A New Year and Wonderful Possibilities

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noelle johnson az plant lady

I love winters in the desert. It’s a time when activity in the garden slows down and we can sit back and ponder what plans (if any) we have for this new year.

As I sit in my office looking outdoors at my winter garden, I see birds visiting my feeders and the stark winter beauty of my trees.

And, I am excited about what 2024 will bring – both professionally and in the landscape areas around my home.

While the colder temperatures mean less work in the garden, there are some projects that should be done in winter:

Winter Garden Tasks

  • Prune deciduous trees, if needed. This includes ash, Chinese elm, desert willow, and pistache trees.
  • Cut back roses if you haven’t already, and add new bare-root roses. Check out my Growing Roses in the Desert, online class for guidance on rose care in a hot, dry climate.
  • Be sure that you aren’t over-watering your plants. They need far less water in winter than in other times of year. Visit Water Use It Wisely for scheduling info.
  • Winter is also a good time to add new plants. This gives plants time to grow a good root system before the heat of summer arrives. I’ve added several new plants this month, including passion flower vine and tangerine crossvine.

I encourage you to take advantage of this season to enjoy the beauty of your garden with a warm cup of coffee or tea.

The outdoors is an excellent stress reliever, and I am going to take the time this year to just sit and enjoy it – imperfections and all.

How about you?

Spring Planting Own-Root Roses in the Desert Garden

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planting own root roses red roses

Planting Own-Root Roses in the Desert: A Blooming Success Story

Have you seen roses growing in a desert garden? What about own-root roses?

When I talk with desert dwellers, many are convinced that roses cannot grow in our hot, dry climate. However, that just isn’t true. I experience a certain kind of joy when I share with them that they can grow roses in the desert.

I’ve done it since the early 90s, and roses are what began my desert garden journey.

Year-Round Rose Planting

Typically, when people think of planting roses in the desert, they think of winter because that’s when we can plant bare-root roses. But did you know we can plant roses at other times of the year?

Own-root roses expand the planting season, which can be planted in spring and fall.

planting own root roses in package

The Allure of Own-Root Roses

So, what are own-root roses? Most roses are grafted, which means that the rose consists of two different rose plants (the above-ground part of the rose, which is grated onto the rootstock of another rose). In comparison, own-root roses are grown from cuttings and grow on their own roots.

Usually, you can purchase roses in three forms – bare-root, nursery container, and own-root. I’ve bought and grown roses successfully in all those forms in my garden.

However, I do have a preference for own-root vs. grafted roses for the following reasons:

  • They are hardier and live longer than grafted roses.
  • There is no danger of suckers from the rootstock growing and choking out the rose plant.
  • You aren’t restricted to winter-only planting.
  • They have healthier root systems than nursery-grown container grafted roses.
planting own root roses pink

Tips for Planting Own-Root Roses

Spring and fall are great times to add own-root roses to your garden! It’s important to avoid planting roses in the summer because the intense heat makes if difficult for roses to become established.

So, if you are ready to enjoy the beauty of roses in your garden, here are some things to keep in mind:

Location for roses:

Plant in an area that receives approximately 5-6 hours of sunlight. Avoid west-facing exposures, which are stressful for roses. East-facing exposures are best or areas where there is afternoon shade. Roses can tolerate full sun all day as long as they aren’t close to places with reflected heat such as walls, sidewalks, or driveways.

Make sure there is room for the rose to grow – about 4 feet away from surrounding plants.

 

planting own root roses in soil

How to plant own root roses

  1. Water your rose in its container thoroughly- you want the entire root ball to be wetted. 
  2. Dig a hole two 2 1/2 feet wide and about 2 feet deep. Amend the existing soil with 1 part compost mixed with 1 part existing soil. Then add a handful of bone meal and mix in. *You can add some worm castings (earthworm poop) to the planting hole if desired, which is beneficial to roses.
  3. Once your soil mixture is ready in the large hole, create a smaller hole to fit your new own-root rose. Carefully remove the container from the rose and place it in the hole. Fill in the hole and tamp down the soil with your hands.
  4. Water the rose deeply.
  5. Apply a 3-inch layer of mulch, such as bark chips, around the rose, extending 2 feet from the base of the rose. Avoid using landscape rock (gravel) up against the rose, which isn’t ideal.
  6. In spring, water daily if temperatures are over 90 degrees. Otherwise, water every 3 days. You’ll soon see new growth forming.
  7. Don’t fertilize your new rose right away – wait until they have produced their first flowers and then fertilize with an organic rose fertilizer in spring or early fall.

