Have you ever met someone whom you felt an instant bond with? If so, you know that it isn’t an everyday occurrence.
Last year, I attended the Garden Writer’s Association Conference for the first time. I went to the conference not knowing anyone else there, but was excited for the classes, garden visits, and hopes to meet other people who loved and wrote about gardens like I did.
At this point, I should mention that going up to people and introducing myself isn’t easy for me to do, but another garden writer was also attending for the first time who had come all the way from Oz (also known as Australia 😉. Well, I decided that I needed to go up and introduce myself to Andrea – after all, we had some things in common – she lived in a dry climate and Arizona landscapes made use of many plants native to Australia.
Well, we formed an instant friendship and found out that we shared numerous similarities – including the fact that we both had recently turned 50, worked as garden consultants as well as garden writers.
Over the next few days, we shared storied about our work and memorable clients while strolling through gardens viewing plants that we both use, despite living on two different continents.
We would also talk to each other about new plants to try all while sharing the trials and tribulations of gardening in a dry climate.
All too soon, the conference was over, and I headed home with a suitcase of free plants while Andrea flew back to Australia.
After that, we conversed back and forth while making plans to attend the next year’s conference in Atlanta, Georgia. I thought that it would be a fun to invite Andrea to come and visit Arizona on her way to the conference. So earlier this week, I found myself at the airport, anxiously waiting for her. I couldn’t wait to show her my favorite garden spots around Phoenix.
At this point, I should mention that while most people spend time cleaning their house and getting it ready for a special guest, for those of us who are in the landscape business, also have to get our gardens ready for our gardener friends to visit as well. As a result, my garden was neatly pruned, weeded, and cleaned in preparation for Andrea’s visit.
The first day, there was no question that the Desert Botanical Garden would be our first destination. We were blessed with a partly cloudy day with a light breeze to take the edge off of the heat. Walking along winding paths with stunning examples of cacti, palo verde trees, flowering shrubs, and ground covers, I showed her the beauty of the desert landscape.
Of course, we had to get a picture in front of a saguaro cactus.
Craft Beer in a Jar
After the garden, it was off to get a taste of American food. So, good BBQ with a jar of local craft beer was next.
Delicious BBQ
Evenings were spent at my house having dinner and allowing Andrea and my kids time to get to visit.
Andrea bought a lovely collection of gifts, not just for my younger kids, but also for my grandchildren. Eric looks adorable in his Australia hat.
The next day, we visited the Heard Museum and explored the Native American history and artwork, eating delicious smoked hamburgers at a downtown restaurant that is frequented by locals.
Hamburger Works Restaurant
We enjoyed event-filled days and great food, but one of my favorite parts was watching her try her very first Rice Krispy treat.
Now, we are off to the second part of Andrea’s visit – attending the conference where we first met one year ago.
Of course, this isn’t the end of the story of a gardener from Arizona and Oz. We have plans to write a book together highlighting our experiences and lessons learned gardening in dry climates, 9,667 miles apart.
The next several days will be filled with garden visits, informative classes, a trade show and much more. I’ll be sure to share the newest and latest garden products with you once I return home next week.
**Click here for Andrea’s blog.**
Arizona Road Trip: Flowers, Containers, and a Wedding
Are Caterpillars Eating Your Shrubs? How to Recognize and Treat Them
desert gardening, Landscape Problems, Shrubs, Southwest gardenCaterpillars Eating Shrubs , Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans stans)
Do you have caterpillars lurking beneath the leaves of your shrubs?
If they look like the yellow bells shrub, pictured above, probably not.
Caterpillars Eating Shrubs
But, if your leaves look as if a vampire came along and sucked them dry, then they are there, whether you can see them or not. Other telltale signs include little black pellets, which are caterpillar ‘poop’.
Damaged bougainvillea leaves
Bougainvillea can also fall prey to hungry caterpillars, who leave behind ragged holes and edges.
So, what do you do? Nothing? Or should you pull out all the stops to get rid of them?
I address these questions and more in my latest video:
Fall Gardening Tasks for the Southwest Garden
A Broken Leg and a Vegetable Garden
AZ Plant Lady, az plant lady family, desert gardening, Landscape Problems, Vegetable Gardening*This 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.*
This is what my mother’s vegetable garden looks like in the middle of winter.
She works hard at growing a variety of vegetables in her two raised beds. On Wednesday nights, we all gather for dinner at her house and get to enjoy many of the delicious vegetables straight from her garden.
Sadly, her plans for this season’s vegetable garden faced a serious setback.
