In my humble opinion, the actual test for many plants is how they perform during extremes. If a plant looks great in the blistering heat of summer as well as when temps dip below freezing in winter then it deserves a prime spot in the landscape.
Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Thankfully, there are quite a few drought-tolerant, flowering plants that do well with both the heat and cold for those of us who want a beautiful, fuss-free landscape filled with colorful plants.
I shared 10 of my favorite cold and heat tolerant, flowering plants in my latest article for Houzz.
Hopefully, you will find some new favorites to try in your own garden.
https://www.azplantlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PinkFairyDuster-001.jpg424640arizonaplantlady@gmail.comhttp://www.azplantlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/favicon.pngarizonaplantlady@gmail.com2016-01-28 17:58:002022-10-16 05:13:27Flowering Plants That Can Take the Heat and Cold
Most of the time when you walk through a parking lot, you are often greeted by the appearance of islands scattered throughout overplanted with badly maintained shrubs. Last month, I drove into a parking lot that was quite unusual in that it was planted with attractive succulents and not ugly shrubs.
Attractive Succulents
Instead of shrubs, the medians were planted with beautiful agave specimens.
In addition to different types of agave, were gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida) succulents, which added a welcome respite to the crowded and over-pruned shrubs that usually characterize most parking lots.
In addition to the agave and other succulents were flowering shrubs such as Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica), which was allowed to grow into its natural shape.
This parking lot was located in front of a hospital where my husband had an appointment for a routine procedure. Our walk through the parking lot took twice as long as it would normally take with me pausing every few seconds to take pictures of the plants.
It was so refreshing to see succulents such as these in parking lot islands instead of struggling shrubs. They thrive in the hot, reflected heat while needing very little water.
Maybe we should rethink what we plant in parking lot islands and ditch the high-maintenance, thirsty shrubs?
https://www.azplantlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/agave.jpg446640arizonaplantlady@gmail.comhttp://www.azplantlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/favicon.pngarizonaplantlady@gmail.com2016-01-22 13:30:002022-10-16 05:16:27A ‘Different’ Kind of Parking Lot Island
This year, the anniversary of a very important date in our family’s life quietly snuck up on us.
Exactly 11 years ago in a hotel lobby in China, my life was changed when our son Kai, was first placed in my arms.
He was 2 1/2 years old and wasn’t sure what to think about me at first. But, by the next morning he was calling me “mama” and was following me around our hotel room.
The first photo we ever saw of Kai, which captured our hearts.
Kai wasn’t our first child adopted from China, he was the second. However, he was and still is our only son.
Our two oldest daughters came with us on this journey to China as well as Gracie who was excited to have someone her own size to play with.
We spent 2 weeks in China completing the adoption paperwork, which was filled with touring the sights as well as enjoying our newest family member.
My husband was fast learning that little boys take wrestling more seriously than little girls do.
Kai spent the first year of his life in an orphanage and then the next 18 months in a foster home.
It was obvious to us that he had been well cared for.
Our Chinese guide saw us through the maze of paperwork as well as showed us around some beautiful places in China. We traveled in January and it was cold!
We took some time to visit the orphanage where Kai grew up and say “thank you” to the nannies who helped raise him.
As we neared the end of our trip, we paused to take this family photo before we left to fly home. Little did we know that we would be back to adopt again 2 1/2 years later.
After a long flight home, we stepped off the plane and into the arms of family who were anxious to welcome the newest member of our family.
Our first day home was spent with Gracie showing Kai some of her favorite things to play with – a yard stick and a wooden spoon 😉
The age difference between these two is only 6 months (Gracie is the oldest) and it’s funny to see how much taller that she used to be. Now, Kai towers over her.
Kai had some severe special needs involving his feet, hip and hands. He has been through countless surgeries and doctor office visits. But through it all, he has shown us how resilient he is and the joy that he finds wherever he goes.
I can hardly imagine life without him.
“Happy Gotcha Day” to my wonderful son
Kai and Gracie still get along (most of the time) and he knows what she loves most for Christmas – ‘sugar’ cereal and chocolate.
So, “Happy Gotcha Day” to my wonderful son! We will enjoy your favorite dinner and dessert tonight 🙂
**If you would like to learn more about Kai’s incredible journey along with the other challenges that he has faced, you can click here.
In my humble opinion, a garden should be filled with plants that benefit wildlife. Imagine a garden that not only rewards you with beauty but also has the wonderful side benefit of allowing you to observe wildlife up close when they come and visit.
Butterflies are so ethereal and you’ll find most people stop and stare whenever they are fortunate enough to have one fly nearby.
Queen butterfly visiting a desert milkweed plant at the Desert Botanical Garden
You’ve undoubtedly heard about the plight of Monarch butterflies and their declining population and how plants belonging to the Milkweed family are so important to them.
Did you know that the Southwest has their own native species of desert milkweed? In fact, it is the only milkweed species in the United States that is evergreen.
This milkweed is a succulent that thrives in full sun, provides a unique vertical accent in the garden and needs little care.
Want to learn more? Check out my latest plant profile for Houzz.com and see more reasons why you’ll want to add this plant to your garden.