 

Where to Find Own-Root Roses

If you want to plant roses this spring (or fall), I recommend using own-root roses.

Most nurseries and mail-order rose growers don’t carry them. However, I’ve grown roses from Heirloom Roses which has a vast collection of own-root roses. In fact, that is the only type of rose they sell.

You will find many popular varieties of roses in all different forms – climbers, David Austin® roses, hybrid tea, floribundas, and more so that you can go about planting own-root roses in your garden.

They have a section of heat-tolerant roses for you to browse for the perfect one for your garden! Many of my favorites, such as Chicago Peace, Color Magic, Darcey Bussell, Mister Lincoln, and so many more, are listed.

Growing roses has brought me a lot of joy and I hope it does for you too!

What’s Chewing On My Leaves?

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Have you ever noticed circular areas missing from your leaves? If so, you aren’t alone. The other day I noticed several of my plants with neat semi-circular sections missing. But, was I worried? Nope, and I’ll tell you why in my latest garden video.

The Enigmatic Damage to Leaves

A Puzzling Leaf Discovery

Noelle: Hey there, fellow garden enthusiasts! Today, we’re diving into a bit of a mystery. As I was strolling through my garden, I couldn’t help but notice something quite peculiar – several of my plant leaves had neat, semi-circular sections missing. Now, I know this might raise some alarms for many gardeners, but fear not, for I’m here to share some insights and reassure you that it’s not as ominous as it might seem.

Noelle: First things first, let’s take a closer look at these mysterious leaf patterns. You can see here on this rosebush, there’s a semi-circular chunk missing from one of the leaves. And over here on this hibiscus, another one. So, what’s going on? Is it some nefarious garden pest?

The Twist in the Tale of Leaves

Noelle: Well, here’s the twist – it’s not a pest at all! In fact, this leaf damage is quite natural and not something to fret over.

You see, the culprits behind these neat, semi-circular holes are none other than the remarkable leafcutter bees. Leafcutter bees are a type of solitary bee, and they are truly fantastic pollinators. What might appear as leaf vandalism is, in fact, a vital part of their unique nesting process.

Leafcutter bees utilize these semi-circular leaf sections to construct their nests. If you take a closer look, you might even spot some of these leaf sections tucked away in the nooks and crannies of your garden.

leaf cutter damage on leaves

The Precision of Leafcutter Bees

Meticulous Craftsmen

Noelle: Leafcutter bees are known for their precision. They cut these perfect curves from the edges of leaves, and they’re surprisingly meticulous about it. The remarkable thing is that these bees aren’t interested in damaging your plants; they’re simply striving to build a safe and cozy space for their offspring.

Beneficial Garden Partners

Noelle: Now, here’s the best part – these bees are great for your garden! As they visit your plants to collect nectar and pollen, they’re inadvertently pollinating your flowers. This pollination process is an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy garden ecosystem.

Embrace the Leaf Patterns

A New Perspective

Noelle: So, the next time you come across these mysterious leaf patterns, don’t panic. Instead, take a moment to appreciate the hard work of these industrious leafcutter bees and the positive impact they have on your garden.

Thanks for joining me on this little garden mystery journey. If you enjoyed learning about leafcutter bees and want to see more fascinating garden insights, don’t forget to hit that subscribe button and give this video a thumbs up. Happy gardening!

In summary, the seemingly mysterious leaf damage caused by leafcutter bees is nothing to worry about. These industrious pollinators are beneficial to your garden, and their leaf-cutting activities are just part of their nesting process. So, next time you spot these neat, semi-circular holes in your leaves, remember to appreciate the role of leafcutter bees in your garden’s ecosystem. Happy gardening!

