The desert groundcover that loves shade π, first spring wildflowers πΊ, freezing lemons π, & more
Published about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
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Hi, Desert Gardener,
Do you know what today means? For desert gardeners, Valentine's Day means it's time to fertilize citrus. (It's also the anniversary of Arizona's statehood.)
The weather forecast has been teasing us with the possibility of much-needed rain. Hopefully, by the time you read this, you will have gotten some.
With the lack of rain, this spring's wildflower season is expected to be a bust. So I was surprised to see poppies blooming along Houghton Road south of Valencia yesterday. Fingers crossed there will be more!
If you're looking for something to do in your garden, mid-to late February is a good time to give ornamental grasses a severe pruning.
In this week's newsletter, we cover:
- Featured plant: Hearts & Flowers
- Valentine's Day reminder (not chocolate or flowers)
- 5 bird of paradise plants compared
- Yes, you can freeze lemons!
- What to do in the garden in February
- Upcoming gardening classes and events
- and more!
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Featured Plant:
Hearts & Flowers
This charmer is one of the few groundcovers that thrives in desert shade. It's surprisingly hardy for such a delicate-looking plant. And oddly, rabbits and javelinas leave it alone. It also goes by the name baby sun rose.
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Valentine's Day Reminder! πππβπ©
It's Valentine's Day! And you know what that means? For most, it means flowers and chocolate, but for us desert gardeners, it means time to fertilize your citrus trees. Fertilizing just got with the University of Arizona's new Citrus Fertilization Calculator.
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Desert Bird of Paradise Plants Compared
Last week our featured plant was red bird of paradise. Some readers expressed confusion -- this is completely understandable! There are 5 (!) species of plants called bird of paradise with common names that often overlap. Learn the difference between them... and impress your friends! π
βRead more ββ
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New Southwest Gardener Feature
As the number of featured plant articles grows, I wanted to make it easier for you to find the plant articles you're looking for. So I created a Plant Index where you can all the plant articles listed alphabetically by common name. It's not pretty but it should be functional.
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February: What to Do in the Garden This Month
Mid-February is the time to fertilize citrus and take a pause on planting vegetables. Find out what else you should be doing in the garden now in our February Guide.
βGet the full details here ββ
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Tucson Garden Events & Classes
Tucson's garden scene ramps up this month. Some upcoming highlights include:
* Growing Orchids @ Harlow Gardens
* Super Citrus Saturday @ Community Food Bank
* Backyard Composting @ Pima Co. Master Gardeners
Find more & get the details in our Tucson Gardening Events Calendar β
Not in Tucson? Look for classes offered via Zoom.
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Garden Quote
"The garden is a love song, a duet between a human being and Mother Nature."
- Jeff Cox, garden designer, author
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Can You Freeze Lemons?
Harvesting and juicing lemons takes time. If you haven't got the time to juice them now, you can freeze whole lemons or lemon slices and use them later at your leisure.
βGet the full details here ββ
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Before You Go...
Do you have a gardening question you'd like to see answered here? Send it to ask@swgardener.com.
If you found this information helpful or interesting, please share it with friends! They can sign up for this newsletter here.
And please stop by the new Southwest Gardener Facebook page and "Follow", "Like", or "Share".
Keep growing and learning,
βDesert Dee
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113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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