Grow Vegetables in Pots!

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UPDATE: This blog post originally was published six-years-ago, and I still like to grow vegetables in pots. It’s hard to believe that my garden helper is now 16 years old and driving a car!

I hope you enjoy it!

I started growing vegetables in pots earlier this year, and it was so easy and the vegetables so delicious AND attractive that I had to do it again.

Last week, my mother took my youngest kids to the nursery and picked up some plants for me.

Grow Vegetables in Pots!

You know what?  This is one of the happiest sights in my world 😉

My son, Kai was anxious to pull out the existing plants from our pots.

Grow Vegetables in Pots!

All my summer vegetables had been pulled a while ago, and all that was left was the Vinca that I had planted.  I realize the vinca looks a bit yellow and I admit that I didn’t fertilize them enough (I kind of hibernated inside this summer.

Kai got to work at pulling out the flowers.

Grow Vegetables in Pots!

He used the hand shovel to loosen the roots so he could pull out the vinca.

Grow Vegetables in Pots!

Then he used the shovel to ‘bang’ the root ball to loosen the soil back into the pot.  You don’t want to ‘throw away’ good soil by leaving it around the roots of plants you are pulling out.

Grow Vegetables in Pots!

I think Kai did a good job getting all the soil out of the roots, don’t you?

**Vinca will over-winter in my zone 9 garden, but will not flower much.  I prefer to treat them as an annual.

Now for the fun part – planting!

I added some more potting mix (not potting soil, which can get soggy), mixed with some compost to each container.

Then each pot was planted with a combination of green leaf lettuce, purple leaf lettuce, garlic, spinach, dill, parsley, nasturtium seeds, and petunias.

Grow Vegetables in Pots!

In just a few weeks, the lettuce and spinach will be ready to start clipping the leaves for salads.  The garlic cloves that I planted will form whole heads of garlic, which will be ready in late spring.   

I will start snipping off dill and parsley soon as well.

creating edible container garden

Garlic, leaf lettuce, spinach, parsley, and petunias

Flowers look great when planted with vegetables, and I always include some.  Nasturtiums are easy to grow from seed, and their leaves and flowers are edible.  Petunias (and nasturtiums) are great companion plants for vegetables because they help to control damaging insects from eating your vegetables.

Do you want to grow vegetables in containers?

Here is more information on how to do it…

“Vegetable and Flower Containers”

I hope you try growing vegetables in containers as much as I do!

Using Plants In Place of Curtains

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Leafy green plants make great window coverings

Do you have windows that face outward toward a view that you would rather not see?  Perhaps it is the view of the house next door. Or you have a bare wall. Maybe you need some protection from the sun. To solve these problems, have you ever considered using plants in place of curtains?

Green Window Coverings in My Garden

In my garden, I have east-facing windows, which heat the house early in the day. When our home was being built, I designed the landscape so that there were plants placed in front of those windows. 

Why would I put plants in front of these windows you may wonder? I needed some sort of shelter from the sun. But I didn’t want curtains that would block my view of the garden, so I chose to add Mexican bird-of-paradise. This yellow-flowering shrub can be pruned into a small tree. This is what I have done, which still allows me to view the garden beyond while providing some protection from the sun’s rays.

Natural, Green Window Coverings – A Designer’s Perspective

Using Plants In Place of Curtains

A few years ago, I was working with a client who was an interior designer . She had employed this same strategy for adding beauty while shielding her windows from the sun. She had decided that instead of curtains for her windows, she wanted ‘natural, green’ window coverings.

Orange Jubilee Shrubs as Window Shields

This is the view from her living room. You can see the lush green foliage from the ‘Orange Jubilee’ creates interesting shadows inside and she can enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by beautiful plants, even while indoors.

using Orange Jubilee' (Tecoma x 'Orange Jubilee') shrubs In Place of Curtains

To achieve this, she planted a row of ‘Orange Jubilee’ (Tecoma x ‘Orange Jubilee’) shrubs in front of her windows.

using single hop bush In Place of Curtains

Single Hop Bush – An Alternative to Curtains

Here is another example of using plants in place of curtains. A single hop bush shrub creates a lovely green screen that protects this west-facing window from the blistering afternoon sun.

