I recently shared some examples of 'butchered' trees and asked you to try to identify what each tree was. You can take the quiz here, if you like, before seeing the answers below. As promised, here the photos of badly pruned trees and what…

Yesterday, doing several errands, I was driving through the parking lot of our local Walmart when I saw a sight that stopped me dead in my tracks. Now, normally parking lots are prime examples of bad landscape practices with over-planted…

Do you like discovering new things? I do. Particularly newer plant introductions. New plant hybrids are always being discovered and I am always on the lookout for new ones.  I like to use newer plant introductions in landscapes to help…

What does your garden look like in early spring? Does it somewhat boring? How about adding some color and interest to your garden by adding some water-wise flowering plants? This week, I had a fun project to work on - in partnership with…

Do you have an easy time saying "goodbye" to a loved one?  Probably not. As I sit and write this post this evening, I must confess that my mother's heart hurts.   We said "goodbye" this morning to our daughter, Rachele and her…

Do you have a plant that you have wanted to add to your garden?   I have wanted a certain cactus for my own landscape for a long time and earlier this week, I found myself bringing a cutting of my favorite cactus finally home. I…

Do you enjoy seeing "before and after" photos?I do - especially with landscapes.Just over a year ago, I was asked to help renovate a local church's landscape. As you can see their landscape had become rather bare as plants had not been…

Do you love roses? I do. While most people will tell you that they love roses, they probably do not like the extra maintenance that they require with repeated fertilizing, deadheading, and fighting damaging insects, and fungal diseases. Well,…

signs of our warm winter While much of the country is suffering from a truly awful winter season, those of us who live in the Southwest are having the exact opposite problem. This has been a very warm winter season, with the exception…