Shrubs Aren’t Meant To Be Cupcakes, Frisbees, or Pill Boxes

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The Pitfalls of Improper Pruning: A Tale of Flowering Shrubs

Flowering Shrubs need pruning, but how they are pruned makes such a difference. Aren’t these shrubs beautiful?

Texas Sage ‘Green Cloud’ (Leucophyllum frutescens ‘Green Cloud’)

Thunder Cloud Sage (Leucophyllum candidum ‘Thunder Cloud’)

Rio Bravo’ Sage (Leucophyllum langmaniae ‘Rio Bravo’)

‘Rio Bravo’ Sage (Leucophyllum langmaniae ‘Rio Bravo’)

You would think that the beauty of these shrubs, in flower, would be enough for people to stop pruning them into absurd shapes, but sadly, this is not the case. In the Desert Southwest, there is an epidemic of truly horrible pruning that affects not only Texas Sage (Leucophyllum species), but also Cassia (Senna species), Fairy Duster (Calliandra species), and even Oleander.

The Consequences of Excessive Pruning

Unsurprisingly, excessive pruning like this is NOT healthy for shrubs and it strips them of their beauty.

The ‘Frisbee’ Phenomenon

You don’t have to go far to see these sad shrubs. All you need to do is drive down the street as I did…

Okay, it should be rather obvious, but I will say it just the same, “Do not prune your shrubs into the shape of a ‘frisbee’.

The ‘Pillbox’ Pruning

I kept driving and found even more examples of truly awful pruning. Sadly, all are within a 5-minute drive of my house.

I call this ‘pillbox’ pruning. These Texas Sage & Cassia shrubs were located across the street from the ‘frisbee’ shrubs.

An attempt at creating a ‘sculpture’? Texas Sage ‘Green Cloud’ (Leucophyllum frutescens ‘Green Cloud’)

A second attempt at creating a sculpture?

Let’s get real. Shrubs pruned this way does nothing to add beauty to the landscape. And, when pruned this way, they cost more, take more time, and use more water – it’s true!

‘Cupcake’ Pruning: An Unappetizing Approach

Now on to some of my favorite ‘cupcake’ examples:

An entire line of ‘cupcakes’. ‘White Cloud’ Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens ‘White Cloud’)

Do you think they use a ‘level’ to make the tops perfectly flat? I honestly wouldn’t put it past them.

You can see the dead area on the top, which is caused from this shrub being sheared repeatedly.

This dead growth is caused by lack of sunlight. Repeated shearing (hedge-trimming) keeps sunlight from reaching the interior of the shrub. As a result, branches begin to die.

After driving around for a while, I drove toward home when I saw the saddest ones of all…

Flowering Shrubs Need Pruning, but these are Disappointing

Now if you look closely, you can see a light layer of gray-green leaves, which really don’t begin to cover the ugly, dense branching that has been caused by years of repeated shearing.

I actually like topiary, but not when done to a Texas Sage. Some people prune up their shrubs so that they can clean up the leaves underneath more easily.

The Goal Should be to Prune with Purpose

Now, I am not against formal pruning, when performed on the right plants. But, it is not attractive when done on flowering, desert plants and it is also unhealthy for the shrubs themselves and contributes to their early death in many cases. Add to that the fact that it greatly increases your maintenance costs due to repeated pruning and having to replace them more frequently.

Now if you have shrubs that look like any of these pruning disasters, don’t panic! They can be fixed in most cases.

Now, why would anyone want to remove the flower buds from your shrubs by shearing, when you can have flowers like this?

Join the ‘Cupcake-Free’ Movement

If you are tired of unnaturally shaped shrubs in your landscape, I understand. Believe it or not, most flowering shrubs need pruning once or twice a year at most – and NOT the type of pruning into weird shapes. I find it ironic that your yard will look better when you do less.

