desert gardening

A Busy Fall Season

az plant lady family, azplantlady, Cactus/Succulents, desert gardening, Horticulturist, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Photo: Landscape Renovation Project

As a mom, grandmother, and horticulturist, the fall season is a very busy season for me. Whether I’m busy on the work site, hosting a Halloween party, or helping out my mother as she recuperates from a broken leg – there is never a dull moment.

I thought that I would show you just a snippet of the events of the past few weeks.

Photo: My mother’s orthopedist knows how to decorate his office for Halloween.

Over a month ago, my mother suffered a very badly broken leg that required surgery. My very active and independent mother has been working hard with physical therapy and her recovery, but still has a few weeks left in a wheelchair. As a result, my siblings and I have stepped in to help her where we can. One of my favorite ways to help out is to take her shopping wherever she wants to go. Of course, it helps that she and I like the same types of stores. We got into a lot of trouble in Target’s dollar section buying Christmas decorations and gifts last week.

Photo: My granddaughter Lily enjoyed talking to our desert tortoise, Aesop, during her visit to Arizona from Michigan.

Visits from my oldest daughter and her family are always a highlight for us.

Photo: My 3-month old grandson, Leo, slept through most of his first visit to Arizona.

Every year on October 31st, my siblings and their kids come over for a fun night of Halloween-themed food and trick-or-treating. It is so much fun to see the little kids get all dressed up for Halloween, including my grandson, Eric.

Photo: Eric dressed up like a ‘Minion’

While my two youngest kids are almost too old for trick-or-treating, they enjoyed dressing up and going with Eric.

Photo: Gracie was a ‘bag of ice’

Photo: Kai was a ‘computer error code’

Life hasn’t slowed down in November, which is the busiest month of the year for me as a horticulturist.

Photo: Mountain States Wholesale Nursery

A highlight of this month was a visit to an open house at one of the pre-eminent nurseries of the Southwest.

While you may not have heard of Mountain States Wholesale Nursery, you have undoubtedly seen plants that they have developed, many which may be in your own garden. Flowering shrubs such as ‘Valentine’ and ‘Blue Bells’ have their origins in the fields of this nursery as do many of the newest tecoma and desert willow species.

I spent a fun-filled day with friends and colleagues touring the facilities and getting a sneak peek at their newest plants in production. The perfect way to cap off our visit was being gifted with a new plant!

Next up on my agenda was overseeing the installation of one of my landscape projects.

Photo: Landscape Renovation, Before

My clients, who live in New York City for most of the year, spend their winters and spring in Arizona. They recently purchased a home with overgrown, excessively pruned shrubs as well as artificial grass with a putting green that they wanted to get rid of.

I initially met with them in April and put together a plan for a landscape that would reflect their style. Once they came back to Arizona in November, they asked me to come out and oversee the installation.

A mixture of pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) and artichoke agave (Agave parryi ‘truncata’) are being planted in the area formerly covered by artificial turf.

Many of the old shrubs were removed as was the fake grass. Contouring was added to help add height and interest to the formerly flat backyard landscape.

Matt, is the landscape contractor, who I refer many of my clients too. He has the uncanny ability to find the biggest, best plants – he holds his sources close to his chest, but as long as my clients are happy, so am I.

I must admit that I am sorely tempted to grab one of his specimen cactus or succulents for my own garden.

Photo: Landscape Renovation, Before

The client wanted an area for a cactus garden. So, we took out the shrubs in this corner and added cactus.

Photo: Landscape Renovation, AFTER

The saguaro cactus isn’t in place yet, but soon will be. Our goal was to add several different types of cactus and succulents that the client liked, including beavertail, candelilla, golden barrel, Moroccan mound, and torch cactus. An ocotillo anchors the corner and will eventually leaf out and flower, which usually occurs about a year after planting.

Photo: A palo blanco (Acacia willardiana) tree will soften this area without outgrowing this area.

It is so rewarding to be a part of the process of homeowner’s landscape be renovated into a space that will provide them with years of enjoyment.

Despite the busyness this fall season, I am getting excited for the upcoming holiday season. How about you? What is keeping you busy this fall?

Are Caterpillars Eating Your Shrubs? How to Recognize and Treat Them

desert gardening, Landscape Problems, Shrubs, Southwest garden

Caterpillars Eating Shrubs , Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans stans)

Do you have caterpillars lurking beneath the leaves of your shrubs?

