Arizona Road Trip: Sweet potato vine trail underneath a planting of lantana and ‘Victoria Blue’ salvia.
I’ve spent a busy week on the road traveling back and forth throughout the central and northern parts of Arizona.
While my road trips were for pleasure, there were some work elements involved, viewing the newest trends of high desert landscaping, and taking photos of pretty plants.
Arizona Road Trip: Planters filled with green and black sweet potato vines trail over the railing at Tlaquepaque with Mark Twan (Samuel Clemens) sitting underneath.
During the first part of the week, I spent a few days in Sedona. This colorful, high desert town holds a special place in my heart. It is where my husband and I spent our honeymoon, and we make a point of coming back up to visit every few years.
A must stop destination for us are the shops are Tlaquepaque, which is modeled after an old Mexican village. Fountains and courtyards are scattered throughout the stores, inviting visitors to sit and enjoy the dappled shade while listening to the gentle sounds of water features.
To be honest, I do enjoy perusing the galleries and shops, but the main draw for me is the beautiful container plantings. Sweet potato vine, lantana, ‘Katie’ ruellia, and salvia are artfully arranged within the containers.
A ‘Painted Lady’ butterfly drinking nectar from a lantana.
Butterflies and hummingbirds are also frequent visitors to Tlaquepaque.
Area hotels also feature lovely examples of plants that thrive in the dry heat like the trumpet vine and yucca, above.
While in Sedona, we made side trips to Flagstaff and Cottonwood before it was time to travel back home.
After one night home, it was back into the car and off on another journey. This time, we brought our kids with us for a destination wedding in Skull Valley, which is a half hour outside of Prescott.
The wedding was held in the middle of the wilderness, reached by traveling over 20 minutes on a curving, unpaved road. Wildlife was plentiful as we spotted a coyote, deer, and a roadrunner, while also smelling a skunk along the way.
It was dusk when the wedding began, and the setting couldn’t have been more beautiful. A cool breeze welcomed guests to the venue that backed up onto the Prescott National Forest.
The ceremony was beautiful, and the groom got all choked up in the midst of his vows. Guests spent a great time celebrating at the reception, held in an old barn, and we got back to the hotel late.
We took a back way back home, which involved driving some curvy mountain roads, but we traveled through little towns that we had never heard of such as Wilhoit and Peeble Valley.
I love the fact that even after living here for over 30 years, I still enjoy the beauty of our state and yet encounter new places.
**Do you have a favorite place to visit in Arizona?
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Disclosure: This post is paid for by the folks at Lava Soap. The opinions expressed, are my own.
Are you afraid to get your hands dirty when you garden? I’m not. In fact, I seldom wear gardening gloves when I’m working in the soil. Oh, gloves are useful when using pruners, raking, or dealing with thorny plants. However, I find elemental pleasure with working in the soil with my bare hands.
I especially like to ditch the gloves when I am working in my vegetable garden where whether I am planting seeds, smoothing out a new layer of compost, or harvesting plants – touching the plants and soil with my hands makes me happy.
Last week, I spent the morning out in the vegetable garden, cleaning out old plants and getting it ready for sowing seeds in mid-September. The experience was not unlike the feeling you get after spring cleaning. I have an almost blank canvas on which to add new vegetables this fall.
After the plants are ripped out, I add several inches of new compost to prepare the beds. I buy my compost in bags, which makes it easier to add just where I want it to go.
This year, I am changing things up a bit by adding mushroom compost, which has composted horse manure and straw among other things. I like to try new things to see how they perform and then communicate that information to you.
All told, we added a total of 6 inches of regular and mushroom composts to the garden.
Our desert tortoise, Aesop, came out to see what we were doing. Unfortunately, we discovered that he is able to climb up into the vegetable garden, which we don’t want as he will eat our leafy greens. So, we will have to replace the short wood sides with taller ones.
As if my hands weren’t dirty enough after pulling out plants, they became more so as I smoothed out the newly added mulch around the few plants that remained. Of course, any chance of getting his hands dirty, brings out my grandson, Eric, to help me out in the garden.