So, if you are wanting to declare your landscape a ‘cupcake-free’ zone, I have something I think you’re gonna love. I invite you to check out my popular online shrub pruning workshop where I teach you how to maintain flowering shrubs by pruning twice a year or less. Hundreds of students have taken the course and are reaping the rewards of a beautiful outdoor space filled with colorful shrubs at a fraction of the work.

Are you ready to break out of the cycle of green blobs?

Are Your Roses Feeling The Heat?

Arizona garden, California desert garden, desert, desert gardening, Las Vegas gardening, Roses in the Desert, Southwest garden, Southwest Texas garden

Photo: Roses Feeling The Heat , My Abraham Darby shrub rose and my little dog, Tobey.

Challenges of Hot Arid Climates for Roses

If you live in a hot arid climate, chances are that your roses are feeling the heat and aren’t looking their best right now. While gardeners in cooler climates celebrate summer with beautiful rose blooms, the opposite is true for those of us who live in the desert.

Surprisingly, roses actually grow quite well in hot, southwestern zones, and even though mine look somewhat sunburned – I’m not worried because this is normal. Understanding proper irrigation makes a big difference, but roses feeling heat will still have concerns.

Effects of Roses Feeling Heat with Intense Sun and Warmth

You see, roses that are grown in the low desert regions, don’t like the intense sun and heat that summer brings. As a result, the flowers become smaller, and the petals burn in the sun and turn crispy. By July, you are unlikely to see any new roses appearing until Fall.

Impact on Rose Plant Leaves

The rose blooms aren’t the only parts of the roses feeling heat concerns in summer – the leaves can become sunburn.

The sight of brown crispy petals and leaves may make you want to prune them away, but don’t.

Why?

Avoiding Premature Pruning

Pruning will stimulate new growth that will be even more susceptible to sunburn damage. Second, the older branches and leaves will help to shade the growth underneath the sun.

Strategic Pruning Schedule will Help Roses Feeling Heat

I know that it is very hard not to prune away the brown leaves – I feel you. However, in September, pull out your pruning shears and prune back your rose bushes by 1/3. This removes the sun-damaged flowers and leaves and stimulates new growth.

Comparative Benefits of Hot Arid Climates

If you lament the less-than-stellar appearance of your summer roses feeling heat, and think it’s easier to grow roses in other climates, you would be wrong.

Oh, certainly, we have to deal with our roses not looking great in the summer. But, compare that with gardeners in other regions who have to deal with the dreaded Japanese beetle that shows up every summer and eats their roses. Or, people who live in more humid climates and are having to deal with severe cases of blackspot or powdery mildew (white spots on the leaves).

Blessing of Dual Bloom Seasons in the Southwest

Lastly – we are fortunate to enjoy two separate bloom seasons for our roses. In fall, when many other gardeners are putting their roses to bed for the winter, ours are getting ready to bloom a second time that year.

And so, I will ignore my less than beautiful roses this summer, because I know that they will look fantastic this fall It is that simple 🙂

Two New Roses Find a Home in a Desert Garden

Garden Surprise: A Self-Planted Bouquet

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The Joy of Unexpected Bouquets in the Garden

A Garden Surprise with Sandpaper Verbena

Have you ever had the experience of receiving an unexpected self-planted bouquet?

I’ve been blessed to have gotten bouquets throughout my life from my wonderful husband, my children, and in the past – from a boyfriend or two.

Blooming Definitions: Exploring the Concept of Bouquets

But recently, I was presented with a bouquet from an unlikely source.

If you look up the definition of the word, ‘bouquet’, it states “an attractively arranged bunch of flowers, especially one presented as a gift or carried at a ceremony.”

Nature’s Gift: The Unplanned Bouquet in My Garden

This spring, I was delighted to see that my garden had presented me with an unexpected bunch of flowers – in other words, a bouquet.

This area in my front garden has a lovely Sandpaper Verbena (Glandularia rigida), which is a ground cover with vibrant purple flowers. It blooms spring through fall and thrives in full sun.

I planted the Sandpaper Verbena, however, I didn’t add the other flowers in this area.

