I enjoy traveling – especially when I get to explore new places. Last month, I journeyed to Buffalo New York where I toured gardens, attended a writer’s workshop, and best of all, spent time with one of my favorite people.
Why Buffalo you may ask? Well, it turns out that this industrial city has beautiful green spaces, whimsical private gardens, as well as test gardens. Each August, the city hosts Garden Walk Buffalo where people from all over the U.S., Canada, and other countries descend to tour over 400 private gardens. I was in Buffalo for the Garden Communicator’s Annual Conference, which is held in a different city each year. Each year, I look forward to the conference where garden tours, educational sessions, and the tradeshow fills our days. It is also a very good time to reconnect with fellow writers.
I arrived in Buffalo a few days early to meet up with my BGF (Best Garden Friend), Andrea who flew all the way from Australia to attend. We met two years ago when we attended our first conference and bonded instantly. Throughout the year, we keep in touch via Facebook Messenger and look forward to spending a week together at the conference.
Our agenda for the first day was to explore the downtown area down the street from our hotel. There were many older buildings, including our hotel, which had been beautifully refurbished, including the city hall and its art deco architecture.
The day was sunny, humid, and hot. Desert dwellers like me don’t deal very well with humidity, but that didn’t stop us from exploring.
We walked down to Canalside, which is along the banks of Lake Erie. As we explored the area, we walked through beautifully landscaped garden beds. The hosta and coleus were stunning with their contrasting colors.
While I may not be able to grow many of the plants we passed by, it doesn’t keep me from enjoying their beauty and getting inspired to create similar plantings using different plants that thrive where I live. However, there was ONE plant in this bed that currently grows in my garden – pink flowering gaura.
As we continued walking along the water front, splashes of color caught my eye.
We had stumbled upon a ‘pot of gold at the end of a rainbow’ or in other words, a test garden where the latest flowering annuals are being tested.
Large containers filled with ‘Supertunia’ petunias look as if they are on steroids. But, this type of flower is smaller than regular petunias and flower more abundantly as you can see. The tall spikes of white and purple angelonia add a lovely vertical accent.
White alyssum, black sweet potato vine, and gomphrena make a unique grouping that works.
I was thrilled to note that many of the plants in the test garden would grow nicely in my desert garden – during the cool season.
More pink gaura was to be seen, blooming in front of masses of Supertunia.
Lantana is a very familiar sight in arid gardens where it can survive outdoors throughout the year. However, in cold winter regions, it is treated as an annual.
Black-eyed Susan vines grew against a wooden fence surrounded by vibrant verbena and double petunias.
I love trellises made from natural materials on hand like this wood, likely fished out from the lake.
Here is another plant that currently grows in my desert garden – Salvia amistad.
Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
After the long trek from our hotel and exploring the test garden, Andrea and I were content after seeing such beautiful plants, but we were also hot, tired, and hungry.
Thankfully, we found this wonderful restaurant a couple of blocks away. The food and service were fabulous, so we came back again for dinner.
I invite you to visit Andrea’s blog where she writes about her adventures gardening in Perth, Australia. Please come back to join me for day two of our adventure where we discover another garden – this one filled with edible plants along with whimsical garden signs.
November Days
Arizona garden, AZ Plant Lady, desert gardening, Fall Blooming Plants, Noelle Johnson Horticulturist Arizona, Southwest garden, Succulent GardeningThe Busy November: A Month of Plant Sales, Garden Talks, and Fall Tweaks
Embracing the Hectic Beauty of November
If I had to pick the busiest month of the year, it would be November.
Kids’ school activities, plant sales, and speaking engagements fill our lives. It is a lot of WORK helping people update their outdoor spaces. But, is also a time where my garden is reveling in the cooler temperatures of fall and I start to make some tweaks to it. I love the quote, “A garden is never finished”. That is certainly true of mine. Hence the little green flags indicating new plants that need irrigation run to them.
Plant Sales and Community Support
Earlier this month, I was a special guest expert at a local plant sales that raises money for community services. I enjoyed coming up with creative combinations for those who were shopping and answering their questions about the best exposure for the different plants offered for sale.
Inspiring Gardeners with Creative Container Gardening
A few days later, it was all about creative container gardening as I spoke to a group of interested gardeners at a local branch of the Phoenix Public Library. While I like to talk about gardening to groups, there is always a little fear before it begins when you stare at a sea of empty seats and pray that they will be at least half filled by the time it starts. I must say that I was thrilled when they had to bring in extra chairs for my talk. Yeah!
The Delight of Fall in the Garden
Fall is my favorite time of year in the garden when the summer bloomers are still producing colorful flowers and my cool-season plants are beginning to show off as well.