Back in the house, we had two pairs of messy hands. So, out came my favorite hand cleaner that I reserve for the dirtiest of messes. Lava Soap is the most effective way that I have found to get rid of the ground in garden dirt from my hands, and Eric was anxious to get started first. Within a couple of minutes, his little hands were nice and squeaky clean.
My hands were worse than Eric’s, coated with soil and plant debris and I knew from experience that regular soap wouldn’t do the job. So I grabbed my bar of Lava and got started.
That is a lot of dirt!
Almost done!
Finished!
In the past, whenever I would use regular soap, it never got them completely clean, and I would have dirt remaining in the small cracks in my hands. I also didn’t like how dried out my hands would feel after working in the garden.
Lava Soap not only gets my hands (and Eric’s) cleaner than regular soap, it doesn’t dry them out either. Most of us have heard of this famous cleaning bar and how it is useful for getting rid of grease, paint, and glue due to the pumice that within it. However, I’m here to state that it also did a fabulous job removing the garden soil from my hands while leaving them moisturized afterward.
So, ditch the garden gloves, reach your hands into the soil and experience the joy of gardening. Just be sure to have some Lava Soap ready to help you clean up afterward.
Lava Soap is available at retailers across the country, including Ace, Walmart, Dollar General, and Family Dollar. To find a store near you, visit LavaSoap.com and click on the Where to Buy button.
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One of the best things about having a garden in the desert southwest is our ability to grow citrus of all kinds. Lemon trees are a popular fruit tree and I am often asked what type of lemon do I recommend.
There are different types of lemons but the one that is my favorite isn’t a ‘true’ lemon tree at all. It’s a Meyer lemon, which is a cross between an orange tree and a lemon tree.
The result is a fruit that tastes sweeter than your typical lemon and has lovely thin, smooth skin. Meyer lemons are suitable for use in the same ways that other lemons are, but you can use them in additional ways as well due to their sweeter nature.
I recently shared the reasons why you should plant a Meyer lemons tree in one of my latest articles for Houzz.
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Do you love hummingbirds? Maybe a better question would be, who doesn’t?
Hummingbird feeding from an ocotillo flower.
Attracting hummingbirds to your garden isn’t hard to do by simply adding flowering plants, rich in nectar that they are attracted to.
Female Anna’s hummingbird at my feeder.
But, what if your garden space is small or non-existent? Is a hanging a hummingbird feeder your only option?
Well, I’m here to tell you that space needn’t keep you from having your own hummingbird garden – all you have to do is to downsize it creating one in a container.
If you have a small patio, stoop or even a balcony, you can create your own mini-hummingbird garden in a container.
For those of you who have think you have no space at all, look up!
Hanging containers or window boxes are a great option for those short on garden space.
Whether you have small garden space or simply want to increase the amount of hummingbirds visiting your existing garden – creating a mini-hummingbird garden in a container is a great way to do it.
Let’s get started.
Here are the elements of a hummingbird container garden:
LOCATION:
– Select a location that receives at least 6 hours of sun a day.
– Group containers together for greater color impact, which increases the chances of hummingbird visits.
– Place containers in areas where you can view the visiting hummingbirds such as an entry, near a window or a back patio.
– Make sure that the containers are visible and allow easy access for hummingbirds to fly in and out.
CONTAINERS:
– The type of container isn’t important – but drainage is. Make sure pots have holes for drainage.
– Select colorful pots for a welcome splash of color (optional).
– Larger pots will stay moister longer, therefore needing to be water less frequently.
SOIL:
– Use a planting mix (not potting soil), which is specially formulated for container plants since it holds onto just the right amount of moisture without becoming soggy like potting soil can.
– For large containers, save money on expensive planting mix (soil) by filling the bottom third of the container with recycled plastic water bottles and/or milk jugs.
WHAT PLANT WHERE?
While hummingbirds don’t care how you arrange plants in your mini-hummingbird garden
– you can certainly arrange plants.
– Place the tallest plant in the center, surrounded with medium-sized filler plants interspersed with trailing ground covers.
This planter has the tallest plant (Salvia) located in the center with mid-sized purple coneflower next to it with ‘Wave’ petunias spilling over the outside.
Grab my FREE guide for Fuss-Free Plants that thrive in a hot, dry climate!
COLOR:
A hummingbird’s favorite color is red, although they will visit flowers of all colors as long as they are rich in nectar.