If they look like the yellow bells shrub, pictured above, probably not.

Caterpillars Eating Shrubs

But, if your leaves look as if a vampire came along and sucked them dry, then they are there, whether you can see them or not. Other telltale signs include little black pellets, which are caterpillar ‘poop’.

Damaged bougainvillea leaves

Bougainvillea can also fall prey to hungry caterpillars, who leave behind ragged holes and edges.

So, what do you do? Nothing? Or should you pull out all the stops to get rid of them?

I address these questions and more in my latest video:

Fall Gardening Tasks for the Southwest Garden

A Broken Leg and a Vegetable Garden

AZ Plant Lady, az plant lady family, desert gardening, Landscape Problems, Vegetable Gardening

*This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thanks for your support in this way.*

This is what my mother’s vegetable garden looks like in the middle of winter.

She works hard at growing a variety of vegetables in her two raised beds. On Wednesday nights, we all gather for dinner at her house and get to enjoy many of the delicious vegetables straight from her garden.

Sadly, her plans for this season’s vegetable garden faced a serious setback.

My mother fell and broke her leg while cooking dinner with my youngest daughter. Both bones in her lower leg suffered multiple fractures, and a metal rod had to be inserted down into her tibia.

Understandably, she cannot put any weight on her foot for at least two months. So, while she works hard at physical therapy to gain as much independence as she can – we decided to help out with her garden.

My kids, along with my nephews, were eager to help with Grandma’s garden. We stopped by the nursery to pick up broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and leaf lettuce transplants while I brought some carrot and radish seeds from home.

Lucky for us, she had already amended her soil with one of my favorite soil amendments – used coffee grounds (from Starbucks). I added some of my favorite organic vegetable fertilizer for the garden, and we were ready to start planting.

I instructed the kids on where and how to plant the vegetable transplants in staggered rows.

My sister was also watching us and even stepped in to help out, despite the fact that she never gardens.

The kids were eager to help out their grandmother, and we all enjoyed out time out in the garden.

I took a few photos to bring back to her at the rehabilitation facility where she is recuperating, to show her what her grandkids had done for her.

My mother is doing well and is working hard at her daily physical therapy sessions so that she can get home as soon as possible. We visit her daily, and her room has pictures drawn by her grandchildren and cards from friends and family.

On our most recent visit, my grandson discovered the delights of pushing around his grandpa using great-grandma’s wheelchair. His smile and laughter brightened everyone’s day.

Meanwhile, back at the vegetable garden.

I came back to check on the newly planted vegetables. Most were doing quite well, but I did see a few plants with telltale holes in their leaves.

I discovered the culprit nearby. Cutworms are caterpillars that eat holes in leafy vegetables as well as ‘cut’ off young vegetable transplants at their base.

The cutworms did kill some of the newly transplanted broccoli, but most of the leafy greens were fine other than a few holes in the leaves.

I brought my favorite organic pesticide, BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), which kills the caterpillars. I like to use Safer Brand 5163 Caterpillar Killer II Concentrate, 16 oz in my own garden, which helps keep the caterpillars at bay.

I sprayed all the vegetables, taking care to spray both top and underneath the leaves.

BT can be reapplied every 7 – 10 days until the caterpillars are gone.

**Note; it can be hard to find BT in your local big box store or even some nurseries. However, you can find it offered online from garden supply companies and Amazon (affiliate link).

Have you planted any vegetables this season? What are your favorites?

An Attractive, Drought-Tolerant Hedge for Southwestern Gardens: Hop Bush

Arizona, Arizona garden, California, California desert garden, desert gardening, Las Vegas gardening, Shrubs, Southwest garden

Beautiful Hop Bush Shrub (Dodonaea viscosa)

I am always on the lookout for great examples of plants in the desert landscape. In my work as a landscape consultant, I drive through countless neighborhoods, which allows me to see lots of ideas.

A few years ago, I drove by a house that had a beautiful Hop Bush shrub (Dodonaea viscosa).

This evergreen, drought-tolerant shrub does wonderfully in our southwestern climate, and it is a frequent addition to landscapes I design.

It’s versatility is one of the reasons it is near the top of my favorite shrub list.

