Watch Me Grow!..

The first time I saw Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine was in Chicago a few years ago. They were planted in containers, down Michigan Ave. in the center planters and in the parks. I fell in love with this plant and knew I had to use them in my gardens. I found it in Arizona the next spring and have been planting sweet potato vines ever since. This ground cover / vine comes in a variety of colors -lime green, burgundy and a gray/pink variety. The sweet potato vine is a terrific plant for our spring thru fall in Arizona.  It grows crazy in the heat. You can almost watch them grow. Does not necessarily like the full sun, it does better in a protected spot.  I started with three, 4in. plants in this container. It will crowd out any other plants planted with them, so use caution if mixing it with your favorite flower. The colors mixed together make quite a statement. When the temperatures get too cold I will remove them, plant some geraniums and wait until next summer to replant.  Finally, something we can enjoy during the heat of the Arizona summer.
Happy Gardening!

We have a large flock of Peach Faced Lovebirds in our neighborhood. Here are a few hanging out one morning above my fig tree. I enjoy hearing them talking to each other. Isn't nature grand?

Landscaping the new house - Front Yard

My family  moved into a new house this past May. I knew from the start that I was in a gardeners heaven. My yard was a blank canvas. First thing on the to do list was removing a palm tree and some other trees that were either dead or in the wrong place. Unfortunately I did not get pictures before they were removed. A 36" box Shamel Ash and a 24" box Purple leaf Plum were added to the front. These went in before the start of summer so they would hopefully have time to acclimate before the summer set in. 

Site where Date Palm was removed

Purple leaf flowering Plum
will grow to 15-20', deciduous in winter
with pink flowers in the spring.

Shamel Ash - semi deciduous, grows approx. 6ft a year. Dark green glossy leaves. Great shade tree.

Existing planter beds before new plants were planted.

 The plants and gravel were all removed and a new drip line was installed. I planted White Simplicity roses, black night butterfly bushes, morea iris and liriopes.  Pentas, blue salvia, vincas and portulaca were added for constant summer color. The roses will grow to a height of 3-4ft and the butterfly bushes will reach a height of 4-5 ft. A large Star Jasmine was trellised on the entry wall with an Arabian Night jasmine shrub planted in front.  

The fragrance from the Jasmine is such a welcoming scent as one approaches the front door. Jasmines are one of my favorite flowering plants. 

Curious Lucy

While unloading some landscape plants Lucy was quick to come over and check them out. She even had to taste a few. She will be happy when the garden is finished and she has plants to hide in and flowers to eat.
Happy Gardening!

Get Diggin' in the Dirt-

With our night time temperatures dropping it is time to prepare the soil for your fall garden. The summer heat has depleted many nutrients from the soil in the garden beds and containers. Now is the time to get digging to add those nutrients. If you are preparing a new garden bed, make sure you dig or till up the earth, remove any summer weeds that may have taken up residence and add compost or mulch to the bed. Dig or till this in. Give the bed a good soaking to let these nutrients soak into the soil and to leach out the salt build up in the soil over the summer .
 I use Singh's compost from Singh farms. Ken Singh makes his own compost at his working farm located just east of the 101 and Thomas road. You can buy the compost by the truck load or by the burlap bag ( 3-4 cubic foot per bag). The bags cost around $10.00 each.
 If you have containers that you use for shrubs, flowers, vegetables or herbs it is time to refresh those as well. I remove half of the soil in my containers and replace with a good container potting soil. You can purchase these at any of the plant nurseries or garden stores.  I add a small amount of compost as well. Soak the nutrients in and let sit for a few days before planting. You are now ready to plant away for a wonderful fall garden.
Happy Gardening

Tips for choosing the right plant for your garden-

When planting a garden or just planting a small bed for shrubs or flowers it is important to choose the right plant. Ask yourself some simple questions before choosing a plant you like.

• What kind of sun exposure will the plant receive or need.
• How large can the plant grow. ( they will get larger than the container that you buy them in)
• Does the plant flower or produce seed pods. (seed pods can be messy)
• Does the plant attract wildlife and what kind of wildlife. (It may attract bees. Caution should be taken if you are allergic or small children may interact too close to the bees.)
• How much water will the plant need.
• Will the plant require much maintenance.

If you are not sure about a particular plant while at the nursery, ask someone to help you make the right choice.  Choosing the right plant for your garden space will make all the difference so you may enjoy your new plants.

Happy gardening!

My Tortoises and Turtle

My tortoises and turtle have free roam of my backyard. I think this makes for happy pets. They have their own special spots they like to rest, sleep and eat. Each one has a unique and special personality. 

Lucy is relaxing on a rock. 

Houdini is resting in his den.

Prince is taking advantage of a summer salad all to himself.

Rosey is looking for the summer salad.

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.

- Hans Christian Andersen, author

Kims' Whitefish, Montana house

My sister's place is in Whitefish, Montana. Their home is thirty miles from Glacier National Park. The weather is cool during the short summer months of June - August, 70 - 80 degrees in the daytime, 50-60's in the night. What a wonderful reprieve from our scorching heat of Arizona in the summer. Here is the new garden planting we took on while being there for a short 2 week visit this summer.

There was a small pine growing next to this Cedar. The small pine was removed for the reason it was not able to grow to is potential. 

