White Flowering Plants for the Southwest Landscape: Part 1

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Embracing White Flowering Plants

Are white flowering plants a part of your landscape design? They certainly are in mine.

Surprisingly, white flowers are often overshadowed by more vibrant shades like yellow, orange, or red. However, it’s worth noting that white flowers can play a pivotal role in enhancing your landscape by creating striking color contrasts.

In addition, white flowering plants also have a visually cooling effect in the garden, which is a welcome sight in the Southwest where summers are hot.

I’d like to share with you some of my favorite white flowers, all of which do well in the Southwestern landscape.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Bush Morning Glory (Convolvulus cneorum) White Flowering Plant

Bush Morning Glory (Convolvulus cneorum)

Bush Morning Glory (Convolvulus cneorum)

Pretty white flowers with yellow centers are just one of the reasons people love bush morning glory. Its silvery foliage is another great color that it adds to the landscape.

In the desert, the flowers appear for several weeks in spring before fading away. However, the silvery foliage is evergreen and will add great color contrast when planted nearby plants with dark green foliage.

Do you have an area that gets full afternoon sun? Bush morning glory can easily handle it while looking great.

Hardy to zone 8, bush morning glory grows approximately 2 ft. tall and 4 ft. wide. Prune back in spring, after flowering has finished by 1/2 its size.

White Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) White Flowering Plant

White Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri)

White Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri)

A flowering perennial, white gaura, has a prominent place in my landscape. It has small flowers, shaped like small butterflies, that start out pink and turn white as they bloom.

Siskyou Pink White Flowering Plant

This lovely perennial does best in filtered sun and flowers in spring and fall. It requires little maintenance other then shearing it back in spring to 1/2 its size.

White gaura is related to the pink variety ‘Siskyou Pink’, but has a bushier appearance and grows larger – approximately 2 1/2 ft. wide and tall. This native perennial is hardy to zone 6 gardens.

Use in areas that receive filtered sunlight.

 

White Cloud' Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens 'White Cloud') White Flowering Plant

‘White Cloud’ Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens ‘White Cloud’)

‘White Cloud’ Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens)

While most people are more familiar with the purple-flowering Texas sage shrubs, there is a white variety that is well worth adding to your landscape.  

If given enough space, ‘White Cloud’ Texas Sage can grow large, 6+ feet tall and wide. It thrives in full sun, and in summer and fall, periodic flushes of white flowers cover the silvery green foliage.

Avoid the temptation to excessively prune this shrub, as this decreases flowering and is not healthy for this type of shrub. Hardy to zone 7, this shrub looks great as an informal hedge or against a wall.

Hedge trimmers aren’t needed for pruning Texas sage. I’ve used my Corona Compound Loppers to prune mine for over 10 years, with some hand pruning as needed for wayward branches.

For guidelines on how to (or how NOT to) prune flowering shrubs, click here.

Texas Olive (Cordia boissieri) White Flowering Plant

Texas Olive (Cordia boissieri)

Texas Olive (Cordia boissieri)

This Texas native is a huge favorite of mine – Texas olive is a large shrub or small tree, depending on how you prune it. It has dark green, leathery leaves, and beautiful white flowers, which appear spring through fall on evergreen foliage.

Whenever I see this shrub, I always take a moment to admire its beauty, since it isn’t used often in the landscape – but it should be!

Small fruit, resembling an olive, is produced and is edible. They thrive in full sun. Allow plenty of room for it to grow as it gets 25 ft. tall and wide. Hardy to zone 9, the only drawback of this white-flowering beauty is that it can be a little messy, so keep away from swimming pools.

All of these white flowering plants are drought tolerant and do well in hot, arid climates.  

Do you grow any of these in your garden? Which is your favorite?

As beautiful as these plants are, there are more to consider. Check out more in Part 2!

5 Tips for Choosing Plants From the Nursery

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With the imminent arrival of fall, I can’t wait to get to the nursery to select plants for empty spots in my landscape. Each year, I do an inventory or audit of my garden and look at struggling plants or just not adding much to my outdoor space.

If you are like me, you may also consider adding plants this fall.   

select plants from nursery

In my career as a horticulturist, I’ve designed, planted, and overseen the installation of thousands of plants.

As you can imagine, I have accrued tips on how to and how NOT to select the best plants for the landscape.