The Unexpected Garden Companions: Blackfoot Daisy and Angelita Daisy

Last year, I noticed the white flowers of Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) growing up in the middle of the Verbena. It came from a seed from a nearby plant that alighted in this area and grew in the presence of irrigation.

I liked the look and as the plants were doing well together, I left them to their own devices.

Well evidently, someone else wanted to join the party. Enter, Angelita Daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis) that came up on its own. I have several throughout the landscape and they do self-seed sometimes.

I absolutely adore colorful plants and I must say, I am so happy with this bouquet growing in my garden. As long as they play nice and one doesn’t try to take over the other, they can remain.

Who knows who will show up in my living bouquet next year?

A New Shrub Named After a School Mascot

Arizona garden, California desert garden, desert gardening, Drought Tolerant, Hummingbird Gardening, Las Vegas gardening, Pruning, Shrubs, Southwest garden

Discovering the Beauty of ‘Orange Jubilee’ and ‘Sparky’ Tecoma Shrubs

One of my favorite things I do as a landscape consultant is to show my clients newer plant and shrub introductions on the market.

Imagine being the first person on your block with the latest plant that all your neighbors will want to add in their landscape.

Tecoma x ‘Orange Jubilee’

The Allure of Tecoma x ‘Orange Jubilee’

Many of you may be familiar with the large, orange-flowering shrub Tecoma x ‘Orange Jubilee’. This popular shrub has clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers and a long bloom period. Its large size 8-12-foot height makes it a favorite for screening out a block wall or unfavorable view.

While the flowers and lush foliage are a plus, Orange Jubilee is too large for many smaller areas, which is why this newer shrub is one of my new favorites.

Introducing ‘Sparky’ Tecoma: A New Shrub Sensation

'Sparky' Tecoma new shrub for the garden

‘Sparky’ Tecoma is a hybrid that has bi-colored flowers and is named after Arizona State University’s popular mascot due to the coloring. It was created by a horticulturist and professor at ASU.

‘Sparky’ is about half the size of ‘Orange Jubilee,’ which makes it suitable for smaller spaces. It has smaller leaves and a slightly more compact growth habit, reaching 4-5 feet tall and wide.

Both types of Tecoma have the same requirements – plant in full sun and prune away frost-damaged growth in March. ‘Sparky’ is slightly more cold tender than ‘Orange Jubilee’.

Personal Experience: Adding Tecoma Shrubs to My Garden

I have added three of these lovely shrubs in my front garden. One along my west-facing side wall, and two that flank either side of my large front window. They add beautiful color 9 months a year.

For those of you who are U of A alumni, you can plant one and call it something else. To date, there isn’t any word of a red, white and blue hybrid yet – but, I’ll be sure to let you know if they create one 😉

Creative Container Gardening Tips

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Container Gardening: Bringing Life to Your Desert Garden

Spring Transitions in Container Gardening

Spring in the desert brings a flurry of activity out in the garden – much of it involving container gardening. As the season changes, it’s time to rejuvenate your containers and infuse new life into your outdoor space.

As they say, in late spring, it’s “out with the old and in with the new.” In the desert garden, it’s when cool-season flowering annuals are traded out for those that can handle the hot temperatures of summer.

Embracing the Heat-Resistant Annuals

Examples of cool-season annuals are pansies, petunias, and snapdragons, which are grown fall through spring. BUT, they won’t survive hot, desert summers. So, in late April, it’s time to plant flowering annuals that can take the heat. My favorites include angelonia, ‘Blue Victoria’ salvia, and vinca.

Beyond Blossoms: Creative Container Gardening Ideas

While flowers remain a popular choice for container gardening, there’s a world of possibilities to explore with growing plants in containers. Here are some creative ideas to elevate your container gardening game:

1. Colorful Containers

Give your containers a vibrant makeover by painting them in eye-catching colors. Elevate the aesthetics of your garden by transforming inexpensive plastic containers into stylish focal points with a simple coat of paint.

