Fragrance is one of our five most basic senses – but sadly it is often overlooked when creating a landscape or garden.” Who am I quoting? Myself! I said that before in an earlier article on this topic. I have said it in presentations about the topic. No doubt I […]
Paths are a way to get from point A to point B – but they can be so much more than that. A gently curving path in a landscape will offer a destination. This will help make the landscape seem larger than it actually is. A bonus for homes with […]
Arizona native cotton is a lovely shrub to small tree – and a relative of cultivated cotton. It has been brought into the native plant trade in parts of the Southwest as a low water plant. Cover image: Native cotton in bloom. Note the tiny pink spots on the petals. […]
Yes I planted a butterfly garden in my yard. Am I entirely pleased that I did so? Not right at this moment! Cover image: from an 1917 book titled “Butterflies Worth Knowing.” Big Butterfly Flitting Through the Yard I saw a giant black and yellow butterfly flitting through my yard […]
I teach classes, give presentations, and write about plants. I am not a marketer or advertising exec. I communicate about plants, “so that you can succeed with your gardening goals.” A while ago while trying to organize the website, I thought up this whole thing about writing, and the alphabet […]
Your front yard landscape has the potential to add to your home security. If you do it correctly. Right now you may feel safe – but are you? Landscaping for security, and beauty, and to please a HOA – it takes some consideration. Cover image: A low-water landscape that is […]
“August is the month when harvest begins in many parts of the world, including here in the Southwest. You may have been harvesting vegetables and fruit from your garden for the last few months, but August is the time when there begins to be a bona fide bounty, maybe even […]
Barrel cactus is a plant that is easy to grow and take care of, and offers a rich edible fruit with no prickers or spines on the fruit. Yes prickly pear is sweet and tasty, but let’s look at a plant never needs pruning, and a plant that you can […]
Mesquite trees can be very fast growing when their roots are not disturbed by the potting and repotting that goes on in the nursery industry. In five years, the mesquites that I have planted from seed are taller than the ones grown from potted plants. Great news – mesquite trees […]
Quoting myself. “Yes, you can have a lush looking yard and use little water in the desert Southwest. Sounds impossible – but it is not. All that is needed is a careful selection of plants that are already adapted to live here” and paperflower is one such plant. Cover image […]
