Hibiscus plants abound in the nurseries now, and no wonder. They are beautiful plants with glossy green leaves, very luxurious looking, reminiscent of tropical jungles. And the flowers are pretty too. Hibiscus Flowers Seriously folks, hibiscus flowers are awesome. The large size of the blooms, combined with their […]
C is for Castor! Castor for Color. Castor because the Critters don’t eat it! Colorful Castor is a large, showy plant for warm season color anywhere in the Southwest. Thus “Si!” is for castor as well! What is Castor? Castor (Ricinus communis) comes to us from eastern Africa […]
Save your holiday amaryllis and plant it outdoors in your landscape! Note- this will work if it doesn’t often get below 15 degrees F where you live. If your climate is good, your amaryllis will grow and bloom for years to come. Amaryllis is Awesome I posted some of […]
Roses need some attention every year for the best flower display and healthy growth. I am posting this in mid January because this is the time for most Southwest gardeners to do some of that care. Let me start by saying that you shouldn’t feel guilty or apologetic about growing […]
Camellia for December you wonder? Many search engines proclaim that narcissus and holly are the December birth month flower. Only problem with this selection is that neither naturally bloom in this month – while camellia does bloom in December! There is a movement afoot to replace holly, a prickly tree […]
Poppies sure pop out in spring! Depending on where you live in the Southwest there can be spectacular displays of blooms! Want some of this beauty in your yard? The time to start is months before the flowers appear. Basically you have to plant in fall for spring display. I […]
Many people think that “Dia de Muertos” (Day of the Dead) is some sort of Mexican Halloween. After all, it happens close to Halloween and has the word “dead” is in there. In reality, the original Day of the Dead was about as opposite to Halloween as you […]
Annuals are easy to add for some colorful flowers at almost any time of year. Most people like some flowers in their landscape. Gardeners and landscape folks call this “color.” Lucky for us, “color” in most of the Southwest is a year ’round thing – with a little planning. Plan […]
“Devil’s claw sounds creepy!” said one gardener. I was at the Tucson Organic Gardeners Spring Garden Fair handing out free seed pods of this iconic desert plant, and a visitor to my table said that to me. I did promise all visitors to my table that I would write a […]
Last week I told you that You Can Grow Colorful Cannas. Just because you can – should you? Sure – why not! If you enjoy bright, colorful, lush plants in your landscape, and especially if you have a water garden – you should grow some cannas. […]
