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Saveπ²on Home Garden Tour π‘, do your leaves have circles? π , keystone tree, & more ππ΅
Published 28 days agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
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.)
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Today's "A Reader Asks" responds to the most commonly asked question I get every spring. It might be one that you have, too.
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While driving down one of Tucson's main drags this week, I noticed a row of trees in the median strip that were covered by an ethereal pink cloud -- ironwood trees in bloom. Ironwood is an important Sonoran Desert keystone species. Amazingly, over 500 species rely on this tree for food or shelter! Some trees become a "nurse tree" to a saguaro cactus. If you're looking for a native tree to plant in your yard that's beautiful and tough as nails, consider this week's featured plant.
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In this week's newsletter, we cover:
Featured plant: Ironwood
Special savings on Home Garden Tour!
Leafcutter bees: friend or foe?
What to do in the garden in April
and more!
Ironwood: Tough, Lovely Keystone Tree
Ironwood is a tree thatβs as tough as its name implies. Itβs an important Sonoran Desert βkeystone speciesβ that also makes a beautiful landscape tree, especially when in bloom. Hundreds of desert species rely on it for food and shelter. βRead more ββ
A Reader Asks
"Something is cutting perfect circles out of some of my plant leaves. What's doing that and what can I do to stop it?"
This is the work of leafcutter bees. They cut these circles to wrap their larvae. I like to think of them as baby bee blankets. They rarely harm a plant, there really is nothing to be done to discourage them, and by the time you notice the damage, they're nearly done gathering anyway. So please just let them do their thing and take comfort in knowing you are helping important pollinators. I help them out by putting up bee houses for them to use.
Leafcutter Bees: Garden Friend, Not Foe!
Do the leaves on your plants have small, perfect circles cut out of them? Theyβre the amazing work of leafcutter bees, which are native, non-aggressive, and important pollinators. What, if anything, should you do if this happens in your garden? Read more ββ
Pima County Master Gardener Home Garden Tour: Special Event, Special Savings!
I've been asked to share this $5 discount on tickets to the 2026 Pima County Master Gardener Home Garden Tour being held on Saturday, April 25. The theme this year is "Celebrating Native Plants." To redeem your discount, simply use the code MGFriends5 when purchasing your tickets through this link. Get Your Tickets Here ββ
April Gardening Guide
While thereβs beauty to be found in the desert all year, April might just be the most beautiful month. And for gardeners, itβs one of the busiest, too. Hereβs a look at what you can plant, what you should prune, how to adjust your watering schedule, and more.
Lots of interesting garden events and classes are coming up soon! Highlights include: * Bulletproof Plants @ Harlow Gardens * How to Keep Your Trees Happy @ Tucson Botanical Garden * Home Garden Tour @ Pima County Master Gardeners
Not in Tucson? Look for online classes.Anyone can participate in these.
Gardening Quote
"My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plantsβ point of view." β H. Fred Dale, gardening writer
Be a successful desert gardener. Find everything you need to know to create and maintain a beautiful, carefree desert landscape in our weekly newsletter.
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