January is off to a busy start. We have gone from a house bursting at the seams to one that seems suddenly spacious after my two oldest daughters left for home with their children. While I do miss them, I must admit that I never thought a house filled with 3 teenagers would seem quiet.
Enjoying last minute cuddle time with Lily before she flew back to Michigan.
As I drove my oldest daughter and her family to the airport, I felt that familiar tickle in my throat and knew that I was getting sick. I wasn’t too surprised with all of the busyness of the holidays that my resistance was low.
A few days later, I was due to make an appearance on the television show, Arizona Midday, which airs on our local NBC television station. The topic was to be about winter gardening tasks.
While I have been on television a few times before, this was my first time on this particular program.
As with the other times, I made a trip to the nursery for plants and other things for the television spot since the producers like a lot of props to make things look more interesting.
I came away with a bare root rose (my favorite Mr. Lincoln red rose), leaf lettuce and kale, parsley and cool season annuals for color. Other props included different types of frost protection including frost cloth, old towels, and sheets.
Unfortunately, as the date of my television appearance neared, my cold got worse and evolved into a full-blown sinus infection.
So on a brisk winter morning, loaded up with cold medicine and a pocket full of kleenex, I loaded up my plants and other props and headed to the TV station along with my mother who came with me to help me stage the table and provide moral support.
We spent a delightful time waiting to be escorted to the studio in the green room with a pair of chili cooks who were talking about an upcoming chili cookoff.
Television show, Arizona Midday
Finally, it was time for the gardening segment, which went quite smoothly – I didn’t cough or sneeze once. The host was kind, gracious and most importantly – laid back and relaxed.
After returning home, I got on my favorite pair of sweats and got back into bed. I am determined to kick this cold!
I hope that your January is off to a great start!
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Do you write a family Christmas letter telling people what has been happening in the past year? I confess that I have never done this before. But today, I thought that I would write one for you that talks about our Christmas celebration and what the coming year holds in store.
Christmas was spent with a house filled with my 5 children (including my oldest daughter from Michigan and my second-eldest from California), my son-in-law, 2 grandchildren, my husband, me plus our 4 dogs. So that makes 10 people, not counting the dogs.
While things have been busy and chaotic, juggling bedrooms and bathrooms, keeping the dogs from eating wrapped Christmas gifts, cooking dinners for 10 people, picking up stray toys and finding time to take the grandkids on grandma and grandpa dates- I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
The Christmas tree has since come down and most of the holiday decorations are stored away and our house has begun to resemble its former self, which allows time to reflect on the past month and look forward to some exciting things happening soon.
My daughter Ruthie, my twin nephews and my niece, Sofie.
Every year, I host our annual cookie baking day for my nieces, nephews, grandkids as well as my own kids. The kids look forward to it every year and it is fun to see them decide what cookie cutters they will use and how messy they get decorating their cookies.
My granddaughter Lily, nephews and my son Kai (the tallest one).
While their parents sit and visit, I scramble to keep up with the kids helping them find the right color frosting and sprinkles to create their masterpieces.
After they have finished, each one can pick one cookie to eat and the rest we save to eat together when we gather with extended family on Christmas day.
This is the aftermath of a successful cookie baking day. After an hour and a half, I am exhausted. However, each year I am pleasantly surprised that the older kids still look forward to participating and it is so much fun seeing my young grandkids now taking part.
This Christmas was extra special because it was my grandson’s first one. What also made it especially happy was that my daughter was able to spend Christmas with us for the first time since she joined the Navy.
The kids all enjoyed their gifts, including Gracie who especially liked the ‘sugar’ cereal and chocolate bar that her brother gave her – food that her mother doesn’t buy her 😉
The day after Christmas was a big one for me. I turned 50 this year and we celebrated with extended family at my sister’s house.
To be honest, it wasn’t as much of a milestone for me as I thought it would be. The reason is that I have spent the entire year thinking about turning 50, so I might as well as have skipped over being 49 years old.
I do feel great and am embracing my age and being in the position to have lived long enough to have learned quite a few things and young enough to still be able to do just about anything I still want to do.
I look at my mother as she spends time with my grandchildren and am thankful that I will probably be around when these two have children of their own.
This is my newest wallpaper for my phone. My husband and I took this picture when we took Lily and Eric out on a date to McDonalds. One nice thing about little kids is that McDonalds is as fancy as you need to get and they love it.
The coming year is filled with a lot things to look forward to.
I have several test plants growing in my garden, which were given to me by growers who want to see how they will perform in the desert Southwest. Of course, as a horticulturist, I am interested in seeing how they do as I like to be able to recommend a greater variety of plants to both you and my clients. It also doesn’t hurt that they were free 🙂
My former side vegetable garden is planted with wildflower seeds, many of which, I am growing for the first time such as different colors of California poppies.
New roses are also on their way, which will also be added to the side garden amongst the wildflowers. (I still have two other vegetable gardens, which grow plenty of produce for us.)
On the business front, I keep getting busier each year helping others create beautiful, low-maintenance landscapes using plants that thrive in our climate. In 2015, I had over 85 consultations – I so enjoy meeting with people and helping them with their landscape.
