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,…

Protecting Your Desert Garden From a Heatwave Summers in the desert garden is hot. That's no surprise. However, there are periods within these hot months when temperatures climb higher than normal. Because of this, we do need to help…

The Art of Container Cacti Have you ever seen the beauty of cactuses showcased in containers? Adding a cactus to a container helps to set it apart from the rest of the landscape and helps it to stand out so that its unique texture and…

I absolutely love spring.  Some years, spring never arrives.  Sometimes spring goes missing and winter turns right into summer.  But not this year.  We have had beautiful weather and I have enjoyed being outdoors.   But,…

Do you like to use fresh herbs when you cook? What if you could just step outside your door and snip some herbs without having to go to the store?  Have you seen how expensive fresh herbs are at the supermarket by the way? And, who…

Many of us are familiar with how over-pruning can take away much of the beauty of flowering shrubs and contribute to their early death. But, have you ever wondered what they look like on the inside?I found this 'ugly' example alongside the…