Does it look like fall where you live?
If you live in the West or Southwestern regions of the U.S. your answer is probably “no”.
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Fall foliage we enjoyed on a trip to Williamsburg, VA several years ago. |

Does it look like fall where you live?
If you live in the West or Southwestern regions of the U.S. your answer is probably “no”.
![]() |
Fall foliage we enjoyed on a trip to Williamsburg, VA several years ago. |
I have a confession to make.
I don’t have any containers filled with flowering annuals. Shocking isn’t it?
There are a few reasons for this, the most important one is that I prefer using relatively fuss-free plants that look great all year in my pots.
I don’t have much patience for high-maintenance containers. In particular, ones with flowering annuals that need frequent irrigation. Not to mention deadheading of spent flowers and having to change them out seasonally. But, I do love the way they look.
Red Geraniums and White Bacopa
My inclination to avoid flowering annuals in my own garden has to do with my past and no, it’s nothing scandalous.
It does have to do with my work in the past. For five years, I was in charge of 45 pots. Each container was always be filled with colorful flowers.
Believe me, keeping all of those pots looking beautiful was a lot of work! Countless trips to the nursery, fertilizing, watering and replacing them twice a year got tiresome. Not to mention that I broke my foot when I tripping on a curb, while loading flats of flowers.
So, it may not come as a surprise that I prefer using succulents in my pots.
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Victoria Agave ‘Compacta’ |
In an article I wrote for Houzz, I list my ten favorite small agaves for Houzz that are suitable for growing in pots.
Do you grow herbs? I do.
Herbs are easy to grow and thrive in arid climates and shrug off the heat. I’m the first to admit that I don’t like messing around with fussy plants and so herbs fit right in with my gardening style.
Toward the end of summer, my garden is overflowing with herbs – especially basil. I certainly have more than I can use right now, so I like to preserve my herbs in a variety of ways so that I can enjoy the fresh flavor of summer throughout the winter months.
One of the easiest ways to store herbs is by freezing them using olive oil or water. You can see my post on how to freeze herbs here.
Herb salts are a newer way to keep the fresh flavor of herbs alive. The ingredients are simple, and they are a unique way to add a delicious taste to your favorite recipes. See how easy they are to make in this blog post.
Finally, the most popular method for preserving herbs is to dry them. Some types of herbs are easier to dry than others, and there are different methods for drying herbs. I invite you to read my latest article for Houzz.com where it’s all you need to know about drying herbs. I hope you enjoy it!
Do you dry or freeze your herbs? Which herbs work best for you?
One of the best things about having a garden in the desert southwest is our ability to grow citrus of all kinds. Lemon trees are a popular fruit tree and I am often asked what type of lemon do I recommend.
There are different types of lemons but the one that is my favorite isn’t a ‘true’ lemon tree at all. It’s a Meyer lemon, which is a cross between an orange tree and a lemon tree.
The result is a fruit that tastes sweeter than your typical lemon and has a lovely thin, smooth skin. Meyer lemons are suitable for use in the same ways that other lemons are, but you can use them in additional ways as well due to their sweeter nature.
I recently shared the reasons why you should plant a Meyer lemon tree in one of my latest articles for Houzz.
Have you ever grown a Meyer lemon tree?
Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)
Summer temperatures are fading and it’s time to get back outdoors and enjoy the beauty surrounding our homes. When many plants begin to slow down blooming, there are some that are just getting started including these fall-blooming shrubs.
This time of year is very busy for me as many of my clients are ready to focus on their garden. However, as busy as I get, I try to find some time to sit outside and enjoy the colorful plants in my own garden.
Mt. Lemmon Marigold (Tagetes lemmonii)
Fall is the best time for adding new plants to the landscape, so this is a great time to take a look at your garden and see where you would like to see some welcome autumn color.
If you are ready to add more color to your outdoor space this autumn, I invite you to read my latest article for Houzz where I list my favorite flowering shrubs in the fall garden.
Chaparral Sage (Salvia clevelandii)
Do you love purple flowers? Check out my blog post where I feature autumn bloomers with purple flowers.
What is your favorite flowering plant for fall?
With the arrival of winter, some people resign themselves to a boring garden, devoid of interest until spring arrives with its warmer temperatures.
Thankfully, we don’t have to settle for ‘blah’ winter gardens if cold-hardy succulents have a spot to grow in the landscape, many of which can survive temps down to 0 and even -20 degrees F.
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Yucca growing among boulders. |
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Whale’s Tongue Agave (Agave ovatifolia) |
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Toothless Sotol (Dasylirion quadrangulatum) |
It may seem rather strange to think of landscapes decorated with lilies in fall, but summer and fall rain bring on the lovely blooms of rain lilies (Zephyranthes species).
While fall color may be somewhat lacking in the Southwest landscape in comparison to areas with brilliant fall foliage, we do have several plants that wait until fall to begin to color the landscape with their blooms.
Fall is finally here and it’s time to get busy in the garden. Did you know that fall is the best time of year to add new plants? It doesn’t matter where you live, planting in fall gives plants three seasons to grow a healthy root system before summer arrives.
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Shrubby germander planted alongside Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) |
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Young shrubby germander growing alongside red autumn sage (Salvia greggii) |