Southwest Gardener
Be a successful desert gardener. Find everything you need to know to create and maintain a beautiful, carefree desert landscape in our weekly newsletter.
DIY that burns plants π§, heat wave help π₯΅, what moms really want π©βπΎ, and more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, I'm grateful for the rain we had this week. It will help prepare our plants for the upcoming heat wave. (104 on Monday? Ugh.) If you've been here for a while you know the drill. If you're new here, here's how to prepare your plants for a heat wave. π΅ βοΈ π΅ "Happy Mother's Day" to all the moms out there. And to all those who still need to get a special someone a gift, check out the nurseries offering e-gift cards below. Better yet, get her a gift card and spend some time...
What to do in the garden in May π©π»βπΎ, plant that looks like snow βοΈ, feeding palms π΄, and more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, Happy May! It's a new month and things are changing fast in desert gardens, so be sure to check out the May gardening guide. While there is still plenty to do in May, there are some activities that you should skip that are best done in cooler weather. It's time to wrap up planting most plants. (The list of plants that prefer to be planted in May is a small one.) π΅ βοΈ π΅ Today's featured plant, myoporoum, is blooming now. I have a neighbor whose entire front yard is covered...
An "unfair" gardening advantage, hole digging drill, weird plant names π€, and more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, This morning I spent a ridiculously long time doing a simple garden task. It took me 2 hours to plant a one gallon plant. (You laugh!) You know the drill: water, soak, dig a little, repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Not only did I hit the usual cache of rocks, but I also hit a large tree root. And if you have clay soil like I do, you know that cleaning the muck off tools, gloves, and shoes is another project. (If you're new here, you can learn more about digging holes...
Saveπ²on Home Garden Tour π‘, do your leaves have circles? π , keystone tree, & more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, Next weekend the Pima County Master Gardener program hold their Home Garden Tour -- one of the area's premier garden related events. If you live in Tucson (or are visiting), I've got a special discount code for you to save when you can buy tickets in advance. (See below.) π« π‘ π« Today's "A Reader Asks" responds to the most commonly asked question I get every spring. It might be one that you have, too. π π₯¬ π While driving down one of Tucson's main drags this week, I noticed...
How to find desert plant bargainsπ², colorful "Easter egg" plant πͺΊ, & more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, I always try to tie the plants and posts I feature here in with what is currently happening in gardens, such as plants that are in bloom or causing problems, or topics that are on gardeners' minds. But last week I missed a perfect opportunity to mention Easter egg emu! So I'm doing it now, a week late. π° πͺΊ π° The fascinating thing about Easter egg emu is that it has multiple flower colors at the same time. You might be wondering... How does it do that? The first time I saw...
An azalea look-alike πΈ, the desert plant too tough to die π€ πΉ, & more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, I hope you were able to do a little gardening this week since we had a few days of perfect gardening weather -- cooler temps, some cloud cover, and even a few sprinkles! π΅ βοΈ π΅ This week I'm featuring two plants that are common in my neighborhood, and they may be in yours, too. One I recommend and the other is a warning. The first is a shrub that is currently covered with beautiful pink flowers that looks much like an azalea. If youβve lived elsewhere in the US,...
April in the garden π, unmistakable sign of spring π», avoid costly mistakes, & more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, It will soon be April, a uniquely beautiful month in the desert. It's also one of the busiest months for gardeners. Find out what you should do in your garden this month in April's Gardening Guide. π΅ βοΈ π΅ I realized after I sent last week's newsletter that I didn't mention it was officially spring. Normally, that's an important gardening milestone but it slipped my mind. I thought we skipped spring and went straight to summer. π My garden is currently a mixed bag. I've...
Love or hate this tree? π³, plant sticker shock π€, spring planting tips, & more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, I'm as bummed as you are about this heat wave, but I'm trying not to freak out over it. After noting a few things yesterday, I realized the heat may not be as hard on plants as I feared. Here are a few "positive" things I noticed yesterday. First, only a few hours were over 100. By the time I finished dinner, the temperature had dropped to 85. This morning was a pleasantly cool 60. Second, compared to a 100 degree day in the summer, the sun is less intense (lower UV...
Harbinger of spring πΈ, urgent bird-saving tip πͺΊ, heat wave survival tips π₯΅, & more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, I had to do a quick pivot on this week's newsletter once I realized that it's very likely we'll be having our first 100+ degree days next week. π₯΅ As of today's forecast, it looks like there will be several days in a row of record breaking heat. I wasn't expecting to include my "heat wave" post in this newsletter so soon, but here we are, having our first heat wave in March. I hope you will spend your gardening time this weekend getting your plants ready for the upcoming...
The cutest, toughest flower πΌ, do this right or doom your plants π΅, & more ππ΅
Hi, Desert Gardener, A few readers reminded me that 3 years ago (on March 2, to be precise), Tucson had measurable snow. How could I forget? I had 5 inches! A dozen newly planted trees and shrubs were splayed out flat on the ground. I lost one tree, which I still pine for. π’ π± π΅οΈ π± While the last frost date in Tucson is March 15th, I'm going "out on a limb" to predict that we will not have another freeze this spring. The 10 day forecast looks clear. You know what this means, right? We can...
Be a successful desert gardener. Find everything you need to know to create and maintain a beautiful, carefree desert landscape in our weekly newsletter.