I must confess that I have avoided going out into my garden.
Now, I love my garden and spending time outside tending my plants. But, not when we have had record-breaking heat. I normally don’t have a problem with the summer heat and I don’t like to complain about it.
It’s not so much the heat itself, but when it is coupled with bright sunlight, it can be hard to bear if you are working out in the garden for an extended length of time.
So, I have been waiting impatiently for the temps to get back down to normal so that I can get out and get my vegetable garden ready for fall planting. It is almost too late for me to plant my fall sweet corn.
Well, since the weather was not going to cooperate and I refused to be overcome by the heat, I had to take matters into my own hands.
I asked my husband to hang a light outdoors by the garden so that we could work out there at night.
My daughter, Ruthie, loves to work in the vegetable garden and was helping us to rip out some of the old summer vegetable plants that had stopped producing.
Believe it or not, gardening at night is not all that hard as long as you have some light source. We made quick work of cleaning out the vegetable garden, adding compost, manure, blood meal and bone meal.
Now it was still hot outside, but the sun was down, which really makes a big difference.
As we were working in the garden, we had a little visitor who came out to see what we were doing….
Gardening at Night, He was actually hanging upside down, but I like how he looks ‘right side up’.
This praying mantis was fascinated by what we were doing. I was very happy to see him because he helps to eat the harmful insects that would normally bother my vegetables.
He was soon joined by his friend or maybe it was his wife?
Gardening at Night
We were soon finished with our work and I could hardly wait to see the fruits of our labor in the morning….
I just love a blank canvas to add plants to, don’t you?
The step stones provide easy access for me to step out into the garden to harvest vegetables without crushing them with my feet.
(Once I took out the step stones, thinking I wanted the extra space for vegetables, but I had an awful time getting into and out of the garden without stepping on vegetables.)
We did leave the basil plant in the back, oregano on the side and a single cucumber plant, which will continue to produce once the temperatures cool down (I’m not sure it will ever cool down again).
I have wonderful plans for my vegetable garden….
I can hardly wait to harvest fresh corn, carrots, green snap beans, garlic, green onions, leaf lettuce and spinach.
You may wonder why I have a fence around the garden. Well, the reason is that I have a little dog named Tobey that would love nothing better then to get inside and dig around in all the wonderful smelling compost and aged steer manure.
Now, I was bound and determined to get one thing planted in the garden, even if it was hot outside and I would probably start to sweat 😉
I got my corn seeds planted!
It only took me about 15 minutes to plant 3 rows of corn.
(It is important to plant corn in more then one row, which helps with pollination and helps all of the corn kernels to develop).
As you can see, I didn’t bring out any fancy tools to plant them. I only needed a ruler to make sure that I planted them 1 ft.
apart and I borrowed a spoon from my kitchen.
Thankfully, I can wait until later this month to plant some of my other seeds when the weather is cooler.
Some people may think I am crazy to work in the garden at night and there are some things that you do have to have daylight for. But I have pruned my shrubs at night to avoid the excess heat of the day.
I wouldn’t advise doing any gardening tasks that require any detail work, such as planting vegetable seeds.
But, you never know….if it doesn’t cool off on time, I may be planting seeds at night with a flashlight 😉
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So, how about you?
Do you have any strategies for dealing with the summer heat when you garden?
Vegetable Garden Gone Crazy…
My Secret Vegetable Gardening Tool…
Vegetable GardeningI didn’t set out to find a ‘secret’ gardening tool for my vegetable garden. But, I often find myself finding other uses for tools that I often use for other things.
This ‘secret’ tool is one that I purchased to help me with my sewing, years ago. I have had it for over 10 years and keep it in my hall closet.
So what is this ‘secret’ tool?
It is my yardstick….
Gardening Tool
My yardstick, which I no longer use for sewing by the way, is the perfect tool for not only measuring, but it also creates small furrows for seedlings.
Gardening Tool
I am sure that the creator of the yardstick never imagined people using it for creating furrows, do you?
It also makes spacing very easy for planting vegetable seeds and cloves of garlic.
I must admit that I am not the only one that finds my yardstick useful….
