Tag: gardening

Garden Pruning Refresher

Bonnie Nowicki With spring just around the corner, perhaps you are asking yourself what landscape plants you should be pruning or trimming now. Here in the low desert, it is possible to prune any time of the year. But pruning outside the recommended guidelines may diminish blooms the following year. It is appropriate to remove…

Long Live Citrus Trees!

Bonnie Nowicki Happy January to all! Did you know that one of the original three Washington navel orange trees that launched the U.S. citrus industry is still alive and producing fruit? It was planted in 1873 in Riverside, Calif. With proper care, your citrus trees can thrive for many years. There are numerous varieties of…

Plant Cool-Weather Veggies

Bonnie Nowicki Growing your own vegetables can be a truly rewarding experience. This article targets “in-ground” veggie planting using healthy, store-bought starter plants. First, decide how large an area you want to devote to the garden. Next, decide which cool-weather veggies you and your family eat and who will be doing the work of planting,…

Cool Weather Herbs

Bonnie Nowicki Fellow gardeners, get a jump on spring. Why not start now planting some favorite herbs you like to cook with. Wouldn’t it be ideal to have those herbs growing fresh, right outside your door. Here in Quail Creek, we can plant herbs in February. Perennial chives, thyme, mint, oregano, and biennial parsley are…

Holiday Plant Choices—Get Creative

Bonnie Nowicki Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and the plant nursery people have filled the stores with colorful mums, sunflowers, and more. Why not be more creative and source some of your holiday decor from your own yard. Start by choosing a favorite plate, platter, bowl, tray, or basket to display your finds. Cut various size shrub…

It’s a Bird’s World

Bonnie Nowicki As gardeners, we may imagine our carefully tended landscapes as ideal havens for our feathered friends. This past spring and summer definitely proved my home surroundings met their requirements and surpassed my expectations twice over. From mid-February through June, my family, neighbors, and I witnessed the daily ritual of a mother mourning dove…

Consider Going Native (Plants, That Is)

Bonnie Nowicki The hot, dry weather is here. As we stroll through our yards and think of possible changes or additions, perhaps going native would work in a particular area of our landscape. Native plants or plants from other desert regions are adapted to withstand long, dry periods. When planting native or desert-adapted plants, there…

The Beauty of Container Gardening

Bonnie Nowicki Lovingly planted garden containers have the ability to transform an outdoor space into a unique focal point, bringing color, texture, and drama to a nondescript area. Whether your landscape space is small or expansive, a dramatic grouping of three or five containers or one stunning planter will bring a feeling of creative fun…

Stinknet: Be on the Lookout

Nancy Mumpton Stinknet is a fast-moving, invasive weed in Arizona. It has green “carrot like” leaves and rounded flowers. The leaves smell pungent. It can be allergenic. It emerges from November to April and starts flowering in February. Seed is easily spread by wind and traffic. It loves to sprout in the stones along the…

Weeds, Weeds, and More Weeds!

Bonnie Nowicki As you know, the monsoons brought an abundance of weeds—those poor plants that are growing in places where they are not wanted. Weeds will invade established landscape areas and xeriscapes in response to rainfall and where irrigation water is applied. Weed populations quickly develop where land is disturbed, such as our gardens. Throughout…