Have you ever been on television before?
I hadn’t until 2 weeks ago. To be frank, the idea was a bit scary to me.
Do you remember way back, when you were in school and had to present a report in front of the entire class? That is what I imagined it would feel like – except worse.
I have done work before cameras doing how-to videos, but it wasn’t quite the same since they can retake the video every time you mess up.
This was going to be live TV…
So, how did this all come about? I assure that I don’t have an agent looking to book TV shows for me 😉
The producer of our local ABC television station contacted me about appearing on their morning show, called Sonoran Living (we live in the Sonoran desert, hence the name).
She asked me to do a segment on plants for fall.
So, I came up with a list of a few of my favorite ‘fuss-free’ plants and headed out the nursery.
I visited 3 different nurseries to see which ones had the best looking plants. Then I waited until 2 days before my appearance to pick them up.
You know what true love is? It is when your husband traipses through the nursery with you without an umbrella in the pouring rain 🙂
It was so rainy for the next couple of days that I kept the plants on my patio and took some time to do a little ‘window dressing’ pruning away dead flowers and branches so that they would look their best.
My youngest sister, Grace, volunteered to come with me to the studio and help me set up for my segment. So, I loaded up the plants and my little cart and we headed out to downtown Phoenix and the television studio.
When we arrived, the security guard let us in and showed us the studio and then led us to the green room.
Sonoran Living
I did walk through the studio before anyone got there, to see what it looked like because I knew I wouldn’t see it again since my segment was to be filmed out on their patio.
Sonoran Living
My sister, who is a professional photographer, told me to pose up front where the hosts of the show come out every morning.
We headed to the green room where we saw the order of the upcoming segments.
I must admit that I was both more nervous and yet relieved that mine was to go first, so that I could get it over with more quickly.
Sonoran Living
We were led outside to the patio, which had a golfing green. I’m not sure why there was a green – maybe the news anchors like to golf during their breaks?
Another reason I was so glad my sister came with me was that in addition to moral support, she is great at staging. So she did the plant placement for me along with some of the props that I brought.
She will tell you that she has no particular talent in staging, but she is wrong! Just look at how well the plants look together.
I brought gardening tools and my leather gloves because I was told to bring props.
I posed for a few pictures while waiting. The plants next to me are Blue Bells (Eremophila hygrophana) and Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera).
It was so humid that morning because of all the rain, that my carefully curled hair was rapidly becoming UN-curled 😉
I was told to prepare for a ‘teaser’ before my segment, so I tried to look busy putting a plant marker in my pot of chives.
One of the hosts (Terri Ouellette) of Sonoran Living came out early to meet me and go over what I was going to talk about. She was very nice and I told her that I had been watching her on TV since the 90’s.
It was almost time to go and they wired me up with a mike and they put a monitor outside so we could see what the television audience saw.
Instead of beginning the show inside the studio, they started it outside and then it was time for my segment.
The segment went smoothly and while my nerves showed a little, I actually enjoyed it. I did mess up by saying “All of these shrubs need pruning one year”, when I meant to say that they need pruning once a year.
After it was over and the commercial was running, our host Terri said that she wanted me on again – so I guess I didn’t mess it up too badly.
Before we left, my sister asked if she could take a picture of me with the host. I was too embarrassed to ask myself, so I was glad she did 🙂
So, would I do this again?
I received an email the day after from the producer saying that she wanted me back in 3 months. I’d told her that I’d be happy too.
I think that I will enjoy it more next time and have fewer nerves.
If you haven’t had a chance to see the video, here is the link – “Ready? Fuss Free Plants for Fall”.
AZ Plant Lady Drive By: What’s Wrong With This Landscape?
AZ Plant LadyA few weeks ago, I introduced a new feature called “AZ Plant Lady Drive By“, where I show a photo of a landscape design that I have driven by that has something wrong.
My goal is to help you avoid making the same mistake in your landscape.
The response to my last one was overwhelming, so here is a new one for you to see if you can tell what is wrong.
Are you ready?
As you can see, the landscape design is well-maintained. But there is one problem.
