Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Colorful Container, Before and After, and Valentines

Agave, azplantlady, Cactus/Succulents, Containers, Landscape Problems, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting, Southwest garden

February is what I like to call a ‘bridge’ month. In regards to work, it is a transition month for me. It is the month between January, when work slows down as it’s cold with not much is growing and March, when the weather is delightfully warm and everybody seemingly wants to redo their landscape. If I could choose the perfect month in terms of work load, it would be February.

Landscape Dilemma ,Colorful Container Before and After Landscape

Last week, I was visiting one of my favorite clients whose landscape has been a work in progress. The backyard was finished last year and now, it was time to pay attention to the front. Of course, I took a few minutes to see how things were doing in the back and my attention was immediately drawn to this colorful container filled with colorful succulents. The orange stems of ‘Sticks on Fire’ Euphorbia adds welcome color to the garden throughout the year while elephant’s food (Portulacaria afra) trails down the side of the pot.

I am a strong proponent of using colorful pots filled with low-maintenance succulents in the garden. Why mess with flowering annuals if you can enjoy vibrant color without the high maintenance?

Full disclosure: I do have a couple of pots filled with petunias, but the vast majority are filled with succulents 😉

Landscape Dilemma

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is assisting my clients with their landscape dilemma. Often, the solution is much simpler than the client imagined. Last fall, I visited this home which had a large, shallow depression that was filled with dying agave. The interesting thing was that there was no obvious reason for its presence as no water drained into it. It definitely wasn’t what the client wanted in this high-profile area.

So what would be a good solution for this area? The client wanted to plant a large saguaro cactus in this area, but didn’t want to add a lot of plants. My recommendation was to get rid of the dying agave and turn the depression into an attractive feature of the garden.

This is what it looks like now. Filling the area with rip-rap rock, adds both a texture and color contrasting element to the landscape. Well-placed boulders with a century plant (Agave americana), Mexican fence post (Stenocereus marginatus), and golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) help to break up the large expanse of the shallow depression with their spiky and globular shapes. Finally, a saguaro cactus was added, which stands sentinel over this renovated area.

One would never imagine that this part of landcape hadn’t been planned this way when it was first planted years ago.

Lastly, February is all about Valentine’s Day. I sent my granddaughter a care package filled with goodies for Valentine’s Day. Dinosaur cards for her classmates, a little craft, a hanging mobile, stickers, and of course chocolates – all with a Valentine theme.

For me, Valentine’s day comes with mostly great memories. As a child, I looked forward to handing out Valentines to my classmates and getting them in return. During teenage years, there was one particularly memorable one when I was 17 years old. My boyfriend didn’t get me anything, however, another boy gave me a card and a flower, which was some consulation. And to finish off that infamous Valentine’s Day, I came down the chicken pox that very day. Guess who also got the chicken pox? The boyfriend who forgot Valentine’s Day. Now, I look forward spending the 14th with the main man in my life, who after 31 years, still makes me feel special.

*What do you do to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Cactus Flowers Color the Desert Landscape

Beautiful Succulents, a Wild Animal Encounter, and a Special Story,

az plant lady family, Cactus/Succulents, desert, Desert Animals, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Life has been awfully busy lately. So much so, that it has affected me from doing blogging as regularly as I like to do. So, I would like to take a little time to let you know what I have been up to this past month.

Work has seen me driving me from one corner of the Phoenix metro area to the other, meeting with clients and helping them to create beautiful outdoor spaces. In fact, I broke my record for the most landscape consultations in a single month. Now that the holidays are here, work has slowed down a little.

A beautiful succulent, Euphorbia trigona

One thing that I enjoy about visiting new clients is that I get to see impressive specimen plants like this Euphorbia trigona that flanked the entry of the Phoenix home.

beautiful succulent

This is a truly beautiful succulent that lends a tropical look to the landscape. It is very frost tender and must be protected when temperatures dip into the 30’s. I’d say it’s worth the effort for a plant like this.

Coyote

Encounters with wildlife happens often during my work. However, seeing a coyote in the middle of the day is rather rare. As I was driving home from a consultation, I saw this beautiful coyote walk across the street. I stopped my car and it stood off to the side of road while I took a few pictures with my phone.

While I’ve seen a number of coyotes over the years, most often their appearance reflects the hardship of living in the desert. However, this coyote was the healthiest one that I’ve encountered.

I think that it enjoyed the attention that I was giving it as it stood still for several seconds before walking off into the desert.

Christmas is my favorite season of the year. I enjoy shopping for the perfect gift, decorating the house, baking my favorite desserts, singing along to Christmas music in the car, and rejoicing in the reason for Christmas.