However, let’s explore color in regards to creating a beautiful container and figuring out what color combos look best.
To this, we will need to visit our friend, the color wheel.
– To achieve a soft blending of colors, select plants with flower colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.
– For a striking contrast, pair flowers with colors that occur on opposite ends of the color wheel.
HUMMINGBIRD ATTRACTING PLANTS:
Salvia coccinea
– Hummingbirds are drawn to flowers that have a tubular shape.
Hummingbird feeding from the yellow flower of aloe vera.
– The color red is their favorite, but as stated earlier, they will visit flowers of all colors.
Young hummingbird feeding from a lantana flower.
– They tend to prefer flowers with little to no fragrance since their sense of smell is poor.
– Plants belonging to the Salvia genus are all very popular with hummingbirds and are a safe choice when creating a hummingbird container garden.
Soap aloe flowers.
– Flowering succulents are also often visited by hummingbirds as well.
Rufous hummingbird feeding from the flower of a red hot poker plant.
– There are helpful online resources with lists of plants that attract hummingbirds. Here are two helpful ones:
– Other helpful resources are your local botanical garden, master gardener or nursery professional.
Another bonus to planting hummingbird attracting plants is that many of the same flowers attract butterflies too.
CARE:
The key to maintaining healthy container plants lies in proper watering and fertilizing.
Let’s look at watering first:
– Water containers when the top 2 inches of soil are barely moist. You can stick your finger into the soil to determine how dry the soil is.
– Water until the water flows out the bottom of the container.
– The frequency of watering will vary seasonally.
Fertilizing is important for container plants – even plants that don’t normally require fertilizer when planted in the ground will need it if in a container.
– Fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer, which lasts 3 months.
The key to maintaining healthy container plants lies in proper watering and fertilizing.
Let’s look at watering first:
– Water containers when the top 2 inches of soil are barely moist. You can stick your finger into the soil to determine how dry the soil is.
– Water until the water flows out the bottom of the container.
– The frequency of watering will vary seasonally.
Fertilizing is important for container plants – even plants that don’t normally require fertilizer when planted in the ground will need it if in a container.
– Fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer, which lasts 3 months.
Don’t be afraid to look outside the box when it comes to what can be used as a container.
An old wheelbarrow makes a great container after a making a few holes in the bottom for drainage. *While marigolds don’t attract hummingbirds, there are a few dianthus in this planter that do.
Hummingbirds love water!
Add a water feature in a container that will surely attract nearby hummingbirds.
Add places for hummingbirds to perch nearby or within the container itself.
This little black-chinned hummingbird was perfectly at home perching on a lady’s slipper (Pedilanthus macrocarpus) stem that was growing in a container.
You can always add a small, dead tree branch within the container itself for a convenient perching spot.
As you can see, the amount (or lack of) garden space doesn’t need to limit your ability to attract hummingbirds using beautiful, flowering plants.
****************************
I spoke about small space gardening at the Hummingbird Festival 2015, and it was an unforgettable experience, filled with educational talks, beautiful gardens and observing hummingbirds up close – I even got to hold one! To read more about my adventures with hummingbirds, click here.
I hope that you are inspired to create your own mini-hummingbird habitat in a container.
**Do you have a favorite plant that attracts lots of hummingbirds? Please share them in the comments section.
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Have you ever encountered this landscaping challenge? This blank wall is rather boring, and the home behind it dominates the view. So what would you do to fix these problems?
I faced this dilemma last month at a client’s home. The pool was the main focal point of the landscape, and the dull wall wasn’t doing it any favors. In coming up with a solution, we had to select a plant that was relatively low-litter, due to the proximity to the pool and that looked attractive throughout the entire year because of the high-profile location.
Hop Bush (Dodonaea viscosa)
I recommended adding three hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa). These are tall, evergreen shrubs that thrive in arid climates such as ours.
One of the many things that I love about them is their versatility. They thrive in full sun and light shade, and can be allowed to grow up to 12 feet tall, or maintained at a lower height.
Hop bush can be allowed to grow to their natural shape…
…or pruned more formally.