Have you ever tried using plants instead of curtains? Beyond functioning as a curtain they also work to increase shade and reduce heat islands in neighborhoods. This helps keep homes cooler.

Design Notes From the Field: A New Build, Metal Art, Weeds, and Shade

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design notes landscape new home

Design Notes from the Field – Landscape Insights

I’m back with design notes from the field, where I share observations and recommendations from my work as a landscape consultant. This edition features a new build, metal art, weeds, and shade. I hope that you can pick out helpful tips that you can use in your landscape.

Designing a Modern Landscape for a New Build

Up first, is a new house that is being constructed in east-central Phoenix. The home that used to stand on this lot was taken down to the foundation. An energy-efficient home is coming up in its place. I was hired by the architect to design a landscape that will fit its clean, modern lines.

Adding Artistic Flair with Metal Garden Art

Several years ago, I solely worked as a landscape designer. I worked with homebuilders, creating new landscapes from scratch with a blank palette. Nowadays, as a landscape consultant, design is just one aspect of what I do. I have an overall plan within an existing landscape, which also includes maintenance recommendations. Now and then, I create one for new homes, and this one has some fun challenges.

The look the architect wants is simple and uncluttered. This gives the new homeowner room to add to it if desired. So, I am concentrating on using plants to create a framework. This includes two trees in the front. Then there will be two along the west-facing side to provide screening from the road and protection from afternoon sun.

Foundation Plants and Color

Foundation plants will soften the base of the house while taller shrubs will soften the corners. Ground covers will add low-level interest along with a few agave and cactuses for an accent.

A splash of color will be added by the front entry with the placement of a large, colorful pot. Fill it with an easy to care for succulent.

Design Notes Landscape Barbecue Area Solutions

what to do with a blackened barbecue wall in the garden

Often, I am asked for advice on what to do in somewhat unique situations. In this case, the homeowner needed advice for what to do for the wall behind the BBQ. It regularly turns black after grilling. 

I tend to look at problems like this as opportunities for adding more interest to the outdoor space. In this case, I recommended adding garden art in the form of rusted metal botanical panels. There is a local artist in Phoenix who creates metal panels with plant shapes cut out of them. He offers standard pieces but also does custom work. 

The rusted metal garden art will add welcome interest and design notes landscape touches behind the BBQ as well as disguise any blackened area on the wall.

Botanical Panels Add Beauty

design notes landscape metal panels

Here is an example of the metal botanical panels from another client’s home. This is where I first encountered the work of this artist. You can learn more about this metal artist here. 

Battling Weeds and Embracing the Beauty of Shade

weeds in cracks of travertine

Weeds will always be a problem in the landscape. Like these I saw at a client’s home growing through the patio. The solution to this area is to slowly pour boiling water on weeds growing through the cracks. This will kill them. For travertine, only do this if the stone is sealed. 

design notes landscape trees and shadows are important for design

Leveraging Shade and Tree Patterns in Landscape Design

To wrap our design notes, here is a landscape. The homeowner wants to concentrate on plants up close to the house and not add any further out. If this front yard didn’t have any trees, the absence of plants would cause it to look barren and washed out. However, the patterns from the branches of the ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde add beautiful patterns on the ground here. So you can get away with leaving it bare, which draws attention to the lovely shadows of the branches.

I hope you have enjoyed this latest session of design notes. I’ll have more for you in the future.

**Stay tuned for a special announcement that I’ll be making the beginning of September. I’m working on a new project that will enable me to help you even more to create, grow, and maintain a beautiful outdoor space in the desert. I’ve been working on it for a while and am so excited to share it with you soon!

Side Gardens (or Yards)

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Transforming Side Yards into Side Gardens

Sometimes, one area that many homeowners struggle with is what to plant in their side yards. It can be an awkward place with little sun and not much room for plants to grow. Most of these narrow spaces along the side of our home are little more than “yards,” but there is potential to turn them into “gardens.” On a visit to a client’s house, I saw a great example of this, where the homeowner had created side gardens.

Symmetry and Blooms: A Closer Look at the First Side Garden

Bougainvillea with Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) in side garden

First, her first side garden was planted with upright Bougainvillea shrubs against the wall with Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) planted in between. I liked the symmetry of the alternating plants. They covered the wall so well – I’m not a fan of a view of a bare wall outside my window.