Leaf lettuce and garlic grow along with flowering petunias.

2. Edible Delights

Did you know that you can grow vegetables in pots? I love doing this in my garden. In the fall, I plant leaf lettuce, spinach, and garlic in my large pots alongside flowering petunias. When March arrives, I like to add basil, peppers along with annuals.

Winter Container Gardening with spinach, parsley and garlic growing with pink petunias

Winter container garden with spinach, parsley and garlic growing with pink petunias.

For pots, I recommend you use a potting mix, which is specially formulated for containers and holds just the right amount of moisture. Container plants need to be fertilized. You can use a slow-release fertilizer or a liquid fertilizer of your choice.

Cucumbers growing with vinca and dianthus.

3. Seasonal Vegetable Pairings

In spring, vegetables such as cucumbers, bush beans, and even zucchini can grow in containers paired with flowers.

*If you would like to try growing edible containers, click here for more info.

4. Low-Maintenance Succulents

For a fuss-free container gardening experience, consider planting cacti and succulents. These hardy desert dwellers not only flourish in pots but also require less water compared to their flowering counterparts.

Desert Spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri).

Succulents are an excellent choice for planting in areas where water is not easily accessible. While they will need supplemental water, they don’t need water every day, making them a better choice for these areas.

In general, succulents are lower-maintenance as well, so they are an excellent choice for the ‘fuss-free’ gardener.

Use a potting mix specially formulated for cactus & succulents, which will drain well.

Fertilize succulents spring through fall using a liquid or slow-release fertilizer at 1/2 the recommended strength.

*For more information on how to plant succulents in containers, including how to do it without getting pricked, click here.

5. Space-Saving Strategies

Let’s face it – the potting mix is expensive and makes your pots very heavy. If you have a large pot, your plant’s roots most likely will never reach the bottom – so why waste soil where you don’t need it?

Fill up the unused space with recycled plastic containers and then add your potting mix. You will save money, AND your container will be much lighter as well.

Best Tips for Successful Container Gardening

To ensure your container garden thrives, follow these essential tips:

Use a potting mix specially formulated for containers to maintain optimal moisture levels.
Regularly fertilize your container plants with a suitable fertilizer.
Choose a potting mix tailored for cacti and succulents when growing these drought-resistant plants.
Consider supplementing water with succulents in arid areas.
For more information on succulent container gardening, click here.

Reimagine Your Desert Garden with Containers

Whether you’re a gardening novice or a seasoned pro, container gardening offers boundless opportunities to transform your outdoor space. Explore the beauty of diverse plantings, experiment with colors, and embrace the practicality of edible container gardens. By reimagining what you can do in a container, you’ll breathe new life into your desert garden this spring.

Gorgeous Germander for Desert Gardens

Arizona garden, California desert garden, desert gardening, Drought Tolerant, Fuss Free Plant, Ground Covers, herb gardening, Las Vegas gardening

I have a wonderful treat for you! This week’s blog post is from Dr. Jacqueline Soule.

Chances are that her name sounds familiar and that is because she is a noted plant expert and well-known author of several books on desert gardening.

Jacqueline grew up in Tucson and currently resides there where she enjoys growing low-maintenance plants that add beauty, which thrive in the desert.

I am fortunate to call Jacqueline my friend and we are both part of SWGardening.com I am excited to share with you her post on Germander.

“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) Photo by Amadej Trnkoczy cc 3.0

Gorgeous Germander

by Jacqueline A. Soule, Ph.D.

Special for AZ Plant Lady, 03 2020

Germander is a gorgeously green low-water ground cover that grows well in Arizona, is great for pollinators, and happens to be usable as a culinary herb.

Greeting from another desert garden this week – that of garden writer Jacqueline Soule, who lives in Tucson (Gardening With Soule – in the Land of El Sol). Noelle has graciously shared her space this week to allow me to introduce you to one herb for your landscaping.

