azplantlady

A Front Garden (NOT a Yard)

Exploring My Front Garden: More Than Just a Yard

Do you have a front garden adorned with perennials and succulents, or do you simply call it a front yard? Personally, I prefer not to refer to the front area of a home as a mere ‘yard’. The definition of the word ‘yard‘ is “a piece of ground adjoining a building or house.”

A Burst of Color from Perennials and Succulents

Now, while I do have a piece of ground adjoining my house – it is so much more than that.

The piece of ground is filled with trees, shrubs, perennials, and succulents, which in my opinion makes it not a ‘yard’ BUT a ‘garden’.

So, I thought that I would show you a little of what is growing in my front ‘garden’….

firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) perennials and succulents

Blooming Beauties: Firecracker Penstemon and White Gaura

This time of year, my firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) is in full bloom, much to the delight of bees and hummingbirds.

This tough perennial blooms January through April in my zone 9a garden. In cooler climates, it will flower in the summer.

white gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) perennials and succulents

Underneath the front window, lies a row of white gaura (Gaura lindheimeri), which flowers in spring and fall. This perennial is hardy to zone 5.

Embracing the World of Agave, Alongside Perennials and Succulents

artichoke agave perennials and succulents

Agave are my favorite type of succulent and I have several different types in my garden.

This one is near the front entry and is called artichoke agave (Agave parryi ‘truncata’).

It is a medium-sized agave and can grow in zones 7 and up.

As you can see, it has produced some offsets (babies, pups, volunteers). They are attached to the mother plant by a underground stem.

I have taken several of the offsets and replanted them around my garden…

This one was planted 2 years ago from the mother plant.

It is easy to take offsets and plant them in other areas in the garden. I wrote about it a few years ago and you can read it here.

The Charm of Globe Mallow in Various Shades

In late winter, I am always impatient to see my globe mallow begin to show the first glimpse of color peeking through.

I have several globe mallow plants and each one produces a different-colored flower.

pink globe mallow perennials and succulents

Here is my pink globe mallow.

white globe mallow flowers perennials and succulents

And it’s neighbor, which has white flowers.

red globe mallow perennials and succulents

This globe mallow has vibrant, red flowers and is located on the other side of my front garden landscape with other perennials and succulents.

While I love all of my globe mallow flowers, I think that the pink are my favorite…

hot pink globe mallow perennials and succulents

The most common color of globe mallow is orange. But, as you can see, there are other colors available.

Agave Wonders: Octopus Agave and Victoria Agave

I mentioned that I had a few different species of agave in my garden.

This is my largest one, which is called octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana).

octopus agave pups perennials and succulents

I raised this agave from a tiny pup (bulbil) from the flowering stem of its mother, who I had grown in a large pot.

This agave has a tropical look with its curvy leaves and does best in areas with filtered or afternoon shade.

Victoria agave (Agave victoria-reginae) was named for Queen Victoria.

This smaller agave has a very distinctive look and is highly-desired, which makes it rather expensive.

I was given the largest one in the photo, above, by a client and it has since gone on to produce many babies for me.

A Twist on Lantana with a Splash of Color

Some people may think that lantana is overused in the landscape with perennials and succulents, but I like to put a twist on the traditional lantana.

There is a lantana called ‘Lavender Lace’ that produces both purple and white flowers on the same plant. BUT, it can be hard to find and is expensive.

So, I create the same look by planting both a purple and a white trailing lantana in the same hole.

Succulents Adding Texture to the Garden

My favorite types of plants are flowering shrubs and groundcovers. However, I like the different textures that succulents add to my front garden.

So, I have green desert spoon (Dasylirion acrotriche) on both sides in the front. This species of desert spoon has a darker-green color then the gray/blue leaves of regular desert spoon.

Valentine: A Favorite Flowering Shrub

Valentine shrub perennials and succulents

Finally, I’d like to finish with my favorite flowering shrub, Valentine whose red blooms began to appear at Christmas and will last through April.

*********************

I hope you enjoyed this partial tour of my front garden. I do have trees and other plants growing, but because they are dormant in winter, I will show you them in the future, once they are looking their best.