Has this happened in your garden? What plants were affected?

Are Your Roses Feeling The Heat?

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sunburnt roses with dog

Photo: Roses Feeling The Heat , My Abraham Darby shrub rose and my little dog, Tobey.

Challenges of Hot Arid Climates for Roses

If you live in a hot arid climate, chances are that your roses are feeling the heat and aren’t looking their best right now. While gardeners in cooler climates celebrate summer with beautiful rose blooms, the opposite is true for those of us who live in the desert.

Surprisingly, roses actually grow quite well in hot, southwestern zones, and even though mine look somewhat sunburned – I’m not worried because this is normal. Understanding proper irrigation makes a big difference, but roses feeling heat will still have concerns.  

Effects of Roses Feeling Heat with Intense Sun and Warmth

You see, roses that are grown in the low desert regions, don’t like the intense sun and heat that summer brings. As a result, the flowers become smaller, and the petals burn in the sun and turn crispy.  By July, you are unlikely to see any new roses appearing until Fall.

roses with leaf burn

Impact on Rose Plant Leaves

The rose blooms aren’t the only parts of the roses feeling heat concerns in summer – the leaves can become sunburn.  

The sight of brown crispy petals and leaves may make you want to prune them away, but don’t.    

Why?

Avoiding Premature Pruning

Pruning will stimulate new growth that will be even more susceptible to sunburn damage.  Second, the older branches and leaves will help to shade the growth underneath the sun.  

Strategic Pruning Schedule will Help Roses Feeling Heat

I know that it is very hard not to prune away the brown leaves – I feel you. However, in September, pull out your pruning shears and prune back your rose bushes by 1/3. This removes the sun-damaged flowers and leaves and stimulates new growth. 

beautiful rose bloom

Comparative Benefits of Hot Arid Climates

If you lament the less-than-stellar appearance of your summer roses feeling heat, and think it’s easier to grow roses in other climates, you would be wrong. 

Oh, certainly, we have to deal with our roses not looking great in the summer.  But, compare that with gardeners in other regions who have to deal with the dreaded Japanese beetle that shows up every summer and eats their roses. Or, people who live in more humid climates and are having to deal with severe cases of blackspot or powdery mildew (white spots on the leaves).  

Blessing of Dual Bloom Seasons in the Southwest 

Lastly – we are fortunate to enjoy two separate bloom seasons for our roses.  In fall, when many other gardeners are putting their roses to bed for the winter, ours are getting ready to bloom a second time that year.

hot pink roses

And so, I will ignore my less than beautiful roses this summer, because I know that they will look fantastic this fall It is that simple 🙂

Two New Roses Find a Home in a Desert Garden

An Up Close View of the World’s Largest Rosebush

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Do you love roses?

I do.

For those of you who have been following me for any length of time, you know that my love affair with roses is something that I like to share with others. For that reason, on a lovely day in May, I made a visit to the Old West town, Tombstone, Arizona.  

Old West town, Tombstone, Arizona.

This historic town has two different attractions that appeal to me and my husband. He loves old westerns, and walking along the main street and seeing where the famous gunfight took place is something he enjoys. While it’s fun to explore the real-life places from long ago, my favorite destination lies just a block off of the main street…

World's Largest Rosebush museum

At first glance, you would never know that a famous plant resides beyond the front door of this historic inn that is now a museum. However, it is in the backyard of this building, the “Rose Tree Inn”, which lies the “World’s Largest Rosebush“.

Due to my love of roses, and having heard of this famous rosebush I am excited to see it in person.

World's Largest Rosebush museum

As you walk into the little museum, you feel as if you have stepped back into time within its rose-scented interior. As I venture toward the back where the rosebush is, my first impression is of a beautifully shaded patio area.

rosebush create dappled shade.

Over the patio, the outer branches of the rosebush create dappled shade.

As you make your way toward the main part of the rose bush, the sheer enormity of its size begins to be evident.  

twisted trunk of the rosebush.

In the center of the branches, you can see the large, twisted trunk of the rosebush.

It is really hard to get the scale of how big it is from pictures – but look at how small the door looks off to the right side.