Later this week, I will be appearingon a local television program, Arizona Midday, to talk about winter garden tasks. Frost protection, planting roses, bare root fruit trees and other winter chores will be covered.
Travel will be another big part of this year with trips planned to Seattle, California, Georgia, and Michigan already planned. I’ll be sure to take you along with me as I blog from the road.
Speaking engagements are also filling up my calendar with the first one happening the end of January. Later in the year, I will be a landscape instructor for an upcoming Landscape Design School given by the Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs.
Of course, I will continue to write garden articles for Houzz and for other companies as well.
**I wanted to take a moment to thank you for taking time out of your day to read my blog. It means so much to me and I look forward to sharing more with you the coming year!
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For most of us, the answer is decidely “no”. That is also true for many of us who live in warmer climates as the shorter days often slow down plant growth.
However, for those of us who are rose lovers, winter is a time of rejoicing as nursery shelves begin to be filled with bare root roses. Even when I’m not shopping for new roses for the garden, I still find myself being pulled toward the new roses, seeking out my old favorites and checking for the newest varieties.
Showing my sister the rose bush at our first home in Phoenix. (I am wearing the sweater.)
For those of you who have followed me for some time, you may recall that my love for roses got me into gardening a long time ago when high-waisted pants and permed hair were ‘cool’. It was my love affair with roses that inspired me to get my degree in horticulture.
My backyard garden space is always changing. I used to have three vegetable gardens, but am now downsizing to two. The main reason for the change is that the third vegetable garden was somewhat further out and with my busy schedule, it wasn’t always easy to harvest and keep a close eye on it.
So, the former vegetable garden will now serve as my new mini-rose garden. It has enriched soil and its own irrigation line. What is even better, is that it is located outside the kitchen window where I can view my roses daily.
Now for the wonderful dilemma of deciding what types of roses to plant. Back in our first home in Phoenix, I planted 40 different roses, which I lovingly cared for.
But, my life now is busier and somewhat more complicated:
– I have 5 children now vs. 2 back then.
– I work full time helping others with their landscapes, which leaves precious time for my own.
– My landscape now is much larger than in my first home.
– My second oldest daughter is living with us along with her 11 month old son temporarily.
So, I tend to gravitate toward roses that are lower maintenance needing pruning and fertilizing only twice a year.
The first rose for the garden will be Graham Thomas, which is an English or David Austin rose, courtesy of the rose growers at Heirloom Roses, which is where I have gotten my roses from for years. They have a delicious fragrance and bright yellow blossoms. They are disease resistant and relatively fuss-free.
There will be at least 2 more roses going into the garden. One is the newest English rose introduction from David Austin roses, which is being given to me courtesy of them.
The next rose will probably be a hybrid tea or floribunda. I’d love to hear what are your favorite roses!
I will share both choices with you once I get them.
**********************
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Last week, I had one of my best days at work. I had to do some work out in the field, which entailed placing 3 large boulders in a high profile landscape design of a golf course.
While placing boulders may seem rather boring to some, I must say that I always enjoy this job.
Why you may ask?
Well first of all, it can be quite exciting. Moving very large boulders isn’t without its risks. There is always danger of damaging nearby structures. You can also get a sense of how heavy a particular boulder is when the back tires of the backhoe comes off the ground.
But, the reason that I most enjoy placing boulders is that I have several people listening and following my directions as to where to place each boulder.
Now, lest you think that I may get carried away with my power – there is no chance of that. After a busy day in the field, I came home and tried my best to get my 3 teenagers to listen and do what I asked. Needless to say, the ‘power’ I had earlier in the day, mysteriously disappeared 😉
landscape design
But at the end of the day, I did have three nice-sized boulders to anchor my landscape design. Plants were ready to go in a couple of days later.
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With the arrival of winter, some people resign themselves to a boring garden, devoid of interest until spring arrives with its warmer temperatures.
Thankfully, we don’t have to settle for ‘blah’ winter gardens if cold-hardy succulents have a spot to grow in the landscape, many of which can survive temps down to 0 and even -20 degrees F.
Yucca growing among boulders.
When the flowering plants are ‘sleeping’ through winter, succulents take center stage with their unique shapes and growing patterns.
Whale’s Tongue Agave (Agave ovatifolia)
While the cold temperatures may freeze back your favorite bougainvillea or lantana flowers, cold hardy succulents like these whale’s tongue agave steal the show with their beautifully shaped leaves.
Toothless Sotol (Dasylirion quadrangulatum)
During the warmer seasons, these succulents add texture and welcome structure to the garden, often serving as a backdrop to flowering shrubs and groundcovers. But, when winter arrives, they get their turn to shine.
Want to learn more about cold hardy succulents, which will add beauty to your outdoor space, not just in winter, but year round? I recently compiled a list of 10 succulents, for Houzz.com that would be a welcome addition in most landscapes.
Hopefully, you’ll find some of your old favorites and maybe a few new ones.
https://www.azplantlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Flicker_House_yucca_grasses.jpg569640arizonaplantlady@gmail.comhttp://www.azplantlady.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/favicon.pngarizonaplantlady@gmail.com2015-12-10 17:58:002022-10-22 05:24:5810 Cold Hardy Succulents That Add Beauty to the Winter Landscape
Some of you may remember me sharing about my oldest daughter moving to a small town in Michigan back in early September – “Goodbye Arizona, Hello Michigan”.