Before

Deer resistant plants were chosen for the planters since the deer frequent the yard. Yellow coreopsis, lavender, Mexican sage, silver cloud ground cover and a small ground creeper tucked in by some rocks were planted. All will go dormant in the cold winter months and reappear in the spring. The butterflies enjoy the flowers while the deer are not suppose to like the oils of the plants. Some deer do not know what the rules are though, hence the name "Deer Resistant"

                          After

                          After

Birch tree planter

Before

These Birch and Aspen trees had been infested with the Elm Beetle that are killing these trees in the Montana area. We had them removed so they would not fall in a wind storm or spread to any other trees. Before the trees were removed we dug out the weeds in the planters.  The soil had quite a bit of sand for good drainage and some good compost was added for some well needed nutrients. The Spruce tree was trimmed up for some added sun light.    

Before

The focus of the plantings were also to be deer resistant . We planted three species of Spireas. They will each reach a graduating height. Their bloom colors range from white to light pink to a raspberry purple. Mexican Sage was added for its blue spike flowers and fragrance. Day lilies in orange and yellow were planted around the perimeter of the rocks. A good layer of bark was added to help keep moisture in the ground. These plants will all go dormant in the cold winter months and will reappear in the spring. After planting, the butterflies were already appearing.

After

After

It was good digging in the ground during the summer out of the scorching heat of Arizona. I look forward to seeing the garden next summer.

Renee Walter: Front yard and entry

When Renee contacted me, she told me she wanted a Mediterranean inspired garden. The following pictures show how we transformed her front entry,front yard, and backyard areas into relaxing, welcoming areas that will enhance your senses of smell and texture. Not to mention watching some wildlife enjoying her home also.

These containers make a welcoming entry to Renee's house.

A Yellow Dot Wedelia was planted in this tall glazed urn. It has bright yellow daisy like flowers.

Multi-trunk Roebelini palm with elephant food and gopher plant. A sweet potato vine will cascade  in the summer heat.

 A large Cherry Laurel planted in an oversized glazed pot with coleus, and plumbago. You can see the top of the tree through the clear story windows of the house.

Front Yard Planters

                           Before

An overgrown bouganvillia was removed from this planter. A 24" box sized Mastic multi-trunk tree was planted in its place. Blue plumbago and daylilies were filled in the space. The plumbago will cascade down the wall as they grow. 

After 

Morea Iris (butterfly iris) were planted against the wall. Their iris like flowers are white with yellow and blue centers.

Upright Rosemary, Lavender and Rain lilies were planted in a descending triangle order. These took the place of a small patch of grass that was not functional.

Before

The plants in the front yard bed were removed and replaced with pink flowering Indian Hawthorne. They will be able to grow to a nice shaped hedge. A multi-trunk Roebelini palm was planted in front of the window.

After

                     

Agapanthas and white flowering pentas were grouped in the corner of the garage.

A "Pam's Pink Honeysuckle was put in the green pot to cascade down.

Renee Walter: Backyard

 Renee's fountain is the focal point of the backyard. One sees the fountain from the moment you enter into the house. Looking through the living room your view is framed with the planters on the patio to the fountain. Renee wanted a backyard that would be functional for entertaining as well as a place to sit and enjoy a good book or a glass of wine with friends. She was looking for a Mediterranean inspired garden. Many of the Mediterranean plants grow very well in our dry, arid climate. Jacaranda, rosemary, olives, citrus, agapanthas, plumbago, oleander, aloe and agaves, roses, germander, lavender and ice plants were some of the plants chosen to represent that look and feel. Most of the bloom colors reflect different shades of blues and whites. With that ,we were able to create that Mediterranean get away in this Biltmore area home. 

Before

After removing the shrubs along the fence, a lemon tree was planted in the back corner. Aloe Vera plants were planted in a rock scape drainage area. The remaining area was planted with Mexican Sage, butterfly bush, blue hibiscus and a multi-trunk Roebelini palm.  A red oleander  was added on the opposite side of the fountain to hide the fountain pump. Vinca, germander, trailing rosemary and chocolate flower were added to fill in open spaces. (The chocolate flower is a drought tolerant plant, with a flower as the name says, has a chocolate scent in the early morning and evening. A daisy looking flower, yellow with a brown center.)

After

Aloe Vera plants added to the rock scape drainage.

Before

The plants were removed  and  a Jacaranda tree was added along with trailing rosemary, germander a Roebelini multi trunk palm, blue hibiscus, purple butterfly bush, agapanthas and mexican sage. The red bougainvillea growing behind the fence add a nice contrast color for the blue and purple blooms. The Jacaranda tree flanks one side of the trickling fountain.
After

Before

All shrubs were removed along with an over sized Mesquite tree.  Large Cherry Laurels were planted to buffer the unit next door. Black Night Butterfly bushes were added behind the Laurels to hedge against the wall. Rosemary, Sage, Blue hibiscus, vinca, trailing germander and chocolate flower were added to fill in the space. A blue agapantha was added to a pot in a stand. The variety of blooms attract butterflies and some bees. 

After
Before


Looking from the side walkway into the back before removal of rock and plants.
After

With the addition of flagstone steps, a walk path was added. In between the steps, germander and miniature ice plant was planted. Hidden behind the wall is a large Star Jasmine on a trellis and a 24" box Jacaranda tree. While the trees still were coming out of dormancy, they will fill in nicely to give filtered shade during our hot summer months.( The Jacaranda tree has a brilliant purple flower through the spring .)

The Star Jasmine in full bloom has a wonderful spice fragrance. One of my favorites.

Before

The Mexican honeysuckle bush was removed and a 24" box Purple Flower Plum was planted. Lavender were planted around the base of the tree. The tree was a wonderful specimen for this space. 

After