Bonnie Nowicki As you mentally plan your fall landscaping chores and additions, please consider planting agaves and aloes as stunning accent plants. There’s a tremendous variety to pick from. I wish to concentrate on smaller specimens, not the huge blue agave Americana, etc. Most agaves are short-stemmed, rosette-forming succulents. They tolerate our rocky native soil,…
Bonnie Nowicki I believe most of my Quail Creek neighbors are spending more time in their homes as outside triple-digit temperatures continue. Reading is a great pastime. I was brushing up on my fertilizer facts by reading Master Gardener/U of A gardening booklets. I realized you may also benefit from this important information. Plants do…
Bonnie Nowicki As a seven-year Quail Creek resident, I have slowly learned by trial and error the lessons about sun exposure, watering ratios, and plant container placement around my home. More and more, I find myself searching for the ideal corner or shaded area to create an acceptable place for my well-cared-for cacti and succulent…
Bonnie Nowicki Quail Creek gardeners, now’s the ideal time to plant a deciduous pomegranate (Punica granatum) shrub/tree. This Mediterranean native was brought to Arizona in the 15th to 16th century by the Spanish. Grown naturally as a woody, multi-stem shrub, pomegranates can be easily trained into a 12- to 15-foot tree or espaliered against a…
Bonnie Nowicki Quail Creek home landscapes, including vegetable gardens, trees, and fruit orchards, are part of a biological system that includes soil, topography, water, plants, and insects. There will always be good and bad insects in our environment. I strongly suggest you monitor your landscape and regularly check for signs of damage from hungry insects.…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…