World's Largest Rosebush museum

Now, see how big it looks with me next to it in the picture, above. Note – I am fairly tall at 5’9″.

shady underneath World's Largest Rosebush

The trunk is approximately 12-feet around and very shaggy with strips bark falling off. It definitely looks old.

This photo is taken with a flash, which lights up the area considerably. In actuality, it is very shady underneath.

rose bush story

Even when you stand right next to it, you can’t quite believe the enormous size.

This rosebush is not only the world’s largest – but it is also very old. For that reason, the history of the rosebush and how it came to be in Tombstone is quite interesting.

World's Largest Rosebush museum

History

Then the rose came from Scotland in 1887, which makes it over 130 years old. A young Scottish immigrant and her husband moved to Tombstone in 1885.  Her family sent their homesick daughter a box filled with cuttings of her favorite rosebush from home.

She gave one of the cuttings to her friend, Amelia Adamson. Together they planted the rosebush in back of Amelia’s boarding house where it has obviously flourished in its new surroundings.

Years later, the rosebush began to get attention with its large size. Consequently, it was declared the world’s largest in the 1930’s.

Now, the Tombstone rosebush reaches over 8,000 square feet!  

view of the rosebush

To get an overall view of the rosebush, you walk to the other side where there are steps to climb. Because the only part you see underneath the patio are its branches, the view from above is quite different. As a result, you have a clear view of the lacy foliage and flowers in the spring.

World's Largest Rosebush museum

Can you imagine how beautiful this would look in bloom? It is said that roses absolutely cover the entire upper part of the rosebush with fragrant, white flowers…

Lady Bank's rose

This is a close-up of the flowers from a different Lady Bank’s rose.

World's Largest Rosebush museum

As you can imagine, holding up a rosebush this large isn’t easy. Therefore, metal rods form a checkerboard pattern that are large wooden posts hold up.

bird's nest on World's Largest Rosebush

I spot a bird’s nest within the branches.

After I finish with my photos, I stroll back into the museum where I notice row of small rose bushes.

cutting for sale of World's Largest Rosebush

Above them is this sign…

World's Largest Rosebush museum

Well, I don’t describe myself as an ‘impulse buyer’,  I just have to buy a cutting from this historic plant.

World's Largest Rosebush

I do have a good spot for it where it can grow up on the wall in my side yard. Because it can’t climb without support, I will provide a trellis for it to grow up on.  Lady Bank’s roses also make great ground covers.

Although this rosebush was an impulse buy, it requires less maintenance than more traditional roses. I certainly can’t wait to grow a piece of the world’s largest rosebush!

Colorful Plants, Spiky Pots, Snakes, Roses and the Prom!

Colorful Plants, Spiky Pots, Snakes, Roses and the Prom!

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Spring in the desert 'Tangerine Beauty' Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata 'Tangerine Beauty')

Spring in the desert ‘Tangerine Beauty’ Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata ‘Tangerine Beauty’)

Capturing the Beauty of Spring in the Desert

Spring in the desert is the most beautiful time of year with the majority of plants in the landscape bursting out with flowers. It’s also a very busy time for me with landscape consultations, speaking engagements, work in the garden, and family life. I love to document the happenings in my life by taking photographs with my phone, and I’d like to share a sampling with you. It’s a fun combination that includes colorful plants, spiky pots, snakes, roses and the prom!

Pausing for ‘Tangerine Beauty’ Crossvines

No matter how busy I may be, the sight of a beautiful plant stops me in my tracks. It doesn’t matter how rushed I may be; I will always stop and take a photo. That’s what happened when I spotted this row of ‘Tangerine Beauty’ crossvines on our way into church. Even though we were running a few minutes late (as usual) I had to pause to admire the beauty of the lovely blooms and take a photo.

