the lovely shadows of the branches.
I hope you have enjoyed this latest session of design notes. I’ll have more for you in the future.
**Stay tuned for a special announcement that I’ll be making the beginning of September. I’m working on a new project that will enable me to help you even more to create, grow, and maintain a beautiful outdoor space in the desert. I’ve been working on it for a while and am so excited to share it with you soon!
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Creative Adventures Beyond the Garden: Painting Trees and Roadrunners
I must admit that I don’t spend much time outside in my garden in August. Very quickly I become a sweaty mess and the heat sucks out all my energy. So, I turn to other pursuits to occupy my time. This month I’ve painted trees, had a chance encounter with a roadrunner and welcomed a new princess.
Discovering the Artist Within: Painting Trees on Canvas
While I usually indulge my creativity out in the garden with design, I had an opportunity to channel it onto canvas. It was during a team-building event for my husband’s work.
The event was held at an art studio that hosts group art painting sessions. As I approached the blank canvas, paint brushes and paint, I felt a combination of excitement and apprehension. I’ve never painted on canvas before and the last time I’ve put brush to an easel was in kindergarten.
The instructor stood in front of the class, and we were to replicate a particular painting. There was an example of the finished piece of art, and the instructor guided us step by step. She began painting her blank canvas and showed us how easy it is to create a design.
It was enjoyable, and I’m living proof that you don’t have to be an artist to enjoy the experience. However, as a certified arborist, I did feel a little bit of pressure when painting in my trees. I reminded myself that this was more impressionistic art.
A Close Encounter with the Southwest’s Speedy Icon: The Roadrunner
A couple of days later, I was visiting my niece at our local hospital. I was lucky enough to spot a roadrunner walking toward the front door. We don’t see them very often where I live in suburbia, so I stood and watched what it was doing.
Because I just recently taught a class on gardening for birds at the Desert Botanical Garden. I was full of facts about this type of bird, which is a member of the Cuckoo family and I started reciting them to my husband who was watching the roadrunner with me.
For those of us who grew up watching the cartoon feature Wiley Coyote and the Roadrunner, the coyote never seemed to catch the roadrunner. However, in reality, coyotes can reach a top speed of over 30 mph while roadrunners can only run up to 15 mph.
Roadrunners are found throughout the entire Southwest and are spreading as far to Louisiana – so now you have two fun facts to share with your friends.
Here is a photo of another roadrunner that I spotted several years in front of a hospice facility, coincidentally across the street from the same hospital. You’ll notice the red and blue coloring on the side of its head, which is visible during mating season.
I’ve watched these large birds run and catch lizards and snakes in the desert, and it’s always a treat when I get to see them up close.
Celebrating a New Arrival: Welcoming a Little Princess
Hospital visits aren’t typically fun outings, but the exception is when you are visiting new parents. My nephew and his wife just welcomed a precious little girl into the world, and I am now a great aunt. We have had eight boys born into the family, yet only one girl in the past 25 years, so we are so excited to have another “princess” to love and dote on. Bring on the pink!
In a few short weeks, my focus will once again be in the garden, but for now, I’m enjoying the cool indoors.
How about you? Have you ever gone to an art studio for a painting class or seen a roadrunner up close?
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Repurposing Masonry Blocks for an Eco-Friendly Garden Wall
I am always on the lookout for new and different garden design discoveries. Using interesting materials can make a huge difference. Recently, I was teaching a class at the Desert Botanical Garden. As I headed toward the classroom, I admired the modern design of the building. It was the vine-covered wall that caught my interest.
A brilliant person created this unusual wall from broken masonry blocks. Like many other garden walls in the desert Southwest, this one is different. The broken blocks came from a wall that had been removed elsewhere. Instead of letting the blocks end up in a landfill, the person realized that they could be used to build a beautiful and functional garden wall.
Queen’s Wreath Vines and the Play of Shadows
The salvaged wall provides the perfect surface for queen’s wreath(Antigonon leptopus) vines. They crawl up on with their twining tendrils taking advantage of the nooks and crannies within the wall.
Harnessing the Beauty of Garden Shadows
The sprays of flowers, leaves, and stems create beautiful shadows along the pavement below. Shadows are an element of garden design. Do not underestimate the effect that the shapes of the shadows from cactuses, succulents, and even vines can add to a bare wall, fence, or even on the ground.
Years ago, I used to carry a small digital camera in my purse. All for the unexpected opportunity to take pictures of a particular plant, or design idea. Nowadays, this is just another reason that my smartphone is perhaps my most valued tool.
https://www.azplantlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/repurposed_masonry_block_wall_queens_wreath_vine_Antigonon_leptopus.jpg1024768arizonaplantlady@gmail.comhttp://www.azplantlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/favicon.pngarizonaplantlady@gmail.com2018-07-16 07:05:332023-10-09 12:28:58A Repurposed Wall Finds New Life
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