Creative Container Gardening Tips

Arizona garden, AZ Plant Lady, azplantlady, Cactus/Succulents, California desert garden, Containers, desert gardening, Fertilizer, Flowering Annuals, Fuss Free Plant, herb gardening, Las Vegas gardening, Succulent Gardening

Container Gardening: Bringing Life to Your Desert Garden

Spring Transitions in Container Gardening

Spring in the desert brings a flurry of activity out in the garden – much of it involving container gardening. As the season changes, it’s time to rejuvenate your containers and infuse new life into your outdoor space.

As they say, in late spring, it’s “out with the old and in with the new.” In the desert garden, it’s when cool-season flowering annuals are traded out for those that can handle the hot temperatures of summer.

Embracing the Heat-Resistant Annuals

Examples of cool-season annuals are pansies, petunias, and snapdragons, which are grown fall through spring. BUT, they won’t survive hot, desert summers. So, in late April, it’s time to plant flowering annuals that can take the heat. My favorites include angelonia, ‘Blue Victoria’ salvia, and vinca.

Beyond Blossoms: Creative Container Gardening Ideas

While flowers remain a popular choice for container gardening, there’s a world of possibilities to explore with growing plants in containers. Here are some creative ideas to elevate your container gardening game:

1. Colorful Containers

Give your containers a vibrant makeover by painting them in eye-catching colors. Elevate the aesthetics of your garden by transforming inexpensive plastic containers into stylish focal points with a simple coat of paint.

Leaf lettuce and garlic grow along with flowering petunias.

2. Edible Delights

Did you know that you can grow vegetables in pots? I love doing this in my garden. In the fall, I plant leaf lettuce, spinach, and garlic in my large pots alongside flowering petunias. When March arrives, I like to add basil, peppers along with annuals.

Winter Container Gardening with spinach, parsley and garlic growing with pink petunias

Winter container garden with spinach, parsley and garlic growing with pink petunias.

For pots, I recommend you use a potting mix, which is specially formulated for containers and holds just the right amount of moisture. Container plants need to be fertilized. You can use a slow-release fertilizer or a liquid fertilizer of your choice.

Cucumbers growing with vinca and dianthus.

3. Seasonal Vegetable Pairings

In spring, vegetables such as cucumbers, bush beans, and even zucchini can grow in containers paired with flowers.

*If you would like to try growing edible containers, click here for more info.

4. Low-Maintenance Succulents

For a fuss-free container gardening experience, consider planting cacti and succulents. These hardy desert dwellers not only flourish in pots but also require less water compared to their flowering counterparts.

Desert Spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri).

Succulents are an excellent choice for planting in areas where water is not easily accessible. While they will need supplemental water, they don’t need water every day, making them a better choice for these areas.

In general, succulents are lower-maintenance as well, so they are an excellent choice for the ‘fuss-free’ gardener.

Use a potting mix specially formulated for cactus & succulents, which will drain well.

Fertilize succulents spring through fall using a liquid or slow-release fertilizer at 1/2 the recommended strength.

*For more information on how to plant succulents in containers, including how to do it without getting pricked, click here.

5. Space-Saving Strategies

Let’s face it – the potting mix is expensive and makes your pots very heavy. If you have a large pot, your plant’s roots most likely will never reach the bottom – so why waste soil where you don’t need it?

Fill up the unused space with recycled plastic containers and then add your potting mix. You will save money, AND your container will be much lighter as well.

Best Tips for Successful Container Gardening

To ensure your container garden thrives, follow these essential tips:

Use a potting mix specially formulated for containers to maintain optimal moisture levels.
Regularly fertilize your container plants with a suitable fertilizer.
Choose a potting mix tailored for cacti and succulents when growing these drought-resistant plants.
Consider supplementing water with succulents in arid areas.
For more information on succulent container gardening, click here.

Reimagine Your Desert Garden with Containers

Whether you’re a gardening novice or a seasoned pro, container gardening offers boundless opportunities to transform your outdoor space. Explore the beauty of diverse plantings, experiment with colors, and embrace the practicality of edible container gardens. By reimagining what you can do in a container, you’ll breathe new life into your desert garden this spring.