Leave a comment with your guess about what is wrong with this landscape, and I will post the answer in my next post.
The Best Palo Verde Tree Variety
AZ Plant Lady, Landscape Design, TreesI don’t have a favorite tree….I actually have quite a few favorites. But, if I had to pick one that I like most of all, it would be the ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde (Parkinsonia x ‘Desert Museum’).
Remarkable Hybrid Origins of the ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde
This Palo Verde is natural hybrid, resulting from 3 other Palo Verde tree species – Mexican Palo Verde (Parkinsonia mexicans), Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida) and Little Leaf Palo Verde (Parkinsonia microphylla) trees.
I have grown this tree in commercial settings as well as in my own landscape with great results.
Best Qualities of the ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde (Parkinsonia x ‘Desert Museum’)
1. Drought Tolerance
The ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde is renowned for its exceptional drought tolerance. This hardy tree thrives in arid desert conditions, making it a perfect choice for water-efficient landscaping.
2. Striking Aesthetic Appeal
With its vibrant yellow flowers that burst into bloom during the spring, the ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde is a visual delight. Its green bark adds to its aesthetic charm, making it an iconic feature in any desert landscape.
3. Low Maintenance
This desert tree requires minimal maintenance, making it an excellent choice for homeowners and landscapers looking for easy-care options. Its adaptability to harsh desert environments means less fuss and more enjoyment.
4. Fast Growth
The ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde is thornless and known for its relatively fast growth rate. It quickly establishes itself, providing shade and beauty to your landscape in a shorter time compared to many other trees.
5. Long Blooming Season
With a lengthy blooming season extending from late spring through early summer, this Palo Verde tree provides an extended period of vibrant yellow blossoms, attracting pollinators and adding life to your garden.
6. Wildlife Attraction
This tree attracts various wildlife, including birds and pollinators, making it an excellent choice for creating a biodiverse and vibrant ecosystem in your yard.
7. Low Water Requirements
Ideal for water-conscious gardeners, the ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde has low water requirements once established, reducing the need for irrigation and conserving precious water resources.
8. Heat Tolerance
It thrives in scorching desert heat, maintaining its vitality even during the hottest summer months, ensuring a consistent and appealing appearance throughout the year.
9. Pest and Disease Resistance
This Palo Verde variety is relatively resistant to common pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical interventions and promoting an eco-friendlier garden environment.
10. Versatile Landscaping
Its versatility allows it to be used in various landscaping settings, including as a shade tree, focal point, or as part of a xeriscape design, adding both beauty and functionality to your outdoor space. ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verdes do great in full sun and areas with reflected heat such as a parking lot or in a west-facing exposure.
I love how beautiful flowers in spring, when they bloom. I also think they are pretty when they blanket the ground.
If you are somewhat of a neat and tidy gardener, then you may not enjoy the flowering season as much as I do.
Don’t waste your money on a large-size tree. Because they grow fairly quickly, a 15-gallon is a good size to start out with. Once planted in the ground, a 15-gallon will grow more quickly then a larger-size container. The reason is that smaller trees are younger and handle transplant stress better. So save yourself money and go with the smaller tree.
My Desert Museum Palo Verde and an Unfortunate Event
Are You Ready For Fall?
AZ Plant LadyEarlier this week, we were at my mother’s house for our traditional Tuesday night dinner. I love having one night off a week from making dinner and it is nice to hang out with my siblings and their families, who also come. However, as I entered the house, I saw my mother’s beautiful fall display on her dining room table…
It is pretty, isn’t it?
Many of the gourds she grew herself and I like how she placed bare branches in mason jars.
Now, while I was admiring her display, I realized that I haven’t done anything to get ready for fall in my house, not to mention my garden.
So, this weekend, I will add a few bags of manure and compost to my vegetable gardens along with a sprinkling of bone and blood meal. Hopefully, I will be planting seeds and transplants soon – I promise to let you know what I plant.
In the meantime, I will gather my younger kids together and pull out our Fall / Halloween decorations (if I can just remember where I stored them 😉
When will you plant your fall garden and do you decorate your home for fall?