For the area behind the pool, I recommend having it grow to its full height, which will help provide privacy while the attractive foliage will add a welcome screen of green throughout the year.
evergreen shrubs Hop bush flowers
Hop bush does produce light green, papery flowers in spring, but they aren’t particularly showy. So, we need to add a color element to the area behind the pool.
One of my favorite ways to add color to any landscape is to incorporate brightly colored containers in shade of blue, purple, or orange. That way, whether plants are in bloom or not, there is always a bright splash of color.
For this area, I recommended adding 3 blue pots, equally spaced.
Now it was time to decide what to plant in each pot. The client wanted a low-maintenance choice that wouldn’t require a lot of water.
Immediately, I remembered touring a landscape that had blue containers filled with ‘Blue Elf’ aloe. Even though the aloe had finished blooming for the year, their spiky blue-gray foliage added nice color contrast.
This small aloe is one of my favorite succulents for several reasons. First, it begins to bloom in late winter, lasting into spring adding welcome color to cool-season landscapes. Hummingbirds can’t resist the flowers either.
This aloe is best showcased when grouped together and thrives in full sun, unlike most aloe which prefer filtered shade. Finally, it is hardy to 15 degrees F. so cold winters seldom bother it.
And so, here is the planting that I suggested to my client that will provide year round beauty and privacy.
*Do you have a favorite plant or group of plants that you like to use against bare walls?
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The arrival of summer in the desert fills with days where the thermometer surpasses the century mark and trees are heavily laden with apples. People are often surprised to find that apple trees can be grown in our arid climate, but they do surprisingly well. I have two apple trees in my garden, which is the center of our annual apple day where we gather together to harvest, bake, and play games.
The participants range from 2-years old, all the way to 19 and are made up of my kids, niece, nephews, in-laws, and my grandson, Eric. Each year, they all come over for a day filled with summer fun.
Picking apples are first on the agenda, and the kids pick delicious apples within reach of their arm’s reach.
The younger kids are excited to spot Aesop, our desert tortoise munching on grass, and take a moment to pet him.
One of my nephews is a little nervous to pet Aesop, so he observes him from a couple of feet away.
Half a bushel of apples is more than enough for two pies, with plenty left over for the kids to munch on while we bake.
Out comes my handy apple peeler, which makes peeling and slicing apples a cinch. In addition to peeling them, it cores each and cuts them into a spiral.
The kids line up to take a turn turning the handle for each apple and sneak ribbons of apple peel to eat.
Homemade apple crust is the way to go and I use Paula Deen’s recipe for Perfect Pie Crust. It is a little sweet and uses a combination of vegetable shortening and butter.
The filling consists of brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.
Oh, and butter…
The trickiest part is gently laying the top crust on top of the pie without it breaking.
Crimping.
At this point, the kids wanted to know how long it would take to bake.
Onto our second pie, which was a Dutch apple pie, so only one crust was needed.
My niece helped sprinkle the streusel topping. I always make extra streusel topping because I love it so much.
Pies are now in the oven, and it’s time to play our favorite board game, ‘Ticket to Ride’ and see who can complete their train routes across the U.S.
Finally, the timer dings and warm apple pie leaves the oven, making our mouths water with their delicious fragrance.
Every year, I am pleasantly surprised at how much the kids in both my immediate and extended family, look forward to this day of pie baking. For a few hours, I have the privilege of interacting with them without the distractions of phones, television, and video games while teaching them how to bake as well as where fruit comes from (a tree versus the grocery store).
I hope to continue this tradition for years to come. *Do you have any traditions that you enjoy with your family that revolves around baking?
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This week, I had the honor of interviewing Joe Lamp’l, host of the PBS series, ‘Growing a Greener World.’ Joe is a well-known figure in the gardening world and is frequently on NBC’s TODAY Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, The Weather Channel, etc. He has several popular books, podcast series, nationally syndicated newspaper column, and has recently launched the website, Joe Gardener where he shares his knowledge for both beginner and experienced gardeners alike.
Joe travels the country touring gardens for his show, and I always come away learning something new from each episode. Last year, he made several visits to the greater Phoenix area, and I asked him what surprised him the most about the Southwest? “I was surprised by the lushness of the landscape,” Joe says. “It caused a mind shift with its incredible diversity and lushness, which catches you off guard along with the unbelievable options and how beautiful it can be.”
