Lemons are luscious. The trees are lush looking in the landscape. One bonus is that lemons are one of the easier citrus to grow successfully. A plethora of lemons can be easily preserved in many ways – that’s a topic for Savor the Southwest, like crafting this lemony “adult beverage.” […]
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 […]
So many seeds, so little time! Also, so little space. And, so little money for special soils and the like. Here in the Southwest we are also limited by just what plants can possibly take our ultra low humidity, blasting sunlight, constant winds, and voracious wildlife. Water is always an […]
Oregano is a wonderful herb, with many uses, and it is easy to grow in our landscapes here in the Southwest. Why Grow Oregano? Oregano makes a pleasing landscape plant. It grows as a clumping groundcover in low upright clumps. The leaves are a dusky lime green, so not the […]
Jujubes are easy to grow, have few known pests, provide a tasty and nutritious fruit, and make a lovely shade trees. And yes, jujubes used to the basis for a candy. The original candy was made from a paste of jujube fruits, but later the recipe changed. Edible Landscaping Edible […]
Lemongrass is a lovely genus of grasses that can be easily grown in much of the Southwest – and into the Southeast as well. It will live outdoors year round in areas that don’t get much below 26F in winter (USDA Zones 8 to 12). Lemongrass Genus Lemongrass, also written […]
Grow calendula for a bright and shining and long-lasting pretty flower in the cooler months of winter in the desert Southwest. Calendula – The Plant Calendula (Calendula officinalis) was once an important herb found in every herbal garden. Now calendula commonly grown for its pretty blooms. It still has a […]
Hard to believe it – but it is mid-July now and soon it will be time to plant fruit trees. Back East, gardeners use the winter cold to dream and plan their planting just waiting for once it warms up. Here, in the heat of a Southwestern summer, we dream […]
Scent is one of our most basic senses, yet fragrant plants are often neglected when planning a landscape. The Nose Knows! I cherish my desert garden for all the wonderfully scented plants in it. Often I run my fingers along branches or leaves to release heady fragrance. Also, I grew […]
Weeds or wildflowers? Yes, we have all heard the argument. I am not here to go into it. I am here today to share with you some tricks to dealing with what you might consider weeds in your desert garden. Weeds are the Ultimate Opportunists Weeds are opportunistic plants. They […]