It was so hard to see them go, but at the same time, I was excited for their new future as they left to join my son-in-law who just started a new job as a professor at a college in Petoskey, Michigan.
The very next day, as my husband and I booked a flight for Michigan in November. I must admit that planning a trip within a few months of their leaving helped me to deal their absence more easily.
As November approached, I began to count down the days until we would see them again.
Our flight left on an early Friday morning and would take us to the city of Grand Rapids.
From there, we rented a car for the 3-hour drive up to Petoskey, Michigan. which is located at the “tip of the mitt” as the locals like to say.
Along the way, we spotted a Bob’s Big Boy restaurant. Now this is a place where both my husband and I spent a lot of time (separately) visiting while children growing up in Arizona and California. Sadly, they have all but disappeared in those states, but they are still quite popular in Michigan.
So, we stopped off for dinner where we both enjoyed our favorite meals from our past.
As we sat eating our dinner, snow began to fall. It was at this point that the fact that we weren’t local was painfully obvious as we couldn’t stop looking and talking about the snow.
We pulled into Petoskey just before 8:00 pm and Brittney, Lily & Jeff were waiting outside for us, bundled in their jackets.
It was so wonderful to be close enough to hug them all again and I could hardly wait for the next day to begin.
Our first stop was at Meijier’s, which is very large grocery store chain in the Midwest. Lily was excited to share her coffee drink with me. She said that it was better than Starbucks because they put sprinkles on their drinks.
We then bought some groceries. My job was to make her a birthday cake and we also took her birthday shopping.
Next, we drove to Northern Central Michigan College, where my son-in-law now teaches. Lily loves to visit her dad at work.
It was so nice seeing his office, classroom and how happy he was after working so many years for his PhD.
Whenever we are traveling, I love to eat at restaurants that are different than what are at home. We ate dinner at a local pizza and sandwich restaurant where I was introduced to ‘grinders’.
Grinders are basically Italian subs that are often served alongside pizza. All I can say, is that were delicious!
The next morning, we were awakened early by the appearance of our granddaughter Lily, by our bedside who then got into bed with us and snuggled for a half hour before we all woke up. I must confess, that was one of my favorite moments of our entire trip.
Little Traverse Bay.
The next morning, we decided to set out for the picturesque downtown area of Petoskey, which is consistently rated in the “Top 10 Best Small Towns of America”.
While the walk was a short one (3 blocks), we found time to pick dandelions and blow the seeds.
The downtown area is quaint and filled with a variety of shops, restaurants and other businesses. We passed the local park with its gazebo, a lovely church with its tall steeple and gas lights and shop windows being decorated with garlands made of fresh evergreens.
After doing some Christmas shopping the local bookstore, general store and fudge shop, we made our way back home.
While Lily took her nap, my husband and I took a mini-road trip to visit the other small towns close by before getting ready for our ‘big date’.
We had a date with our very sweet granddaughter, Lily, while her parents went on their own grown-up date.
Our restaurant of choice was ‘Roast & Toast’, which I had eaten at the year before on a prior visit to Petoskey. Lily thought that the cups and plates stuck to the outside of the window were pretty cool – the purple coffee cup was her favorite 😉
Lily was a delightful dinner partner.
We had a table located in a little alcove.
It turned out that the seat was perfect for lying on while eating your dinner.
*Believe it or not, I had no problem with Lily lying down eating her dinner. In fact, I thought it was rather cute. But, I would NEVER allow my own kids to do that, which let me to an epiphany that many grandparents experience – your standards you set for your children vs. your grandchildren are completely different, which makes it much easier to be a grandparent than a parent!
The downtown area came alive in the evening with the gas light lit up with their festive greenery and Christmas lights.
The next day, we spent some time at home. I found myself enjoying the view from the living room windows, where the you could just see Little Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan out of the window through the trees.
Wildlife was abundant around the house including brightly colored blue jays, cardinals, black & brown squirrels and deer.
Of course, Flynn, their dog was there to chase those wild animals away 😉
Lily and I spent time playin with her new ‘My Little Pony’ toy, that squirted out play-doh.
Her papa showed his love for Lily by playing dolls with her for over an hour at the kitchen table.
It was so nice to completely unplug from our busy lives and just sit back and enjoy the simple pleasures. I helped my daughter with her first knitting project and even found myself coloring a page in her new ‘adult’ coloring book, which was surprisingly enjoyable and relaxing.
After cooking dinner for the family, I set to work making Lily’s birthday cake with her help.
She wanted an orange cake with hot pink frosting and sprinkles.
And that is exactly what she got.
After we left the next day for our trip home, I reflected on how fortunate we were to have been able to spend time with our daughter and her precious family. Thankfully, we only have to wait a few more weeks until Christmas until they come to our house for a long visit!
**Thank you for allowing me to share a glimpse with you an important part of my life 🙂
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Flowering Plants That Can Take the Heat and Cold
Noelle Johnson, Noelle Johnson Horticulturist Arizona, Noelle Johnson Landscape ConsultingIn my humble opinion, the actual test for many plants is how they perform during extremes. If a plant looks great in the blistering heat of summer as well as when temps dip below freezing in winter then it deserves a prime spot in the landscape.
Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Thankfully, there are quite a few drought-tolerant, flowering plants that do well with both the heat and cold for those of us who want a beautiful, fuss-free landscape filled with colorful plants.
I shared 10 of my favorite cold and heat tolerant, flowering plants in my latest article for Houzz.
Hopefully, you will find some new favorites to try in your own garden.
A Look Behind and In Front of the Television Camera
A ‘Different’ Kind of Parking Lot Island
ShrubsMost of the time when you walk through a parking lot, you are often greeted by the appearance of islands scattered throughout overplanted with badly maintained shrubs. Last month, I drove into a parking lot that was quite unusual in that it was planted with attractive succulents and not ugly shrubs.
Attractive Succulents
Instead of shrubs, the medians were planted with beautiful agave specimens.
In addition to different types of agave, were gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida) succulents, which added a welcome respite to the crowded and over-pruned shrubs that usually characterize most parking lots.
In addition to the agave and other succulents were flowering shrubs such as Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica), which was allowed to grow into its natural shape.
This parking lot was located in front of a hospital where my husband had an appointment for a routine procedure. Our walk through the parking lot took twice as long as it would normally take with me pausing every few seconds to take pictures of the plants.
It was so refreshing to see succulents such as these in parking lot islands instead of struggling shrubs. They thrive in the hot, reflected heat while needing very little water.
Maybe we should rethink what we plant in parking lot islands and ditch the high-maintenance, thirsty shrubs?
Plant Palette For New Landscape: Perennials and Succulents
Happy 11th Gotcha Day!
az plant lady familyThis year, the anniversary of a very important date in our family’s life quietly snuck up on us.
Exactly 11 years ago in a hotel lobby in China, my life was changed when our son Kai, was first placed in my arms.
He was 2 1/2 years old and wasn’t sure what to think about me at first. But, by the next morning he was calling me “mama” and was following me around our hotel room.
The first photo we ever saw of Kai, which captured our hearts.
Kai wasn’t our first child adopted from China, he was the second. However, he was and still is our only son.
Our two oldest daughters came with us on this journey to China as well as Gracie who was excited to have someone her own size to play with.
We spent 2 weeks in China completing the adoption paperwork, which was filled with touring the sights as well as enjoying our newest family member.
My husband was fast learning that little boys take wrestling more seriously than little girls do.
Kai spent the first year of his life in an orphanage and then the next 18 months in a foster home.
It was obvious to us that he had been well cared for.
Our Chinese guide saw us through the maze of paperwork as well as showed us around some beautiful places in China. We traveled in January and it was cold!
We took some time to visit the orphanage where Kai grew up and say “thank you” to the nannies who helped raise him.
As we neared the end of our trip, we paused to take this family photo before we left to fly home. Little did we know that we would be back to adopt again 2 1/2 years later.
After a long flight home, we stepped off the plane and into the arms of family who were anxious to welcome the newest member of our family.
Our first day home was spent with Gracie showing Kai some of her favorite things to play with – a yard stick and a wooden spoon 😉
The age difference between these two is only 6 months (Gracie is the oldest) and it’s funny to see how much taller that she used to be. Now, Kai towers over her.
Kai had some severe special needs involving his feet, hip and hands. He has been through countless surgeries and doctor office visits. But through it all, he has shown us how resilient he is and the joy that he finds wherever he goes.
I can hardly imagine life without him.
“Happy Gotcha Day” to my wonderful son
Kai and Gracie still get along (most of the time) and he knows what she loves most for Christmas – ‘sugar’ cereal and chocolate.
So, “Happy Gotcha Day” to my wonderful son! We will enjoy your favorite dinner and dessert tonight 🙂
**If you would like to learn more about Kai’s incredible journey along with the other challenges that he has faced, you can click here.
Drought Tolerant and Beautiful: Desert Milkweed The Butterfly Magnet
Drought TolerantIn my humble opinion, a garden should be filled with plants that benefit wildlife. Imagine a garden that not only rewards you with beauty but also has the wonderful side benefit of allowing you to observe wildlife up close when they come and visit.
Butterflies are so ethereal and you’ll find most people stop and stare whenever they are fortunate enough to have one fly nearby.
Queen butterfly visiting a desert milkweed plant at the Desert Botanical Garden
You’ve undoubtedly heard about the plight of Monarch butterflies and their declining population and how plants belonging to the Milkweed family are so important to them.
Did you know that the Southwest has their own native species of desert milkweed? In fact, it is the only milkweed species in the United States that is evergreen.
This milkweed is a succulent that thrives in full sun, provides a unique vertical accent in the garden and needs little care.
Want to learn more? Check out my latest plant profile for Houzz.com and see more reasons why you’ll want to add this plant to your garden.
What plants do you have in your garden that butterflies love?
Some of my Favorite Things…..Butterflies
Television, Frost, Plants and a Cold That Won’t Go Away
ArizonaJanuary is off to a busy start. We have gone from a house bursting at the seams to one that seems suddenly spacious after my two oldest daughters left for home with their children. While I do miss them, I must admit that I never thought a house filled with 3 teenagers would seem quiet.