Years ago, my daughter, Gracie, found out that my yardstick also made a great ‘walking’ stick when she was 2 years old.
Later, she shared the benefits of the yardstick with her new little brother, Kai, shortly after we adopted him….
This is Kai’s second day at home after we returned from China from adopting him. You can see that his feet are turned inwards. He had surgery later, which repaired his feet.
She didn’t feel like sharing her yardstick, but she gave Kai a wooden spoon to play with.
So do you have a yardstick?
What do you use yours for?
Game Night, Indoor Gardening, and Recommended Garden Products
September Monthly Garden Bouquet
AZ Plant LadyI hope you are all having a great week so far.
Mine is busy finishing up a landscape consult write-up, doctor’s appointment and on Friday, we will be having my father-in-law’s memorial service.
Although memorial services are sad events, the one thing that I do enjoy are the beautiful, floral arrangements. It never ceases to amaze me how flowers can brighten anyone’s day.
I was so happy to see the following September Bouquet in my inbox that just made my week brighter.
This beautiful bouquet is from my blogger-friend, Pam, who is the creator of the blog, Pam’s English Garden.
She grew up in England and now gardens on a farm in Pennsylvania.
I love the flower combinations that she used – Buddleia, Marigold, Zinnias and Roses.
Pam also made a very creative bouquet, using herbs from her garden.
I recognize Basil, Parsley, Mint and Echinacea in this bouquet along with Nasturtium for color.
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Would like your bouquet to be included for October’s Monthly Garden Bouquet?
Just send me a photo via email, or send me a comment with a link to your blog post.
I will provide a link to your blog and ask that you do the same.
*If you do not have a blog, then simply send me a picture of your bouquet, and I will be happy to feature it.
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR MONTHLY BOUQUET PHOTO OR LINK TO ME BY THE 19TH OF EACH MONTH.
I hope that you are inspired to create bouquets from your own garden this month 🙂
Mondays in the Garden – Planting Vegetable Seed
CompostI just love Mondays….
But, I must admit that my love for Mondays is rather new. I didn’t always enjoy sitting in traffic, headed for my office in downtown Phoenix, where I worked as a landscape designer. (I did enjoy my beautiful office that overlooked the city from the 14th floor).
Fast forward to 5 years later, and I find Mondays refreshing. For one, the kids are back in school after a hectic weekend, trying to get their projects finished on time. I also love that Monday is a fresh start. I rarely have time to garden on the weekends, so Mondays is a wonderful time to step outside and see what is flowering, smell the subtle fragrance of my desert trees and most importantly – see what has developed in my vegetable garden.
Two weeks ago, I planted my fall vegetable garden – on a Monday. It all started with a visit to our local Home Depot, where I picked up bagged compost, aged steer manure, bone meal and blood meal.
Earlier, we had ripped out what was left of our summer vegetable garden, leaving only our basil and oregano plants behind. Since I had removed the shade cloth from the garden, I put in two plastic chairs to protect the basil and oregano from the sun.
We added a 3 inch layer of compost and 3 inches of aged steer manure. Then I sprinkled both blood and bone meal on top. We then lightly raked the layers together and then waited a week before planting our vegetable seeds.
Fall vegetable garden
We placed stepping stones through the middle so that we will have easy access to our vegetables.
I buy my seeds from different sources. I have Burpee, some from Botanical Interesta, but I usually buy mine at the local Big Box store.
We decided to plant cucumbers, carrots, green onions, spinach, leaf lettuce and cauliflower.
I let each of the kids pick out what kind of seed they wanted to plant.
Decisions, decisions….
Planting Vegetable Seed
Gracie loves carrots, so that is what she picked to plant.
My son, Kai, planted the green onions and my daughter, Ruthie, planted the lettuce.
I finished up planting the rest of the seeds, using my top secret vegetable garden tool.
I will share my special tool with you soon 🙂
Fall vegetable garden
I had planted the sweet corn a few weeks ago, since they need to be in the ground by the end of August for best results.
So, do you know what you will be doing today?
I will be stepping out in to my vegetable garden, seeing what seedlings have started to sprout.