Lush Green Backdrops: The Other Side of the Side Garden

Most of the time the star jasmine produces small white fragrant flowers in spring. The bougainvillea produces vibrant blooms spring through fall. What is interesting about this plant combination. is that the base of the wall in a narrow side garden rarely gets much sun. The star jasmine does well in the shade. After all, bougainvillea does best in sunny spots. The top part of them gets just enough sun to promote blooms.

Yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana) and 'Orange Jubilee' (Tecoma x 'Orange Jubilee') in side garden

In the other side of the garden, Yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana) trees grew along the wall toward the back. ‘Orange Jubilee’ (Tecoma x ‘Orange Jubilee’) shrubs covered the wall closer up creating a lush green backdrop.

Enhancing Your Side Garden’s Aesthetics

I did make two suggestions in regards to this side garden. Remove the ‘Orange Jubilee’ shrubs growing in-between the yellow oleander trees. Right now, they make that area look overcrowded. You cannot see the beauty and symmetry of the tree trunks against the wall.

Brightening Your View: The Importance of Plants in Side Gardens

If you never see your side garden or it serves as your utility area, you may not want to spend time and money on adding plants. However, I do recommend focusing on placing plants directly across from any windows. For the windows that face into that area, because who wants to look out onto a bare wall?

Want to add art and creativity to your desert side yard? Try these three inspiring ideas.

What do you have growing in your side garden?

Cats In The Garden: Triumphs and Challenges

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Cats In The Garden

*This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thanks for your support in this way.*

Do you have cats in your garden? I do. In fact, I have a few cats who love to spend time in the gardens surrounding my house, and none of them belong to me…technically.

Like many neighborhoods, mine has a feral cat population, and we have had cats come and go – we’ve even had kittens born behind my purple lilac vines. As you might expect, I’ve faced some challenges with cats in the garden, but have recently had several triumphs.

my vegetable garden

Several years ago, the number of strays in the neighborhood increased due to our neighbor feeding them and some of them began to use my vegetable garden as their toilet. 

My attempt to solve the problem was to plant the herb rue, which supposedly had cat-repelling properties. The local cats didn’t know that as I kept finding little ‘gifts’ in the vegetable garden.

After the rue didn’t work, I purchased a motion-controlled sprinkler head, which went off whenever the cats got too near, and that worked quite well at keeping them away. However, it also would go off whenever any of us walked too close to the veggies.

So last year, I decided to try a fine mesh garden netting to cover the vegetable garden with excellent results. It also had a welcome side benefit of decreasing caterillars because the moths couldn’t get in to lay their eggs.

My pots were also a make-shift litter box for my furry visitors. However, this was quickly rectified by placing paver stones on the bare spots in-between my plants, and they also served to cool the soil and preserve moisture in the pots.

my sister's cat, 'Scissors.

What is it about cats and pots? This is my sister’s cat, ‘Scissors.’

'roof cats.'

Do you have roof rats? I don’t. I have ‘roof cats.’ Or, cats that like to take refuge underneath my solar panels. Of course, they make sure that I don’t have any rats lurking about.

Cats In The Garden

For the past year, I have three cats who we have adopted. Of course, the cats don’t know that we’ve adopted them. What they do know is that the orange tree is wonderfully shady in the morning, the patio is blessedly cool on a hot summer’s day, and a picnic table is a great spot to gather with your friends. We don’t feed them, but they are healthy and happy.

One of our regulars visiting with our desert tortoise, Aesop.

One of our regulars visiting with our desert tortoise, Aesop.

Our family enjoys watching their antics through the window and allow them to enjoy our garden. I find myself smiling when I view them together. We have three regulars, a red tabby, a black and white cat, and a small black one.

Cats In The Garden

It seems that we’ve come to a compromise – they leave my vegetable garden and pots alone and only occasionally use my rose garden as an emergency pit stop. I must say that the simple pleasure we receive from our ‘adopted’ cats is worth it.