A Cold and Snowy Spring Break

Arizona, az plant lady family, azplantlady, Cactus/Succulents, Desert Animals, Garden Travels, Road Trip

Petoskey, Michigan lighthouse

While spring break is a time where masses of people escape the cold for warmer climates (like Arizona), we decided to do the exact opposite. We flew out of warm, sunny Phoenix and headed to cold and snowy Michigan.

Now before you start to question my sanity, I have an excellent reason for bundling up and bracing myself for the cold, windy weather. My daughter and her family call Michigan their home now, and since then, we try to make it out at least twice a year, and spring break just happened to be the best time to do it.

I always look forward to visits to their town of Petoskey, Michigan which sits on the shore of Little Traverse Bay. It is a popular summer destination, and I spent several weeks here last year helping my daughter move into her new house and add new plants to her garden.

It is always fun pulling out my warm weather gear, which seldom gets used at home. I knit these fingerless mittens a few years ago and rarely have a chance to wear them.

As a Southern California native and Arizona resident, I must admit that I have relatively little experience with cold weather so, it has been fun exploring the landscape and seeing the effects of winter. Seeing the bay frozen in time where we waded in with our feet last June was exciting.

At the beginning of our week, the temperatures were in the mid 20’s with a brisk wind, and we were excited to see an unexpected snow shower.

I realize that many of you who have lived in areas with cold winters may be rolling your eyes at this point, but for someone who has always lived where winters are mild, the weather has been a novelty.

However, the novelty quickly wore off this morning when I stepped outside, and it was a frigid 16 degrees, and I learned why people start their cars a few minutes before they get in to let them heat up inside. But, I braved the few steps from the house to the car, and we were off to my granddaughter Lily’s preschool class where I was to give a presentation on the desert and Arizona.

I brought photographs of the animals, cactuses, and flowers of the desert. The kids were a great audience and seemed especially impressed with the following pictures:

The height of a saguaro cactus with people standing at its base
A bird poking its head out of a hole in the saguaro
Cactus flowers
Aesop – our desert tortoise

I was struck by how different the desert is from the Michigan landscape and felt honored to expand their horizons.

On the way back from pre-school, we were tasked with bringing the classroom pet, ‘Snowball’ the guinea pig home where he will stay with Lily for spring break. Doing little tasks such as this bring back happy memories of when our kids were little.

We will be home soon, and spring is a busy time for me. I have new plants coming in the mail (straight from the grower) for me to test in my Arizona garden, I’ll be showcasing two new plants from the folks at Monrovia, and in a couple of weeks, I’ll be traveling again – this time to Savannah, Georgia for a fun project that I’m excited to share with you soon.

*What are you doing for spring break?

A Peek into My Winter Garden

azplantlady, desert gardening, Drought Tolerant, Fuss Free Plant, Horticulturist, Perennial, Shrubs, Southwest garden

Winter Garden, The vibrant flowers of firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatoni) add a welcome splash of color during winter and into spring.

People often ask me to post more photographs of my garden on my blog. I must confess that I am sometimes reluctant to do so as I wonder if they expect a ‘perfect’ garden – one that is meticulously maintained and expertly designed.

However, I decided that would show you my garden, even if it bursts a few bubbles of what people expect it to look like.

The yellow flowers of angelita daisy contrast with the cool colors of purple and white trailing lantana. Gopher plants (Euphorbia rigida) are getting ready to produce chartreuse-colored flowers.

The landscape that surrounds my home reflects my love for plants that add beauty without needing much attention from me. I don’t tend to rake or blow my leaves and the plants are allowed to grow into their natural shapes without much interference from me.

The fragrant blossoms of feathery cassia (Senna artemisiodes) add visual warmth to the winter landscape.

That is important because I am usually so busy helping others with their landscapes, that I often don’t have enough time to fuss over mine. Pruning once, or at most, twice a year is my standard of a fuss-free plant.

I love color throughout all seasons. So, you are just as likely to find as much color in my winter garden as in the summer.

Green desert spoon (Dasylirion texanum) add spiky texture contrast to the landscape.

As for the design of my garden, horticulturists are by nature, collectors of plants. This means that we likely to include many different kinds of plants – often more than you would see in a well-designed garden.