Stay tuned for how to plant garlic and learn about my ‘secret’ gardening tool.
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I hope you all had a great weekend and are off to a good start for the week.
**THERE ARE 2 DAYS LEFT TO ENTER YOUR MONTHLY GARDEN BOUQUET FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.**
Please email me a photo of your bouquet, or leave me a link to your blog post with you bouquet in the comments section of this post. I will then feature your bouquet and a link back to your blog.
I hope you decide to take the time to send me your bouquet. I do enjoy seeing the beautiful flowers from your garden 🙂
Time To Plant Vegetables Already?
Anticipation….
AZ Plant LadyI always anticipate the beginning of fall and the cooler temperatures that it brings.
I think this Hibiscus shrub is also enjoying the cooler temperatures and is beginning to flower again.
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Thank you all for all your support and kind comments since the death of my father-in-law.
They are much appreciated. Life is still a bit crazy as I try to catch up on things that didn’t get done while we spent 22 days at his bedside.
I don’t think I have ever created a blog post with a single photo, but I promise that I will get back to my regular blogging soon.
Thank you for hanging in there with me 🙂
Have a great weekend!
(I am going to my daughter’s baby shower tomorrow, which is going to be held at Double S Farms. I can hardly wait. I’ll share some of the fun we have with you next week.)
Death of a Saguaro
Cactus/SucculentsSaguaros can be affected by high winds and heavy rain just as trees are. During windy weather, I love to observe saguaros swaying gently in the breeze. In the summertime in Arizona, we have a monsoon season. The word “monsoon” means “wind shift” or “season”. This shift in the wind brings warm, moist air from Mexico which causes brief, intense storms. Heavy rain, lightning, and high winds are a common occurrence during this time. Sadly, this saguaro, (above), did not survive the latest monsoon storm of that summer.
This large giant fell in a landscape area in the community where I worked as a horticulturist. This was one of my favorite saguaro cacti. There had been a few consecutive days of heavy rain and wind, which caused this beautiful saguaro to fall.
*To get an idea of how large this saguaro was, the man walking in front of it is over 6 ft. tall.
There were two other casualties besides the saguaro cactus itself. As many of you may know, some types of birds make their homes in saguaros. This particular saguaro was home to a Cactus Wren and her babies.
Shared Love for Gardening….
AZ Plant LadySome daughter-in-law’s don’t have much in common with their father-in-law.
In my case, when I married my husband 25 years ago, I wasn’t sure if I would have any shared interests with my father-in-law…..he was a dentist (I was deathly afraid of dentists), he ran 3 miles a day (I got a ‘stitch’ in my side if I tried running to the corner), he was very orderly and meticulous (I am neither of those things) and he was soft spoken (while I can be a bit loud).
I knew he loved me and I him, but sometimes conversation would lag because besides the kids and family, there wasn’t much else to talk about.
That is until I started to become interested in plants and landscaping. You see, my father-in-law always had well-designed landscapes filled with beautiful plants. As I decided to pursue a degree in Urban Horticulture, he was very supportive.
Urban Horticulture, Goodding’s Verbena (Glandularia gooddingi)
Even better, we now had lots to talk about. Our visits would often include visits into each others garden.
I would show him my newest plant acquisition and he would in turn, ask me questions about a few of his plant problems.
Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)
A few years later, he and my mother-in-law made the trip up to my newest job location, took me out to lunch and asked me to show them around the landscape areas I was in charge of.
Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
When he retired, he asked me to design the landscape for their new home. He had some ideas of what he wanted and then let me go at it.
Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana)
I enjoyed working closely with him, in coming up with a design and the plants that he liked.
Purple Prickly Pear (Opuntia violaceae)
While I enjoyed visiting and seeing his landscape mature, I didn’t always agree with the way he like to prune his shrubs…
His style gardening was orderly and meticulous, like he was.
We would sometimes tease each other because our styles were vastly different.
‘Torch Glow’ Bougainvillea
But no matter our landscaping styles, we still enjoyed going out into the garden together.