Making Peace With Weeds In My Lawn

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Embracing Weeds in Your Lawn: Surprising Results

Do you have a patch of lawn in your garden? It can be a cumbersome task to keep a grassy area green and healthy, not to mention weed-free. To keep it this way often means applications of “weed and feed” fertilizers. They feed the grass while killing the weeds. These are marginally effective. The chemicals contained within aren’t what I want to use in my back garden. Particularly not with my kids and animals using the grassy area. So, I have made peace with the weeds in my lawn with surprising results.

An Arizona lawn

My Lawn Transformation: Weeds and All

Our backyard is relatively large. It is divided into three sections with the largest area taken up with a bermudagrass lawn area where my kids enjoy playing. A pet desert tortoise, Aesop, can often be found munching on the grass throughout the summer months. I like the cooling effect and beauty that the grass adds. I do have plans to replace my lawn in a year or two, but for now, it fills our needs. 

The Key to Weed-Tolerant Lawn Beauty

This lawn is 19 years old, and as a result, there are weeds growing within it. Wind spreads weed seed. If you have a grassy area, it is just a matter of time before you see weeds coming up.

Weeds are all through this lawn and it is beautiful


Now, when I mention having weeds thriving in my grass, I’m not referring to the occasional stray plant here and there. Instead, I’m describing a lawn where an abundance of weeds has become an integral part of the landscape. The weeds are covering almost every inch. These resilient plants have truly made themselves at home in my once-pristine lawn.

Weeds In My Lawn

You have to look very closely to spot any bermudagrass in this area. But you can see it is filled with bright green clover and some nutsedge growing above it. I must admit to being extremely frustrated at the sheer amount of weeds growing in my lawn. But something happened last year, which enabled me to make peace with these unwanted weeds.

Wedding seating in the garden

Stop Worrying About Weeds in Lawn

We hosted a small wedding in our backyard last summer, and a lot of preparation went into having the garden looking its best. While I initially lamented the fact that weeds were growing in the lawn, I was surprised to see how pretty and green it looked. A few weeks after the wedding, as I looked at the wedding photos, I was struck by how healthy and beautiful the lawn looked. 

I realize your focus may be on how pretty the bride is, but look at how good my grass looks ;-)

I realize your focus may be on how pretty the bride is, but look at how good my grass looks 😉

My granddaughter and grandson - I couldn't resist sharing this photo of them!

My granddaughter and grandson – I couldn’t resist sharing this photo of them!

After the wedding was over and I had some time to reflect, I realized that my lawn looked great as it had the most important qualities that I wanted – lush green color, no bare spots, and healthy.

Weeds In My Lawn and you cannot tell

And so, I am now free to enjoy my lawn, and I am no longer upset over the weeds present. The key to keep it looking great and not bring attention to any weeds is to keep it regularly mowed. My teenage son mows ours weekly, and we fertilize it in spring and again in fall. At this point, I don’t know how much longer we will keep our lawn as I have a couple of ideas for this area instead, but in the meantime, I will enjoy the lush green of my backyard grass – weeds and all.

How about you? Have you interested in making peace with the weeds in your lawn?

Design Notes From the Field: A New Build, Metal Art, Weeds, and Shade

Beautiful Agave: A Fourth Generation Begins

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Growing Octopus Agave: A Testament to the Cycle of Life

octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana)

My favorite type of succulent are agave. While there are many different species, I’ll never forget the first one I ever grew. It was an octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana) that planted years ago while in college studying for my horticulture degree. It has an unusual form and I love the plant. Even though that was long ago, I have a daily reminder of that first agave plant. Because its descendants are growing in my garden today.

The Grandbabies of the First Agave: Octopus Agave Life Cycle

This agave is the ‘grandbaby’ of the first one that I grew all those years ago. It was with a feeling of sadness when I noticed it sending up its flowering stalk late in winter. This is signalling that it was nearing the end of its life. At the same time, there was also a sense of excitement about new birth. There is the promise of a new generation of agave babies on their way.

Tall flowering spike of an octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana)

The Fascinating Flowering Process of Agave

The age that an agave is when it flowers varies between the different species. Some living for decades before they send up their towering spikes. With octopus agave, they generally live less than ten years before this wondrous process begins to take place. 