Great Small Shrub for Fall: Autumn Sage
Start Your Own Lettuce Seedlings in Recycled Plastic Containers
Vegetable GardeningFall is definitely in the air. I can stand outside and feel a slight coolness to the breeze, which I love.
This is my favorite time of year. One of the many reasons is that it is time to get ready to plant my fall vegetable garden.
One of my favorite vegetables to grow is lettuce. It is so nice to be able to step out into the garden and snip off fresh, delicious lettuce leaves for our dinner salad.
To get a head start on my lettuce, I planted the seeds indoors. The reason is, is that lettuce seeds need temperatures below 80 degrees in order to germinate.
After a few weeks growing indoors, I will be able to transplant them out into my garden.
Growing lettuce is very easy and you don’t need many supplies to start them indoors. I used plastic food containers that I had been saving.
Why don’t you join me and grow your own lettuce too? You don’t have to have a vegetable plot. Lettuce grows just fine in containers or even in a recyclable grocery bag.
Fall vegetable garden
For how to start lettuce seeds indoors, check out my latest Birds & Blooms blog post – “Grow Your Own Lettuce in Recycled Containers”.
I hope you will grow some lettuce with me!
The Long Road Back…
az plant lady familyEarly in June, our son Kai underwent his fifth surgery for his hip. You may remember me blogging about it earlier.
For those of you who may be newer readers of my blog, Kai was born with a dislocated hip and 2 club feet. His birth parents abandoned him when he was 2 weeks old in China. We adopted him when he was 2 1/2 years old.
You would think that after 4 hip surgeries, that we would be prepared for the difficulties ahead. But, this last surgery was the hardest on us and Kai. I think as he grows older, the reality of his condition is settling in.
On our way to the hospital. Kai’s best friend left a ‘good luck’ poster on our truck.
Hip and 2 club feet surgery
This part is definitely NOT fun.
Kai was in the hospital for 4 days.
He was then confined to a wheelchair for the entire summer.
He held up pretty well overall with visits from his uncle and cousins helping to take his mind off of his limited mobility.
It is not always fun to be stuck in a wheelchair and unable to swim. But, that didn’t stop his getting wet, just the same.
Who says you have to be able to run in order to race your younger cousins? A wheelchair pushed by you big cousin works just fine.
A wheelchair doesn’t hold you back from fishing.
And, a wheelchair makes it easy to hold your niece on your lap.
When school started earlier this year, Kai was still in a wheelchair. He didn’t want to go to school until he was able to walk because he was embarrassed.
But, he did go and it all worked out just fine. His friends still treated him the same and because Kai is such a people person – he was happier.
I am thrilled to say that Kai is no longer in his wheelchair. He graduated to a walker for 4 weeks, which was a relief for him and for my back – carrying an 11-year old boy is not easy 😉
Last weekend, Kai was invited on an outing by his uncle. My husband stopped by to see how Kai was doing and took the following photo…
I was so happy to see my son climbing a rock wall, just 3 1/2 months after his surgery.
Kai is also able to throw the football with his dad again, which is a nightly tradition, just before dinner.
Newest plant – a Coral Fountain
He even helped his dad dig a hole for my newest plant – a Coral Fountain (Russellia equisetiformis).
Kai is doing quite well, but is till going in for PT to help with his limp.
Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to let me tell you about Kai 🙂
If you would like to read more about Kai and his journey, you can start here.
My Television Debut…
AZ Plant LadyHave you ever been on television before?
I hadn’t until 2 weeks ago. To be frank, the idea was a bit scary to me.
Do you remember way back, when you were in school and had to present a report in front of the entire class? That is what I imagined it would feel like – except worse.
I have done work before cameras doing how-to videos, but it wasn’t quite the same since they can retake the video every time you mess up.
This was going to be live TV…
So, how did this all come about? I assure that I don’t have an agent looking to book TV shows for me 😉
The producer of our local ABC television station contacted me about appearing on their morning show, called Sonoran Living (we live in the Sonoran desert, hence the name).