Hop Bush is a great substitute for Oleander shrubs.
They can grow up to 12 feet tall or be maintained at a shorter height – basically you can decide how large it gets.
Their height makes them a great choice to screen out an unattractive view in spaces where a tree won’t fit while providing shade for for windows.
Hop Bush can be allowed to grow into their natural shape or pruned more formally.

Native to the Southwest, Hop Bush is quite versatile and relatively fuss-free, especially if maintained by pruning every 6 months or so, as shown above. Here is another example of a hop bush shrub that has been pruned more formally, which it handles well.

Of course, you can always let it grow into its more natural form as a large shrub.

For more information on hop bush including what its flowers look like and why it’s becoming a popular substitute for oleanders, you can read my earlier blog post – “Drought Tolerant and Beautiful: Hopbush the Alternative to Oleanders.”

Purple Blooms for the Fall Garden

Arizona garden, California desert garden, desert gardening, Drought Tolerant, Fall Blooming Plants, Las Vegas gardening, Shrubs, Southwest garden

Fall in the garden is a time of celebration with plants enjoying the period after the heat of summer has bid goodbye and before the cold of winter arrives.

This time of year is filled colorful blooming plants decorating our outdoor spaces. In the past few weeks, the color purple has made its presence known in several gardens that I have visited recently.

If you love the color purple, here are some plants that you may want to include in your garden.

Black dalea(Dalea frutescens) saves its flowering for fall when violet flowers appear above its lacy foliage.

This Southwestern native is hardy to 15 degrees F. and does best in full sun. Black dalea is underused in the landscape and deserves to be used more.

Desert ruellia(Ruellia peninsularis) is a shrub that I use it often for my client’s designs. I love that it flowers throughout the year as well as its attractive foliage.

A native of Mexico, this shrub does best in full sun to partial shade and is hardy to zone 9 gardens.

Sometimes, parking lot medians can put on a spectacular show. This blue ranger(Leucophyllum zygophyllum) begins blooming in summer but saves its best flowering for fall.

The gray foliage adds nice color contrast in the garden. Hardy to 10 degrees, plant in full or reflected sun for maximum flowering.

One of the most beautiful purple blossoms belongs to the skyflower(Duranta erecta) shrub. Delicate purple flowers are arrayed on graceful arching stems.

Hardy to 20 degrees, skyflower blooms spring through fall.

Last week, while I was doing a landscape consultation, my attention was drawn to a beautiful blue potato bush (Lycianthies rantonnetti) blooming in the front yard.

The vibrant purple flowers contrasted beautifully with the bright green foliage. This shrub is hardy to zone 9 gardens.

Finally, let’s look at the generous blooms of purple trailing lantana(Lantana montevidensis). This lantana groundcover blooms spring through fall and needs very little care other than pruning once or twice a year.

Hardy to 20 degrees, this lantana grows in full sun or partial shade.

I hope that you have enjoyed this tour of purple autumn blooms.

What is flowering this fall in your garden?

Blooms in February

Made in the Shade: Gray-Foliage and Spiky Plants

Agave, desert gardening, Uncategorized

Do you visit your local botanical garden?

I try to make it to my local garden at least 2 – 3 times a year, which just happens to be the world-renown, Desert Botanical Garden.

Last week, I visited twice – once for their spring plant sale and again with my kids. Spring break is a great time to visit when the garden is in full bloom. The kids were excited to go, so we made the 30 minute trip.

Made in the Shade: Gray-Foliage and Spiky Plants

I must admit that they were getting a little cabin fever over their spring break. The problem is that spring is my busiest time of year for landscape consultations (spring for a horticulturist is like tax season for an accountant), so we can’t go out of town. So, we try to carve out outings throughout the week.

The kids enjoy visiting the garden and one thing that we like about visiting the garden several times a year, is that it never looks the same. Each season brings a different look as different plants take center stage as they flower or show off their foliage.

Gray-Foliage and Spiky Plants

One part of the garden that really caught my eye was a bed filled with plants with gray foliage interspersed with spiky plants.

As you can see, there are layers of plants in this area, most of which have fine-textured, gray foliage. They are interspersed with greener spiky succulents for a great color and texture contrast.

In this area, the garden enjoyed filtered shade from a Texas honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), including the aloe vera in the background.

The feathery foliage of artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ filled the back spaces of the garden. This is a great choice for gray-blue color in the garden. It appreciates filtered shade in the Arizona desert.