You know what else I like about November? It means that Christmas is just around corner! I wonder how early I can get away with putting up Christmas decorations?
November Blooms
Got Old, Overgrown Plants? Know When to Prune or Replace
Arizona garden, Cactus/Succulents, desert gardening, Landscape Problems, Pruning, Shrubs, Southwest garden, Succulent GardeningDealing with the Dilemma of an Overgrown Plant: To Prune or Replace?
Overgrown plant, old Texas sage (Leucophyllum frutescens ‘Green Cloud’)
The Challenge of Aging Plants in the Landscape
You have undoubtedly seen old, overgrown plants filled with mostly leafless branches that rarely flower anymore. Or, perhaps it is an aged succulent that has brown patches. The patches can slowly encroach onto the upper parts of the plant from the base. So, what is the solution for plants that no longer add decorative value to our landscape?
Old rosemary filled with unproductive woody growth
The Power of Severe Renewal Pruning
Dealing with overgrown plants is a common challenge for gardeners and landscapers. Understanding when to prune and when to replace is crucial for maintaining a beautiful landscape.
Not all plants respond well to severe pruning; some are better replaced altogether. Let’s discuss specific Southwestern shrubs and succulents.
Oleander that has undergone severe renewal pruning in spring.
Springtime Rejuvenation
Many shrubs can be rejuvenated by severely pruning them back, which gets rid of old, woody growth and stimulates the production of new branches, which will flower more (in the case of flowering shrubs). It is helpful to think of severe renewal pruning as the “fountain of youth” for many plants.
This type of pruning is best done in spring, once the weather begins to warm up. Shrubs that respond well to this include bougainvillea, jojoba, lantana, oleander, Texas sage, and yellow bells. It’s important to note that not all shrubs will come back from this method, but the pruning didn’t kill the shrub – it only hastened the demise of the plant that was already in progress. If this happens, replace it with another.
Old desert spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri)
Some Plants Do Not Like Renewal Pruning
There are some plants that don’t respond well to renewal pruning or where that isn’t possible to do in the case of succulents. In this case, the solution is simple – take them out and replace them with a younger version of the same plant. Examples of plants that are better removed and replaced include aloe, desert spoon, red yucca (hesperaloe), rosemary, and prickly pear cactus. When you think about it, the cost isn’t very high, when you consider the beauty that these plants added to your landscape for eight years or more.
Heavenly Cloud Texas Sage several weeks after severe pruning.
Weighing the Cost and Beauty
Explore the decision-making process behind removing and replacing old succulents and shrubs in your landscape, considering the cost and the beauty they bring to your garden.
When you think about it, the cost isn’t very high, when you consider the beauty that these plants added to your landscape for eight years or more.
*Have you severely pruned back an old shrub and had it come back beautifully? Or, maybe you recently removed and replaced some old succulents?
Ready to Prune? Here Are Common Pruning Terms Defined
What To Do With Pumpkins Once The Holidays Are Over
az plant lady family, DIY, Houzz Article, vegetablesPumpkins play a large part in our fall holiday celebrations. I remember trips to the pumpkin patch when my kids were younger and watching them choose just the ‘right’ pumpkin for our family.
A few weeks later, pumpkins take center stage on Halloween as their artfully carved faces add a festive element to costumed trick-or-treaters.
But, what do you do with them once the holiday is over? Instead of throwing them in the trash can, what if you could find new uses for your pumpkin?
Whether your pumpkin has been carved or left whole, I’ve shared 9 ways to reuse them in the garden and in the home, in my latest article for Houzz. I hope you enjoy!
The Summer Vegetable Garden: Pumpkins!
Overgrown Container Plants Get a Much Needed Haircut
Arizona garden, AZ Plant Lady, Cactus/Succulents, Containers, desert gardening, Pruning, Shrubs, Southwest gardenI’m about to show you my messy container plants, which have been sadly ignored for the past few months.
Overgrown Container Plants
Shocking isn’t it? I’m embarrassed to show this to you, but I’m the first to admit that I’m not a perfect gardener. Sometimes, life gets in the way of garden maintenance tasks, and since I don’t have my own personal gardener on my payroll, my plants sometimes look like this.
While the plants are perfectly happy and healthy, they are messy, and you can’t even tell how many plants and pots there are.
The center pot is filled with a lush green Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac) shrub and some overgrown ‘Victoria Blue’ salvia.
Arabian jasmine loves shade and can handle filtered shade too. It’s fragrant white flowers greet visitors who pass by it on the way to the front door. As you can see, it does well when planted in the ground or a large pot.
