Exploring My Front Garden: More Than Just a Yard Do you have a front garden adorned with perennials and succulents, or do you simply call it a front yard? Personally, I prefer not to refer to the front area of a home as a mere 'yard'. The…

A 'Painted Lady' butterfly drinking nectar from a lantana. Learning from Mistakes in the Garden: A Green Thumb's Journey Embracing the Reality of Gardening Do you know someone who has a green thumb? Usually, it's someone with…

California bluebells and red flax Cultivating Wildflowers: Nature's Colorful Display The Beauty of Spring Wildflowers One of spring's many joys are the fields of wildflowers that we often see growing along the side of the road.…

Cultivating Wildflowers: Nature's Colorful DisplayRediscovering the Desert's Beauty in Fall As summer begins to slowly fade and the heat begins to dissipate, the Southwestern garden comes alive with second spring. In the absence…

Fertilize Cactus and Succulents in Containers Tips for Fertilizing Cactus and Succulents in Containers Many of you appreciate the beauty and the low-maintenance of using succulents (including cactus) in containers Container…

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take another photo of a landscape I passed by in a neighborhood where I had just finished up a landscape consultation. I was shocked at the mushroom shaped shrubs. The Pitfalls of Shrub Pruning…

Exploring the Beauty of the Desert Museum Palo Verde 'Desert Museum' Palo Verde Trees The Desert Museum Palo Verde (Parkinsonia 'Desert Museum'), a beloved tree in arid climates, graces numerous residential, commercial, and community…

The Sunburn Experience: Not Just for Humans Have you ever had a sunburn? Maybe a better question is, "Who hasn't?" Well, did you know that many plants get too much as well? Sunburned Citrus: A Common Concern On a recent visit…

When people think about what a desert garden looks like, what comes to mind? Perhaps, visions of lots of brown with rocks and a cactus or two? Maybe visions of mostly brown terrain with scattered rocks and a couple of cacti? But in reality,…