‘Tangerine Beauty’ does very well in the low desert garden. It has lush green foliage and orange/pink flowers that hummingbirds love. It needs a trellis or other support to climb up on and does well in full sun to filtered sun, but avoid planting along a west-facing wall as it may struggle in reflected sun.

entryway-desert-gardening-flowering-annuals-geraniums

Spring in the Desert Speaking Engagements and Garden Inspirations

As a speaker on various gardening topics, my journey often takes me to the Desert Botanical Garden, public libraries, and also to garden groups. During one of my presentations at the Paradise Valley Country Club, I was greeted by this beautiful bed filled geraniums, foxglove, and yellow daisies. The spiky shape of agave adds welcome texture contrast in this area.

agave-planted-in-containers-arizona (Spring in the desert)

Nearby, an impressive collection of spiky succulents graces decorative pots. Agave, with their striking spiky shapes, makes excellent container plants. Placed against a wall, these succulents thrive in full sun and embrace reflected heat with grace.

Cave Creek Branch of the Phoenix Public Library

The Quirky Side of Presentations

Speaking engagements can sometimes bring unexpected surprises. Here is a very different entry to another presentation I was to give at the Cave Creek Branch of the Phoenix Public Library. Two identical caution signs flank the raised metal bridge, which makes you look carefully before approaching. A humorous touch, albeit one that might discourage young readers, added a dash of quirkiness to the library entrance.

David Austin Olivia Rose

‘Olivia Rose’

Embracing the Rose Garden

Back home, the rose garden is in full bloom with my favorite ‘Olivia Rose’ completely covered in fragrant, delicate pink color. She flowers more than every other rose in the garden and for the longest, ensuring her favored status.

red David Austin rose Darcey Bussell

‘Darcey Bussell’

The best performing red rose in the garden is ‘Darcey Bussell,’ and she never disappoints as I view her vibrant blooms from my kitchen window.

David Austin rose Lady of Shalott

‘Lady of Shalott’

This rose is a relative newcomer to my rose garden. ‘Lady of Shalott’ was planted in the winter of 2018 and didn’t produce many blooms in her first year, which is typical of most new roses. However, this year, she is covered with roses in delicate shades of pink and peach.

A Touch of Prom Night

AZ Plant Lady

On the home front, spring means that it’s time for the prom. I can hardly believe that my son is old enough – it seemed like it was just yesterday when I came home with a darling little two-year-old boy from China.

Kai's favorite color

Kai’s favorite color is red, can you tell? It takes confidence to wear a bright color like this, and he does it so well. He is the youngest of four sisters, so this was my first time helping a boy get ready for a school dance. Honestly, it is a lot simpler – all he needed was help with his tie and his boutonniere.

I revel in the bustling energy of spring and cherish the vibrant moments it brings. How about you?

Tour of My Spring Garden

Busyness, a New Look and Opportunities

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Birthday Cake

The past couple of months has been a period of busyness, a new look, and opportunities for me.

Normally in December, work in the garden slows down, which means that I have fewer landscape consultations. I welcome this time of year as it allows me to focus on Christmas and a welcome break from work. However, this time it was a very busy time for me as I have been working on two big projects. 

One is the free webinar that I gave earlier this week. It was the first live webinar that I’ve presented and although I was a little nervous, I loved it!

The second project is one that is near and dear to my heart – it’s my online class called Desert Gardening 101. You can learn about it HERE.

Desert_Gardening_Website_AZ_Plant_Lady

You may have noticed that things look a little different. I decided that it was time to freshen up the appearance of my website and I’m pleased with the results. I did this with the goal of making it easier for you to navigate and find the information that you need.

New Look and Opportunities

During the periods of busy work, I did take time to slow down and enjoy some new opportunities. One was adding a playhouse to my garden.

New Look and Opportunities

Although I think it would be a great mini-garden shed, I think it works best as a playhouse for the grandkids, don’t you think?