My mother fell and broke her leg while cooking dinner with my youngest daughter. Both bones in her lower leg suffered multiple fractures, and a metal rod had to be inserted down into her tibia.
Understandably, she cannot put any weight on her foot for at least two months. So, while she works hard at physical therapy to gain as much independence as she can – we decided to help out with her garden.
My kids, along with my nephews, were eager to help with Grandma’s garden. We stopped by the nursery to pick up broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and leaf lettuce transplants while I brought some carrot and radish seeds from home.
Lucky for us, she had already amended her soil with one of my favorite soil amendments – used coffee grounds (from Starbucks). I added some of my favorite organic vegetable fertilizer for the garden, and we were ready to start planting.
I instructed the kids on where and how to plant the vegetable transplants in staggered rows.
My sister was also watching us and even stepped in to help out, despite the fact that she never gardens.
The kids were eager to help out their grandmother, and we all enjoyed out time out in the garden.
I took a few photos to bring back to her at the rehabilitation facility where she is recuperating, to show her what her grandkids had done for her.
My mother is doing well and is working hard at her daily physical therapy sessions so that she can get home as soon as possible. We visit her daily, and her room has pictures drawn by her grandchildren and cards from friends and family.
On our most recent visit, my grandson discovered the delights of pushing around his grandpa using great-grandma’s wheelchair. His smile and laughter brightened everyone’s day.
Meanwhile, back at the vegetable garden.
I came back to check on the newly planted vegetables. Most were doing quite well, but I did see a few plants with telltale holes in their leaves.
I discovered the culprit nearby. Cutworms are caterpillars that eat holes in leafy vegetables as well as ‘cut’ off young vegetable transplants at their base.
The cutworms did kill some of the newly transplanted broccoli, but most of the leafy greens were fine other than a few holes in the leaves.
I brought my favorite organic pesticide, BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), which kills the caterpillars. I like to use Safer Brand 5163 Caterpillar Killer II Concentrate, 16 oz in my own garden, which helps keep the caterpillars at bay.
I sprayed all the vegetables, taking care to spray both top and underneath the leaves.
BT can be reapplied every 7 – 10 days until the caterpillars are gone.
**Note; it can be hard to find BT in your local big box store or even some nurseries. However, you can find it offered online from garden supply companies and Amazon (affiliate link).
Have you planted any vegetables this season? What are your favorites?
Easy Garden Project: Create a Hummingbird Haven in a Container
Hummingbird GardeningPhoto: Anna’s Hummingbird sitting in front of my kitchen window.
Hummingbirds are arguably the most popular birds in our gardens. It’s not unusual to find hummingbird feeders hanging, enticing these flying jewels to come and drink of the sweet sugar water.
Of course, there are a large number of plants that promise to lure hummingbirds into your outdoor spaces as well so that you can sit and enjoy their antics.
But, what if you don’t have much space for gardening or maybe you simply want to create a special place for hummingbirds to visit.
Well, a container hummingbird garden may be just the solution for you.
I am very fortunate to have hummingbirds in my Arizona garden throughout the entire year. Early last year, I decided to create my own hummingbird haven in some old plastic pots. I gave them each a new coat of paint and got started.
My son and dog, Polly, came out to help me add the new plants.
At first, the plants looked rather small and straggly. But, I knew that it would only a matter of a few months and they would fill out and look great.
It’s been about 20 months since I planted my hummingbird containers and I am treated to the view of these tiny birds sipping from the flowers with their long tongues.
I created a short video to show people what my garden looks like now and how they can create their own hummingbird haven with only a container. I hope you enjoy it.
For a list of plants that I used in my containers, click here.
**What are your favorite plants that you use to attract hummingbirds?
September Gardening Tasks: What To Do and NOT Do
Arizona, California, Southwest gardenSeptember Gardening Tasks
After a seemingly endless summer, we have finally made it to the finish line. This is the season where we experience a ‘second spring’ and venture out into the garden again.
Soil is ready to be amended, citrus fertilized, and some light pruning can be done.
September Gardening Tasks, Un-pruned lantana on the left. Two light pruned lantana are to the right with a pile of clippings.
September is the gateway to a busy time in the garden, but there are a few things that it is still too early to start on yet.
I’ve made a video of what you should do and shouldn’t do this month:
What is your favorite season of the year?
Easy Garden Project: Create a Hummingbird Haven in a Container
10 Beautiful, Native Trees for the Southwest
Southwest gardenNative Trees for the Southwest, Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)
Trees are a treasure to us that live in the Southwest where the sun can be relentless with its intensity.
We all know the delight of stepping into the cool shade of a tree during a hot summer’s day where their canopy provides blessed relief.
