野花,加州风信子和红亚麻

California bluebells and red flax

春天的一大乐趣就是推荐十大正规网赌平台经常看到的生长在路边的野花.  如此可爱的花朵在没有人类帮助的情况下能在野外生长,这是自然界的众多奇迹之一.

我觉得有点讽刺的是,如果推荐十大正规网赌平台想在自己的花园里种植这些野生的花,推荐十大正规网赌平台必须给它们一些帮助,让它们生长.  But, the preparation is fairly simple 而回报绝对是值得付出努力的.

野花,阿罗约羽扇豆和白色的高拉

Arroyo lupine with white gaura

As with many things in the garden, planting begins in advance, and in the case of wildflowers, fall is the best time to sow the seeds for spring bloom.

Wildflowers

I’ve planted wildflower gardens throughout my career, but I’ll never forget my first one.  那是在一个高尔夫球场上,我在那一小块地方撒了不少野花种子——我是说很多种子.  这些野花长得密密麻麻的,如果我少用些种子,或者在它们开始生长的时候把它们削薄一点,可能会看起来更好.  但是,我喜欢那个小野花花园.

If you like wildflowers, how about setting aside some space in your garden to plant your own?

I have shared my tips on creating a wildflower garden in my latest article for Houzz.  I hope you enjoy it.

秋天在花园里种上野花,让春天开花

Wildflowers

**Do you have a favorite wildflower?

便携式滴灌与回收牛奶罐

今年夏天你有需要额外浇水的植物吗? 

推荐十大正规网赌平台中的许多人都有一些没有连接到灌溉系统的植物. 有些人没有灌溉系统,而是用软管给植物浇水, 哪种方法既费时又低效.

当然,你也可以拿出水管,给缺水的植物浇水, it is not the best way. The main problem is the hose puts out water quickly and the soil can’t absorb it fast enough. As a result, much of the water runs off and doesn’t benefit the plant as much as it should.

所以,如果你不喜欢耗时的手工浇灌植物,我就在你身边. 你可以用回收的牛奶罐创建自己的便携式滴灌系统,让生活变得更简单

这个解决方法非常简单,你可以在回收站里翻找你用过的牛奶罐.

开始时,你需要一个空的 plastic milk jug and a nail.

1. 用打火机或炉子加热钉子. 然后用钉子在牛奶罐底部刺3 - 4个小洞.

便携式滴灌与回收牛奶罐

2. Fill the milk jug up with water, put the cap on and carry it upside down to the plant. 把它正面朝上,放在需要灌溉的植物上. *You can also set the empty milk jug(s) next to your plants, 把水管拿过来,这样灌满水.

便携式滴灌与回收牛奶罐

3. Slightly loosen the cap, 哪一种方法可以让水从底部的洞中滴漏出来,从而让水慢慢地渗透到土壤中, instead of running off.

Once the water has drained out of the bottom of the jug, 拿起你的牛奶罐,把它移到下一个工厂. After you are done, bring the empty jugs inside and store until the next time you need them.

If you live in a windy area and worry the milk jug will blow away, 在壶底放上一英寸的小石头,让它们沉下去——这些小石头不会妨碍水的滴出.

便携式滴灌与回收牛奶罐

我通常推荐这种夏季灌溉仙人掌的方法.

这种便携式滴灌系统对那些生活在干旱地区或没有灌溉系统的人来说是一个很大的帮助.

**这种方法的一个半永久的变化是沿着侧面而不是底部创建孔. 然后把整个罐子埋在植物旁边,只让顶部露出来. 给植物浇水时,取下牛奶盖,灌满水,再盖上盖子.

我希望这个DIY花园项目对你有帮助. Please feel free to share it with your friends by clicking the “Share” button below. 

How To Grow Tomatoes in the Desert

Last month, I diagnosed my first ever case of color blindness.

Now, I realize that I am no doctor or medical authority. However, as a horticulturist, 我在园艺方面算是个专家, which is where I made my diagnosis.

Color Blindness in the Garden

西南地区的耐旱景观

Before I tell you more about my unorthodox diagnosis, I invite you to look at this photo. It’s of a lovely low-desert landscape filled with a mixture of trees, shrubs, and cacti.

Color Blindness in the Garden

Front entry to desert garden with flowering Parry’s Penstemon

这是另一个可爱的沙漠景观,多肉植物,藤蔓,和开花的帕里的五线草.

My client has a garden much like those photographed above. 这里有各种各样的开花灌木、龙舌兰、仙人掌和地被植物.

So when he called me in a panic telling me that the plants in his garden were doing poorly, I came ready to help him out.

然而,当我到了那里,我没有看到任何问题. His plants looked great! He told me that his plants did look fine before he left on vacation. But, when he returned, they seemed less green and somewhat sickly.

It took me a while to assure him that his garden was healthy, 然后推荐十大正规网赌平台闲聊了一会儿,我问他去哪里度假了. His answer? Michigan!

That was an AH-HA moment! I now knew what the problem was, and it wasn’t with his plants. 那是他的眼睛和他对绿色的感知.

Let me illustrate:

Color Blindness in the Garden

A large lilac bush next to a winery in Traverse City, Michigan

密歇根州是我最喜欢去的州之一,因为我的大女儿和她的家人住在那里.

这是一个美丽的地方,有可爱的花园.

Color Blindness in the Garden

密歇根州大急流城弗雷德里克梅杰花园中五颜六色的有胡须的鸢尾.

