Be a successful desert gardener. Find everything you need to know to create and maintain a beautiful, carefree desert landscape in our weekly newsletter.
For many gardeners, March is the busiest month of the year. If you're going to add any new landscape plants this spring, try to do it in March. This gives them the most time to get established before it gets really hot. (There are a few exceptions which are covered in the March Guide.)
This week's featured plant, Texas mountain laurel, is in bloom now. If you get the chance, get close to one and take a whiff. Its aroma has been described as "fake grape" and smells like grape soda or Kool-Aid. (But be forewarned that in spite of its yummy fragrance, all parts of this plant are highly toxic.)
"Dead, diseased, damaged, dangerous, or deranged" might sound like a subtitle for a zombie movie, but it's actually a prompt that can help you prune your shrubs. π§
In this week's newsletter, we cover:
Featured Plant: Texas Mountain Laurel π
How to get your irrigation system ready for spring π§
With its glossy dark green leaves, peanut-like pods, and wisteria-like clusters of flowers, this truly is a one-of-a-kind desert tree. But its most distinctive feature is its aroma. Its blossoms smell like grape soda!
Winter freezes can take a toll on your irrigation system. Soon it will be time to reprogram your irrigation schedule for spring, so it's also a good time to make sure itβs working properly. Start by checking for obvious leaks and clogged emitters. Not sure what else to look for? Tucson Water created a short video that covers what to look for when checking your irrigation system.
The β5 Dsβ of Pruning Desert Shrubs
Most desert landscape shrubs are pruned more frequently than needed. This not only makes them less attractive, but is bad for their health and longevity. There are 5 good reasons to prune a shrub, and several bad ones. Learn the difference.
There are loads of gardening classes coming up, with a focus on growing edibles. Some upcoming highlights include: * Free Succulent Saturday @ Four Arrows Garden Center * Growing Warm Season Vegetables @ Pima Co. Master Gardeners * Growing Fresh Herbs @ Harlow Gardens
This is the month we've been waiting for! Learn what you can plant (and what you should wait on), what you should prune, how to adjust your watering schedule for spring, and more in our March Guide.
Want to learn more about a particular desert landscape plant? Then check out our new Plant Index where you'll find a list of all of our comprehensive Plant Profiles listed alphabetically by common name. So far there are nearly 100 plants we add more every week. This will make it easier to find the information you need when choosing and caring for your plants.
Garden Quote
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." - A. A. Milne, author, creator of Winnie the Poo
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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