Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness: A Well-Designed Natural Landscape Have you noticed that landscapes around parking lots and shopping malls look somewhat lackluster? This is often due to a combination of over-pruning, over-planting,…

Prickly pear The next time you find yourself grumbling about having to prune your trees and shrubs - just be thankful that you don't have to prune cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden. While I have never had to prune a large bed…

Do you like plants that flower throughout most of the year? How about a plant with evergreen foliage in zone 9-11 gardens throughout the year? Would you prefer a plant that requires very little pruning? If you answered "yes" to…

Do you like shopping for plants?  I do.  In fact, I often find myself tempted to buy more plants than I have space for. Southwest Nursery Sometimes, I have come home with a plant I bought on impulse, unable to resist its…

Gather Flower Seeds, Red globe mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) Did you know that some flowering desert perennials can be grown easily from seed? Many of the plants in my garden are volunteers that grew from seed from established plants. I…

I am always on the lookout for unique landscape design, seeing how others create beauty in the garden so that I can help inspire you with your outdoor spaces. So, here are some design notes from the field that I found that I hope you will find…

Budget Gardening For those of us who love succulents, there is a price to pay. These water-wise plants often cost a lot of money. If you have a bottomless wallet, that may not be a problem, but for those of us who live on a budget…

Backyard desert landscape with low-water plants. Did you know that what you plant today has short-term and long-term benefits? It's true. As water resources become even more precious, planting wisely is more important than ever. You…

I love winters in the desert. It's a time when activity in the garden slows down and we can sit back and ponder what plans (if any) we have for this new year. As I sit in my office looking outdoors at my winter garden, I see birds visiting…