Plant nursery at The Living Desert Museum in Palm Desert, CA

Plant nursery at The Living Desert Museum in Palm Desert, CA

In my online course, Desert Gardening 101, one of the very first sections deals with how to best choose plants from the nursery. Today, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite tips on how to select the best plants at the nursery that will save you money and future problems.

Earlier this month, I wrote about the importance of researching plants before buying. This is a crucial step to ensure that you select a plant that will thrive in your climate.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to read these tips, which could save you from buyer’s remorse and a dead plant.  

Foxglove for sale in front of an Arizona big box store nursery.  This lovely perennial is not the easiest plant to grow in the desert garden.

Foxglove for sale in front of an Arizona big box store nursery.  This lovely perennial is not the easiest plant to grow in the desert garden.

1. Avoid impulse buys.

Believe it or not, some nurseries carry plants that will not grow well in your area. I have often seen hydrangeas offered at my local big box store. While I would LOVE to be able to grow hydrangeas in my Southwest garden, I know that within a few weeks of planting, they will soon languish and die.

Don’t assume that just because your local nursery sells a certain type of plant, it will grow in your climate. Sadly, this is particularly true of big box stores.

Why do the stores stock plants that won’t grow in the local climate? The answer is simple – most people are drawn to these plants because they are colorful and beautiful.  So, they inevitably purchase them, assuming that they will grow in their garden. A few weeks later, they are dismayed when their new plant becomes sickly and dies. This leads to many people believing that they have a black thumb.

smaller-sized container

2. Smaller sizes can be better.

In many cases, it is better to skip over the larger plant in favor of one in a smaller container.

Of course, there is the amount of money you will save, but did you know that the smaller plants have an easier time becoming established?

Smaller plants are younger and better able to handle the shock of being transplanted than older plants. In addition, they have less upper growth (branches, leaves, and stems) to support, so they can focus on growing roots, which is vital to their growth rate.

Bigger and older plants aren’t as adaptable and take an extended length of time to grow.

Planting smaller plants works best for those with a moderate to fast growth rate. For plants with a slow rate of growth, you may want to select a larger plant size.

Another bonus is that you don’t have to dig as large a hole, in addition to saving money!

Root-bound plant

Root-bound plant

3. Avoid plants that have been in their containers too long.

  Sometimes, nurseries don’t sell plants as quickly as they’d like. So what happens when a plant sits in a container too long?

The roots start growing around each other, causing the plant to become root-bound. Once roots grow this way, they have a hard time growing outward into the soil as they should. Eventually, the plant can decline and even die.

How can you tell if a plant has been in its container too long?

– Look for signs such as weeds growing in the pot, which indicates that it may have been in the nursery for a while.

– Are there any dead leaves inside the pot? This also indicates that it may have been sitting in the nursery for a long time.

See if roots are growing through the drainage holes. If so, that is a clear indication of a plant that has been in its container too long.

Root-bound plant

This blog post contains affiliate links.

If you have brought a plant that turns out to be rootbound, you can help it out. Take a box cutter or ‘hori-hori’ garden knife, which is a soil knife useful for cutting and digging. I use it to make a series of vertical cuts around the root ball so that you are cutting through the circled roots. Do this on the bottom, too.

By cutting the roots, you are disrupting the circular growth pattern, and they should be able to grow out into the surrounding soil.

 
 
 

4. Select healthy plants.

While most plants at the nursery are usually healthy and in good shape, this isn’t always the case.

Avoid plants with yellow leaves, which can indicate incorrect watering. Look for signs of any yellow or brown spots on the leaves, which can also be a sign of disease. Also, check for signs of disease, such as insects or webs or chewed leaves.

Bringing any plants home with a disease or damaging insects can inadvertently infect your existing plants.

Check the soil in the pot and if appears overly moist or has a funny odor, walk away. Overwatered plants rarely do well.

select plants from nursery

5. Select plants that are grown locally whenever possible.

In Arizona, where I live, many plants found in our nurseries are grown in California. (I don’t have anything against things from California – I grew up there 😉

However, plants grown in a different climate and then brought to another one can have a tough time adapting to the new climate unless they have had time to ‘harden off’ and adjust to the weather conditions.

When possible, choose plants grown by local growers. The plants will have an easier time becoming established, and you will also be supporting your local economy.

Do you have any plant-buying tips? Please share them in the comments.

DIY Garden: Portable Drip Irrigation With a Recycled Milk Jug

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Portable Drip Irrigation With a Recycled Milk Jug

Do you have plants that need extra water this summer? I have the portable drip irrigation solution for you!