Last October, my father-in-law was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Phoenix Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima ‘Phoenix’)
In a very short time, he was robbed of the ability to speak, swallow, eat and the use of his hands.
Now, unable to work in his garden himself, he had to rely on others.
I considered it a privilege to help him where I could.
‘Rio Bravo’ Sage (Leucophyllum langmaniae ‘Rio Bravo’)
He endured this horrible disease with dignity, a sense of humor and through his faith.
Mexican Fence Post (Pachycereus marginatus)
This past Saturday, after 2 weeks in hospice care, he passed away.
We were all blessed to be by his side as he took his last, labored breath.
One of the last things he wrote was,
“My race is almost over.”
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I think it will be awhile before I can step into his garden without shedding tears.
I will miss sharing our love for plants together…..
Tour of Sustainable Southwestern Landscapes: Part 1
Does Your Saguaro Need A Diet?
Cactus/SucculentsI bet you didn’t know that Saguaro cacti can suffer from weight problems, did you?
Well in my travels through countless neighborhoods, I have seen my fair share of ‘fat’ saguaro cacti.
So, are ‘fat’ saguaro feasting upon too much fast food? I don’t think so….
Believe it or not, it isn’t totally their fault that they are fat. The homeowner usually bears some responsibility.
Weight problem
Here is a great example of a saguaro that needs to be put on a diet.
Seriously, it is quite fat.
Can you see why?
Well, all cacti are specially adapted to take advantage of any nearby water source.
When it rains, they quickly send out tiny roots that are very close to the surface. These roots absorb all the water they can and then dry up and die once the ground dries out.
In a landscape setting, the roots will grow towards the nearest water source and keep ‘drinking water’…..usually the water that is irrigating your other plants.
In the photo above, the saguaro is getting quite a bit of water for the citrus tree behind it.
Here is another saguaro that has a weight problem.
It isn’t full of fat…..just too much water.
I took this picture of a client’s saguaro that was planted amidst two shrubs that were being irrigated regularly. You can see that the ‘folds’ are almost non-existent.
Unfortunately, I see this quite often. To avoid having this happen to you, do not place any irrigated plants near your saguaro. (I am assuming that you do not water your saguaro).
How far away should irrigated plants be kept away from a saguaro?
Well, a saguaro’s roots extend out roughly the same distance as its height and sometimes twice as far. So, make sure to place your irrigated plants out at least that far.
So what do you do if you already have a ‘fat’ saguaro?
Well first off, remove any nearby, irrigated plants and plug up the irrigation emitters. Then substitute other succulent plants that will require very little water (below).
So, are you fortunate enough to have a saguaro in your landscape?
I wish I was….. 🙂
Death of a Saguaro
“One of These Things Is Not Like the Other”
Cactus/SucculentsEngaging With Cardon Cacti: Can You Spot the Odd One Out Among These Unique Cacti?
Do you recall that catchy tune from Sesame Street, where they showcased three similar things and one that stood out? Your task was to spot the odd one among them.
I have fond memories of enjoying Sesame Street with my younger sister, and that song always brought a smile to my face. Inspired by it, I’ve decided to borrow the theme and apply it to the four images below. Can you identify which one doesn’t quite fit in?
In essence, you’re about to embark on a delightful “pop quiz.” Are you prepared? Let’s dive right in.
Alright, take a close look at these images and tell me, which one seems out of place among these stunning Cardon cacti?
#1
#2
#3
#4
So, in the images above, can you tell which one doesn’t belong?
Do you want a hint to our pop quiz?
They are all cacti, but one is found in Baja Mexico, while the others are found in the Sonoran Desert.
Give up?
#3 doesn’t belong.
Why not?
Cardon Cactus are Different than Saguaro Cactus
Well, while it looks an awful lot like a Saguaro cactus (Saguaro carnegiea), it is actually a Cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei).
I admit, that it can be awfully hard to tell the difference to the casual observer unless you look carefully.
Cardon on the left and a Saguaro on the right.
The Magnificent Cardon Cacti: Giants of Baja, Mexico
Cardon cacti, renowned as the world’s largest cacti, can astonishingly reach towering heights of up to 70 feet and weigh a staggering 25 tons. These remarkable giants are an exclusive inhabitant of Baja, Mexico, where they thrive for up to an astounding 300 years.
