Master Gardener sharing garden inspiration and helpful tips for growing your own garden.
If you are looking for vines that grow well in Arizona, you’ve come to the right place. Many types of vines are easy to grow and thrive year round in the low desert of Arizona. Vines add vertical dimension and beauty to our garden and landscapes, but knowing which one to plant and where to […] Read more…
Broccoli is a cool-weather, frost-hardy member of the brassica family grown for its edible flower buds and stalks. Although broccoli is packed with vitamins and minerals (vitamin A, potassium, folic acid, iron, & calcium to name a few), my family loves the taste and enjoys eating broccoli all season long. Learning how to grow broccoli […] Read more…
Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) is the “spiller” plant of a hot-climate gardener’s dreams. This ornamental vine is a fast-grower that loves the heat, thrives in full sun, propagates easily, and requires minimal care. Best of all, sweet potato vine comes in a range of colors and a variety of forms. Learn how to grow […] Read more…
One of the most enduring garden annuals is sweet alyssum. This old-fashioned favorite is gaining new popularity as gardeners realize the benefits of this important companion plant. Learn how to grow alyssum with these 5 tips, and add beauty and attract pollinators and beneficial insects to your garden. Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See […] Read more…
I first saw four o’clocks on a list of flowers that bloom through Arizona summers. I didn’t know how to grow four o’clocks but thought – hey, if they can bloom through the summer here in the low desert, I need to give them a try. The list was right! I planted four o’clock seeds […] Read more…
10 Cool-Season Flowers That Love Mild Winters Although summers are hot in the low desert, our winters are mild. Several beautiful flowers grow well during the mild winter and bloom through early spring. In this post, I share my 10 favorite cool-season flowers that love mild winters. Keep reading to the end for my honorable-mention choices […] Read more…
Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow, and learning how to grow garlic is simple. Even better, once you’ve grown it, you can regrow garlic year after year from your own bulbs. Keep reading for tips for how to grow garlic in any climate, including hot climates like the low desert of Arizona. Disclaimer: […] Read more…
Although rollie pollies (also called pill bugs or potato bugs) usually eat decaying and decomposing plant matter, occasionally pill bug numbers are high and they wreak havoc on a garden. To my great frustration, countless seedlings have been destroyed by rollie pollies in my garden. As an organic gardener, I’m not willing to use pesticides […] Read more…
These are my “can’t live without” favorite garden tools & supplies. If it’s listed here, it’s because I own it, use it, and love it. Below you’ll find my most-used garden, outdoor, and preserving items. Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information. Top 4 Favorite Garden Tools & Supplies I Won’t Garden Without […] Read more…
Once you’ve decided that chickens are right for you, it’s important to gather the needed chicken supplies BEFORE you bring the chickens home. Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information. Here are the 8 essential chicken supplies for young chicks: 1. Brooder box A brooder box is where the chicks will […] Read more…