Many of us have a few plants that aren’t connected to an irrigation system. Some people don’t have an irrigation system and use a hose to water plants, which is time-consuming and inefficient.

Portable Drip Irrigation is an Alternative to Traditional Irrigation

While you can certainly haul out your hose and water each of your thirsty plants, it is not the best way. The main problem is the hose puts out water quickly and the soil can’t absorb it fast enough. As a result, much of the water runs off and doesn’t benefit the plant as much as it should.

So, if the time-consuming task of watering plants by hand isn’t your cup of tea, I’m here for you. You can make life easier by creating your own portable drip irrigation system with a recycled milk jug.

3 Steps to Create a Simple Recycled Drip Irrigation System

This solution is very easy and will have you digging through your recycle bin collecting your used milk jugs.

To get started, you will need an empty plastic milk jug and a nail.

1. Make the Holes:

Heat the nail using a lighter or stove burner. Then use the nail to pierce 3 – 4 small holes in the bottom of the milk jug.

Pouring water in a jug for portable drip irrigation

2. Fill the Jug with Water:

Fill the milk jug up with water, put the cap on and carry it upside down to the plant. Turn it right side up and set it down to the plant that needs irrigation. *You can also set the empty milk jug(s) next to your plants, bring the hose to them and fill with water that way.

Portable Drip Irrigation at the bottom of a Recycled Milk Jug

3. Portable Drip Irrigation Water Pressure

Slightly loosen the cap, which will allow the water to drip out of the holes at the bottom – this allows the water to penetrate the soil slowly, instead of running off.

Once the water has drained out of the bottom of the jug, pick up your milk jug and move it to the next plant. After you are done, bring the empty jugs inside and store until the next time you need them.

Special Note: If you live in a windy area and worry the milk jug will blow away, weigh them down with an inch of small rocks in the bottom of the jug – the rocks won’t interfere with the water dripping out.

Milk jug next to an agave plant

I usually recommend this method of irrigating cacti monthly in summer.

This portable drip irrigation system is a great aid for those who live in areas that are suffering from drought or where an irrigation system may not exist.

**A semi-permanent variation of this method is to create holes along the sides instead of on the bottom. Then bury the entire jug next to the plant, leaving just the top exposed. To water plants, remove the milk cap and fill with water and replace the cap.

I hope you find this DIY garden project helpful. Please feel free to share it with your friends by clicking the “Share” button below. 

How To Grow Tomatoes in the Desert

Too Much Salt Isn’t Good For You OR Your Plants…

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I have a weakness (well, one of many) to confess to you today….

I absolutely love salt.  

In fact, I have a theory that the reason that so many people love french fries is not the potatoes or the fat it is fried in. No, it is the salt that you put on them afterwards. I mean, can you imagine eating an unsalted french fry? 

In preparation for this blog post, I went through my kitchen and pulled out all of my salt & pepper shakers.

different types of pottery

It’s kind of embarrassing isn’t it?  I have so many.

But in my defense, I must admit that I collect different types of pottery and need salt and pepper shakers for each set.

My husband made me my wooden salt cellar, which I keep near the stove when I cook.

Now, I do not use as much salt as I used to. In fact, I am trying to be better about it.  When I visited the doctor earlier this week for my physical, I still had low blood pressure, much to my relief.

Well, we all know that too much salt is bad for you and can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure. But did you know that too much salt is not good for your plants as well?

Plants don’t get ‘high blood  pressure’ with too much salt, but they do have another problem that shows up.

salt burn

They get brown tips on their leaves, which we call ‘salt burn’.

white-crusty-salt-build-up-plants

Here is another way that you can tell plants are getting too much salt. Shallow watering causes the water in the soil to evaporate quickly, leaving behind the salts. The salts look like a white crust on the soil around your plants.

At this point you may be wondering how plants get too much salt?  

Well, both our soil and water have naturally occurring salts in them. This is especially true in the Desert Southwest where our water is somewhat salty and our soils can suffer from salt build-up due to high evaporation.

So what do you do if you have indoor or outdoor plants that have brown tips?

The solution is very easy.

Water deeply.

That’s it!

salt build-up

Here is a shrub with signs of salt build-up that I encountered with one of my clients during a landscape consultation. He had other shrubs that looked similar.