Honey Mesquite Bosque (Prosopis glandulosa) at the Scottsdale Xeriscape Garden
In addition, to welcoming shade, trees also add beauty to the landscape with their lovely shades of green leaves, flowers (in some cases), and the way the dappled shade dances along the ground.
Palo Blanco (Mariosousa willardiana) formerly Acacia willardiana
There are many trees native to this region that add both shade and beauty to the garden while thriving in our arid climate.
I recently shared a list of my ten favorite, native trees for the Southwest in my latest article for Houzz.
*Do you have a favorite tree? Please share it with us!
10 Essential Native Trees for Southwestern Gardens
September Gardening Tasks: What To Do and NOT Do
There Is No Place Like Home
AZ Plant LadyThe last blooms of red bird-of-paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) in bloom underneath the filtered shade of a desert willow (Chilopsis linearis). Mexican bird-of-paradise (Caesalpinia mexicana) grows in front of the window.
There is nothing better than enjoying a lovely view of your garden, (while sitting with your feet up), after being out of town for several days.
I’ve spent the past several days in Atlanta, Georgia, touring gardens, learning from educational sessions, networking, and socializing at this year’s annual Garden Communicator’s Symposium.
A few days before I left for the conference, I hosted my dear friend, Andrea, who flew all the way from Australia to me in Arizona for a few days before we both left for Atlanta, Georgia.
I got in late last night and relished sleeping in my own bed – there is truly no better feeling after a long day of traveling and sleeping in a hotel bed.
I try to keep my schedule light the day after I get home from a trip and today is no different. So what’s on the schedule today? Catching up on my favorite television shows while going through business cards from new contacts I met, working my way through the large pile of mail waiting for me, deciding where in the garden to put the new plants I was given at the conference, and deciding what new garden samples to try first in my garden.
What do you do when you come home from a trip?
On the Road Again…
A Visitor From Oz Explores Arizona
ArizonaHave you ever met someone whom you felt an instant bond with? If so, you know that it isn’t an everyday occurrence.
Last year, I attended the Garden Writer’s Association Conference for the first time. I went to the conference not knowing anyone else there, but was excited for the classes, garden visits, and hopes to meet other people who loved and wrote about gardens like I did.
At this point, I should mention that going up to people and introducing myself isn’t easy for me to do, but another garden writer was also attending for the first time who had come all the way from Oz (also known as Australia 😉. Well, I decided that I needed to go up and introduce myself to Andrea – after all, we had some things in common – she lived in a dry climate and Arizona landscapes made use of many plants native to Australia.
Well, we formed an instant friendship and found out that we shared numerous similarities – including the fact that we both had recently turned 50, worked as garden consultants as well as garden writers.
Over the next few days, we shared storied about our work and memorable clients while strolling through gardens viewing plants that we both use, despite living on two different continents.
We would also talk to each other about new plants to try all while sharing the trials and tribulations of gardening in a dry climate.
All too soon, the conference was over, and I headed home with a suitcase of free plants while Andrea flew back to Australia.
After that, we conversed back and forth while making plans to attend the next year’s conference in Atlanta, Georgia. I thought that it would be a fun to invite Andrea to come and visit Arizona on her way to the conference. So earlier this week, I found myself at the airport, anxiously waiting for her. I couldn’t wait to show her my favorite garden spots around Phoenix.
At this point, I should mention that while most people spend time cleaning their house and getting it ready for a special guest, for those of us who are in the landscape business, also have to get our gardens ready for our gardener friends to visit as well. As a result, my garden was neatly pruned, weeded, and cleaned in preparation for Andrea’s visit.
The first day, there was no question that the Desert Botanical Garden would be our first destination. We were blessed with a partly cloudy day with a light breeze to take the edge off of the heat. Walking along winding paths with stunning examples of cacti, palo verde trees, flowering shrubs, and ground covers, I showed her the beauty of the desert landscape.
Of course, we had to get a picture in front of a saguaro cactus.
Craft Beer in a Jar
After the garden, it was off to get a taste of American food. So, good BBQ with a jar of local craft beer was next.
Delicious BBQ
Evenings were spent at my house having dinner and allowing Andrea and my kids time to get to visit.
Andrea bought a lovely collection of gifts, not just for my younger kids, but also for my grandchildren. Eric looks adorable in his Australia hat.
The next day, we visited the Heard Museum and explored the Native American history and artwork, eating delicious smoked hamburgers at a downtown restaurant that is frequented by locals.