In this corner, my lovely blue pot is filled with a hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa), bush morning glory (Convolvulus cneorum), and foxtail asparagus fern (Protasparagus densiflorus ‘Meyeri’).
I planted this arrangement of plants last year and was inspired by a collection of containers that I saw in California.
I love the combination of plants known for their foliage and wanted this for my front entry. Needless to say, mine doesn’t look like this and won’t without a little attention from me.
This is my succulent container that is filled with a single ‘King Ferdinand’ agave (Agave ferdinandi-regis) and elephants food (Portulacaria afra).
*The witch decoration is a little outdoor decoration for Halloween.
Overgrown Container Plants Pruning
I started in by pruning the most prominent plant, the Arabian jasmine. Using my hand pruners, I cut it back, removing approximately 2/3 of its total size. The ‘Victoria Blue’ salvia was cut back as well, but it is on its way out as it’s usually used for as a warm season annual, but it may come back and bloom for me before winter arrives.
As I pruned back the overgrown jasmine, I discovered a forgotten trailing plant that I had added several months ago. I can’t remember what it was – perhaps bacopa or scaevola.
That looks so much better! The Arabian jasmine will grow back a little before the cold of winter halts its growth. I lightly trimmed the elephants food and tied up the hop bush to a wooden stake to help promote more upright growth.
In about a week, I’ll add some flowering annuals to the black pot, and I’m open to suggestions. *Do you have a favorite cool-season annual?
Got Frost-Damaged Plants? How and When to Prune…
Arizona Road Trip: Flowers, Containers, and a Wedding
Arizona, desert gardening, Garden Travels, Perennial, Road Trip, Southwest gardenArizona 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?
3 Ways to Preserve the Flavors of Summer With Herbs
DIY, herb gardening, Houzz Article, Vegetable GardeningDo you grow herbs? I do.
Herbs are easy to grow and thrive in arid climates and shrug off the heat. I’m the first to admit that I don’t like messing around with fussy plants and so herbs fit right in with my gardening style.
Toward the end of summer, my garden is overflowing with herbs – especially basil. I certainly have more than I can use right now, so I like to preserve my herbs in a variety of ways so that I can enjoy the fresh flavor of summer throughout the winter months.
preserving herbs
One of the easiest ways to store herbs is by freezing them using olive oil or water. You can see my post on how to freeze herbs here.
Herb salts are a newer way to keep the fresh flavor of herbs alive. The ingredients are simple, and they are a unique way to add a delicious taste to your favorite recipes. See how easy they are to make in this blog post.
Finally, the most popular method for preserving herbs is to dry them. Some types of herbs are easier to dry than others, and there are different methods for drying herbs. I invite you to read my latest article for Houzz.com where it’s all you need to know about drying herbs. I hope you enjoy it!
Do you dry or freeze your herbs? Which herbs work best for you?
Creative Garden Art and Whimsy Add Welcome Interest
AZ Plant Lady, Cactus/Succulents, Containers, DIY, Garden Travels, Succulent GardeningHave you ever visited a garden filled with more than just trees and plants? Different types of garden art can add welcome interest to outdoor spaces along with a touch of whimsy.
It’s the unexpected element of encountering an unusual planter, wall hanging, or recycled items throughout the garden that can add a touch of whimsy that makes a garden unforgettable.
I was inspired by the creative uses of garden decor on a recent visit to Buffalo, and while the plants may be different than what I grow in my Arizona garden, the look can be easily replicated using desert-adapted plants.
Here is a look at my favorites.
A small bistro table is all set for tea along with moss planters in the shape of a purse and high shoe.
Got a dull expanse of wooden fence? Grab some chalk and draw some flowers – this would also work for a block wall fence too.
Old glass dishes make beautiful flowers, don’t you think?
Got an old portable fire pit? Dress it up by filling it with succulents.
Creating artistic pieces from old silverware is quite popular and I quite like this dragonfly made out of butter knives.
An old mirror not only makes a unique wall hanging, but it also reflects the beauty of the garden in front of it.
Old garden benches paired with old watering cans add a new look to this corner of a garden.
Transform an old tree stump by adding a plant on top and wooden planters below.
‘Head’ planters are a trendy whimsical element, and I love the extra splash of color that these add.
Elephants food (Portulacaria afra) would make an excellent ‘hairstyle’ for a head planter.
The elegant beauty of a rusted steel hummingbird.
Faced with the view of an uninspiring blank wooden fence? Break up the monotony by adding planters across the base and through the middle.
Succulents would look great used this way through the middle with potted lantana at the base.