His passion for gardening manifests itself through many mediums, and Joe is a passionate proponent of gardening naturally. “Feed the soil (with organic matter), and it will feed the plants,” he states. “Common mistakes that homeowners make is not mulching enough and reaching too quickly for chemical solutions to plant problems.” Through his podcasts, website, and show, Joe talks about natural solutions to common problems along with helpful tips toward a more sustainable garden.
When asked for advice for people new to gardening, Joe says, “New gardeners can sometimes be overzealous; planting too much, and water and fertilize their new plants too much, and as a result, become overwhelmed at the maintenance required. Instead, start out slowly and grow into it naturally. Get out and enjoy your garden regularly and keep an eye out for potential problems by being ahead of it.”
**For those of you who live in the greater Phoenix area, Joe Lamp’l will be giving a Water Conservation and Drip Irrigation Workshop at The Home Depot at 1545 S. Crismon Rd, Mesa, AZ 85209 on Saturday, June 24th. It begins at 10:00 and runs until 1:00. I highly encourage you to go and learn about ways to conserve water in your landscape and the latest developments in drip irrigation, including wifi-enabled controllers.**
I invite you to take some time to get to know Joe better through his show, podcasts, and website – you will learn and be inspired!
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Living in the desert southwest has its perks, I am blessed to be able to grow a variety of citrus trees in my garden and they do very well under most circumstances because I protect citrus trees during hot weather.
However, when temperatures outside of the average highs and lows occur, steps need to be taken to protect them. With this week’s record-breaking highs, my orange tree has been suffering as is evident from its sunburned leaves. So I thought, this is a great opportunity to talk about how to protect citrus trees from a heatwave.
1. Protect Citrus Trees Provide Temporary Shade
Sunburn isn’t just a human woe; it affects citrus trees too. The west and south-facing sides of citrus trees are susceptible to sunburn during a heatwave. This shows up as yellowing or browning on the leaves on those sides of the tree. Sunburn can also occur on immature citrus fruit, so it’s important to protect them.
Burlap is a Great Shade Cover for Trees
While spraying citrus trees with sunscreen isn’t an option, adding temporary shade is, especially for citrus trees facing south and west that are particularly vulnerable. Put a large piece of burlap over the tree, focusing on those south and west-facing exposures. Burlap is lightweight and inexpensive. It allows some sun to penetrate, which is important, without overwhelming the tree. You can purchase burlap at your big box store, nursery, or Amazon (affiliate link below).
Shade cloth is an adaptable guardian against sunburn. Whether draped over a scaffold or enlisted to shield neighboring plants, its sun-blocking power proves invaluable during heatwaves. You can easily use a bed sheet in place of burlap for temporary shade. Another option would be to place a shade tent/canopy to help block the sun’s westerly rays.
Shade cloth is very useful as a sun shield when placed on a scaffold or other support – it also works great to help protect other plants in your garden.
2. Increase Irrigation and Water Early to Protect Citrus Trees
When temperatures soar above normal, citrus trees, like most plants, lose more water through their leaves. As a result, their regular watering schedule isn’t enough to meet their needs, so increase the frequency of watering as long as the heat wave lasts.
The Morning Watering Advantage for Citrus
Watering isn’t just about quantity; timing matters. When you water is vital as it is difficult for plants to uptake water in the middle of the day. This is because all of their resources are dedicated to enduring the stresses of the heat and it’s hard for them to divert those to uptake water. Water in the early morning, will allow them to build up a water reserve that will help them bolster their endurance throughout the day.
Get the Desert Gardening 101 How to Guide
Want to learn basic tips for how to create, grow, and maintain beautiful desert landscapes? Click the box below and get the Desert Gardening 101 GUIDE . Imagine all that helpful information right at your fingertips!
Restoration after the Extreme Heat and Sun
When the heatwave subsides, it’s time to bid farewell to temporary shade. Remove the temporary shade in order to protect citrus trees for cooler conditions. As temperatures stabilize, return to your usual watering schedule. By implementing these two proven techniques, you’re empowering your citrus trees to defy the scorching grip of brutal summer temperatures and minimize any negative effects.