I will tell you what I told him:

If your outdoor plants look like this, water the affected plant with your hose on a slow trickle for at least 2 – 3 hours.  This helps to ‘leach’ or flush the salts away from the roots.

Thereafter, adjust your irrigation schedule so that your shrubs are watered to an approximate depth of 18 inches each time. Sadly, most people water too often, too shallowly, and not long enough.  

For example, I water my shrubs and perennials every 3-4 days in the summer. It takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours for my plants to be watered to a depth of 2 feet. Of course, the time it takes to water that deeply is different for each landscape and depends on various factors, including soil type and water pressure.

If your houseplant has brown tips (salt burn), you can flush the salts out by deeply watering it. Put your plant in the sink or bathtub and let water slowly trickle on it for 1 – 2 hours.

I cover landscape irrigation in depth with my students in my online course, Desert Gardening 101. However, for those looking for advice right now, here’s what I recommend: Search your city’s website (or water provider) for watering guidelines —most have schedules, including recommended depths.

So, in closing, I’ll leave you with these two tips:

Be sure to limit your salt intake AND water your plants deeply to prevent salt burn.

Plant Disease: Oleander Leaf Scorch

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Love them or hate them, oleanders have a firm foothold in the desert landscape where they are usually seen creating living green ‘walls’ in order to provide privacy.

Plant Disease: Oleander Leaf Scorch

Their popularity is due in large part to several characteristics:

– Their evergreen foliage provides the rich, dark green color that many miss living in the desert.

– Oleanders are easy to grow, with little to no fertilizer and are drought tolerant once established.

– They add beauty to the landscape spring through fall with their flowers.  

Plant Disease: Oleander Leaf Scorch

While oleanders’ popularity is still holding on, a fatal disease that affects them has spread from California and is now being seen increasingly in Arizona.

Oleander leaf scorch (Xylella fastidiosa) is a bacterial disease that plugs up the vascular system of affected oleanders, eventually making the movement of water throughout the plant impossible.

This disease is spread by flying insects called sharpshooters. These small insects (1/4 inch long) become carriers of the disease when they feed upon an infected oleander. Thereafter, they spread it to every other oleander they feed upon.

Oleanders in Southern California were first diagnosed with the disease in the early 90s, and it was just a matter of time before it spread to Arizona.  

Advanced stages of oleander leaf scorch

Advanced stages of oleander leaf scorch

Oleander leaf scorch was first diagnosed in Arizona in 2004. Its spread has been slow but inexorable.

I have seen several cases of this disease during landscape consultations, including one that I did yesterday.

Plant Disease: Oleander Leaf Scorch

The homeowner had a very large, over 20-year-old oleander hedge that provided privacy from his neighbors.

What may look like some browing leaves in this small branch is one of the classic symptoms of oleander leaf scorch.

Oleander leaf scorch

Oleander leaf scorch

Close up, you can see the brown outer leaf margins, which are characteristic of oleander leaf scorch. (This is not to be confused with drought symptoms, which cause discoloration of the middle of the leaf.)

As we continued to walk along the row of oleanders, the infected oleanders were interspersed between healthy ones. The reason for this is that the nature of flying insects is that they hop from one plant to another, but not necessarily the next plant – they may fly 3 shrubs away before feeding again or to the next yard or block.  

Symptoms of oleander leaf scorch

Symptoms of oleander leaf scorch

This oleander showed another type of browning symptom of oleander leaf scorch with the tips looking ‘scorched’.

It’s important to note that salt burn resulting from drought or shallow irrigation can cause similar symptoms as shown in the photo below:

Drought-stressed oleander leaves

Drought-stressed oleander leaves

Note the middle of the oleander leaf is affected in the case of drought stress. While unsightly, the oleander pictured above, does NOT show signs of oleander leaf scorch.

Initial signs of oleander leaf scorch.

Initial signs of oleander leaf scorch.

Back to the oleanders showing signs of oleander leaf scorch – I could see the beginning of symptoms with lighter green alongside darker leaves by looking closely at seemingly healthy oleanders. The signs of the disease don’t show up all at once in the beginning. Often, it starts out with a branch here and there showing signs initially that will gradually progress throughout the entire plant.

It’s important to note that once an oleander has been infected with this disease, the entire plant has it – not just the branches that initially show the first signs.  

Lower leaves showing the beginning symptoms of oleander leaf scorch.

Lower leaves showing the beginning symptoms of oleander leaf scorch.