An antique store kettle finds new life as a planter for purple alyssum.
Cool season annuals such as petunias or pansies would go nicely in here. Succulents are a good choice for a year-round planting.
Metal wall hangings are a great way to decorate vertical spaces.
Another stump makes a suitable resting spot for a couple of birdhouses and a colorful ladder.
A simple, yet elegant way to display the blooms in your garden in small glass jars.
Lantana, roses, Texas sage or yellow bell blossoms would look lovely displayed like this for a party.
Are you feeling inspired? I certainly am. I invite you to stroll through an antique shop, a thrift store, or even the garage sale down the street. You never know what will catch your attention and be used to add artistic flair and whimsy to your garden.
Unique Garden Art Out and About
Garden Travels: A Visit Through the Pages of Harry Potter
Garden TravelsHarry Potter garden
Have you ever visited a garden taken from the pages of a book? I recently had the rather unusual experience of reliving one of my favorite book series while walking through a truly unique garden.
Over the past couple of posts, I’ve been sharing the adventures of my latest garden travels which took me to Buffalo, New York. During the week that I spent in this lovely city, I had the wonderful opportunity to tour many gardens, and a few stood out, but none as much as this one.
I was in Buffalo for the GWA (Garden Communicators) annual conference and part of our time was spent touring a variety of fabulous gardens.
Our bus pulled up in front of a beautiful Dutch colonial home, whose owner is Jim Charlier, noted area gardener as well as graphic designer.
While the beauty of the front landscape encouraged further discovery, I was not prepared for what awaited us as we passed through the back garden gate.
A picturesque garden shed stood sentinel in the side yard painted with purple and orange accents, however, it was what surrounded this small structure that was attracting the most attention.
A storybook garden invited visitors to explore the plants from the pages of Harry Potter.
Using his imagination, Charlier, used his artistic skill and gardening knowledge to select plants to represent the magical plants from the books.
The ‘Mirror of Erised’ from Book 1.
A ‘Portkey’ from book 4.
Neville’s pet toad ‘Trevor.’
Window boxes contained lovely plantings, including English ivy that trailed over the edges.
If you think that this garden would attract kids, you’d be right. Charlier’s inspiration for this storybook garden was to get his daughter interested in gardening.
Although this Harry Potter garden may have been initially intended for his daughter, it was fun to see how many adults exclaiming over the originality and artistry, including me.
After visiting the garden, I had the strong urge to begin reading through the Harry Potter series again.
Have you ever seen a storybook themed garden?
Garden Travels: Urban Vegetable Garden With a Touch of Whimsy
Garden Travels, herb gardening, Vegetable GardeningThis 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.*
I enjoy traveling around the country, exploring gardens. Throughout my travels, I am constantly amazed at the unexpected gardens that I stumble upon. Recently, I was in Buffalo, New York for the annual GWA Conference. I arrived a few days early in order to spend time with my BGF (Best Garden Friend), Andrea who came all the way from Australia to attend. We set out from our hotel in the morning to see more of the downtown area of the city.
It was a hot and humid day, but we were not deterred. We passed by a farmers market down the road from our hotel where fresh produce from area farms, was laid out to tempt passersby.
I enjoy seeing fresh seasonal produce but lament that fact that other than fresh fruit, I am limited as to what I can use without a kitchen when I am traveling.
Most farmers markets also feature plants for sale and it’s a great way to see what grows in that area.
After leaving the farmers market with a bag of blueberries, we continued our walk toward the lake side where we encountered a lovely urban community garden. The Learning Garden is located underneath an overpass and adjoins a park.
The garden serves as an outdoor classroom for Erie Community College.
Three of the sides of the garden bounded by a fence, leaving an open gateway for visitors to explore the garden.
Raised beds were filled with a variety of vegetables and herbs along with a few ornamental flowers. Tomatoes are found in almost all of the beds and this garden clearly had an Italian theme with its basil and parsley.
Intermingled with many of the edible crops were whimsical garden signs like this one nestled within a bed of kale.
This sign expresses the joy of gardening for me and I believe for many others as well. As you can see, they aren’t difficult to make and I may enlist the woodworking skills of my husband to make some for my own garden.
Andrea and I took a moment to rest our sore feet while enjoying the scenery of the garden and the busy bees roaming from flower to flower.
The raised beds followed no distinct pattern that I could ascertain – but regardless, they looked great and were obviously thriving. Vegetables were the main focus with flowering annuals such as snapdragons and alyssum adding color.
I want this sign in my vegetable garden – do you think the neighborhood cats can read?