Hamburger Works Restaurant
We enjoyed event-filled days and great food, but one of my favorite parts was watching her try her very first Rice Krispy treat.
Now, we are off to the second part of Andrea’s visit – attending the conference where we first met one year ago.
Of course, this isn’t the end of the story of a gardener from Arizona and Oz. We have plans to write a book together highlighting our experiences and lessons learned gardening in dry climates, 9,667 miles apart.
The next several days will be filled with garden visits, informative classes, a trade show and much more. I’ll be sure to share the newest and latest garden products with you once I return home next week.
**Click here for Andrea’s blog.**
Arizona Road Trip: Flowers, Containers, and a Wedding
How Rainy Days Help Fertilize Plants
FertilizerThe rain actually fertilizes your plants.
Do you like rainy days?
Chances are, if you live in the desert Southwest, you rejoice when the clouds roll in, and the rain begins to fall.
After the rain stops, have you ever noticed that plants look fresher and have a brighter shade of green?
If so, it’s not your imagination. The rain actually fertilizes your plants.
Take a moment and think back to your days in high school when you learned that the Earth’s atmosphere is made up of oxygen and nitrogen.
When rain falls, it brings some of the nitrogen down from the atmosphere straight to plants. This form of nitrogen is easily absorbed by plants and fertilizes them as well as the soil.
How cool is that?
So the next time you enjoy a rainy day, it’s nice to know that your plants do too!
Fertilizer Basics: How To Choose the Right Fertilizer for Your Plants
10 Vines for Southwestern Landscapes
Southwest garden, UncategorizedVine for Southwestern Garden, Tangerine Crossvine
Vines are a wonderful way to decorate vertical surfaces with lovely shades of green as well as colorful flowers.
Queen’s Wreath
This is especially valuable in southwestern gardens where vines can help moderate the heat that re-radiates from a wall or is used to create filtered shade when they are grown up on a pergola or patio roof.
Vine for Southwestern Garden, Pink Bower Vine
I have grown several types of vines during my years living and gardening in the desert southwest and have shared my 10 favorite vines in my latest article for Houzz.
Do you have a favorite vine?
10 Flowering Vines for Southwestern Gardens
New Use for Vines
Historic District Landscape Styles
Landscape DesignHistoric Landscape Styles
Earlier this week, I was finishing up an appointment in downtown Phoenix and since I had some spare time available, I decided to drive through one of my favorite historic neighborhoods – the Encanto-Palmcroft district.
Historic Landscape Styles
I always enjoy driving down streets looking at homes built long ago and seeing how they are landscaped. Some, remain the traditional landscaping with green lawns, neatly pruned shrubs and deciduous trees, like the one above.
I love porches, which aren’t a popular feature in southwestern homes in general. These homeowners made the most of their small porch with a pair of rocking chairs and colorful Talavera pottery.
Some of the houses had taken on some more modern design elements such as adding raised beds and a small courtyard.
I really liked this raised bed which was filled with plants prized for foliage and not flowers.
While there were still front landscapes filled almost entirely with grass, but some had decreased the amount of grass. I liked this one where two rectangles of grass flanked the front entry, yet stops at the wooden fence where it transitions to a xeriscape. It speaks to the historic roots of the neighborhood while injecting a touch of modernity.
Plants such as artichoke agave (Agave parryi ‘truncata’) and lady’s slipper (Pedilanthus macrocarpus) fit in seamlessly with the other more traditional landscape elements in this garden.
This home also retained its lawn but added drought tolerant plants up toward the foundation. The spiky texture of agave and yucca add a contemporary touch along with texture contrast.
Here is a car that you would expect to see when many of these homes were brand new.
Check out the large Texas olive (Cordia boissieri).
This home had a walled-in courtyard added for privacy and a curved path leads up toward the entry.
The pathway leading toward the residence begins at the parking strip and is flanked by river rock.
A couple of the historic homes shed their green lawns and formerly pruned shrubs completely.
Mature specimens of ironwood (Olneya tesota), jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), and creosote (Larrea tridentata) create privacy for this house.
An informal pathway also bisects this parking strip leading toward the entry path to the house.
The purple door contrasts beautifully with the hunter green color of the house.
The backyard of this desert retreat is surrounded by a fence made of rebar.
Small vignettes are visible through plantings of hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa) and yucca.
As I left the historic district, I spotted a beautiful specimen of a palo blanco tree (Acacia willardiana).
I could have spent several hours exploring the Encanto-Palmcroft historic district, but it’s nice to have a reason to come back again someday.
*You can view another garden in this historic district from an earlier post, A Hidden Jewel In the Middle of Phoenix.