The spiky plants in the center are two young yucca – I’m not sure of the species (I must confess that I’m not a fan of yucca, but I’m in the minority). Young yucca are often mistaken for agave.

At the base of the yucca was moss verbena (Glandularia tenuisecta formerly Verbena tenuisecta). I love the carefree nature of this trailing ground cover with its purple flowers and bright green foliage.

Caribbean agave (Agave angustifolia 'Marginata'), lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) and the small black-spined agave (Agave macroacantha)

The next section of the garden was filled with Caribbean agave (Agave angustifolia ‘Marginata’), lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) and the small black-spined agave (Agave macroacantha) in the front.

Along the side of this garden bed were Agave ocahui, which is a nice small agave that looks great in this staggered arrangement.

These were just a few of the beautiful plants that have gray-toned foliage that we saw that day. Introducing the plants with shades of gray that range from green to blue tones of gray, create a cooling effect and contrast nicely with the darker greens in the landscape.

Next time we will look at some of my favorite plants with shades of gray.

******************************

For now, I need to get my 3 youngest kids ready for school, which starts tomorrow. Just 2 more months until summer!

On another note, my second-oldest daughter, Rachele, returns to work after 2 months off for maternity leave. I remember how hard it was to go back to work after she was born – especially those first 2 weeks.

Rachele and baby Eric are back on her Navy base and I can’t wait to go and visit them in a few weeks!

My Newly Planted Vegetable Gardens

AZ Plant Lady, desert gardening, Vegetable Gardening

*This blog post contains affiliate link for a product that helps get rid of caterpillars. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thanks for your support in this way.*

Fall is a busy time for me in the garden. However, you will usually find me in other people’s gardens helping them achieve their goal of a beautiful, low-maintenance garden. I did manage to get my cool-season vegetable gardens planted. I planted my favorites, which include carrots, cauliflower, garlic, a variety of leaf lettuces and radishes.

I included broccoli in my list of vegetables this year, despite the fact that I have yet to grow a healthy head of broccoli (the broccoli in the photo above is from my mother’s garden).

Every year, I grow beautiful cauliflower while my broccoli decides to produce very few flowering stalks. At the end of the season when I look at my less than stellar broccoli harvest – I promise myself that I won’t try again.

But, after 6 months pass, I am always tempted to try again hoping that this year will be different.

With the exception of carrots and radishes, I planted all of my other vegetables from transplants. Normally, I almost always use seed, (with the exception of broccoli and cauliflower, which do better when grown from transplants) but I knew that I wouldn’t have time to come out and thin excess plants later.

This smaller vegetable garden is closer to my kitchen and so I put in vegetables that I would harvest more frequently throughout the season in this area. Leafy greens such as lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach and kale all went in here.

The larger garden is a bit further away and so it was planted with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, garlic and radishes, which are harvested once.

My artichoke plant from next year died back to the ground in the summer, (which is normal by the way) and is now growing again.

bell pepper plant , Newly Planted Vegetable

In addition to my artichoke, my bell pepper plant is also a holdover from last year’s garden. Actually, it is 2 years old. Although pepper plants can die from freezing temperatures, I protect mine when the temps dip below freezing, so they are qutie large and produce a lot of peppers much to the delight of my husband and children who like to eat the bell peppers raw.

I also dice them and freeze them for using in my favorite Mexican rice recipe.

I’ve already had to spray my leafy greens with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) to deal with the caterpillars that had started to eat holes in the leaves. It worked great, but I will need to reapply every once in a while. I use Safer Brand 5163 Caterpillar Killer II Concentrate, 16 oz.

Nasturtiums are coming up again from seed in the gardens. I just let them go to seed each year and they always come back. I use nasturtiums in my vegetable gardens because they repel bad bugs. Besides, they look pretty, don’t you think?

Nasturtiums aren’t the only flowers in my vegetable gardens – marigolds are also great at keeping damaging insects at bay. This year, I planted a marigold at the end of each row of vegetables.

I love how their orange flowers brighten up the garden in the middle of winter. Marigolds and nasturtiums are just a few of the flowers who actually help vegetables. For more information on other plants to include in your vegetable garden you can visit my previous post, “Even Vegetables Need Friends”.