Enjoying last minute cuddle time with Lily before she flew back to Michigan.
As I drove my oldest daughter and her family to the airport, I felt that familiar tickle in my throat and knew that I was getting sick. I wasn’t too surprised with all of the busyness of the holidays that my resistance was low.
A few days later, I was due to make an appearance on the television show, Arizona Midday, which airs on our local NBC television station. The topic was to be about winter gardening tasks.
While I have been on television a few times before, this was my first time on this particular program.
As with the other times, I made a trip to the nursery for plants and other things for the television spot since the producers like a lot of props to make things look more interesting.
I came away with a bare root rose (my favorite Mr. Lincoln red rose), leaf lettuce and kale, parsley and cool season annuals for color. Other props included different types of frost protection including frost cloth, old towels, and sheets.
Unfortunately, as the date of my television appearance neared, my cold got worse and evolved into a full-blown sinus infection.
So on a brisk winter morning, loaded up with cold medicine and a pocket full of kleenex, I loaded up my plants and other props and headed to the TV station along with my mother who came with me to help me stage the table and provide moral support.
We spent a delightful time waiting to be escorted to the studio in the green room with a pair of chili cooks who were talking about an upcoming chili cookoff.
Television show, Arizona Midday
Finally, it was time for the gardening segment, which went quite smoothly – I didn’t cough or sneeze once. The host was kind, gracious and most importantly – laid back and relaxed.
After returning home, I got on my favorite pair of sweats and got back into bed. I am determined to kick this cold!
I hope that your January is off to a great start!
AZ Plant Lady’s Christmas and New Year Newsletter
az plant lady familyDo you write a family Christmas letter telling people what has been happening in the past year? I confess that I have never done this before. But today, I thought that I would write one for you that talks about our Christmas celebration and what the coming year holds in store.
Christmas was spent with a house filled with my 5 children (including my oldest daughter from Michigan and my second-eldest from California), my son-in-law, 2 grandchildren, my husband, me plus our 4 dogs. So that makes 10 people, not counting the dogs.
While things have been busy and chaotic, juggling bedrooms and bathrooms, keeping the dogs from eating wrapped Christmas gifts, cooking dinners for 10 people, picking up stray toys and finding time to take the grandkids on grandma and grandpa dates- I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
The Christmas tree has since come down and most of the holiday decorations are stored away and our house has begun to resemble its former self, which allows time to reflect on the past month and look forward to some exciting things happening soon.
My daughter Ruthie, my twin nephews and my niece, Sofie.
Every year, I host our annual cookie baking day for my nieces, nephews, grandkids as well as my own kids. The kids look forward to it every year and it is fun to see them decide what cookie cutters they will use and how messy they get decorating their cookies.
My granddaughter Lily, nephews and my son Kai (the tallest one).
While their parents sit and visit, I scramble to keep up with the kids helping them find the right color frosting and sprinkles to create their masterpieces.
After they have finished, each one can pick one cookie to eat and the rest we save to eat together when we gather with extended family on Christmas day.
This is the aftermath of a successful cookie baking day. After an hour and a half, I am exhausted. However, each year I am pleasantly surprised that the older kids still look forward to participating and it is so much fun seeing my young grandkids now taking part.
This Christmas was extra special because it was my grandson’s first one. What also made it especially happy was that my daughter was able to spend Christmas with us for the first time since she joined the Navy.
The kids all enjoyed their gifts, including Gracie who especially liked the ‘sugar’ cereal and chocolate bar that her brother gave her – food that her mother doesn’t buy her 😉
The day after Christmas was a big one for me. I turned 50 this year and we celebrated with extended family at my sister’s house.
To be honest, it wasn’t as much of a milestone for me as I thought it would be. The reason is that I have spent the entire year thinking about turning 50, so I might as well as have skipped over being 49 years old.
I do feel great and am embracing my age and being in the position to have lived long enough to have learned quite a few things and young enough to still be able to do just about anything I still want to do.
I look at my mother as she spends time with my grandchildren and am thankful that I will probably be around when these two have children of their own.
This is my newest wallpaper for my phone. My husband and I took this picture when we took Lily and Eric out on a date to McDonalds. One nice thing about little kids is that McDonalds is as fancy as you need to get and they love it.
The coming year is filled with a lot things to look forward to.
I have several test plants growing in my garden, which were given to me by growers who want to see how they will perform in the desert Southwest. Of course, as a horticulturist, I am interested in seeing how they do as I like to be able to recommend a greater variety of plants to both you and my clients. It also doesn’t hurt that they were free 🙂
My former side vegetable garden is planted with wildflower seeds, many of which, I am growing for the first time such as different colors of California poppies.
New roses are also on their way, which will also be added to the side garden amongst the wildflowers. (I still have two other vegetable gardens, which grow plenty of produce for us.)
On the business front, I keep getting busier each year helping others create beautiful, low-maintenance landscapes using plants that thrive in our climate. In 2015, I had over 85 consultations – I so enjoy meeting with people and helping them with their landscape.
