Chlorosis in plants is when the leaves turn yellow, but the veins may remain green. All the experts tell you it is due to an iron deficiency – but this is not true for plants in the Southwest USA. Urban Myth Yellow leaves, also called chlorosis, is a simple thing […]
Iris are enchanting flowers and are just starting to flower now in parts of the Southwest. I appreciate iris because the plants are tough as nails, and grow well in the alkaline soils of the Southwest. They will need more water than a cactus to keep going, but they need […]
In the Southwest, one of the most critical things we can do to help our plants thrive is to create good soil for them to grow in. I call this “Goldilocks” soil. It has to be not to hard, and not too soft – it has to be just right. […]
Time to plant some beans in many parts of the Southwest. Even if you have no interest in a “vegetable garden,” you should still consider planting some beans, and here are my seven reasons. (Note that I said time is now for much of the Southwest. In climates cooler than […]
The sage we use in cooking is Salvia officinalis. You can grow some of this decorative herb in your yard as part of your multi-purpose landscape. After all – if you have to plant it, water it, and care for it, why not have something you can cook with too?! […]
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 […]
October is cooling off, and that’s a good thing because there are many many garden tasks you should get to this month across the Southwest. Yes, even in the Upper Elevations. I don’t have room for the tasks all in a blog post. I did write an entire book on […]
August looms. And weather is the “hot” topic right now. But really – weather and climate do change. Just a few thousand years ago what is now the desert Southwest was a cool plains area with giant woolly mammoths roaming. There were people roaming as well – and hunting those […]
July and summer’s heat is upon us. Luckily for us humans – there is not too much to actively do in the garden this month. Unless you want to. Then here are some things to consider. Irrigation Don’t let your plants become “drip sip” junkies. Instead of a little bit […]
It is warming up – time to grow the Three Sisters. They are an integral part of the summer vegetable garden. A number of tribes were gardening here long before Europeans showed up, and grew what they call the Three Sisters. Last week I posted my Top Ten Tips for […]