I am having a problem in one of my vegetable gardens that began this past summer – spurge! I have come to truly hate this creeping weed and it has decided to move from the nearby landscape areas into my vegetable garden.

It got pretty bad last summer and we ripped it all out. To help combat it, we added 4 inches of compost/manure, which did help to smother some of the weeds. But, some are still coming up. So, I go out every week and spray them with my homemade weed killer, taking care not to spray my vegetables by accident.

You may see homemade weed killers that list salt as one of the ingredients. DON’T add salt to weed killers – especially if you live in the desert Southwest. Our soil and water already has a lot of salts in them and adding more is not good for your plants – in fact, too much salt can kill them.

Homemade weed killer made from vinegar and soap works just fine on most weeds, except for the really tough ones.

Have you planted a vegetable garden this year? What are you growing?

Gardening in the Desert Southwest – Interview

desert gardening, Uncategorized

Have you ever gardened in an area where spiny cacti, dry heat, and scorpions are common elements?

I was recently invited to be on the podcast, “Back to My Garden” where I shared some of the highs and lows of gardening in the desert along with some helpful tips.

So, if you are wanting to pick up some helpful tips on how to garden in the desert Southwest OR you just want to know what I sound like (just kidding), I invite you to listen to the “Back to My Garden” podcast, which you can listen on iTunes, or you can listen by clicking here.

I would be thrilled if you took a few minutes to listen. My hope is that you enjoy it and come away with an understanding that you really can grow a beautiful, drought-tolerant garden in the middle of the desert!

Three P’s: Puppies, iPhone, and Plants

10 Best Plants for the Southwestern Landscape

Agave, azplantlady, Cactus/Succulents, desert, desert gardening, Drought Tolerant, Southwest garden, Sustainable Landscape, Uncategorized

A few weeks ago, I was asked by one of my editors to come up with a list of the top 10 plants that every resident of the Southwest should consider adding to their Southwestern landscape.

I must admit that the task was a bit daunting at first – not because I couldn’t think of enough plants. The problem was that my list was much larger.

How Easy is it to Find Native Southwestern Landscape Plants at a Local Nursery?

I had to pare my list down and decided to focus on plants that would grow in zones 7 – 10, which cover much of the desert Southwest. In addition, they had to be low-maintenance, native, beautiful and easy to grow.

After considering all of the criteria, I still had about 20 plants. So, I added one other criteria of my own – how easy is it to find at your local nursery?

At the end, I had 10 plants that I was very happy with – but I could have easily added a lot more 😉

I hope you enjoy reading through this list of 10 essential plants for the desert Southwest.

Flourishing Amidst Adversity: 10 Resilient Plants in the Southwestern Landscape

The desert Southwest is a region of extremes, with scorching summer heat and chilling winter temperatures that challenge even the most robust flora. Yet, in the face of such harsh conditions, these native plants not only survive but thrive. Equipped with remarkable adaptations, these tenacious species call the arid landscapes of the U.S. Southwest their home.

Enduring the relentless dry heat and enduring the freezing winter cold, they serve as a testament to nature’s resilience. Beyond their endurance, these plants play a vital role in the ecosystem, providing nectar for birds and bees, and shelter for native bird species. Every one of these drought-resistant plants contributes to the desert’s beauty.

Embracing the Sun: Essential Care Tips for Desert Native Plants

To cultivate a thriving desert garden, sunlight is key. Native desert plants require full sun, although some tolerate partial shade for a portion of the day. Optimal growth is achieved through deep, infrequent watering and well-drained soil.

Allow water to penetrate down to 1½ to 2 feet deep, ensuring the soil dries out before rewatering. For irrigation efficiency, drip systems are recommended. While new plants need more water until established, these desert natives rarely require additional fertilization.

1. Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana): Thriving Delicacy of the Chihuahuan Desert

Delicate Flowers: The Charming Resilience of Damianita

Enduring the fiery extremes of the Chihuahuan desert, Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana) emerges as a hardy and enchanting yellow ground cover (see above). Flourishing under full, reflected sun, this seemingly delicate plant showcases dark green, aromatic foliage, which undergoes a stunning transformation with the arrival of spring and fall.

Golden yellow flowers blanket the plant, adding a vibrant contrast to the arid landscape. Flourishing in well-drained soil, Damianita harmoniously complements the red flowers of firecracker penstemon and Valentine bush, as well as the purple blooms of desert ruellia.

2. Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii): Painting Winter with Vibrant Hues

A Symphony of Color: Firecracker Penstemon’s Winter Splendor

In the midst of winter’s muted tones, the firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) ignites low-desert gardens with bursts of orange-red brilliance. Serving as a beacon of color during the colder months, this drought-tolerant perennial offers vital nectar for hummingbirds in winter scarcity.

Adaptable to cold winters and scorching summers, firecracker penstemon’s vibrant presence is enhanced when paired with complementary yellow-flowering perennials. Angelita daisy, damianita, and desert marigold join forces in a chromatic display, thriving under full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil.

3. Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens): A Dance of Life in Arid Lands

Nature’s Hummingbird Feeder: Ocotillo is a Migrating Hummingbird’s Favorite

Stretching towards the desert sky, ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) graces the Southwestern landscape with its elegant canes. Unique among shrubs, ocotillo’s canes burst forth with lush green leaves in response to rain showers and humidity, contrasting the arid surroundings (see photo right).

Vermilion-colored flowers crown the canes in spring, offering a lifeline to migrating hummingbirds. These vibrant blooms stand as a testament to ocotillo’s resilience and unwavering commitment to the desert ecosystem. A sun-soaked habitat is essential for this desert shrub’s growth.

4. Parry’s Agave (Agave parryi): Desert Elegance in Every Form

Sculpted Beauty: Parry’s Agave’s Role in Desert Aesthetics

Adorning the arid landscapes of central Arizona and New Mexico, Parry’s agave (Agave parryi) stands as a quintessential element of Southwestern scenery. Ranging from majestic giants to diminutive varieties, agaves exhibit a wide array of forms.

Parry’s agave, with its medium stature and captivating leaf shapes and colors, thrives in a spectrum of environments. Its resilience to colder temperatures and ability to thrive in sun-soaked spaces make it a preferred choice for desert landscaping.

5. Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens): The Majesty of Purple Blossoms

Nature’s Artist: Texas Ranger’s Purple Symphony

Residing in the heart of the Southwestern desert, the Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens) commands attention with its awe-inspiring purple blooms. Aptly known as the barometer bush, it responds to humidity and rainfall, painting the landscape with its vibrant hues in response.

Even without its dramatic blossoms, the evergreen gray-green foliage of the Texas Ranger exudes an intrinsic charm. This resilient shrub’s ability to thrive under the unrelenting sun and reflected heat underscores its stature as a true desert gem.

6. Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis): Nature’s Respite in Summer

Shade of Summer: Desert Willow’s Cooling Elegance

Amidst the scorching summer of the southwestern landscape, the desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) emerges as a refreshing oasis. This medium-sized deciduous tree enchants with its large, colorful blossoms that beckon hummingbirds from far and wide. (See the flowers in the image right)

Its vibrant pink and magenta flowers offer dappled shade to the plants below, providing relief from the desert’s intensity. Versatile and thornless, the desert willow thrives in smaller spaces, making it a charming addition to courtyards and patios.

7. Pink Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris): A Fall Color Explosion

Autumn’s Blush: Pink Muhly’s Dance of Color

The transition to fall heralds a breathtaking transformation as pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) takes the stage. Ornamental grasses provide texture and contrast in the landscape, and pink muhly stands out for its vibrant fall display.

As summer yields to autumn, the green foliage is adorned with plumes of pinkish-burgundy, casting a rosy enchantment over the surroundings. This ornamental grass thrives in the desert’s abundant sunlight and can be artfully clustered for a striking visual impact.

8. Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora): Sun-Kissed Elegance

A Desert Gem: Red Yucca’s Sunlit Splendor

Thriving under the full, reflected sun of the desert, the red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) stands as a beacon of effortless beauty. Its succulent leaves bear a resemblance to ornamental grass, while spikes of coral-colored flowers grace the landscape in spring and early summer.

Adding a touch of elegance, the red yucca effortlessly weaves color and texture into the Southwestern tapestry, undeterred by the region’s demanding climate.

9. Santa Rita Prickly Pear (Opuntia violaceae santa-rita): A Desert Icon

Nature’s Palette: Santa Rita Prickly Pear is a Must-Have for Shape and Design

The Southwestern landscape would be incomplete without the iconic presence of prickly pears. Among them, the Santa Rita prickly pear (Opuntia violaceae santa-rita) stands out with its captivating purple-tinged gray-blue pads.