I do enjoy designing landscapes and have done my best in designing my own garden, while incorporating a large variety of plants.

The leafless canes of an ocotillo will soon leaf out with the arrival of spring.

I’ve always felt that a garden should reflect the owner’s personality while also enhancing the exterior of their home. Mine shows my love for color and low-maintenance beauty.

What does your garden reveal about you?

Colorless Winter Garden ? No Way!

Colorful Container, Before and After, and Valentines

Agave, azplantlady, Cactus/Succulents, Containers, Landscape Problems, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting, Southwest garden

February is what I like to call a ‘bridge’ month. In regards to work, it is a transition month for me. It is the month between January, when work slows down as it’s cold with not much is growing and March, when the weather is delightfully warm and everybody seemingly wants to redo their landscape. If I could choose the perfect month in terms of work load, it would be February.

Landscape Dilemma ,Colorful Container Before and After Landscape

Last week, I was visiting one of my favorite clients whose landscape has been a work in progress. The backyard was finished last year and now, it was time to pay attention to the front. Of course, I took a few minutes to see how things were doing in the back and my attention was immediately drawn to this colorful container filled with colorful succulents. The orange stems of ‘Sticks on Fire’ Euphorbia adds welcome color to the garden throughout the year while elephant’s food (Portulacaria afra) trails down the side of the pot.

I am a strong proponent of using colorful pots filled with low-maintenance succulents in the garden. Why mess with flowering annuals if you can enjoy vibrant color without the high maintenance?

Full disclosure: I do have a couple of pots filled with petunias, but the vast majority are filled with succulents 😉

Landscape Dilemma

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is assisting my clients with their landscape dilemma. Often, the solution is much simpler than the client imagined. Last fall, I visited this home which had a large, shallow depression that was filled with dying agave. The interesting thing was that there was no obvious reason for its presence as no water drained into it. It definitely wasn’t what the client wanted in this high-profile area.

So what would be a good solution for this area? The client wanted to plant a large saguaro cactus in this area, but didn’t want to add a lot of plants. My recommendation was to get rid of the dying agave and turn the depression into an attractive feature of the garden.

This is what it looks like now. Filling the area with rip-rap rock, adds both a texture and color contrasting element to the landscape. Well-placed boulders with a century plant (Agave americana), Mexican fence post (Stenocereus marginatus), and golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) help to break up the large expanse of the shallow depression with their spiky and globular shapes. Finally, a saguaro cactus was added, which stands sentinel over this renovated area.

One would never imagine that this part of landcape hadn’t been planned this way when it was first planted years ago.

Lastly, February is all about Valentine’s Day. I sent my granddaughter a care package filled with goodies for Valentine’s Day. Dinosaur cards for her classmates, a little craft, a hanging mobile, stickers, and of course chocolates – all with a Valentine theme.

For me, Valentine’s day comes with mostly great memories. As a child, I looked forward to handing out Valentines to my classmates and getting them in return. During teenage years, there was one particularly memorable one when I was 17 years old. My boyfriend didn’t get me anything, however, another boy gave me a card and a flower, which was some consulation. And to finish off that infamous Valentine’s Day, I came down the chicken pox that very day. Guess who also got the chicken pox? The boyfriend who forgot Valentine’s Day. Now, I look forward spending the 14th with the main man in my life, who after 31 years, still makes me feel special.

*What do you do to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Cactus Flowers Color the Desert Landscape

A Busy Fall Season

az plant lady family, azplantlady, Cactus/Succulents, desert gardening, Horticulturist, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Photo: Landscape Renovation Project

As a mom, grandmother, and horticulturist, the fall season is a very busy season for me. Whether I’m busy on the work site, hosting a Halloween party, or helping out my mother as she recuperates from a broken leg – there is never a dull moment.

I thought that I would show you just a snippet of the events of the past few weeks.

Photo: My mother’s orthopedist knows how to decorate his office for Halloween.

