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.
What to do in October ๐ฉโ๐พ ๐ , fabulous but flawed ๐ ๐ณ, what to know before you buy, & more ๐ ๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, Here in Tucson, September is closing out with rain and cooler temperatures, giving us a "sneak preview" of fall. It's been delightful! October is right around the corner, so get ready... this is the month we've all been waiting for! Itโs prime time for planting most (but not all) desert landscape plants. Be sure to check out the October monthly "to do" guide which will help you get your new plants off to the best possible start and much more. And I've included a new...
A lawn substitute you can love ๐, what to plant month by month ๐, fall vs spring planting ๐, & more ๐๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, A common question I get is whether there are any low water use ground covers that can take the place of a lawn. (Many of us miss large expanses of green!) None of the usual options are ideal. Artificial turf is hot and not environmentally friendly. Grass lawns are high maintenance and thirsty. Some ground covers provide a pleasant expanse of green, but you can't walk on them. But now thereโs a relatively new option to consider โ this week's featured plant, Kurapia. ๐ฎ ๐ก ๐ฎ...
Native shrub that's "for the birds" ๐ฆ, dreaded witches' broom ๐ง๐งน, "must have" watering guide ๐ง, & more ๐๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, This week I received several questions about weird growths on various plants that had the same answer -- witches' broom. It has several underlying causes -- mostly natural and one man made. It affects many desert landscape plants, especially roses, lantana, and palo verdes. But regardless of the cause, the treatment is the same. See today's featured post to learn how to prevent it and what to do if you see it on your plants. ๐งน ๐ง ๐งน I frequently mention on my website that...
A perennial sunflower ๐ป, when bougies don't bloom ๐ฅฌ, butterfly-saving tip ๐ฆ, & more ๐๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, Have you noticed an increase in butterfly activity in your garden? Many people are reporting swarms of butterflies. I've never seen so many in my yard before! They especially are flocking to my Gregg's mist. However, I was horrified to find 2 queen butterflies tangled in a spider's web on my Gregg's mist. I was able to carefully extricate them and they flew away, but I learned a new gardening lesson: If you have a plant that's attracting butterflies like crazy, remove...
What to do in September ๐ฉโ๐พ, it's TEP time! ๐ณ, what's a 'Bubba'? ๐ค , & more ๐๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, September's right around the corner but that doesn't mean fall will be arriving soon. Many gardening references state that September is a good time to plant trees, shrubs, perennials, and winter annuals. But I disagree... The past few Septembers have been brutally hot. ๐ฅต Two years ago, Tucson had 16 days of 100+ heat. (October, with 13 days over 100, brought little relief.) Thatโs two months of heat stress for new plants. So use September to plan not plant. Wait until...
Stormproof your trees โ๏ธ, monsoon blooming cactus ๐งญ๐ต๏ธ , & more ๐๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, Many of us have been experiencing damaging winds. It can be devastating to lose a favorite tree or have any plant suffer damage. This week's featured post will help you stormproof your trees. There are steps you can take right now, and some that are long-term. (Discover the 3 worst trees for storm damage that local arborists urge you to avoid.) โ๏ธ โ๏ธ โ๏ธ Tucson's summer evening events are wrapping up. Next weekend will be your last chance to attend Tohono Chul's "Chillin'...
Why plants love rain water ๐ง๐, magnetic butterfly vine ๐ฆ , & more ๐๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, A big "thank you" to everyone who reported that the Southwest Gardener website was not working yesterday. Hopefully it won't affect the links in this newsletter. If it does, please be patient and try again. (My hosting company tells me their Phoenix data center overheated. Duh! Who could have predicted that building data centers in the hottest city in the US could be a problem? Mini rant over...) โ๏ธ โ๏ธ โ๏ธ It looks like all of Tucson got rain this week, in some places it...
"Weather Bingo" anyone? โ๏ธ, the sad truth about Texas rangers ๐ , & more ๐๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, A few weeks ago I mentioned "plant bingo" games. This week has been like playing "weather bingo" -- we've had some of everything. Depending on where you live, you may have had: record heat, prolonged drought, damaging winds, hail, dust storms, extreme lightning, and/or flooding. ๐ฑ You may be nodding your head in agreement. It does get somewhat discouraging, but hang in there. It will get better. โ๏ธ โ๏ธ โ๏ธ Have the Texas rangers (i.e., Texas sage) been blooming near you?...
What to do in the garden in August ๐งโ๐พ, win-win ways to recycle storm damaged plants โ๏ธ, & more ๐๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, August is here, which means we're nearly halfway through the monsoon. And a new month brings new gardening tasks. Compared to July, there's more to do in the garden this month -- more plants to be pruned and fertilized, and more pests and problems to watch out for, too. If you had any storm damage, be sure to check out the unique "win-win" ways to recycle storm damaged branches, trees, shrubs, cactus, and other succulents below. ๐ต โ๏ธ ๐ต I recently had an unfortunate garden...
Got 'shrooms? What to know ๐, heat wave tips ๐ฅ, plant bingo ๐ชด , & more ๐๐ต
Hi, Desert Gardener, This week many of us have gone from flooding to frying. It's crazy out there. ๐ต๐ซ The definition of a heat wave is a period of unusually hot weather when temperatures are significantly higher than the historical average. What we're experiencing now qualifies. Protect your plants with these Heat Wave Survival Tips. ๐ต ๐ฅ ๐ต There were a lot of questions about the mushrooms popping up in gardens this week, since their appearance is common after monsoon rains. "Are they edible?"...
Be a successful desert gardener. Find everything you need to know to create and maintain a beautiful, carefree desert landscape in our weekly newsletter.