Summer is a season filled with warm weather (or hot if you live in the desert) and brightly colored blossoms. While I usually enjoy the view of my summer garden from the comfort of my air-conditioned house, this year I've experienced a twist…

*This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thanks for your support in this way. I love to can fruit, and so I was very excited when the publishers…

Do you remember exploring your backyard as a child?  I do. I loved smelling my dad's roses, digging into the soil for worms and hoping to find some interesting bugs (not spiders).  My mother would give me a little margarine tub…

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…

Did you ever garden when you were a child? I did.  My dad gave my siblings and me, each a small raised bed in the backyard.  We would spend hours leafing through the latest Burpee catalog, deciding what seeds we would buy to plant…

Beautiful Hop Bush Shrub (Dodonaea viscosa) I am always on the lookout for great examples of plants in the desert landscape. In my work as a landscape consultant, I drive through countless neighborhoods, which allows me to see lots…

Do you enjoy reading magazines about home and gardening?  I do. Often with the busyness of life, I don't have as much time to read magazines as I used to.  But, always make time for my favorite subscription, which is Phoenix Home…

One of the many things that I enjoy about my job is when I am asked to visit school gardens. You can read about a previous school garden visit here. Yesterday, I was asked to come to my daughter, Gracie's, class to talk about what…

Last weekend, my husband and I went away to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.  We'd been looking forward to leaving kids and work behind and spending time alone eating great food, sleeping in and long walks enjoying beautiful surroundings.…