I have a shocking confession to make... Believe it or not, I'm relatively new to growing houseplants. Yep, it's true. As a horticulturist, I've focused my career almost solely on outdoor plants with only the occasional foray into growing…

My Abraham Darby shrub rose and my little dog, Tobey. If you live in a hot arid climate like me, chances are that your roses are feeling the heat and aren't looking their best right now. While gardeners in cooler climates…

"Where do you recommend I go to buy plants?" This is one question that I'm often asked by desert dwellers. The choices that people have for purchasing plants range from a locally owned nursery, a nursery chain, or a big box store.   So…

Have you ever had the experience of receiving an unexpected 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. But recently, I was…

Have you ever paused in the shade of a mesquite tree (Prosopis spp.) and noticed that its branches grow every which way?  I was reminded of this when I was visiting a client earlier this week and was advising him on how to care for…

What do you do when you spot aphids on your plants? Do you reach for the nearest bottle of insecticide? Spray them off with a hose or remove them with your fingers?   Believe it or not, sometimes the best thing is to do nothing. So,…

One of my favorite things I do as a landscape consultant is to show my clients newer plant 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.…

Spring in the desert brings a flurry of activity out in the garden - much of it involving container gardening.   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…

Have you ever discovered a garden in a surprising place? A few years ago, I found myself driving through the historic neighborhoods of the Encanto district in downtown Phoenix. I had finished up a landscape consultation in the area and…