She asked me to do a segment on plants for fall.
So, I came up with a list of a few of my favorite ‘fuss-free’ plants and headed out the nursery.
I visited 3 different nurseries to see which ones had the best looking plants. Then I waited until 2 days before my appearance to pick them up.
You know what true love is? It is when your husband traipses through the nursery with you without an umbrella in the pouring rain 🙂
It was so rainy for the next couple of days that I kept the plants on my patio and took some time to do a little ‘window dressing’ pruning away dead flowers and branches so that they would look their best.
My youngest sister, Grace, volunteered to come with me to the studio and help me set up for my segment. So, I loaded up the plants and my little cart and we headed out to downtown Phoenix and the television studio.
When we arrived, the security guard let us in and showed us the studio and then led us to the green room.
Sonoran Living
I did walk through the studio before anyone got there, to see what it looked like because I knew I wouldn’t see it again since my segment was to be filmed out on their patio.
Sonoran Living
My sister, who is a professional photographer, told me to pose up front where the hosts of the show come out every morning.
We headed to the green room where we saw the order of the upcoming segments.
I must admit that I was both more nervous and yet relieved that mine was to go first, so that I could get it over with more quickly.
Sonoran Living
We were led outside to the patio, which had a golfing green. I’m not sure why there was a green – maybe the news anchors like to golf during their breaks?
Another reason I was so glad my sister came with me was that in addition to moral support, she is great at staging. So she did the plant placement for me along with some of the props that I brought.
She will tell you that she has no particular talent in staging, but she is wrong! Just look at how well the plants look together.
I brought gardening tools and my leather gloves because I was told to bring props.
I posed for a few pictures while waiting. The plants next to me are Blue Bells (Eremophila hygrophana) and Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera).
It was so humid that morning because of all the rain, that my carefully curled hair was rapidly becoming UN-curled 😉
I was told to prepare for a ‘teaser’ before my segment, so I tried to look busy putting a plant marker in my pot of chives.
One of the hosts (Terri Ouellette) of Sonoran Living came out early to meet me and go over what I was going to talk about. She was very nice and I told her that I had been watching her on TV since the 90’s.
It was almost time to go and they wired me up with a mike and they put a monitor outside so we could see what the television audience saw.
Instead of beginning the show inside the studio, they started it outside and then it was time for my segment.
The segment went smoothly and while my nerves showed a little, I actually enjoyed it. I did mess up by saying “All of these shrubs need pruning one year”, when I meant to say that they need pruning once a year.
After it was over and the commercial was running, our host Terri said that she wanted me on again – so I guess I didn’t mess it up too badly.
Before we left, my sister asked if she could take a picture of me with the host. I was too embarrassed to ask myself, so I was glad she did 🙂
So, would I do this again?
I received an email the day after from the producer saying that she wanted me back in 3 months. I’d told her that I’d be happy too.
I think that I will enjoy it more next time and have fewer nerves.
If you haven’t had a chance to see the video, here is the link – “Ready? Fuss Free Plants for Fall”.
AZ Plant Lady House Call: What’s Wrong With My Bougainvillea?
AZ Plant Lady, desert gardening, Landscape Problems, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting**Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link of a product that I use in my garden and I recommend to those who are experiencing similar problems.
A week ago, I was called to see one of my regular clients to see how her landscape was progressing since she had installed a lot of new plants at the beginning of summer.
The majority of her plants looked great considering she had planted them at a particularly tough time of the year.
BUT, what caught my attention was her bougainvillea shrub.
The leaves were quite ragged and looked like something had been chewing them.
In addition, there were some small black droppings scattered among the leaves.
The diagnosis was relatively simple…
The culprit was bougainvillea looper caterpillars.
Now, you rarely ever see the caterpillar itself. It is rather small and looks like a yellow-green to brown colored inch-worm.
The signs are ragged leaves that appear to have been chewed along with the black droppings.
My bougainvillea growing in the back garden. I haven’t seen any signs of caterpillar damage yet.