Over a month ago, my mother suffered a very badly broken leg that required surgery. My very active and independent mother has been working hard with physical therapy and her recovery, but still has a few weeks left in a wheelchair. As a result, my siblings and I have stepped in to help her where we can. One of my favorite ways to help out is to take her shopping wherever she wants to go. Of course, it helps that she and I like the same types of stores. We got into a lot of trouble in Target’s dollar section buying Christmas decorations and gifts last week.

Photo: My granddaughter Lily enjoyed talking to our desert tortoise, Aesop, during her visit to Arizona from Michigan.

Visits from my oldest daughter and her family are always a highlight for us.

Photo: My 3-month old grandson, Leo, slept through most of his first visit to Arizona.

Every year on October 31st, my siblings and their kids come over for a fun night of Halloween-themed food and trick-or-treating. It is so much fun to see the little kids get all dressed up for Halloween, including my grandson, Eric.

Photo: Eric dressed up like a ‘Minion’

While my two youngest kids are almost too old for trick-or-treating, they enjoyed dressing up and going with Eric.

Photo: Gracie was a ‘bag of ice’

Photo: Kai was a ‘computer error code’

Life hasn’t slowed down in November, which is the busiest month of the year for me as a horticulturist.

Photo: Mountain States Wholesale Nursery

A highlight of this month was a visit to an open house at one of the pre-eminent nurseries of the Southwest.

While you may not have heard of Mountain States Wholesale Nursery, you have undoubtedly seen plants that they have developed, many which may be in your own garden. Flowering shrubs such as ‘Valentine’ and ‘Blue Bells’ have their origins in the fields of this nursery as do many of the newest tecoma and desert willow species.

I spent a fun-filled day with friends and colleagues touring the facilities and getting a sneak peek at their newest plants in production. The perfect way to cap off our visit was being gifted with a new plant!

Next up on my agenda was overseeing the installation of one of my landscape projects.

Photo: Landscape Renovation, Before

My clients, who live in New York City for most of the year, spend their winters and spring in Arizona. They recently purchased a home with overgrown, excessively pruned shrubs as well as artificial grass with a putting green that they wanted to get rid of.

I initially met with them in April and put together a plan for a landscape that would reflect their style. Once they came back to Arizona in November, they asked me to come out and oversee the installation.

A mixture of pink muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) and artichoke agave (Agave parryi ‘truncata’) are being planted in the area formerly covered by artificial turf.

Many of the old shrubs were removed as was the fake grass. Contouring was added to help add height and interest to the formerly flat backyard landscape.

Matt, is the landscape contractor, who I refer many of my clients too. He has the uncanny ability to find the biggest, best plants – he holds his sources close to his chest, but as long as my clients are happy, so am I.

I must admit that I am sorely tempted to grab one of his specimen cactus or succulents for my own garden.

Photo: Landscape Renovation, Before

The client wanted an area for a cactus garden. So, we took out the shrubs in this corner and added cactus.

Photo: Landscape Renovation, AFTER

The saguaro cactus isn’t in place yet, but soon will be. Our goal was to add several different types of cactus and succulents that the client liked, including beavertail, candelilla, golden barrel, Moroccan mound, and torch cactus. An ocotillo anchors the corner and will eventually leaf out and flower, which usually occurs about a year after planting.

Photo: A palo blanco (Acacia willardiana) tree will soften this area without outgrowing this area.

It is so rewarding to be a part of the process of homeowner’s landscape be renovated into a space that will provide them with years of enjoyment.

Despite the busyness this fall season, I am getting excited for the upcoming holiday season. How about you? What is keeping you busy this fall?

Summer Garden Adventures With a Twist

azplantlady

Summer is a season filled with warm weather (or hot if you live in the desert) and brightly colored blossoms.

While I usually enjoy the view of my summer garden from the comfort of my air-conditioned house, this year I’ve experienced a twist in my summer gardening experience.

I have spent time gardening this summer in an entirely different state.

It all started back in 2007 when my daughter, Brittney, met a handsome geologist and got married. Fast forward to 2015 and that same geologist finished his Ph.D. and got a job offer in Michigan. So, they packed up and moved to the picturesque town of Petoskey, which is located at the ‘top of the mitt’ as Michiganders like to say.

In June, they bought their first home, and I was on hand to help them with their new garden. Now, to be honest, my oldest daughter has never shown any particular interest in gardening to this point in her life, despite my best efforts. But, that was before she had her very own house and garden.