Germander Has a Long History

This handsome herb was brought to the mission gardens of Arizona in 1698 by Father Kino. Germanders are native to the rocky hillsides of Greece and Turkey, where they get rain only in the winter. This means they tolerate dry and hot conditions well!

Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) growing in a Sedona garden.

Which One to Use?

There are around 100 species of germander! The one most commonly used in landscaping is the wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys). This species has tiny, bright green, rounded leaves. The creeping germander is the same species, but has been selected over time to be a low ground cover (Teucrium chamaedrys var. prostratum). Both of these are available at many local nurseries (but not big box stores).

For landscaping, germander offers a gorgeous bright, forest-green. I confess, I prefer this color in general over the blue-green of rosemary. Even in poor soil and with little water, germander grows to form a dark green carpet, about 2 feet around per plant, the creeping germander a bare 4 to 6 inches tall.

Germaders grow well in alkaline (unamended) desert soil, in full sun to part shade situations. Reflected summer light is tad too much for them, so not under picture windows.

Teucrium chamaedrys by Amadej Trnkoczy cc 3.0 002

Fragrant Flowers

Both germander and rosemary have many oil glands in their leaves and are fragrant plants. But then there are the flowers! Germander flowers are far more fragrant than rosemary. Germander blooms are almost honey-scented, like sweet alyssum. Like rosemary, germander are bee pollinated, by both European honey bees and by our native Arizona solitary bees, with occasional butterfly visitors.

Use In Your Landscape

Both rosemary and germander can be used in roasting potatoes or to add flavor to meat dishes. I use either herb to scrub down the grill prior to cooking – depends on which needs pruning. In ancient Greece, hunters would field dress their meat with germander, often found growing wild in the hills. (It may have anti-microbial properties.) Germander abounds on Greek hillsides because the strong oils render it unpalatable to wildlife. I won’t promise it is rabbit proof, but those “wascally wabbits” don’t bother mine.

Herbs that can be used to create a beautiful, low-water-using, edible, Southwest landscape are numerous. Learn more in this webinar offered March 25, 2020 by the Herb Society of America – only $5 and you don’t have to drive anywhere! Or in April, drive to Carefree, where Jacqueline will speak about “Gardening for Fragrance” on April 18 2020.

Want to learn more from Jacqueline? Check out two of her most popular books – Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico Month-by-Month Gardening and Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening.

You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Javelina in the Desert Garden

A Stroll Through a Flowering Winter’s Garden

Agave, Arizona garden, AZ Plant Lady Classes, Cactus/Succulents, California desert garden, Containers, desert gardening, Hummingbird Gardening, Las Vegas gardening, Perennial, Shrubs, Southwest garden, Vines

Embracing the Beauty of a Winter Garden

Cultivating Year-Round Blooms in the Desert

Winter Garden Wonders: Did you know that you can have plants blooming in your landscape every month of the year? In the desert garden, this is definitely true!

One of the most popular programs that I teach at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is ‘Flowering All Year’. During the presentation, I teach students how to incorporate plants in their gardens so they can enjoy colorful blooms all year long.

A Winter Wonderland of Desert Blooms

Sadly, many desert dwellers miss this opportunity. Drive down a typical neighborhood street in winter, and you will have a hard time finding plants in bloom except for colorful annual flowers. As you’ll note, the focus in our gardens is typically on plants that flower through the warm season.

So, how can we change that? It’s quite simple – add plants that will flower in winter. Believe it or not, there are quite a few plants that fit the bill.

I invite you to come along with me on a virtual tour of the plants I showed to the students in the class as we walked through the winter garden in mid-February.

*Before we embark on our walk, I have a confession to make. Usually, I arrive early before my classes to see what’s in bloom so I can plan our route. But, my daughter’s bus arrived late that morning, so I was running a bit late. As a result, I didn’t know what we would see. Thankfully, there was plenty to see.