Exploring the Unique Features of Cardon Cacti
What sets Cardon cacti apart are their distinctive characteristics. Unlike the Saguaro cactus, their arms extend from a lower position, adorned with fewer spines. But if you examine them closely, you’ll notice that their folds are deeper and wider compared to the Saguaro. Moreover, the Cardon cactus boasts a subtly grayer shade of green, distinguishing it from its Saguaro cousin.
For enthusiasts who wish to cultivate these majestic cacti, Cardon cacti are readily available at cactus nurseries. So, the next time you encounter a Saguaro cactus in a landscaped setting, take a closer look—it might turn out to be a Cardon cactus, surprising you with its unique charm.
Have you ever had the pleasure of encountering a Cardon cactus in person? Share your experiences with us!
October Craziness….Cactus, Spiders, Stormy Weather and a Mixed-up Bird
Gardening at Night?
CompostI must confess that I have avoided going out into my garden.
Now, I love my garden and spending time outside tending my plants. But, not when we have had record-breaking heat. I normally don’t have a problem with the summer heat and I don’t like to complain about it.
It’s not so much the heat itself, but when it is coupled with bright sunlight, it can be hard to bear if you are working out in the garden for an extended length of time.
So, I have been waiting impatiently for the temps to get back down to normal so that I can get out and get my vegetable garden ready for fall planting. It is almost too late for me to plant my fall sweet corn.
Well, since the weather was not going to cooperate and I refused to be overcome by the heat, I had to take matters into my own hands.
I asked my husband to hang a light outdoors by the garden so that we could work out there at night.
My daughter, Ruthie, loves to work in the vegetable garden and was helping us to rip out some of the old summer vegetable plants that had stopped producing.
Believe it or not, gardening at night is not all that hard as long as you have some light source. We made quick work of cleaning out the vegetable garden, adding compost, manure, blood meal and bone meal.
Now it was still hot outside, but the sun was down, which really makes a big difference.
As we were working in the garden, we had a little visitor who came out to see what we were doing….
Gardening at Night, He was actually hanging upside down, but I like how he looks ‘right side up’.
This praying mantis was fascinated by what we were doing. I was very happy to see him because he helps to eat the harmful insects that would normally bother my vegetables.
He was soon joined by his friend or maybe it was his wife?
Gardening at Night
We were soon finished with our work and I could hardly wait to see the fruits of our labor in the morning….
I just love a blank canvas to add plants to, don’t you?
The step stones provide easy access for me to step out into the garden to harvest vegetables without crushing them with my feet.
(Once I took out the step stones, thinking I wanted the extra space for vegetables, but I had an awful time getting into and out of the garden without stepping on vegetables.)
We did leave the basil plant in the back, oregano on the side and a single cucumber plant, which will continue to produce once the temperatures cool down (I’m not sure it will ever cool down again).
I have wonderful plans for my vegetable garden….
I can hardly wait to harvest fresh corn, carrots, green snap beans, garlic, green onions, leaf lettuce and spinach.
You may wonder why I have a fence around the garden. Well, the reason is that I have a little dog named Tobey that would love nothing better then to get inside and dig around in all the wonderful smelling compost and aged steer manure.
Now, I was bound and determined to get one thing planted in the garden, even if it was hot outside and I would probably start to sweat 😉
I got my corn seeds planted!
It only took me about 15 minutes to plant 3 rows of corn.
(It is important to plant corn in more then one row, which helps with pollination and helps all of the corn kernels to develop).
As you can see, I didn’t bring out any fancy tools to plant them. I only needed a ruler to make sure that I planted them 1 ft.
apart and I borrowed a spoon from my kitchen.
Thankfully, I can wait until later this month to plant some of my other seeds when the weather is cooler.
Some people may think I am crazy to work in the garden at night and there are some things that you do have to have daylight for. But I have pruned my shrubs at night to avoid the excess heat of the day.
I wouldn’t advise doing any gardening tasks that require any detail work, such as planting vegetable seeds.
