

Purple, Prickly and Beautiful: Santa-rita Prickly Pear
Arizona garden, Cactus/Succulents, desert gardening, Southwest garden, Succulent Gardening
Exploring the Beauty of Prickly Cactus
Do you like prickly cactus? I have a few favorites, one being the Santa-Rita Prickly Pear (Opuntia violaceae var. santa rita). The color contrast of their blue-grey pads and the shades of purple…

September Gardening Tasks
Arizona, Arizona garden, Cactus/Succulents, Citrus, desert gardening
There are some signs that summer is beginning to fade and that fall is around the corner. The stress that the high temperatures of summer bring has caused many plants to slow down their growth.
However, the slightly…

Iconic Desert Tree, The Palo Verde
Arizona garden, desert, Landscape Design, Trees
Iconic tree, Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida)
When people think of the Sonoran desert, hillsides studded with saguaro cactus and cholla often come to mind. But interspersed between the cactus, you will find the palo…

Fall Citrus Tree Care
Citrus, Fruit Trees, Growing Fruit
In the Desert Southwest, we are fortunate to be able to grow citrus. In early fall, your citrus tree probably looks like the one pictured, with green fruit that is getting ready to ripen in this winter.
It is time for the third…

September Blooms Outside My Door
Arizona, Arizona garden, Drought Tolerant, Fall Blooming Plants, Fuss Free Plant, Shrubs, Trees
The blooming of my desert willow tree (Chilopsis linearis), is beginning to slow down. The leaves will fall in December. However, there were a few lovely pink flowers left.
Also, the recent monsoon storms have caused…

Fall Rose Tips for the Desert Garden
Arizona, desert, desert gardening, Fall Blooming Plants, Roses in the Desert
Fall Rose, 'Double Delight'
In the Desert Southwest, we are blessed with two different blooming seasons - spring and again in fall.
While two bloom seasons is generally one more than many regions experience, roses…

Yellow Bells for Glorious Color Spring Through Fall
Arizona garden, Drought Tolerant, Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting, Shrubs
This beautiful plant is one of my favorite shrubs in the garden - so much so, that I have three. Yellow bells produce bell-shaped flowers beginning in spring and lasting through the fall months until the first frost.
Hummingbirds…

How Long Does It Take Before A Saguaro Grows Arms?
Arizona, Arizona garden, Cactus/Succulents, desert, desert gardening, Irrigation
Exploring the Growth of Saguaro Cactus Arms
In the realm of desert flora, the saguaro cactus stands as an iconic symbol of the American Southwest.
The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is a towering, tree-like cactus native to…

Two Iconic Sonoran Desert Plants: Saguaro and Ocotillo
Arizona, Cactus/Succulents, Drought Tolerant, Shrubs
The saguaro cactus is one of the most iconic plants of Arizona, (Carnegiea gigantea), it is perhaps the most recognizable trademark of the Sonoran desert with their tall arms reaching toward the sky.
Although, saguaros are only in some…

Autumn Sage: A Hummingbird Magnet
Desert Animals, Drought Tolerant, Fuss Free Plant, Perennial, Shrubs
Do you like hummingbirds?
If so, you may want to make sure that you have some autumn sage (Salvia greggii) growing in your garden - it is a hummingbird magnet.
While red is the most common color of this small shrub, it also comes…