Lush looking perennial plants but also low water use in the desert Southwest. Sounds impossible – but it is not. All that is needed is a careful selection of plants. Plants with colorful flower because who doesn’t like some bright colorful flowers?! Cover image above, hesperaloe, a native plant that […]
Time for some colorful heartease. Never heard of heartease? You may know it by it’s more modern names – violet or pansy. Why Heartease Now? February is upon us and Phil the groundhog has warned of 6 more weeks of winter.* February can be a dreary month, often […]
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 […]
When it comes to gardening tasks, December is a generally slow month. That’s good because it’s the holiday season and there are plenty of other non-gardening tasks to do. Overview Still kind of warm, but not too much rain. That means this year the weeds are not too rambunctious. […]
Annuals are Awesome! (IMHO) Cool season is near and we will wish to sit outside and enjoy our gardens more. Here is a list of cool season annual flowers for your enjoyment. ((how to grow all these will be discussed in the next post)) Annuals Versus Wildflowers These annuals are […]
Rain lilies are charming summer blooming bulbs that will flourish in much of the Southwest – into the USDA Zone 8 and some into zone 7. Rain Lilies are Zephyranthes I said “rain lilies” in the title because I didn’t want to daunt you with the scientific name, Zephyranthes. But […]
Want the native butterflies and other pollinators to visit your yard? Think Z for native Zinnia! Native Plants for Native Pollinators People are concerned about the recent decline in native pollinators. This has highlighted the need to grow more native plants in our yards. Great idea! But most […]
January here in the Southwest is blessed in many ways. We have spectacular sunsets in winter, not to mention a most salubrious winter climate. Despite the occasional cold front that touches down, withering tender plants, winters are, on the whole, great for growing everything in our region. Here’s some ideas […]
Days are getting shorter. Or, more correctly from the viewpoint of an organism that needs sunlight for photosynthesis, nights are getting longer. Either way – it’s a tough time of year for many plants, and for people too. Not Enough Sunlight Long nights mean there is often not enough hours […]