Purple Lilac Vine (Hardenbergia violaceae)

Plants for Cool-Season Winter Garden Color

Let’s start by discovering some of the remarkable plants that grace the winter garden with their presence:

1. Purple Lilac Vine (Hardenbergia violaceae)

The vibrant, blooms of purple lilac vine never disappoint. Blooms appear in mid-winter, adding a welcome relief to colorless winter landscapes. Here it is planted in a tall raised bed and allowed to trail downward. In my garden, it grows up against a wall with a trellis for support.

Whale’s Tongue Agave and Mexican Honeysuckle underneath an Ironwood tree

2. Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera)

Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera)

Several perennials and small shrubs do best in the desert garden when planted in filtered sunlight. Desert trees like ironwood, mesquite, and palo verde are excellent choices for producing filtered sunlight. Mexican honeysuckle doesn’t do well in full sun. As a result, it thrives under the shade of this ironwood tree. I love the texture contrast in this bed next to the whale’s tongue agave in this winter garden.

3. Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) and Weber’s Agave (Agave weberi)

Weber’s Agave (Agave weberi) and Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata)

Desert marigold is a short-lived perennial that resembles a wildflower. Yellow flowers appear throughout the year on this short-lived perennial. I like to use them in wildflower gardens or natural desert landscapes because this yellow bloomer will self-seed.

4. Firesticks (Euphorbia ‘Sticks on Fire’) and Elephants Food (Portulacaria afra)

Firesticks (Euphorbia ‘Sticks on Fire’) and Elephants Food (Portulacaria afra)

Shrubs, vines, and perennials aren’t the only plants that add winter color in the landscape. Colorful stems of the succulent ‘Firesticks’ add a splash of orange all year. I am a fan of the use of blue pots in the garden, and here, it adds a powerful color contrast with the orange.

5. ‘Winter Blaze’ (Eremophila glabra)

‘Winter Blaze’ (Eremophila glabra)

Lush green foliage decorated with orange/red blooms is on display all year long with this Australian native. Several types of Eremophilas add cool-season color to the landscape, and this one deserves more attention. There must be a blank space in my garden for one…

6. Winter Garden Delight – ‘Blue Bells’ (Eremophila hygrophana)

Blue Bells Eremophila and Mexican Fence Post Cactus

‘Blue Bells’ (Eremophila hygrophana)

Without a doubt, ‘Blue Bells’ is arguably one of my most favorite plants. It resembles a compact Texas sage (Leucophyllum spp.) but doesn’t grow as large AND blooms throughout the year. For best results, plant in full sun, but well-drained soil is a must.

7. Valentine Bush (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’)

Valentine Bush (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’)

My favorite choice for winter color is Valentine bush. Red/fuschia blooms begin to appear in January and last into April. For maximum color impact, use them in groups of 3 – 5. They are low maintenance – prune back to 1/2 their size in mid-April after flowering. No other pruning is required.

8. Aloe ferox

Aloe ferox

Winter into spring is a busy time for aloes, and many species do well in the desert garden. Most require filtered sunlight to do their best, but ‘Blue Elf’ aloe does well in both full sun and bright shade.

9. Trailing Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Trailing Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

10. Shrubby Germander (Teucrium fruiticans ‘Azurea’)

People from colder climates are often surprised to note that rosemary flowers. In the desert, we are fortunate that we get to enjoy their blue flowers from winter through spring – the bees like them too!

Shrubby Germander (Teucrium fruiticans ‘Azurea’)

Toward the entrance to the garden, I was delighted to see shrubby germander. A star in my own garden, this shrub has flowered all winter long and will continue to do so into spring. The blooms are a lovely periwinkle color.

11. Chuparosa (Justicia californica)

Chuparosa (Justicia californica)

As our walk was wrapping up, the bright red blooms of a chuparosa shrub caught our eye. A hummingbird was busily drinking as much nectar as he could. I like to use this shrub in winter garden landscapes with a natural theme as it has a sprawling growth habit. It flowers through winter into spring and an important nectar source for hummingbirds.