So, what is the treatment for oleander leaf scorch? Sadly, there is no cure, and once infected, it will eventually kill oleanders over a 3 – 5 year period.

Some experts recommend pruning out affected branches to improve the appearance of infected oleander shrubs for the short term. But they will die.

I recommend removing infected oleanders right away to help keep the disease from spreading.

Initial signs of oleander leaf scorch Plant Disease

Initial signs of oleander leaf scorch

Consult with an expert if you suspect that your oleanders are infected.  Problems with irrigation, nutrient deficiency, and salt burn can mimic some of the symptoms of oleander leaf scorch, and a horticulturist or other landscape expert can help you rule out other causes. Ultimately, positive identification of oleander leaf scorch can only be made by lab tests through your local cooperative extension office.

Can you simply get rid of infected oleanders and start over with new ones? The answer is “no.” The disease is already present in the local sharpshooter insect population, and it is only a matter of time before it infects your new oleander shrubs.

I recommend using Arizona rosewood (Vauquelinia californica) or hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa) as an alternative to oleanders. Both are evergreen, recommended for use near pools, make a great hedge, are drought tolerant, and attractive.

For more information on oleander leaf scorch, you may want to check out the following links:

Leaf Scorch Management Guidelines

Oleander Leaf Scorch

Oleander Leaf Scorch Strikes Again…

10 Fuss-Free Plants for the Summer Garden

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Fuss Free Plants

Artichoke agave (Agave parryi ‘truncata’), golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii), and lady’s slipper (Pedilanthus macrocarpus),

Does the idea of having to venture outside, when temperatures are above 100 degrees, to care for your garden have you thinking twice? I must admit that there have been times when I have let the plants in my landscape fend for themselves in summer after setting the irrigation controller. But, there is often a price to pay afterward when you have to play catch up with extra pruning and other maintenance.

There are however many different plants that thrive in summer with little fuss allowing you to enjoy the comforts of your air-conditioned home while viewing your beautiful garden through the windows. Here are some of my favorite fuss free plants for the summer garden.

Fuss Free Plants

Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera)

Mexican honeysuckle has lush green foliage and produces tubular orange flowers throughout the entire year. They do best in filtered shade and attract hummingbirds. I like to plant them underneath trees such as mesquite or palo verde.

Learn more about Mexican honeysuckle.

Fuss Free Plants

Artichoke Agave (Agave parryi ‘truncata’)

Artichoke agave is highly prized for its rosette shape, and it’s easy to see where it got its name. The blue-gray color and maroon edges add great color contrast to the garden when it is placed alongside plants with dark and light-green foliage.

Of course, these are but one species of agave that would make a delightful, fuss-free addition to the summer garden. I also recommend cow’s horn agave (Agave bovicornuta), smooth-edge agave (Agave desmettiana), and Victoria agave (Agave victoria–reginae) to name a few.

Fuss Free Plants
Fuss Free Plants

‘Summertime Blue’ (Eremophila ‘Summertime Blue’)

‘Summertime Blue’ is a delightful shrub that needs next to no maintenance throughout the year and decorates the garden with its bright green foliage and violet-blue flowers that appear spring through fall. It grows slowly but will reach approximately 6 feet tall and wide. If given enough room, it can go a year (or two) before needing pruning. While you may have to look around for a nursery that carries it, it’s well worth the effort. It is also usually found at the Desert Botanical Garden’s spring and fall plant sales.

Fuss Free Plants

Lady’s Slipper (Pedilanthus macrocarpus)

Lady’s Slipper is a uniquely shaped succulent with thornless stems that have a ‘Medusa-like’ growth habit that is more pronounced in light shade. The upright stems add a welcome vertical element to the landscape, and small orange flowers are produced off and on through spring and fall. They can be grown in containers or planted in the ground and do well in full sun or light shade.

Fuss Free Plants

Bush Lantana (Lantana camara ‘Radiation’)

Bush lantana is a familiar sight to many who live in arid climates like ours. This species of lantana is slightly different than the trailing gold and purple lantana. It has larger leaves, grows taller, and has multi-colored flowers that vary according to the variety. Bush lantana is a great choice for a colorful summer garden as they are seemingly heat-proof.

