A Colorful Yellow April Display: Palo Verde Trees April in the desert garden is, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful time of year for summer blooms.  Winter and spring-flowering plants (Damianita, Penstemon, and 'Valentine' Emu…

Spring in the desert Southwest is a busy time of year. While those that live in colder climates countdown the days until March 20th, the spring season often begins a full month earlier in the low to middle desert. As a horticulturist…

Shopping for Succulents, Desert Botanical Garden Plant Sale I enjoy attending plant sales hosted by botanical gardens. Why? Because you can often find the newest plants (even hard to find ones) at them. Of course, you can also find…

Do you ever wish you had flowers to give to a friend or to decorate your table? Garden Blooms: A Personal Touch Instead of heading to the store for a generic bouquet, how about creating a lovely bouquet straight from your garden? Now…

Last week, as my husband and I, were pulling out of our local Home Depot when I saw what looked like mini Christmas trees throughout the parking lot islands. mini Christmas trees I grabbed my cell phone and took a picture of these…

The Pitfalls of Improper Pruning: A Tale of Flowering Shrubs Flowering Shrubs need pruning, but how they are pruned makes such a difference. Aren't these shrubs beautiful? Texas Sage 'Green Cloud' (Leucophyllum frutescens 'Green Cloud') …

Household Cleaners Do you like the idea of using household cleaners that are natural? I do. Especially after I noticed a build-up of 'blue' cleaning product in the small crevices of my bathroom counters. So, I decided to focus…

Photo: Landscape No-No Addressing Issues in Landscaping: A Guide to Pruned Shrubs Have you ever driven past a landscape that had some problems with it?  As a horticulturist and landscape consultant, my attention diverts whenever…

Introduction to a Passion I have had a love affair with roses for over 26 years. It all began when we bought our first house. I was a young mother with two girls who was giddy with the possibilities of having her very own spot of…