This weekend April will begin, so here are some garden tasks you can think about getting out and doing. Check your last frost date before some of these April tasks. Prune Check your last frost date – and if it is past then go ahead and prune frost damage off bougainvillea, lantana, autumn sage, and other summer flowering frost tender perennials. Avoid pruning spring-flowering shrubs until bloom period is through. […]
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 […]
Spring flowers are beginning to bloom and hummingbirds are zipping around, collecting nectar and a few insects while they are at it. Entice the Hummingbirds Hummingbirds need more than just sugar-water feeders. Like most animal life, they need a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. This means that they do need some flower nectar. More than Just Food Every living thing on earth needs food, water, and a place […]
When it comes to pollinators, the American Southwest is one of the most species diverse habitats in the world, with native species of bees, butterflies, moths, bats, and hummingbirds all busy pollinating our plants. This massive diversity makes sense – because much of the region has plants that bloom in every month of the year. Pollinators in the Southwest We have a plethora of pretty pollinators here! We are the […]
