Southwestern Deserts Regional Report

Glorious Grasses

Ornamental clumping grasses add movement, texture, form, and color to the landscape. Savvy gardeners use them to picturesque effect, although grasses don't seem to be as commonly planted in the Phoenix area as their many atttributes warrant. On a recent...
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Resources

Mexican Thread Grass
Revegetate with Seed Mixes

Plan for Rainwater Harvest
Create a Shopping List
Ready Vegetable Garden Beds
Feed Citrus
Aerate Lawns

Permeable Hardscaping

There are many ways to harvest rainwater in the landscape, including directing water to planting areas using swales and dry streambeds or collecting and storing rain in cisterns and barrels. A simpler way to take advantage of rainwater is to allow soil...
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Resources

Grow Native! Fall Plant Sale
Canyon Penstemon

Go Green in the Garden
Plant Palms
Clean Up Storm Damage
Sow Summer Squash
Water Citrus

Cool Off in an Evening Garden

When desert summer sun blazes overhead, thermometers read 105+ degrees, and humid air seems thick enough to carve and stack like bricks, sitting in the garden becomes more endurance test than relaxing activity. Don't fight it. Instead, start planning an...
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Resources

Golden Dyssodia
How Much to Water

Check Your Sun Exposure
Replenish Mulch
Sow Sunflowers
Control Weeds
Eliminate Breeding Areas for Skeeters

Lizards in the Landscape

Sometimes when I'm at my desk working, I get the feeling that I'm being watched. Usually, it's not paranoia; I am indeed being observed, by a collared lizard who makes his home in my front yard. He periodically clambers up the window screen and peers...
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Resources

Amphibians and Reptiles
Reuse Concrete

Irrigate Efficiently
Thin Desert Trees as Needed
Aerate Bermuda Lawns
Control Spider Mites
Deadhead Flowers

Top Ten Desert Plants for Sustainable Landscapes

Sustainable landscapes were the topic of my June 19 report, and here I'd like to offer some recommendations for plants that meet the guidelines for such a landscape. Basically, sustainable (also called enduring) landscapes can survive on rainfall after...
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Resources

Rainlog
Visit Public Gardens During Off-Season

Sow Native Seeds
Hose Off Cochineal Scale
Water Veggies Carefully
Transplant Palm Trees
Cull Split Citrus

Sustainable Landscapes

A "sustainable" or "enduring" landscape is designed to live through periods of drought after root systems have established. Sustainable landscapes can survive mainly on rainfall, with an occasional deep watering during lengthy dry spells to keep plants...
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Resources

Los Alamos Master Gardeners Garden Tour
Little-leaf Cordia

Monitor Moisture Needs
Cover Tomato Plants
Harvest Deciduous Fruit
Prepare Containers for Summer
Maintain Houseplants

Canna Lily Technicolor

Canna lilies bloom during summer in neon shades of red, orange, pink, coral, yellow, and gold. If you prefer relaxing in the garden amongst soothing pastels, seek out cannas with paler yellow or peach flowers. Also, there's no reason why you can't clip...
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Resources

Coleus
Have Containers, Will Travel

Fertilize Containers
Monitor Soil Moisture
Prune Heritage Roses
Enjoy the Birds
Harvest Herbs

Artichokes

Catherine de Medici, it is said, saw globe artichokes growing in Florentine gardens and introduced them to French cuisine. Native to Mediterranean areas, these delicacies that we slurp with butter are actually immature flower buds. The center of the...
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Resources

Mexican Hat
Siting Backlit Plants

Treat Pearl Scale
Maintain Tomatoes
Watch for Butterflies and Caterpillars
Protect Deciduous Fruit
Reprogram Automatic Timers

Funky Little Vines

Most vines for low-desert landscapes need to be tough characters, full of pomp and swagger as they cover stucco walls and ramadas through the endless summer. And we want them to look good while they're at it, providing vivid color for us to enjoy with...
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Resources

Prescott Garden Tour
Centennial Museum & Chihuahuan Desert Gardens

Examine Tree Structure
Layer Mulch
Check Irrigation Systems
Plant Canna Bulbs
Prepare Shade Structures

Irrigation Valves

I'd hazard a guess that for most gardeners, irrigation systems are not the most exciting element in their landscape. I can toss off a couple dozen things I'd rather do than tinker with leaky valves or crack my wallet open for replacements. It was easy...
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Resources

Santa Fe Botanical Garden 2008 Tours
Tricks to Fine-Tune Irrigation

Adjust Irrigation Controllers
Train Vines
Protect New Transplants
Sow Veggies
Transplant Basil

The Return of the Rabbits

I just restocked the rabbits' pantry, once known as my front flower bed. Emboldened by their seeming indifference of late, I planted without chicken wire. Battalions of bunnies materialized to graze gallon-sized lavender, coreopsis, and gaillardia down...
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Resources

Parade of Ponds
Sages

Finish Transplanting Landscape Plants
Water Wildflowers
Pick Prickly Pear Pads
Maintain Tomatoes and Peppers
Fertilize Citrus

Southwestern Deserts Regional Report

Glorious Grasses

Resources

Reminders

Permeable Hardscaping

Resources

Reminders

Cool Off in an Evening Garden

Resources

Reminders

Lizards in the Landscape

Resources

Reminders

Top Ten Desert Plants for Sustainable Landscapes

Resources

Reminders

Sustainable Landscapes

Resources

Reminders

Canna Lily Technicolor

Resources

Reminders

Artichokes

Resources

Reminders

Funky Little Vines

Resources

Reminders

Irrigation Valves

Resources

Reminders

The Return of the Rabbits

Resources

Reminders