Earlier this week, we filmed a video segment for our church’s upcoming Christmas Eve services. We were asked to share the story of our daughter Ruthie’s adoption along with her cousin Sofie. They were best friends in the orphanage when my sister and her family adopted Sofie back in 2006. One year later, my husband and I went to China and adopted Ruthie. So, they are not just best friends, but cousins.

We taped the video at my sister’s house, which took over 3 hours. The video came out great. You can view it here.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying this holiday season.

10 Cold Hardy Succulents That Add Beauty to the Winter Landscape

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?

10 Shrubs for Full Sun and Reflected Heat

Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

10 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs That Thrive in Full Sun and Reflected Heat in the Southwest

One of the most challenging situations in landscaping involves cultivating plants in areas exposed to both full sun and the unforgiving embrace of reflected heat. Reflected heat is the result of surfaces like sidewalks, walls, and patio decks absorbing daytime warmth only to radiate it back out later.

It’s easy to understand that the combination of intense sunlight and reflected heat can make it a daunting task to find plants that not only survive but also enhance these areas with their beauty.

Fortunately, there’s a selection of attractive plants ready to thrive in these sun-soaked and heat-kissed spaces.

flowering_pink_fairy_duster_Calliandra_eriophylla

1. Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)

Native to the desert Southwest and northern Mexico, Pink Fairy Duster boasts airy foliage that transforms in spring with pink, feather duster-like flowers. These blossoms not only please the eye but also attract hummingbirds. While it can survive on natural rainfall, deep watering once a month in spring and fall and twice a month in summer enhances its appearance and flower production.

2. Feathery Cassia (Senna artemisioides, formerly Cassia artemisioides)

Hailing from the arid regions of Australia, Feathery Cassia presents fragrant yellow flowers against finely textured gray-green leaves in late winter and early spring. Its foliage adds a gentle green contrast to the landscape when not in bloom. The plant’s resilience to reflected sun and light shade makes it a versatile choice.

3. Beloperone (Justicia californica)

A native of the Sonoran Desert, Beloperone or Chuparosa, graces your landscape with red trumpet-shaped flowers in winter. Its bright green heart-shaped foliage offers a visually refreshing element to your garden, although it may be absent during drought periods. Beloperone is a favorite of hummingbirds, providing them with nectar during lean blooming times.

4. Little-Leaf Cordia (Cordia parvifolia)

Native to the Mexican desert regions, including Baja, Chihuahua, and Sonora, Little-Leaf Cordia offers papery white flowers that complement other colors in your landscape. Despite its delicate appearance, this shrub is robust and can withstand heat, sun, and drought, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance gardens.

5. Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens)

Commonly known as the barometer bush, Texas Ranger bursts into purple blooms during periods of increased humidity following rain. Its gray foliage, covered with tiny hairs, reflects sunlight and has a velvety texture. Texas Ranger’s beauty shines when it’s allowed to grow naturally rather than being pruned into formal shapes.

Jojoba green plant with fruits on a farm

6. Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)

Jojoba, native to desert regions in Arizona, California, Baja, and Sonora, stands out for its evergreen foliage. The leaves are covered in a waxy coating that helps it withstand heat and reflected sunlight. Its vertically arranged leaves protect it from direct sun exposure, making it a hardy and versatile choice.

7. Yellow Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii)

Native to South America, primarily Argentina and Uruguay, Yellow Bird-of-Paradise offers finely textured foliage and large yellow flowers with red stamens, adding color to sunny garden areas. It thrives in hot temperatures and can withstand both extreme heat and occasional frost.

8. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)

Bougainvillea graces your garden with vibrant colors during spring, with bracts surrounding tiny cream flowers. Its lush green foliage conceals thorns and thrives in areas with full sun and reflected heat. Proper irrigation includes deep watering followed by drying out before the next watering. These shrubs do great in containers as well.

9. ‘New Gold’ Lantana (Lantana ‘New Gold’)

Butterflies are attracted to ‘New Gold’ Lantana’s golden yellow flowers, covering bright green foliage from spring through fall. With its low growth habit, this shrub adds color to your garden’s lower sections. While typically grown in zones 9 to 11, it can survive winters down to Zone 8.

10. Natal Plum (Carissa macrocarpa)

With dark green leaves, Natal Plum offers an alternative to boxwood in intensely sunny locations. It produces white star-shaped flowers with a jasmine and orange blossom fragrance in spring. This South African native comes in various sizes, making it suitable for different sunny areas. Note that the sap of Natal Plum can irritate the skin, and the plant has thorns.