Yellow flowers of the octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana) attract bees

Watching the rate of growth of the flowering stalk of an agave never ceases to amaze me. They grow several inches a day.

Propagating Octopus Agave: A Lesson in Patience

bold yellow agave flowers

Golden yellow flowers began to open along the length of the giant stem. This is much to the delight of bees who happily pollinate the blooms.

baby agave forming on the stem

Pollinated flowers soon gave way to tiny octopus agave along the stem.

hand picking the agave babies off the stem

And a few weeks later, they were ready to be picked. Definitely ready to create a new generation of octopus agave for my garden.

Nurturing Agave Offspring

octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana) babies

There are probably over a thousand small agave growing along the stalk. However, I selected only nine to represent the next generation. I’m not likely to plant all of them in my garden once they are rooted. But it’s a good idea to select a few more than you are planning for in case some don’t make it, or if you want to give a few away.

agave roots forming

Each baby agave is called a ‘bulbil’. They don’t have any roots yet, but will soon appear when planted.

octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana) in containers

I filled three pots with a planting mix. This mix is specially formulated for cactus and succulents. That means it is well-drained, which is important when growing succulents. Three agave babies went into each pot. I placed in the backyard in an area that receives morning sun and filtered shade in the afternoon. Placing them in full sun all day would be too difficult for them at this stage as they still need to grow roots.

Agave babies growing stronger

My job now is to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Roots will then form, which should take approximately 3-4 weeks. At that time, I can start to space out the watering to every five days or so. Eventually, I will move them out of the pot. Then transplant them into the garden or into a large container (2 1/2 feet tall and wide). There they can make their new home.

Continuing the Agave Legacy

I’m not sure where I will plant each new octopus agave. But I will transplant one to where the parent plant used to be, continuing the cycle of life.

King Ferdinand agave

The baby boom isn’t over. Soon, I will be welcoming another set of baby agave into my garden as my King Ferdinand agave has also sent up its flowering stalk. This species is somewhat rare in the landscape and takes a very long time before it flowers, so I am very excited to welcome its babies next month.

A Hidden Rose Garden in the Desert

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hidden rose garden in the desert

Discovering a Hidden Desert Rose Garden

I am a self-professed lover of roses and rejoice whenever I come across rose bushes that are thriving in our hot, arid climate and I also enjoy unexpected discoveries in the garden. On a recent visit to new client’s home, I came upon a hidden rose garden in the desert. 

The Surprising Oasis: Roses Thriving in the Desert Landscape

hidden rose garden in the desert with front lawn native plants

As I walked up to the front door, I was preparing for my consultation with her and noted that her front landscape had a nice framework in place with mature plants.

palo verde trees and saguaro cacti

Upon walking into the backyard, I was greeted by expansive views of the desert, dotted with palo verde trees and saguaro cacti. Like the front, the landscape had good bones but, needed some attention to the subtler points, such as adding color.

A Joyful Surprise: The Desert Rose Garden Revealed

A Hidden Rose Garden in the Desert in the shade of trees

After discussing my recommendations for the backyard, we started toward the large side garden, when I caught a glimpse of the owner’s pride and joy – her rose garden.

A Hidden Rose Garden in the Desert with irrigation and hoses

I experienced pure joy when I saw this lovely garden, filled with colorful roses that were happily growing in a desert landscape. Groups of roses were planted in beds, with amended soil and edged with rocks that created a natural look.

Secrets to Desert Rose Success

The owner inherited these roses, and she has put her green thumb to good use, but there are other factors that affect her success with roses. 

Tropicana Rose

Tropicana Rose

First, the roses are located in designated beds, with amended soil, such as compost and steer manure. Second, and perhaps most importantly for a desert garden, they are located in an area that has filtered sunlight. While roses can grow in full sun, they can struggle in the summer, and appreciate some relief. Third, she feeds her roses in spring and fall with a rose fertilizer.

Pink roses

The Contrasting Beauty: Desert Roses Amidst the Saguaro Forest

Although I lean toward using plants that look great with little fuss, I make an exception for roses. I have grown roses for over 25 years. Now I’m testing new roses for rose growers to see how they do in a low desert garden. 

I firmly believe that when a specific type of plant brings you joy. It’s worth investing a bit of extra work, just like with roses.