A small greenhouse is located behind massive cucumber vines. My cucumber vines have never looked that good…
I enjoy garden art made from repurposed materials, such as this ‘spoon-fork’ flower – a definite touch of whimsy.
What do you do when you run out of room in your raised beds? Plant vegetables in fabric containers, of course!
In a sunny corner, an unusual pair of wooden chairs sat, facing each other. What a great piece of furniture for those who enjoy good conversation, like we do!
We spent over an hour exploring the garden before leaving. It was a completely unexpected garden discovery and one that I will remember for a long time.
Once we left the garden, we decided to search for a place to eat lunch. Did we select a unique eatery or small cafe for lunch?
Nope.
I’ve heard great things about Tim Hortons and we don’t have them where I live and they aren’t in Australia, where Andrea lives either, so we decided to eat lunch there to see what all the buzz was about.
Okay, this isn’t the healthiest lunch, but I did get my pretzel bun club sandwich without mayonnaise and it was delicious.
For dessert, we ate their famous cake batter-flavored donut holes – oh my, they were wonderful! It’s probably a good thing that we don’t have one nearby or my waistline would suffer greatly.
I hope you have enjoyed our Buffalo garden travel so far. You can click here to read about our adventures at the test garden filled with colorful annuals. Next up, a garden from the pages of Harry Potter!
**You can follow Andrea’s gardening adventures on her blog.
Garden Travels: Unexpected Garden Adventures With a Dear Friend
AZ Plant Lady, Containers, Garden Travels, PerennialI enjoy traveling – especially when I get to explore new places. Last month, I journeyed to Buffalo New York where I toured gardens, attended a writer’s workshop, and best of all, spent time with one of my favorite people.
Why Buffalo you may ask? Well, it turns out that this industrial city has beautiful green spaces, whimsical private gardens, as well as test gardens. Each August, the city hosts Garden Walk Buffalo where people from all over the U.S., Canada, and other countries descend to tour over 400 private gardens. I was in Buffalo for the Garden Communicator’s Annual Conference, which is held in a different city each year. Each year, I look forward to the conference where garden tours, educational sessions, and the tradeshow fills our days. It is also a very good time to reconnect with fellow writers.
I arrived in Buffalo a few days early to meet up with my BGF (Best Garden Friend), Andrea who flew all the way from Australia to attend. We met two years ago when we attended our first conference and bonded instantly. Throughout the year, we keep in touch via Facebook Messenger and look forward to spending a week together at the conference.
Our agenda for the first day was to explore the downtown area down the street from our hotel. There were many older buildings, including our hotel, which had been beautifully refurbished, including the city hall and its art deco architecture.
The day was sunny, humid, and hot. Desert dwellers like me don’t deal very well with humidity, but that didn’t stop us from exploring.
We walked down to Canalside, which is along the banks of Lake Erie. As we explored the area, we walked through beautifully landscaped garden beds. The hosta and coleus were stunning with their contrasting colors.
While I may not be able to grow many of the plants we passed by, it doesn’t keep me from enjoying their beauty and getting inspired to create similar plantings using different plants that thrive where I live. However, there was ONE plant in this bed that currently grows in my garden – pink flowering gaura.
As we continued walking along the water front, splashes of color caught my eye.
We had stumbled upon a ‘pot of gold at the end of a rainbow’ or in other words, a test garden where the latest flowering annuals are being tested.
Large containers filled with ‘Supertunia’ petunias look as if they are on steroids. But, this type of flower is smaller than regular petunias and flower more abundantly as you can see. The tall spikes of white and purple angelonia add a lovely vertical accent.
White alyssum, black sweet potato vine, and gomphrena make a unique grouping that works.
I was thrilled to note that many of the plants in the test garden would grow nicely in my desert garden – during the cool season.
More pink gaura was to be seen, blooming in front of masses of Supertunia.
Lantana is a very familiar sight in arid gardens where it can survive outdoors throughout the year. However, in cold winter regions, it is treated as an annual.
Black-eyed Susan vines grew against a wooden fence surrounded by vibrant verbena and double petunias.
I love trellises made from natural materials on hand like this wood, likely fished out from the lake.
Here is another plant that currently grows in my desert garden – Salvia amistad.
Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
After the long trek from our hotel and exploring the test garden, Andrea and I were content after seeing such beautiful plants, but we were also hot, tired, and hungry.
Thankfully, we found this wonderful restaurant a couple of blocks away. The food and service were fabulous, so we came back again for dinner.
I invite you to visit Andrea’s blog where she writes about her adventures gardening in Perth, Australia. Please come back to join me for day two of our adventure where we discover another garden – this one filled with edible plants along with whimsical garden signs.