The above 10 shrubs are fantastic examples of plants that can handle full sun as well as reflected warmth. All the shrubs need consistent irrigation, but strong drainage.

Do you have a plant that you like that does well in full, reflected sun?

**For additional shrub suggestions, I recommend Mary Irish’s book, Trees and Shrubs for the Southwest.

A Dime Store Magnifying Glass and a Whole Miniature World at Your Doorstep

AZ Plant Lady House Call: What’s Wrong With My Bougainvillea?

AZ Plant Lady, desert gardening, Landscape Problems, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

**Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link of a product that I use in my garden and I recommend to those who are experiencing similar problems.

A week ago, I was called to see one of my regular clients to see how her landscape was progressing since she had installed a lot of new plants at the beginning of summer.

The majority of her plants looked great considering she had planted them at a particularly tough time of the year.

BUT, what caught my attention was her bougainvillea shrub.

The leaves were quite ragged and looked like something had been chewing them.

In addition, there were some small black droppings scattered among the leaves.

The diagnosis was relatively simple…

The culprit was bougainvillea looper caterpillars.

Now, you rarely ever see the caterpillar itself. It is rather small and looks like a yellow-green to brown colored inch-worm.

The signs are ragged leaves that appear to have been chewed along with the black droppings.

My bougainvillea growing in the back garden. I haven’t seen any signs of caterpillar damage yet.

If you see similar damage to your Bougainvillea, don’t panic. Most Bougainvillea can handle the damage from the chewed leaves.

However, if your Bougainvillea is young, or if the infestation is severe, you can help to get rid of the caterpillars by spraying your bougainvillea with a product containing BT (bacillus thuringiensis), which is an organic pesticide. I use Safer Brand 5163 Caterpillar Killer II Concentrate, 16 oz in my own garden.

In the case of my client’s bougainvillea, I told her that the damage was not severe enough to warrant any treatment.

Some of you may see similar damage to your yellow bells or orange jubilee shrubs, which I wrote about in a previous post, “Oh No, What’s Happened to My Shrubs”.

**In the future, I will be sharing some gardening problems or design challenges that I encounter during some of my consults and their solutions.

My hope is that they can help you in your own landscape 🙂

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

I hope you have a great weekend. We will be celebrating my 3-year old twin nephews birthday at our house tomorrow morning. I’ll may post a picture or two next week from the party.

My daughter, Rachele, is doing well after the first week of her combat training in Mississippi. But, she did share some funny stories that I will share with you next week too!

Yellow Bells for Glorious Color Spring Through Fall

Arizona garden, Drought Tolerant, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting, Shrubs

This beautiful plant is one of my favorite shrubs in the garden – so much so, that I have three. Yellow bells produce bell-shaped flowers beginning in spring and lasting through the fall months until the first frost.

Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the flowers. The vibrant green foliage and colorful flowers make this shrub a welcome addition to any desert landscape.

Yellow Bells is a large shrub that grows to a height of 4 – 8 ft. and spreads 3 – 8 ft. wide. You can find its native habitat in the Americas. There are two different types; Tecoma stans angustata and Tecoma stans stans. Visually, the most significant difference is in the shape of the leaves. Tecoma stans stans had a broader leaf and are pictured above and below.

USES:

Because of its size, this large shrub makes a great backdrop plant. I have used it to screen fences, sheds and also planted it up against the house. Yellow Bells works well as a tall, naturally-shaped hedge. This shrub thrives in full sun to filtered shade. They do best in warm-winter areas but can be successful as a summer annual in colder regions.

*Grab my FREE guide for Fuss-Free Plants that thrive in a hot, dry climate!*

MAINTENANCE:

This shrub is relatively low-maintenance. It will freeze back in the winter months when temperatures go below 28 degrees F. Since it blooms on current season’s growth, all that is required is to prune back the frost damage in early spring. Seed pods are produced and can be removed if desired, which will extend the bloom period and improve the appearance, (the seed pods do not bother me, and I do not remove mine). After an initial application of slow-release fertilizer when planting Yellow Bells, I have not needed to fertilize further.

**Occasionally, caterpillars will appear but can be easily removed by spraying some BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) which is an organic pesticide.

COMMON NAMES:

There are many familiar names for these beautiful shrubs. Tecoma stans angustata is native to the Southwestern US and northern Mexico and goes by the names Arizona yellow bells, yellow bells, and yellow trumpet bush.

Tecoma stans stans are native to Florida, the Caribbean and parts of South America and also goes by the name of yellow bells and sometimes yellow elder. Because of the overlap of familiar names, be sure to purchase plants based on their scientific name.

Fall Rose Tips for the Desert Garden

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