Fuss Free Plants

Totem Pole ‘Monstrosus’ (Lophocereus schottii ‘Monstrosus’)

Totem pole ‘Monstrosus’ has become quite a popular addition to the desert garden and it’s easy to see why with its knobby shape. Another bonus is that they are almost always thornless, which makes them suitable for areas near entries or patios where a prickly cactus aren’t welcome. Plant in full sun in a row for a contemporary look or place next to a boulder for a more natural appearance. 

Learn more about totem pole cactus.

Fuss Free Plants

‘Heavenly Cloud’ Texas Sage (Leucophyllum langmaniae ‘Heavenly Cloud’)

‘Heavenly Cloud’ Texas sage is well worth adding to your landscape for its lovely purple blossoms that appear off and on throughout the warm season, often in response to increased humidity. All species of Texas sage do well in summer and can be nearly maintenance-free if allowed enough room to reach their 8 foot tall and wide size as well as left to grow into their natural shape. This particular species blooms more than the more common ‘Green Cloud’ Texas sage.

Fuss Free Plants

Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)

Golden barrel cactus are wildly popular, and it is easy to see why with the globular shapes and yellow coloring. This cactus is quite versatile, able to grow in both sun and light shade. I like to use it in groups of three next to boulders or in a row. They also do well in containers planted singly or along with other succulents.

Fuss Free Plants

Red Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Red bird-of-paradise is one of the most iconic flowering shrubs in the low desert regions of Arizona. Also known as mexican bird-of-paradise and royal poinciana, visitors marvel at their beautiful flowers in shades of orange, yellow, and red. The striking blossoms appear in late spring and last into early fall much to the delight of hummingbirds. There is nothing to do to care for them in summer other than to marvel at their beauty.

Learn more about

red bird-of-paradise

Fuss Free Plants

Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)

Red yucca has the appearance of an ornamental grass, but its leaves are succulent. Coral-colored flowers are borne aloft on tall stalks off and on spring through fall – there is also a yellow variety as well. They look great all year, even when not in flower and are well worth adding to your outdoor space.

Learn more about red yucca.

So if you are tired of having to prune and fertilize plants through summer, I invite you to try one of these 10 fuss-free summer plants.**Do you have a favorite fuss free plants for summer?

A Well-Designed, Natural Landscape in an Unusual Place

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Well-Designed, Natural Landscape in an Unusual Place

Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness: A Well-Designed Natural Landscape

Have you noticed that landscapes around parking lots and shopping malls look somewhat lackluster? This is often due to a combination of over-pruning, over-planting, and the wrong plant in the wrong place. 

Sadly, this is so commonplace. A beautifully designed and well-maintained landscape stands out as a shiny diamond.

A Pleasant Surprise: Native Plants and Natural Shapes

a natural landscape

My husband and I went to our local outlet mall to buy some clothes for him. I hadn’t walked more than a couple of steps when I realized that something was wrong. Well… actually right! The parking lot islands have shrubs that are spaciously planted and not pruned into round balls and cupcake shapes.

Native plants looking very nice in a Well-Designed, Natural Landscape in an Unusual Place

Most of the plants were native plants. The landscape grows together attractively and in natural shapes. This begs the question, who created a rule that plants can’t touch each other?

Colorful Desert Shrubs and Perennials

Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica), turpentine bush (Ericameria laricifolia), and chuparosa (Justicia californica)

Shrubs such as Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica), turpentine bush (Ericameria laricifolia), and chuparosa (Justicia californica) stood out. The shrubs are combined with ornamental grasses like pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris). 

I confess I didn’t make a very helpful shopping companion for my husband. The attractive landscaping constantly distracts me, causing me to stop frequently to take pictures.

A Shopper’s Paradise: Discovering Yellow Orchid Vines

fabulous yellow orchid vine (Callaeum macropterum)

My favorite area was where a fabulous yellow orchid vine (Callaeum macropterum) was growing up a large wall. 

Because of the wall’s large scale, people have planted at least three vines together. Yellow orchid vine deserves more frequent use in landscaping but is seldom observed.

Yellow vines in the Well-Designed, Natural Landscape

I find that it does best in morning sun or filtered shade and regular water. Its yellow flowers are lovely and form a papery seed pod that resembles a butterfly. You can learn more about this vine here. This isn’t a common vine that you’ll find at the nursery. But you can usually find them at botanical garden plant sales or your local nursery may be able to order one for you.

Explore Natural Landscaping in Phoenix Premium Outlets

If you live in the greater Phoenix area, and want to see some great examples of desert natives and natural landscaping. Definitely plan a visit to the Phoenix Premium Outlets in Chandler. And who knows? You may even find some great deals at your favorite outlet stores.

