There comes a time every Christmas season, when all the gifts and bought and wrapped (I finished up my last knitting gift today 🙂  I have finally finished baking for Christmas, - Toffee Bars - that I make every year at Christmas -…

With all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it as a blessing that our desert gardens need little, if any attention during this month, letting us have more time for all of our numerous holiday activities. I realize it is…

I came upon a hidden garden while I was visiting a charming little town in Wales.  Actually this town, Llantwrtyd Wells, (population 700), is the smallest town in Great Britain.  I can't pronounce the name correctly, my Gaelic is…

As I write this, it is raining outside.  I love the rain.  I always have, even as a young girl growing up in Southern California.   I especially like the thought of all the rain falling on my vegetable garden. If you…

My family has a tradition of gathering together at Costco (of all places) for dinner once a month. (For those of you who don't know what Costco is - it is a lot like Sam's Club). You see, we all love Costco and their pizza is pretty good. …

Last time we visited together, I was "talking" about having to plant shrubs around our church along with a boy scout who was working on his community hours for his next badge. As I promised, here is 'part two' where we planted six 15-gallon…

A few months ago, I was asked to help re-design part of our church's parking lot landscape.  There was nothing really wrong with it except for some old plants and some dying Chinese Elm trees. So, I created a design that switched out…

Usually when I am called to a help out a homeowner with their landscape, it is because they are having a problem with their plants, or sometimes they are new to the desert and want to learn how to garden in our dry climate.   Last…

There is a gardening task that I both enjoy and dread when I have to do it twice every year.   Now, I am not only doing it for myself, but also for my mother-in-law. So what it is this task? The seasonal task of changing…