Beyond Blooms: Adding Artistic Flair to the Winter Garden

Of course, blooming plants aren’t the only way to add color to the garden. Garden art can play a vital part in adding interest. The Desert Botanical Garden is host to a traveling art exhibit with various animals made from recycled plastic. This group of meerkats greets visitors to the garden.

I hope that you enjoy this virtual tour of winter garden color in the garden and will add some to your own.

What plants do you have that flower in winter?

Drive By Landscapes: Winter Beauty in the Southwest Garden

Water Saving Landscapes: 3 Options

Arizona garden, California desert garden, desert gardening, Drought Tolerant, Irrigation, Las Vegas gardening, Southwest garden

For those who live in the western half of the United States, water has always been a precious resource. In recent years, this has become especially true during a long-term drought has made its impact felt.

As a result, many of us find ourselves looking for ways to save water. The first place you should start is your landscape as that is the largest percentage of your water consumption.

Today, I’d like to show you examples of three different low water landscape options:

Option #1

Drought Tolerant – This landscape is characterized by lush green, semi-tropical flowering plants. These include bougainvillea, lantana, oleanders, and yellow bells. All these do well in hot, arid climates in zones 9 and above. While most aren’t native to the Southwest, they are considered moderately drought tolerant and suitable for those who want more a lush look for the desert garden.

For best results, deep water approximately once a week in summer and every 2 weeks in winter.

Moderately Drought Tolerant Water Saving Landscape

Option #2

Moderately Drought Tolerant – Native, flowering plants make up this type of landscape. Plants like chuparosa, damianita, penstemon, Texas sage, and turpentine bush are examples of this.

Because these plants are native to the Southwestern region, they need infrequent watering to look their best – a good guideline is to water deeply approximately every 10 days in summer and every 3 weeks in winter.

Extremely Drought Tolerant Water Saving Landscape

Option #3

Extremely Drought Tolerant – For a landscape to exist on very little water, a collection of cacti and succulents are the way to go. Columnar cacti such as Mexican fence post, organ pipe, saguaro, and totem pole add height to the garden. Lower growing succulents like agave, candelilla, and desert milkweed can be used for mid-level interest.

Golden barrel, hedgehog cacti and mammillaria fill in smaller spaces and look great next to boulders. Once established, they do best with watering approximately every 3 weeks spring through fall.

Tired of struggling in the desert garden? Sign up for my online course, DESERT GARDENING 101.

It’s important to note that shrubs should be watered deeply to a depth of 2 ft., which promotes deep root growth, and the soil stays moister longer. Succulents do well at 12″ depth.

**Watering guidelines can vary from region to region within the desert Southwest, so it’s wise to consult with your local city’s landscape watering guidelines.

Whichever option you select, creating an attractive water-saving landscape is within your reach that will thrive in our drought-stricken region.

Gifts for the Gardener: Books for Water Wise Gardening

White Flowering Plants for the Southwest Landscape: Part 1

Arizona garden, California desert garden, desert gardening, Drought Tolerant, Las Vegas gardening, Perennial, Shrubs, Southwest garden

Embracing White Flowering Plants

Are white flowering plants a part of your landscape design? They certainly are in mine.

Surprisingly, white flowers are often overshadowed by more vibrant shades like yellow, orange, or red. However, it’s worth noting that white flowers can play a pivotal role in enhancing your landscape by creating striking color contrasts.

In addition, white flowering plants also have a visually cooling effect in the garden, which is a welcome sight in the Southwest where summers are hot.

I’d like to share with you some of my favorite white flowers, all of which do well in the Southwestern landscape.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Bush Morning Glory (Convolvulus cneorum)

Bush Morning Glory (Ipomoea carnea)

Pretty white flowers with yellow centers are just one of the reasons people love Bush Morning Glory. Its silvery foliage is another great color that it adds to the landscape.

In the desert, the flowers appear for several weeks in spring before fading away. However, the silvery foliage is evergreen and will add great color contrast when planted nearby plants with dark green foliage.

