I encouraged you to plant evergreen oaks recently. Now here is some information about which oaks to plant. There are many native oaks to choose from, but let’s start with these eight that you can actually purchase from your local nursery. Be very wary of oaks form big box stores. They are often not from our region and will not survive our lower humidity. I suppose that if you do […]
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 about what we will plant when it cools off. Indeed the cooler weather of fall is perfect for planting as […]
The tea industry has declared June “National Iced Tea Month.” If you are trying to live more lightly on this earth and not spend massive amounts of carbon dioxide emitting fossil fuels importing tea made from the Asian tea plant (Camelia sinensis), consider these tasty caffine-free “herbal” teas you can grow in your own yard and enjoy anytime. Tea does not need to come from Asia! January was National Hot […]
Yucca? Agave? What’s the difference? Many folks find it hard to tell one big round rosette of sword-like spiny leaves from another big round spiny plant with sword-like leaves. Kissing Kin Yep – it can be hard. They are all related after all. Like palms, yucca and agaves are kin to grasses. They lack true wood. The main thing to know as an owner of […]
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 up here and love the smell of the desert after the rain. Most scents defy words. I certainly do try […]