From Grass to a ‘Natural’ Desert Landscape

Stuck in a Prickly Situation…

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Prickly pear

Prickly pear

The next time you find yourself grumbling about having to prune your trees and shrubs – just be thankful that you don’t have to prune cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden.

While I have never had to prune a large bed of cacti, I have backed into cholla and other types of cacti early in my career. I’ve even had a piece stuck on the back of my leg – ouch!

I admit to being a bit clumsy and not always hyper-aware of my surroundings. Years ago, when I had a landscape crew, they would always be warning me about plant holes and prickly plants that I didn’t spot right away.

More recently, I was visiting a client and backed my heel into her golden barrel cactus. Several years later, despite my doctor trying to get it out, a piece of that thorn is still stuck in my heel. It doesn’t hurt anymore, and I just have a tiny bump on my heel as a memento.

Prickly pear

However, some types of cacti, such as prickly pear and cholla, need to be pruned from time to time in a landscape setting.

Prickly pear can grow very large and spread. If you don’t have enough room, you may find yourself having to prune it back. When pruning prickly pears, make your pruning cuts where the individual pads meet. I like to use long-handled loppers, which work well and don’t require getting too close.

Prickly pear

Cholla tend to drop segments on the ground, which is how they propagate.  The segments will root in ideal conditions and grow a new cholla.

In a managed landscape, it is a good idea to clean the fallen pieces of cholla to help keep people from inadvertently getting it stuck to their shoes.

**Have you ever wondered why cacti have thorns?  I wrote about the surprising reasons that cacti are prickly and some tips for pulling out cactus spines if you get stuck…

“Why Do Cactus Have Spines”

Have you ever gotten pricked by a cactus?  

Drought Tolerant & Beautiful: Texas Olive (Cordia)

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Do you like plants that flower throughout most of the year?

How about a plant with evergreen foliage in zone 9-11 gardens throughout the year?

Would you prefer a plant that requires very little pruning?

Texas Olive (Cordia)

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then Texas Olive may deserve a spot in your garden.

This beautiful southwestern native deserves a spot in our ‘Drought Tolerant & Fuss Free’ category.

Texas Olive (Cordia)

Despite its common name, this is not an olive tree. However, depending on your preference, it can be trained into a small tree or a large shrub.

With all of its outstanding qualities mentioned earlier, it deserves to be seen more often in the landscape.

My favorite characteristics are its large, dark green leaves and white flowers that decorate the landscape.

Want to learn more about Texas olive and how you can use it in your landscape?

Check out my latest plant profile for Houzz.  

Great Design Plant: Cordia Boissieri

You can check out my other plant profiles here if you want more ideas for great plants to add to your drought-tolerant landscape.

Design Notes From the Field: Reflections and Succulent Nooks

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I am always on the lookout for unique landscape design, seeing how others create beauty in the garden so that I can help inspire you with your outdoor spaces. So, here are some design notes from the field that I found that I hope you will find useful.

REFLECTIONS:

unique landscape design

Often when walking through the garden, I find myself pausing to admire the view of a garden’s beauty reflected on a window.

unique landscape design

It is much like looking at a landscape in a mirror, which expands on its beauty while making it appear even more extensive.

SUCCULENT NOOK:

unique landscape design

On a visit to a client’s landscape, I noted a unique way that they display their succulents. Little nooks were created along the bare expanse of wall, where small pots filled with succulents were nestled inside.

unique landscape design

What a lovely way to break up what would otherwise be a bare wall.

CIRCULAR STEP STONES:

unique landscape design

Pathways are an essential element of the landscape, allowing us to move from one area to the other. Normally, you see square step stones, a continuous path, or flagstone in a variety of shapes forming the path. However, I like these circular step stones, which create a distinctive look. The concrete is poured into molds onsite to make these step stones.

COLORFUL PORCH:

unique landscape design

While strolling among the buildings of the La Villita Historic Village in downtown San Antonio, Texas, I spotted a delightful splash of color on a front porch. Vintage-inspired chairs in vibrant red and turquoise created a welcoming seating area in front of an old, historic home.

I hope that you enjoyed these design elements that speak to me. This is a series of design-inspired posts that I hope to feature from time to time with you. Have you seen any unique design that inspired you?

Revisiting a Newly-Designed Landscape Two Years Later