Beyond Heatwaves: Year-Round Trunk and Bark Care to Protect Citrus Trees
Remember, safeguarding citrus trees transcends seasons. Ensuring your trees’ trunks and bark receive proper sun protection is a year-long responsibility. Explore this previous blog post for insights on why and how to provide this vital shield.
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Do you have a lawn? I do. My son enjoys spending time outdoors playing football or soccer on the backyard lawn while my grandson likes to run barefoot on it.
Maintaining a lawn does take work including fertilizing it twice a year. My warm-season lawn is bermuda grass, which needs fertilizer in spring and the fall. Grass needs nutrients, like nitrogen for its health and to look its best. When it comes to choosing a type of fertilizer, I select organic fertilizers versus synthetic ones whenever possible.
*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.*
organic fertilizers
Why choose an organic fertilizer rather than a synthetic fertilizer, you may ask? Their effects last longer, they come from natural (renewable) sources, they won’t kill beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and won’t harm the environment.
My lawn needed to be fertilized not only for its health, but I was hosting a wedding in my backyard, and the grass had to look its best. I applied BioFlora 5 lb 6-10-1 Crumbles Stand Up Bag which is an organic fertilizer that is suitable for all plants in the garden, including lawns
Applying the fertilizer was easy using our spreader – you can also use a hand-spreader if that’s what you have.
Two weeks later, my lawn looked vibrant and healthy, making the perfect backdrop for my daughter’s wedding.
The grass won’t need any other fertilizer until October, just before it goes dormant. It may seem strange to fertilize just before the grass goes to sleep for the winter, but it is recommended as the grass stores up the nutrients, which enables it to green up more quickly the following spring.
You can read more about BioFlora Dry Crumbles and other products here.
*Disclosure: I was given BioFlora Dry Crumbles, free of charge, in return for my honest review.
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As a garden writer and horticulturist, I am often asked to review new gardening books, which is one of my favorite things to do; especially if the books are about growing plants in the desert.
Years ago, there were precious few books that dealt with the unique challenges and solutions to creating a beautiful outdoor space in a hot, arid climate. Nowadays, there are several books that focus on desert gardening, but most just scratch the surface of how to do it. When I was contacted by The Desert Botanical Garden to see if I would review their new book, Desert Landscape School: A Guide to Desert Landscaping and Maintenance, I said yes.
The origins of the book arose from the Desert Landscape School at the gardens, which offers classes for individuals who are interested in specializing in certain aspects of desert landscaping. Graduates earn a certification in one or more areas, including desert plant palette, planting and maintenance, and desert design. A large group of experts was brought together in the creation of this book, including many that work in the garden.
Thumbing through my copy, I looked to see how the information was laid out and whether it addressed common landscape dilemmas that are unique to desert gardening. As you may expect, a book from this prestigious garden didn’t disappoint. I found myself reading through its pages and reliving my early days as a horticulturist learning not only the basics of arid gardening principles but also strategies and tips for growing plants that I didn’t learn until later.
This book is for those who want to learn the reasons why we garden the way we do in the desert to more fully understand it. There is also valuable information regarding plant selection, design, sustainability, installation guidelines, and how to properly maintain the landscape.
I’ve always said that “gardening in the desert isn’t hard, it’s just different” and the book offers practical tips that make growing plants in an arid climate, easier. For example, connecting tree wells using swales and gravity to allow rain water to flow to where it’s needed instead of down the street.
For those of you who have read my blog for awhile, you won’t be surprised to learn that I was interested in the pruning and maintenance section, as I am passionate about teaching people correct pruning practices. One illustration that grabbed my attention was the right and wrong way to prune palm trees.
Badly pruned palm trees
I had taken this photo a couple of weeks ago of palm trees that had been pruned incorrectly with too many fronds removed. Overpruning weakens the tree and leaves it open to other stresses, which the book addresses.
The structure of the book is set up so that each section can be read on its own, so readers can focus on what they are interested in learning most. Of course, I recommend reading the entire book as it contains invaluable information which leaves the reader well-informed and confident in their ability to garden successfully in the desert southwest as well as other desert regions.
Desert Landscaping & Maintenance is truly a one-of-a-kind book that serves the role of several desert gardening books in one, and I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of this brand new desert gardening guide.
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