But, you never know….if it doesn’t cool off on time, I may be planting seeds at night with a flashlight 😉
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So, how about you?
Do you have any strategies for dealing with the summer heat when you garden?
Vegetable Garden Gone Crazy…
Ficus Trees….Too Much Hassle?
Landscape Problems, Southwest garden, TreesFor quite some time, I’ve been considering writing this post. I’ve hesitated due to the overwhelming affection people have for ficus trees (Ficus nitida). While the benefits of planting ficus trees are apparent. They have lush beauty and dense shade that are particularly valuable in desert environments. There are a few considerations to bear in mind before incorporating them into your landscape.
At first, the benefits of planting a Ficus tree are obvious. They are lush, beautiful and provide dense shade, which is sometimes scarce in the desert.
The Pros and Cons of Ficus Nitida Trees: What You Need to Know
So what’s the problem with having a Ficus tree? Well, there are a couple of things that you should be aware of before you plant a Ficus tree.
One of the primary challenges with Ficus trees is their vulnerability to frost damage. This is especially concerning in low desert regions when temperatures drop below freezing. This concern becomes even more pronounced during stretches of consecutive freezing days.
Photo: Frost-Damaged Ficus nitida
This past winter, we experienced a three-day period of temperatures in the low 20s. The impact on local Ficus trees was unmistakable. A mere drive through any neighborhood allowed me to distinguish, even from a distance, who had Ficus trees and who did not. The extensive presence of ‘brown’ trees gave it away.
After the return of warmer weather, many Ficus trees sported trimmed branches. This results in a shorter appearance due to frost damage mitigation (see image below).
Photo:Ficus tree that had frost damaged branches removed.
Growth Size and Control
The second challenge stems from insufficient research regarding the potential size of Ficus trees. Individuals often find themselves ill-prepared when the charming shade tree they planted rapidly becomes an overwhelming presence. Trees often seem to engulf their homes.
Photo: Young Ficus Tree
They are soon caught unprepared when the pretty, shade tree that they planted soon grows so large that it almost seems like it is ‘eating’ up the house….
Photo: Mature Ficus Tree
What to Consider When Planting Ficus Trees
If your heart is set on having a Ficus tree grace your garden, go ahead and acquire one. Just remember that some winters might result in frost damage, temporarily affecting the tree’s appearance until new branches emerge. To ensure a successful experience with Ficus trees, keep the following points in mind:
Sissoo Trees as an Alternative
Sissoo trees, resembling Ficus trees in appearance, exhibit greater frost tolerance. Despite their appealing features, it’s crucial to exercise caution when integrating sissoo trees into your landscape.
Some people look to sissoo trees as an alternative to ficus – BUT, this isn’t advisable either.
Photo: Sissoo Tree
The sissoo tree (Dalbergia sissoo) is similar in appearance to the ficus tree. They do however have greater tolerance to frost.
Like ficus trees, sissoo trees do grow quite large but I no longer recommend them for average size residential landscapes. The photo of the tree above was taken four years after it was planted from a 15-gallon container. It rapidly grew even larger. This tree made it’s debut in the Phoenix area about 15 years ago. It has become quite popular for its lush green beauty.
While sissoo trees flourish in larger outdoor areas such as parks due to their enhanced frost resilience, they present potential challenges for average-sized residential landscapes. Despite their initial popularity for their lush green beauty, their invasive root systems can wreak havoc on sidewalks, patios, pools, and block walls. Moreover, their eventual size can dwarf the landscapes they were intended to enhance.
Photo: 3 Sissoo Trees
Careful Planning is the Best Approach for Ficus or Sissoo Tree Placement
The allure of Ficus nitida trees is undeniable, but careful planning and consideration are necessary to ensure a harmonious coexistence between these magnificent trees and your landscape. Understanding their susceptibility to frost damage and their potential for significant growth is vital for making informed decisions.
While sissoo trees can be a reasonable alternative, they too come with their own set of challenges that need to be weighed carefully. Ultimately, choosing the right tree for your outdoor space involves a blend of appreciation for aesthetics and awareness of practicality.