A Hidden Rose Garden in the Desert with saguaro cactus

As I stood in my client’s rose garden, I looked out onto the saguaro forest that stood outside her backyard wall. I was struck at how beautiful this colorful oasis stood in stark contrast with its surroundings.

Growing roses in the desert doesn’t have to be difficult, but there are factors that affect your success. I’ve compiled my rose-growing posts into a single list, which you can access here. 

Removing a Rose Bush for a Greater Purpose

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David Austin Roses growing amidst a periwinkle blue fence

A Tale of Roses: A David Austin Rose Experiment

I adore roses. For those who have followed me for a while, this comes as no surprise. I’ve grown roses for almost thirty years. Rose gardens are so beautiful. They are the one plant responsible for inspiring me to get my degree in Horticulture. 

So, why am I taking out a rose? Have I gone crazy? 

Olivia Rose with pink petals and a lovely scent

‘Olivia Rose’

Exploring David Austin Roses: A Rose Garden Project

Let me give you a little background. For the past few years, I have grown new rose varieties in my Arizona garden, given to me by David Austin Roses to see how they perform in the low desert regions of Arizona each year, and I report which varieties do well. These types of roses are easy to grow, have a beautiful old-fashioned flower shape, and are highly fragrant. Once people grow a David Austin rose, they seldom go back to other kinds.

Preparing for New Roses: Saying Goodbye to an Underperforming Rose Bush

This year, I am working on a project, with the assistance of the folks at David Austin Roses, which spans two rose gardens, located in very different climates. The first garden is mine, located in Arizona, and the second belongs to my daughter, who lives in northern Michigan. The project consists of each of us growing two identical varieties of roses and a different one that is reported to do better in our respective climates.

A man digging int he garden

Welcoming New Roses: Planting the David Austin Beauties

Before planting new roses, I had to get my rose garden ready for new roses, which meant that one had to go. And so, I asked my husband to dig out one of the roses from the garden.

David Austin Rose dug up

The rose bush I chose to remove didn’t do very well and only looks nice three months of the year, while those remaining do much better. So, the decision was easy.

David Austin Roses in the mail

Soon that garden was ready, and the roses arrived from David Austin. I always experience a feeling akin to Christmas morning whenever new roses come in the mail.

David Austin Roses bare root rose

It never ceases to amaze me how something so beautiful has such a humble beginning.

Soaking the David Austin Roses bare root rose

I soaked the roses for 24 hours and then planted them. Two months later, they are covered in buds, and I can’t wait for them to open.

winter snow on a rose stem

As for my daughter’s garden, she isn’t quite ready to be planting any roses as it is sitting under a layer of snow so she will be planting hers in a month or so.

I’ll keep you updated throughout the rose project and highlighting the differences and similarities of growing roses in a hot and cold climate. 

Next, I will share with you the varieties growing in my garden along with pictures of their first blooms. Have you ever grown David Austin roses?

Goodbye to the Godfather of English Roses

Fountains of Orange: Coral Fountain

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(Russelia equisetiformis) coral fountain

Coral Fountain, Firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis)

When you ask most people what they want in their garden, their most common answer is, “color”. One of the best plants that I like to recommend for warm-season color is a coral fountain, also known as the firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis). It has beautiful, cascading foliage that resembles the movement of water.

Fountains of Orange: Coral Fountain

Deep orange flowers

Deep orange flowers begin to appear in spring, the attract both humans and hummingbirds. As you can see, this is not a plant for subtle color – it is dramatic.

(Portulacaria afra).

Coral fountain paired with elephants food (Portulacaria afra).

 It looks great when paired with succulents like artichoke agave (Agave parryi ‘truncata’), elephants food (Portulacaria afra), or lady’s slipper (Pedilanthus macrocarpus). For additional interest, you can plant it alongside yellow-flowering plants from the low-growing gold lantana (Lantana ‘New Gold’) or angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis) all the way to the tall yellow bells (Tecoma stans stans).

coral fountain

In my garden, I have three of them growing underneath the filtered shade of my palo verde tree. If you’d like to learn more about the coral fountain to see if it would be a good fit in your garden, please read my earlier post.