If you see similar damage to your Bougainvillea, don’t panic. Most Bougainvillea can handle the damage from the chewed leaves.
However, if your Bougainvillea is young, or if the infestation is severe, you can help to get rid of the caterpillars by spraying your bougainvillea with a product containing BT (bacillus thuringiensis), which is an organic pesticide. I use Safer Brand 5163 Caterpillar Killer II Concentrate, 16 oz in my own garden.
In the case of my client’s bougainvillea, I told her that the damage was not severe enough to warrant any treatment.
Some of you may see similar damage to your yellow bells or orange jubilee shrubs, which I wrote about in a previous post, “Oh No, What’s Happened to My Shrubs”.
**In the future, I will be sharing some gardening problems or design challenges that I encounter during some of my consults and their solutions.
My hope is that they can help you in your own landscape 🙂
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I hope you have a great weekend. We will be celebrating my 3-year old twin nephews birthday at our house tomorrow morning. I’ll may post a picture or two next week from the party.
My daughter, Rachele, is doing well after the first week of her combat training in Mississippi. But, she did share some funny stories that I will share with you next week too!
Love Mint? Preserve Fresh Mint in Ice Cubes
AZ Plant LadyDo you like mint? I love using it in my iced tea.
I have a beautiful apple mint growing in my garden, but winter is not its best season. Because I want to enjoy fresh mint in the winter, I decided to freeze some mint leaves in ice cubes.
My granddaughter, Lily helped me pick some mint from the garden.
Preserving mint is easy to do and I have enough to last me through the winter, ready for my favorite beverage.
To learn how to preserve mint, check out my latest blog post for Birds & Blooms – “Preserve the Taste of Summer With Mint Ice Cubes”.
Two Weeks Is Not Long Enough…
az plant lady familyThe past couple of weeks have been quite busy with helping others with their landscapes, writing articles, keeping up with the kids, throwing a baby shower and my first television appearance thrown in to boot.
You would think that all of that would be enough to keep me preoccupied. But, there was something else going on during those two weeks that made me very happy.
My second oldest daughter, Rachele, came home on leave for the first time since leaving for the Navy 5 months ago.
She has finished with her much of her Navy training and we couldn’t wait to see her.
While my husband and I had seen her in Chicago after she graduated from basic training in May, the kids hadn’t seen her for a long time.
Once she arrived, the kids were overjoyed to have their big sister back in the house. Rachele was happy that the dogs remembered her and so did her cat.
Rachele had a full schedule of seeing family and friends while she was home. She would often return home late at night and fall asleep on the couch.
Even though she was busy, she did find time to work on her 1970 VW Bug with her dad, changing the oil.
For her last night home, we had the family over for dinner (my oldest daughter and her family).
It was rather bittersweet to see her go. She is off to Gulfport, Mississippi for more training where she will learn navigation, survival skills and advanced first aid. Earlier this week she had to hike through the swamp & woods to learn navigation.
Rachele will be back in 1 month for a couple of days before she heads to her permanent base in Southern California. I am so glad that she will only be a few hours away so we will be able to see her more often when she is not deployed.
In the meantime, life carries on with my other kids and work. But now, I have a little more time to spend with the newest addition to our family…
Meet Penny – our black labrador retriever.
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I hope you are having a good week.
I am off to see a sick citrus tree tomorrow…
Family Celebrations
Great Small Shrub for Fall: Autumn Sage
ShrubsOne of my favorite shrubs is Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii). I have used it in countless landscapes and I like how well it does when planted around trees where they can enjoy the filtered shade.
Now that fall is just a couple of days away (SUPER excited about that by the way), my thoughts drift toward plants that bloom in fall, which include Autumn Sage.
For more reasons why you may want to add this delightful plant to your garden, check out my latest article for Houzz.com
Hire residential landscape architects to help with all aspects of landscape design, from selecting or designing outside patio furniture, to siting a detached garage or pergola.
As you get ready to host an event, be sure you have enough dining room chairs and dishes for dinner guests, as well as enough bakeware and chef knives for food preparation.