A ‘Painted Lady’ butterfly drinking nectar from a lantana. Learning from Mistakes in the Garden: A Green Thumb’s Journey Embracing the Reality of Gardening Do you know someone who has a green thumb? Usually, it’s someone with a beautiful garden that stands out among their neighbors with thriving plants that flourish. While you may think […]
California bluebells and red flax Cultivating Wildflowers: Nature’s Colorful Display The Beauty of Spring Wildflowers One of spring’s many joys are the fields of wildflowers that we often see growing along the side of the road. It is one of the many miracles of nature how such lovely flowers can grow in the wild without […]
Cultivating Wildflowers: Nature’s Colorful Display Rediscovering the Desert’s Beauty in Fall As summer begins to slowly fade and the heat begins to dissipate, the Southwestern garden comes alive with second spring. In the absence of scorching 100+ degree temperatures, both plants and people reawaken to the vibrant beauty of the desert landscape during the fall season. […]
Fertilize Cactus and Succulents in Containers Tips for Fertilizing Cactus and Succulents in Containers Many of you appreciate the beauty and the low-maintenance of using succulents (including cactus) in containers With succulents coming in a myriad of colors and unique shapes, they add welcome beauty to our outdoor spaces. Photo: Blue Elf Aloe (Aloe x […]
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take another photo of a landscape I passed by in a neighborhood where I had just finished up a landscape consultation. I was shocked at the mushroom shaped shrubs. The Pitfalls of Shrub Pruning Mistakes Sadly, I often see examples of truly ‘interesting’ or should I […]
Exploring the Beauty of the Desert Museum Palo Verde ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde Trees The Desert Museum Palo Verde (Parkinsonia ‘Desert Museum’), a beloved tree in arid climates, graces numerous residential, commercial, and community landscapes. Its striking medium-green trunk, feathery foliage, and golden late spring flowers contribute to its widespread popularity. While wind damage can […]
The Sunburn Experience: Not Just for Humans Have you ever had a sunburn? Maybe a better question is, “Who hasn’t?” Well, did you know that many plants get too much as well? Sunburned Citrus: A Common Concern On a recent visit to a client who was worried about her newly planted citrus trees. Sunburned Citrus […]
When people think about what a desert garden looks like, what comes to mind? Perhaps, visions of lots of brown with rocks and a cactus or two? Maybe visions of mostly brown terrain with scattered rocks and a couple of cacti? But in reality, the possibilities for colorful plants for the desert garden are far […]
Protecting Your Desert Garden From a Heatwave Summers in the desert garden is hot. That’s no surprise. However, there are periods within these hot months when temperatures climb higher than normal. Because of this, we do need to help protect our gardens from the effects of a heatwave. So, what is considered a heatwave in […]
The Art of Container Cacti Have you ever seen the beauty of cactuses showcased in containers? Adding a cactus to a container helps to set it apart from the rest of the landscape and helps it to stand out so that its unique texture and shape really stand out. However, if the thought of having […]
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