Later this week, I will be appearingon a local television program, Arizona Midday, to talk about winter garden tasks. Frost protection, planting roses, bare root fruit trees and other winter chores will be covered.
Travel will be another big part of this year with trips planned to Seattle, California, Georgia, and Michigan already planned. I’ll be sure to take you along with me as I blog from the road.
Speaking engagements are also filling up my calendar with the first one happening the end of January. Later in the year, I will be a landscape instructor for an upcoming Landscape Design School given by the Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs.
Of course, I will continue to write garden articles for Houzz and for other companies as well.
**I wanted to take a moment to thank you for taking time out of your day to read my blog. It means so much to me and I look forward to sharing more with you the coming year!
New Roses for the Desert Garden
Roses in the DesertDo you garden in winter?
For most of us, the answer is decidely “no”. That is also true for many of us who live in warmer climates as the shorter days often slow down plant growth.
However, for those of us who are rose lovers, winter is a time of rejoicing as nursery shelves begin to be filled with bare root roses. Even when I’m not shopping for new roses for the garden, I still find myself being pulled toward the new roses, seeking out my old favorites and checking for the newest varieties.
Showing my sister the rose bush at our first home in Phoenix. (I am wearing the sweater.)
For those of you who have followed me for some time, you may recall that my love for roses got me into gardening a long time ago when high-waisted pants and permed hair were ‘cool’. It was my love affair with roses that inspired me to get my degree in horticulture.
My backyard garden space is always changing. I used to have three vegetable gardens, but am now downsizing to two. The main reason for the change is that the third vegetable garden was somewhat further out and with my busy schedule, it wasn’t always easy to harvest and keep a close eye on it.
So, the former vegetable garden will now serve as my new mini-rose garden. It has enriched soil and its own irrigation line. What is even better, is that it is located outside the kitchen window where I can view my roses daily.
Now for the wonderful dilemma of deciding what types of roses to plant. Back in our first home in Phoenix, I planted 40 different roses, which I lovingly cared for.
But, my life now is busier and somewhat more complicated:
– I have 5 children now vs. 2 back then.
– I work full time helping others with their landscapes, which leaves precious time for my own.
– My landscape now is much larger than in my first home.
– My second oldest daughter is living with us along with her 11 month old son temporarily.
So, I tend to gravitate toward roses that are lower maintenance needing pruning and fertilizing only twice a year.
The first rose for the garden will be Graham Thomas, which is an English or David Austin rose, courtesy of the rose growers at Heirloom Roses, which is where I have gotten my roses from for years. They have a delicious fragrance and bright yellow blossoms. They are disease resistant and relatively fuss-free.
There will be at least 2 more roses going into the garden. One is the newest English rose introduction from David Austin roses, which is being given to me courtesy of them.
The next rose will probably be a hybrid tea or floribunda. I’d love to hear what are your favorite roses!
I will share both choices with you once I get them.
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‘Boss’ For a Day…
Landscape Design, UncategorizedLast week, I had one of my best days at work. I had to do some work out in the field, which entailed placing 3 large boulders in a high profile landscape design of a golf course.
While placing boulders may seem rather boring to some, I must say that I always enjoy this job.
Why you may ask?
Well first of all, it can be quite exciting. Moving very large boulders isn’t without its risks. There is always danger of damaging nearby structures. You can also get a sense of how heavy a particular boulder is when the back tires of the backhoe comes off the ground.
But, the reason that I most enjoy placing boulders is that I have several people listening and following my directions as to where to place each boulder.
Now, lest you think that I may get carried away with my power – there is no chance of that. After a busy day in the field, I came home and tried my best to get my 3 teenagers to listen and do what I asked. Needless to say, the ‘power’ I had earlier in the day, mysteriously disappeared 😉
landscape design
But at the end of the day, I did have three nice-sized boulders to anchor my landscape design. Plants were ready to go in a couple of days later.
A Snapshot of My Crazy, But Happy Life…
10 Cold Hardy Succulents That Add Beauty to the Winter Landscape
Landscape Design, UncategorizedWith the arrival of winter, some people resign themselves to a boring garden, devoid of interest until spring arrives with its warmer temperatures.
Thankfully, we don’t have to settle for ‘blah’ winter gardens if cold-hardy succulents have a spot to grow in the landscape, many of which can survive temps down to 0 and even -20 degrees F.
Yucca growing among boulders.
When the flowering plants are ‘sleeping’ through winter, succulents take center stage with their unique shapes and growing patterns.
Whale’s Tongue Agave (Agave ovatifolia)
While the cold temperatures may freeze back your favorite bougainvillea or lantana flowers, cold hardy succulents like these whale’s tongue agave steal the show with their beautifully shaped leaves.
Toothless Sotol (Dasylirion quadrangulatum)
During the warmer seasons, these succulents add texture and welcome structure to the garden, often serving as a backdrop to flowering shrubs and groundcovers. But, when winter arrives, they get their turn to shine.
Want to learn more about cold hardy succulents, which will add beauty to your outdoor space, not just in winter, but year round? I recently compiled a list of 10 succulents, for Houzz.com that would be a welcome addition in most landscapes.
Hopefully, you’ll find some of your old favorites and maybe a few new ones.