These next few posts will highlight our garden adventures, including me learning some new things about gardening in a climate where temperatures dip to -20 degrees in winter.

Planting roses for my daughter.

Whether you live in the desert southwest, Michigan or anyplace where you have a small area in which to garden – many of the same gardening guidelines apply, and I invite you to join me on a summer gardening adventure where I promise, you’ll learn a few helpful tips for your garden.

Summer Adventures: Pick Your Own Strawberries and Cherries

Long Jumps, Medals and Cookie Crisp Cereal

az plant lady family, azplantlady

In today’s post, I’d like to share with you a very special day that we spent with our youngest daughter, Gracie.

For those of you who have followed me for a while, you will have read about Gracie’s story and how we adopted her from China back in 2003.

She was one and a half years old when she was adopted and had a sweet smile and a club foot.

Gracie brought instant joy into our lives and despite having a clunky cast on her foot and leg as her foot was being straightened, she always had a smile ready for us. She rejoiced at belonging to a family for the very first time her short little life.

Three months after flying home from China, Gracie underwent surgery to repair her club foot.

While her foot healed quickly, we soon came to realize that Gracie was suffering some delays in her development. At first, we thought it was from her time spent in an orphanage. However, later we learned that she had autism, or more specifically, Asperger’s, which is a high-functioning form of autism.

Gracie is now 14 years old and as you can imagine, life hasn’t always been easy for Gracie (or us), but on most days, she brings us joy and a smile.

This past weekend, we were able to take part in a special event in Gracie’s life.

Gracie participate in Special Olympics event representing her school.

She was set to participate in a Special Olympics event representing her school.

The day was set to be a hot one with record-breaking temperatures, but it was still lovely outside while sitting in the stands waiting for the events to begin.

Only in Arizona are you equally as likely to bring an umbrella for a hot, sunny day as you are for a wet and rainy one 😉

The kids were all gathered off to the side of the field, enjoying the shade of the trees while awaiting their turn. Gracie’s teachers were there along with other classmates who were to participate in the event.

There were also ‘typical’ kids who were there representing their teams as well and we waited while they competed until it was time for the Special Olympics portion of the event to take place.

Of course, waiting can also make you more nervous and Gracie wasn’t sure if she could do it. Her events were scheduled to be the 100-meter dash and the long jump. The problem was, she didn’t want to do the long jump.

Those of you who are parents of teenagers know that it can be hard to reason with your teen, but when they have autism, it is even harder as the regular arguments and persuasions don’t work.

I wish that her dad and I could take credit for figuring out a way to inspire her to do the long jump but Gracie figured out a way for us to motivate her – promise to buy her a box of ‘Cookie Crisp’ cereal afterward.

At this point, I should mention that we rarely give our kids what we call ‘sugar cereals’, which are filled with empty calories and don’t fill you up. But, I happily promised to drive to the store and buy her a box right after the race if she was brave enough to do the long jump – her school team was depending on her.

She also wanted a medal very badly. So, I said that if she didn’t get a medal, I would make her one, to which Gracie said, “But you’ll have to buy spray paint, a circle-piece of wood and ribbon.” At this point, I told her that I would be happy to make her the coolest medal I was capable of for her to wear.

Our son, Kai, also came to cheer Gracie on. I love this photo that I was able to get of them – they rarely stand this close to teach other – ha, ha.

If you’ve ever spent time with people with autism, you may have noticed the blunt and honest ways they phrase things. One of Gracie’s classmates noticed Kai standing next to Gracie and exclaimed excitedly, “Gracie, your brother, Kai, is here.” To which Gracie replied, “Uh, I know…. he’s standing right next to me.”

The first event that Gracie was to participate in wasn’t the 100-meter dash as previously scheduled. That event was cancelled and her team needed her to fill in the space of a missing team member for the 400-meter relay race. Since that would entail Gracie running 100-meters, that would work.

She was nervous about dropping the baton, but she grabbed it and began running.

So far, so good.

Gracie in Special Olympics event

Go, Gracie!

Almost ready for the hand-off!

