Embracing White Flowering Plants Are white flowering plants a part of your landscape design? They certainly are in mine. Surprisingly, white flowers are often overshadowed by more vibrant shades like yellow, orange, or red. However,…

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

Do you have plants that need extra water this summer? I have the portable drip irrigation solution for you! Many of us have a few plants that aren't connected to an irrigation system. Some people don't have an irrigation system and…

I have a weakness (well, one of many) to confess to you today.... I absolutely love salt.   In fact, I have a theory that the reason that so many people love french fries is not the potatoes or the fat it is fried in. No, it…

Love them or hate them, oleanders have a firm foothold in the desert landscape where they are usually seen creating living green 'walls' in order to provide privacy. Their popularity is due in large part to several characteristics: -…

Artichoke agave (Agave parryi 'truncata'), golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii), and lady's slipper (Pedilanthus macrocarpus), Does the idea of having to venture outside, when temperatures are above 100 degrees, to care for…

Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness: A Well-Designed Natural Landscape Have you noticed that landscapes around parking lots and shopping malls look somewhat lackluster? This is often due to a combination of over-pruning, over-planting,…

Prickly pear The next time you find yourself grumbling about having to prune your trees and shrubs - just be thankful that you don't have to prune cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden. While I have never had to prune a large bed…

Do you like plants that flower throughout most of the year? How about a plant with evergreen foliage in zone 9-11 gardens throughout the year? Would you prefer a plant that requires very little pruning? If you answered "yes" to…