Great Landscape Design: Drought Tolerant and Beautiful!
A Welcome Visit
az plant lady family, UncategorizedSome of you may remember me sharing about my oldest daughter moving to a small town in Michigan back in early September – “Goodbye Arizona, Hello Michigan”.
It was so hard to see them go, but at the same time, I was excited for their new future as they left to join my son-in-law who just started a new job as a professor at a college in Petoskey, Michigan.
The very next day, as my husband and I booked a flight for Michigan in November. I must admit that planning a trip within a few months of their leaving helped me to deal their absence more easily.
As November approached, I began to count down the days until we would see them again.
Our flight left on an early Friday morning and would take us to the city of Grand Rapids.
From there, we rented a car for the 3-hour drive up to Petoskey, Michigan. which is located at the “tip of the mitt” as the locals like to say.
Along the way, we spotted a Bob’s Big Boy restaurant. Now this is a place where both my husband and I spent a lot of time (separately) visiting while children growing up in Arizona and California. Sadly, they have all but disappeared in those states, but they are still quite popular in Michigan.
So, we stopped off for dinner where we both enjoyed our favorite meals from our past.
As we sat eating our dinner, snow began to fall. It was at this point that the fact that we weren’t local was painfully obvious as we couldn’t stop looking and talking about the snow.
We pulled into Petoskey just before 8:00 pm and Brittney, Lily & Jeff were waiting outside for us, bundled in their jackets.
It was so wonderful to be close enough to hug them all again and I could hardly wait for the next day to begin.
Our first stop was at Meijier’s, which is very large grocery store chain in the Midwest. Lily was excited to share her coffee drink with me. She said that it was better than Starbucks because they put sprinkles on their drinks.
We then bought some groceries. My job was to make her a birthday cake and we also took her birthday shopping.
Next, we drove to Northern Central Michigan College, where my son-in-law now teaches. Lily loves to visit her dad at work.
It was so nice seeing his office, classroom and how happy he was after working so many years for his PhD.
Whenever we are traveling, I love to eat at restaurants that are different than what are at home. We ate dinner at a local pizza and sandwich restaurant where I was introduced to ‘grinders’.
Grinders are basically Italian subs that are often served alongside pizza. All I can say, is that were delicious!
The next morning, we were awakened early by the appearance of our granddaughter Lily, by our bedside who then got into bed with us and snuggled for a half hour before we all woke up. I must confess, that was one of my favorite moments of our entire trip.
Little Traverse Bay.
The next morning, we decided to set out for the picturesque downtown area of Petoskey, which is consistently rated in the “Top 10 Best Small Towns of America”.
While the walk was a short one (3 blocks), we found time to pick dandelions and blow the seeds.
The downtown area is quaint and filled with a variety of shops, restaurants and other businesses. We passed the local park with its gazebo, a lovely church with its tall steeple and gas lights and shop windows being decorated with garlands made of fresh evergreens.
You can read more about our visit to the downtown area in my previous post “A Small Town Visit and Holiday Traditions”.
After doing some Christmas shopping the local bookstore, general store and fudge shop, we made our way back home.
While Lily took her nap, my husband and I took a mini-road trip to visit the other small towns close by before getting ready for our ‘big date’.
We had a date with our very sweet granddaughter, Lily, while her parents went on their own grown-up date.
Our restaurant of choice was ‘Roast & Toast’, which I had eaten at the year before on a prior visit to Petoskey. Lily thought that the cups and plates stuck to the outside of the window were pretty cool – the purple coffee cup was her favorite 😉
Lily was a delightful dinner partner.
We had a table located in a little alcove.
It turned out that the seat was perfect for lying on while eating your dinner.
*Believe it or not, I had no problem with Lily lying down eating her dinner. In fact, I thought it was rather cute. But, I would NEVER allow my own kids to do that, which let me to an epiphany that many grandparents experience – your standards you set for your children vs. your grandchildren are completely different, which makes it much easier to be a grandparent than a parent!
The downtown area came alive in the evening with the gas light lit up with their festive greenery and Christmas lights.
The next day, we spent some time at home. I found myself enjoying the view from the living room windows, where the you could just see Little Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan out of the window through the trees.
Wildlife was abundant around the house including brightly colored blue jays, cardinals, black & brown squirrels and deer.
Of course, Flynn, their dog was there to chase those wild animals away 😉
Lily and I spent time playin with her new ‘My Little Pony’ toy, that squirted out play-doh.
Her papa showed his love for Lily by playing dolls with her for over an hour at the kitchen table.
It was so nice to completely unplug from our busy lives and just sit back and enjoy the simple pleasures. I helped my daughter with her first knitting project and even found myself coloring a page in her new ‘adult’ coloring book, which was surprisingly enjoyable and relaxing.
After cooking dinner for the family, I set to work making Lily’s birthday cake with her help.
She wanted an orange cake with hot pink frosting and sprinkles.
And that is exactly what she got.
After we left the next day for our trip home, I reflected on how fortunate we were to have been able to spend time with our daughter and her precious family. Thankfully, we only have to wait a few more weeks until Christmas until they come to our house for a long visit!
**Thank you for allowing me to share a glimpse with you an important part of my life 🙂