The hand-off went off without a hitch except that Gracie got a stomachache from all the excitement and running as she walked with her math teacher and coach to toward the rest of her team.

After the race was over, the teams were asked to gather around the medal podium.

Guess who got a medal for helping her team come in second place?

Yeah! That’s my girl!

All the kids who participated in the Special Olympics relay race received medals, but Gracie’s team did get second place, which made her feel extra special.

I guess I won’t have to make her a wooden medal now.

Next, it was off to the long jump, and hopefully, a box of ‘Cookie Crisp’ cereal afterward.

Gracie's long jump in Special Olympics event

Gracie waited patiently for her turn and then pumped her arms very fast (for extra energy, she said) before taking off running.

And she takes off…

Gracie’s long jump in Special Olympics event

This is Gracie’s favorite photo since it looks like she is flying.

Nice landing!

As you can see, this was a very memorable day for both Gracie and us. Being a teenager is hard enough without having autism. When you pair that with the challenges that they face everyday trying to fit into a world whose rules and social norms don’t make sense, then you get an idea of what a momentous occasion this was for her.

Gracie wore her medal to church yesterday and it warmed my heart to see members of our congregation come up to hug and congratulate her.

**Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to read Gracie’s story. It is an honor being her mom and sharing her story with you!

If you would like to read Gracie’s adoption story, you can do so here.

A Sweet and Tart Apple Harvest

Arizona, azplantlady, Southwest garden, Uncategorized

It’s hotter than he** (dare I use the word “hell”?) outside in June and while most desert dwellers can be found hibernating indoors enjoying air-conditioned temperatures in the 70’s – you’ll find a few of us darting outdoors to pick apples.

While parts of the country wait until late summer and on into early fall to harvest apples – June is apple harvesting time in the desert.

apple harvesting

Many people don’t realize that apple trees can grow in the desert Southwest – so do apricots, peaches and plums.

The key to growing these types of fruit trees is our relatively cold temperatures. They need a certain number of “chilling hours”, which are when temperatures are within 32 – 45 degrees F.

When summer temperatures are hovering in the 100+ range, it’s hard to recall what cold winter temperatures feel like, but it’s those chilly temps that make it possible to grow apple trees.

In the past years, I have harvested my apples from among the several apple trees located on the family farm.

But, not this year.

Three years ago, we transformed our side garden, creating a “potager”, which is a French term for a kitchen garden filled with fruits, herbs, vegetables alongside ornamental plants.

In the potager, we have the largest of our vegetable gardens, blackberry bushes, two peach trees, an orange tree and two apple trees.

The apple trees are located toward the end of the garden with the blackberry bushes growing against the wall.

This was what they looked like 1 1/2 years ago. Since then, they have grown quickly and are filled with apples, ready for us to pick.

Today, we will head out in the morning and pick our apples. There are so many growing, that I won’t need any from the family farm.

Normally, I make applesauce and an apple pie from apples. This year, I will make those but will add to it. We will also be making apple chips and apple sugar. Who knows? If we get a ton of apples, I may need to find more things to make with them.

My daughter, Ruthie, and niece, Sofie, will help me along with a very special friend who is their “orphanage sister”.

**Next time, I’ll share their special story along with all the goodies we make along with helpful links so you can make them yourself with apples from the supermarket.

Winter Vegetable Harvest: Broccoli and How to Freeze It

Got Frost-Damaged Plants? How and When to Prune…

azplantlady, Pruning, Uncategorized

Do you enjoy winter?

I do. Surprisingly, the desert Southwest has definite seasons and winters can get cold with temps dipping into the 20s.

Photo: Frost-damaged natal plum

Unfortunately, the cold temperatures can wreak havoc on our frost-tender plants such as bougainvillea, lantana, and yellow bells – to name a few.

Let’s face it, no one likes the sight of brown, crispy, frost-damaged plants in the landscape – including me. Often, my first impulse is to prune off the ugly growth – but, I have to remind myself that I can actually do more damage by pruning too early.

Learn what plants are most commonly affected by frost damage, when to prune, and how in my latest article for Houzz.com

I hope your week is off to a great start!

Got Frost-Damaged Plants? How It Happens, and When and How to Prune

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