Adapting its hue in response to drought and cold, it is a testament to nature’s artistry. Against this unique backdrop, yellow flowers burst forth in spring, amplifying the species’ beauty. Its distinctive appearance makes it a valuable choice for creating visual contrast in the garden.

10. Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans): A Long-Lasting Serenade

Golden Harmonies: Yellow Bells’ Melodic Bloom

Elevating the desert landscape with a touch of the exotic, yellow bells (Tecoma stans) exude a tropical charm. Their large, trumpet-shaped flowers bring shades of yellow to the arid backdrop, evoking a sense of warmth.

In a captivating display, these flowers bloom from the end of winter until just before the first frost, a resounding chorus of color for an extended period. Serving as a vital nectar source, yellow bells enrich the desert ecosystem, inviting hummingbirds and bees to partake in its golden bounty.

Plant These Native Plants in the Southwestern Landscape

The desert Southwestern landscape may present challenges, but these ten top native plants have evolved to not only endure but flourish amidst adversity. With adaptations that defy the elements, these species contribute to the intricate web of life in the desert, adding splashes of color and life to the arid landscape.

By embracing these resilient beauties, gardeners can cultivate oases of natural wonder in even the most unforgiving of terrains.

Tour of Sustainable Southwestern Landscape: Part 1

Summer Pruning and a ‘Substitute’ Gardener

Arizona garden, AZ Plant Lady, az plant lady family, desert gardening, Pruning, Southwest garden

Have you ever had a ‘substitute’ teacher? As most of you know, a substitute teacher doesn’t do things the same way our regular teacher does.

A few years ago, I was asked to step in as a ‘substitute’ gardener for my father-in-law’s landscape.

Photo: Meticulously pruned desert ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis)

My father-in-law had always been a meticulous gardener and took a lot of pride in his landscape. Have you ever seen rounder shrubs?

A few years earlier, I had designed the landscape around his new home and tried to convince him to allow his plants to grow into their natural shapes. But as you can see from the photo above, he didn’t follow my advice.

He eventually took out his backyard grass and replaced it with artificial turf and whenever flowers or leaves would fall on the grass, he would vacuum them up – I’m not kidding.

We would often joke with each other about our very different styles of gardening – especially when he would come over to my house for a visit and see my plants growing “wild and free” as he would say.

But despite our differences, we shared the same love for plants and the garden.

Unfortunately, his gardening days were numbered and he asked me to come over and help him with the gardening tasks that he could no longer do.

My father-in-law was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in October 2010 and it progressed very rapidly.

So, I became his ‘substitute gardener’ and I was happy to be able to help out so that he could still enjoy the beauty of his garden, even if he could not care for it himself.

In early August of 2011, I lightly pruned back his gold lantana. At this point, my father-in-law spent most of his time indoors sitting down. But, as I was pruning, I saw him slowly make his way out, with his walker, so he could watch me prune his plants.

At this point, he could no longer talk due to ALS and I’m certain that if he could have spoken, he might have asked me to make the lantana ’rounder’.

After this light pruning, the lantana would grow back to its original size before stopping during winter. If they had not been pruned, they would have look quite overgrown for my father-in-law’s taste.

Light pruning involves removing 1/3 or less. The timing of this light pruning is crucial – prune too late and your plants will be extra susceptible to damage from frost. Don’t prune after early August in zone 9 (July in zone 8) gardens. Pruning in fall should not be done for this very reason.

Substitute Gardener

Another part of the garden that my father-in-law took a lot of pride in was his flowering annuals. Every year, he would plant the same red geraniums and white-flowering bacopa in winter. Once spring rolled around, he would plant red and white vinca. He never deviated by trying out newer colors or varieties.

I found myself taking over this job as well and when I came home and see all there was to do in my neglected garden – I didn’t mind. It felt so good to be able to control how his garden looked because ALS had taken control of everything else.

My father-in-law died in September 2011, just 11 months after being diagnosed with ALS.

It’s been almost 3 years since he passed away, but whenever August comes around and I find myself lightly pruning back my gold lantana – I enjoy the memory of one our last moments together in the garden as I pruned his lantana.

Pruning Flowering Shrubs in Late Summer

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