New Look and Opportunities

For Christmas, we added a badminton net to the backyard. The kids got into it right away and had so much fun. Now, my husband and I go out to play three times a week or more, for about a 1/2 hour. It’s a fun workout, and the weather is beautiful!

my new Instant Pot

Back indoors, I have been using my extra free time having fun in the kitchen with my new Instant Pot. My family is huge fans of what I’ve made so far which include Bolognese sauce, porcupine meatballs, and roast chicken. Do you have Instant Pot recipes that you recommend?

shredded Mozzarella

We are pizza lovers, and my newest recipe is based on the Pioneer Woman’s Stuffed Crust Pizza. I made some changes by leaving out the string cheese, adding sausage and shredded Mozzarella on the top. It is so good and easy to make!

my birthday

The day after Christmas is my birthday and my dear husband, who is no great baker, does know how to order my favorite Freddy’s Ice Cream Cake with Heath Bar added – YUM!

roses

Finally, I can’t wait to get back out into the garden this week. It’s time to prune back my roses. I find this task gratifying as I get to decide which canes to keep and which ones to cut back. Although it is hard to cut them back when they are in bloom, I keep thinking of how beautiful they will be in spring, in large part, due to my pruning.

What are your plans for this new year?

Goodbye to the Godfather of English Roses

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David Austin roses Olivia Rose

Olive Rose, one of David Austin’s recent introductions

Remembering David Austin: The ‘Godfather of English Roses’

Yesterday, the world lost a man who made a huge contribution to rose lovers all over the world. Called the ‘Godfather of English roses’ David Austin’s mission was to create a better rose that was more robust, had fewer disease and pest problems, but most of all, beautiful and incredibly fragrant.

Graham Thomas English rose growing in Phoenix

‘Graham Thomas’ is one of his most popular creations

The Impact of David Austin Roses

For a man that I’ve never met, David Austin has a big impact on my love for gardening. Roses were the first plant that I fell in love with and inspired me to become a horticulturist. At one point, I had forty hybrid tea roses growing in my Phoenix garden. While they were beautiful, they took a lot of work to keep them that way. Pests and fungal disease were things that I had to deal with and though my roses were very pretty, not all were fragrant.

The Beauty of David Austin Roses

I planted my first David Austin roses in 1993 and soon became convinced that this was truly a better breed of roses. I never had to worry about aphids, blackspot or powdery mildew, all of which, are common problems with growing roses. The unique beauty of the roses comes from David Austin using old-fashioned roses for their sturdiness and disease resistance with more fragrant roses that bloom often. The result are roses that are low-maintenance while also exceptionally beautiful and fragrant.

Red rose Darcy Bussell grows in an Arizona garden david austin roses

‘Darcey Bussell’ is one of the newer David Austin varieties in my garden

A Royal Connection

Today, my rose garden is made up almost exclusively of David Austin roses. While I never met him in person, I have met several of the individuals who work for his family-run company. I heard a fun story about David from a member of his company who told the story of David Austin and Queen Elizabeth. At the Chelsea Flower Show, David Austin’s roses were on full display and he was present as well. The Queen came to visit and he flirted openly with her and she seemed to enjoy the attention of this charming old gentleman. I must say, it takes courage to flirt with the Queen of England.

Arizona Rose Garden with david austin roses

My rose garden

Growing David Austin Roses in the Desert

In my Arizona garden, I test several of their newest roses for the David Austin Rose company in my rose garden. Each year, they send me new ones to try out and then I give them my feedback. The company wants to know how they will perform in the low-desert heat and I must say that almost all of the ones that I’ve grown do very well.

Here is a list of those that I have grown and recommend for the desert garden:

  • Abraham Darby
  • Darcey Bussell
  • Graham Thomas
  • Olivia Rose
  • Juliet

*I also have ‘Ancient Mariner’ and ‘Lady of Sharlot’ growing. I’m still waiting to see how they do as they have only been in the garden for a year and I find that it takes a little longer than that to see how well they will do. 

If I had to pick two favorites, they would be ‘Darcey Bussell’ and ‘Olivia Rose’. Both bloom well into summer, which is rare for roses grown in the desert. 

Adding David Austin Roses to Your Garden

For people who want to add one of David Austin’s wonderful rose varieties to their garden, not all nurseries carry David Austin roses, although I know that Berridge Nursery in the Phoenix area does. However, they are easy to order online and they will be mailed to you at the proper planting time for your area, which for the low-desert garden is mid-December through February for bare root roses.

A Blooming Legacy

The family-run company will continue with his mission of creating beautiful, fragrant roses for the garden and I look forward to seeing what is coming next.

Have you ever grown a David Austin rose? Which one?

New Roses for the Desert Garden

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