I love my garden, filled with trees that provide welcome filtered shade along with flowering shrubs. While my garden gives me joy, it does take maintenance to keep it healthy and looking its best. The primary maintenance chore I…

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…

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…

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…

Tips For a Healthy Summer Lawn A summer lawn adds beauty to outdoor spaces while helping to lower air temperatures, which assists in providing a welcome respite from the heat.  We have all seen expanses of lush, green grass that…

Echeveria and aloe planted in an old water fountain in Santa Barbara, CA. Water features have long had a prominent spot in the landscape, where the both the beauty and sound of water help to create an enjoyable outdoor atmosphere. However,…

Growing peaches and making peach jam It's one of my favorite times of year in the garden - my peach trees are heavily laden with delicious, sweet fruit ready for picking. Many people are surprised to learn that you can grow peaches…

Taking photos of succulents in a hidden garden in California. I have a love affair with succulents.  There are so many reasons for my passion, but the biggest reason is that they are easy to grow, and a low-maintenance way…

golf course Last week, I was cleaning out old files that I had stored in a box from my years working as a horticulturist on golf courses, and I found this photo of me standing in a bed of wildflowers. It was taken during my first…