I love flowers. In fact, it was my love affair with flowers that inspired me to get my degree in horticulture. I figured that life is too short to not do what you love, so working as a horticulturist allows me to be around blooming plants throughout much of the year. As the weather begins […]
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). Rain or ‘zephyr’ lilies add beauty to the gardens throughout the Southern half of the U.S., including the Southwest. While their apperance may make you think […]
Fall in the garden is a time of celebration with plants enjoying the period after the heat of summer has bid goodbye and before the cold of winter arrives. This time of year is filled colorful blooming plants decorating our outdoor spaces. In the past few weeks, the color purple has made its presence known […]
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. Turpentine bush(Ericameria laricifolia) is a desert native that has lovely, dark green foliage year-round. With the arrival of […]
Are you someone who adores cilantro, looking for more ways to add it to their favorite Mexican food? Here is a new use for cilantro that deserves a spot on your pantry shelf – cilantro herb salt. Cilantro herb salt can be used to flavor food where you would normally add salt and cilantro separately. It […]
When trying to decide what to fill our containers with, most people gravitate toward colorful, flowering annuals. For those of us who live in the Southwest, we are equally likely to fill our pots with cacti or succulents, which thrive in our dry climate. However, did you know that plants aren’t the only thing that […]
Plants that stay green all winter while also producing flowers are somewhat rare in the Southwest, which is why Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) is one of my favorite additions in landscapes I design as well as in my own garden. Mexican Honeysuckle Orange, tubular flowers appear throughout the year, with the heaviest bloom occurring in […]
Do you think of yourself as a trendsetter? How about being the first landscape in your neighborhood to have the newest plant varieties on display? I am always on the lookout for new plants that give a unique and often unexpected look to outdoor spaces awash in a sometimes overwhelming sea of bougainvillea, lantana and […]
Over this past weekend, I found myself overwhelmed with an abundance of new plants. It all started with a visit to the Desert Botanical Garden’s annual fall plant sale. I brought my son, Kai with me who was happy to follow me around pushing the cart. The best place to […]
For those of us who love to garden, we are often looking out for new inventions and products to decrease the amount of time we need to maintain our garden while also increasing our enjoyment. A couple of weeks ago, I attended the annual Garden Writer’s Conference, which was held in Pasadena, CA. In addition […]
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