Do you have an area that gets full afternoon sun and reflected heat? Bush Morning Glory can easily handle it while looking great.

Hardy to zone 8, bush morning glory grows approximately 2 ft. tall and 4 ft. wide. Prune back in spring, after flowering has finished by 1/2 its size.

White Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri)

A flowering perennial, white gaura, has a prominent place in my landscape. It has small flowers, shaped like small butterflies, that start out pink and turn white as they bloom.

This lovely perennial does best in filtered sun and flowers in spring and fall. It requires little maintenance other then shearing it back in spring to 1/2 its size.

White gaura is related to the pink variety ‘Siskyou Pink’, but has a bushier appearance and grows larger – approximately 2 1/2 ft. wide and tall. This native perennial is hardy to zone 6 gardens.

‘White Cloud’ Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens ‘White Cloud’)

‘White Cloud’ Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens)

While most of us are more familiar with the purple flowering Texas sage shrubs, there is a white variety that is well worth adding to your landscape.

‘White Cloud’ Texas Sage can grow large, 6+ feet tall and wide, if given enough space. It thrives in full sun and in summer and fall, periodic flushes of white flowers cover the silvery green foliage.

Avoid the temptation to excessively prune this shrub, which decreases the flowering and is not healthy for this type of shrub. Hardy to zone 7, this shrub looks great when used as an informal hedge or against a wall.

Hedge trimmers aren’t needed for pruning Texas sage. My Corona Compound Loppers are what I’ve used to prune mine for over 10 years with some hand pruning as needed for wayward branches.

For guidelines on how to (or how NOT to) prune flowering shrubs, click here.

Texas Olive (Cordia boissieri)

This Texas native is a huge favorite of mine – Texas olive is a large shrub or small tree, depending on how you prune it. It has dark green, leathery leaves, and beautiful white flowers, which appear spring through fall on evergreen foliage.

Whenever I see this shrub, I always take a moment to admire its beauty, since it isn’t used often in the landscape – but it should be!

Small fruit, resembling an olive is produced, which are edible. They thrive in full sun. Allow plenty of room for it to grow as it gets 25 ft. tall and wide. Hardy to zone 9, the only drawback of this white-flowering beauty is that it can be a little messy, so keep away from swimming pools.

All of these white flowering plants are drought tolerant and do well in hot, arid climates.

Do you grow any of these in your garden? Which is your favorite?

As beautiful as these plants are, I have more to show you next time in Part 2 next week!

Made in the Shade: Yellow Dot

Arizona garden, AZ Plant Lady Classes, California desert garden, desert gardening, Ground Covers, Landscape Problems, Las Vegas gardening

It may surprise you to find that it is easier to find plants that thrive in the sun than in the shade.

Especially if you live in the desert Southwest. Why is this, you may ask?

Well, it can be hard to find plants that can handle the intense, dry heat of our climate while flourishing in the shade. While there are a number of lovely plants that can work in shady conditions, it’s hard to know which ones will, which is why I make sure to include my favorites for students in my online gardening class.

So, what do you do if you have a shady spot to fill?

One of my favorites is Yellow Dot (Wedolia trilobata), which is a vining ground cover with lush, dark green leaves interspersed with yellow daisy-like flowers.

Here is a plant that does fabulously in dark shade and will handle brief periods of full sun.

Yellow Dot grows quickly to 1 ft. high and 4 – 6 ft. wide and is hardy to 30 degrees. It’s susceptible to frost damage, which can be easily pruned back in spring.

One of my favorite characteristics of this lush green ground cover is that it has a long bloom period – spring through fall.

It grows beautifully underneath trees, along pathways, and among boulders. You just want to be sure to allow enough room for them to spread.

So, if you have a difficult shady spot that needs a plant – try Yellow Dot.

How about you? Do you have a favorite plant that does well in shady spots? I’d love to hear about it!

Gardening in the Desert Southwest – Interview

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