Desert Gardening 101
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az.plant.lady

🌵 Horticulturist + Desert Dweller
🌸 Lover of flowers + BLUE pots
🌿 Helping people create beautiful landscapes
🌞 Phoenix, Arizona
One of my favorite ways to make a garden stand out One of my favorite ways to make a garden stand out is to incorporate fun elements that are often unexpected. Admittedly, there is a fine line between tasteful garden art versus that which isn’t. Here are some fun examples of whimsy I saw during my recent visit to Memphis. A mythical garden figurine sitting atop a railing. My garden BFF, @andrea_whitelygarden took this photo. An ingenious way to disguise ugly electrical outlet and other utility on a front porch. The front can be opened for access. Colorful ceramic fish ’swim’ through a zen garden. I have these fish in my own garden but mine are blue. You can get your own here - @fishinthegarden I love this herb garden that shares the bounty with the neighbors. Clippers are kept in a box to make harvesting easy. Red is the star in this garden with the sculpture and red-flowering plant making a statement. A Japanese tableau complete with figurine, Japanese maple and water. A flamingo plant stand…definitely unexpected. Finally, repurposing plastic water jugs into planters with colorful, pained accents. Which one of these would you consider adding to your garden? #gbfling2025 #gardendesign #memphisgardens @thegardenfling #gardenart #gardenwhimsy
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How are your plants handling the summer heat? 🌿 How are your plants handling the summer heat? 🌿 I don’t have to tell you that the heat in the desert summer is intense and it can stress your plants. 🥵 Especially plants that have been planted recently or those that show signs of unusual yellowing. Thankfully, there is a helpful tool you can use that makes it less stressful for plants. What is it? It’s shade cloth! I am using it this summer on some new plants I added in the spring and it’s really helped them deal with their first summer. Shade cloth comes in different strengths - I recommend 50% shade cloth for shrubs, groundcovers, and vines that may need protection, and 30% for succulents. You can apply it directly on the plant. I use clothespins to help attach it to leafy plants, or you can use small rocks to anchor it to the ground. It comes in different colors - in addition to black, there is green, and tan. Any color works just fine. You can order it online, but local nurseries may also carry it. In the Phoenix area, @summerwindsaz usually has it in stock. I recommend keeping it on until fall when temps dip down to the 80s. Have you used shade cloth before? It’s a game changer for the summer landscape. #desertheat #heatwave #shadecloth #wateringplants #arizonagardening #southwestgardening @summerwindsaz
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I 💚 using white plants in the garden! The colo I 💚 using white plants in the garden! The color white has a soothing effect and glow as the day wanes. This white trailing lantana is an excellent example of a groundcover that can create this effect in your garden. Sometimes, they can be a little hard to find, however I have seen some at my local nursery, not at big box stores. It may be helpful to call ahead to make sure they have some in stock before making a trip.🌿 What white blooming plants do you have in your garden?
I’m in my office enjoying the comfort of air-con I’m in my office enjoying the comfort of air-conditioning on the very hot day. However, my plants have to endure the heat. 🥵 But, there is one thing I did last night that is helping my plants endure the extra-hot temperatures today. So, what is it? It all comes down to water. When temps are forcast to be over 110 degrees for a few days, I give my trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and vines an extra drink of water the night before.💦 So, last evening, I turned on my drip irrigation system to give them an extra hour of water. It’s important not to do this in the daytime when plants are already stressed by the heat and can’t take up water efficiently. Do it in the evening. You don’t have to do this every night - just every 3 to 4 days when temps are extra hot. How do you help your plants beat the heat? Comment below and share this post to friends who need help getting their plants through hotter than normal temps. #desertheat #heatwave #wateringplants #irrigating plants #arizonagardening #azplantlady
I ❤️ tree decor such as bird feeder, birdhouse I ❤️ tree decor such as bird feeder, birdhouses, wind chimes, etc! What do you have hanging from yours?
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