这里有令人惊叹的植物园,从春天到夏天都充满了生机勃勃的花朵和鲜艳的绿色.

Color Blindness in the Garden

弗雷德里克梅杰花园的密歇根农场的例子

每年夏天去密歇根旅游都是我期待的事情. 当我对炎热天气感到厌倦时,郁郁葱葱的花园是一种安慰, dry summer heat back home.

我的委托人有过类似的经历, enjoying the saturated greens of a Midwest summer before he returned home to his garden.

Now, take another look at the desert landscapes below:

Color Blindness in the Garden
Color Blindness in the Garden

你是不是觉得颜色没那么鲜艳了? Dare I say drab? 

当推荐十大正规网赌平台去沙漠以外的地区旅行时, 推荐十大正规网赌平台的眼睛变得习惯于明亮, 饱和的颜色是景观的一部分. Then, when we return home, the soft, subtle shades of green are less evident to us due to the ‘green overload’ we are returning from.

As I explained this to my client, he finally understood that there was nothing wrong with his plants, just his eyes.

好消息是,这是暂时性的色盲,他的花园很快就会像他去度假前一样美丽和充满活力.

Have you ever suffered from temporary color blindness in the garden?

Javelina stepping out of an arroyo

Javelina stepping out of an arroyo

昨天,我在拍风景的时候,意外地碰到了一支标枪. 我想他和我看到他时一样惊讶,几分钟后他退回了他的阿罗约. 那次会面激发了我写这篇文章,以及它们是如何影响沙漠花园的——主要是它们喜欢吃什么类型的植物.  

Javelina穿过arroyos (wash)

Javelina穿过arroyos (wash)

说我很惊讶能如此接近标枪是轻描淡写的. In the over twenty years that I’ve worked in desert gardens, 我很少看到这些像猪一样的哺乳动物,因为它们通常白天都在牧豆树或其他沙漠树下睡觉.

Javelina resemblance to a boar

Often referred to as ‘wild pigs’ due to their resemblance to a boar, they aren’t pigs, but are a peccary, 哪一种是有蹄子的中型哺乳动物. 在美国西南部随处可见标枪, but their range also extends to Central and South America. In urban settings, you’ll find them in more naturalized areas.

Javelina in the Desert Garden

They frequently travel in herds, although I only saw these two adults on this day. While it can be enjoyable to view them from afar (don’t get too close as they can be dangerous), dealing with the damage that they cause to gardens isn’t fun.

Javelina喜欢吃推荐十大正规网赌平台在沙漠中种植的漂亮的东西,比如开花的一年生植物, and they don’t stop there. 你珍贵的仙人掌上的刺并不能阻止饥饿的标枪手——它们会直接进入并咀嚼珍贵柱状仙人掌的根部和仙人掌的花瓣.

When surveying the damage that they cause to the garden, what makes it worse, is that javelina frequently don’t eat what they dig up.

Javelina in the Desert Garden

我和javelina的关系很长, 一开始是为了让它们远离我必须季节性种植的36个一年生开花植物的球座. Not surprisingly, 它们被吸引到这些色彩斑斓的岛屿上,在吃掉这些植物之前,会用鼻子把它们连根拔起.

我和我的工作人员每隔几天就会在牵牛花上喷洒驱虫剂,这有好有坏, 但这需要大量的工作,并不是万无一失的.

Javelina in the Desert Garden

Javelina will zero in on popular potted annuals such as pansies, petunias, snapdragons, which are like candy to them. While geraniums aren’t their favorite potted flower, they will eat them too if hungry enough.

如果你想要装满鲜花的漂亮容器并且住在一个有标枪的社区, you’ll need to place the pots in an enclosed area or courtyard where they can’t reach. 

Bacopa

Bacopa

Lavender

Lavender

他们通常远离一些开花植物,包括Bacopa和薰衣草, which can be used in containers.

 citrus fruit

Depending on the time of year, a javelina’s diet changes, based on what is available. In winter, citrus they will grab citrus fruit off of the tree.

mesquite

In summer, mesquite seedpods are one of their favorite foods.

一种秘鲁蜡样仙人掌,基部被标枪咬伤

一种秘鲁蜡样仙人掌,基部被标枪咬伤.

一种相当常见的景象是柱状仙人掌与一些咬出其基础, where javelina are present. 在大多数情况下,损害很大程度上是化妆品,仙人掌会没事的. 然而,为了防止进一步的破坏,你可以用金属网笼子包围仙人掌的底部.

javelina

虽然不能保证javelina不会不时地吃你沙漠花园中的植物, there are some plants that are less palatable to them than others. Here a helpful link for javelina resistant plants, but I must tell you that if a javelina is hungry enough, 它会吃这张清单上的植物——这是我从个人经验中知道的. 

防止它们吃你的植物的唯一简单的方法是用篱笆或墙把它们挡在外面.

Do you have javelina where you live? 你注意到它们吃什么植物? 任何他们似乎不理睬的植物?

Books for Southwest Gardening

It’s Day 3 of our garden gift ideas and today it’s all about books.

在西南地区进行园艺是一项挑战,因为许多传统的园艺规则和植物在这里并不适用,传统的园艺文学常常忽视干旱气候带来的独特机遇和挑战. 一本专注于推荐十大正规网赌平台独特地区的好书可以成为宝贵的工具. As a garden writer, I know many garden authors and have been asked to review many books, and I include my top eight with you.

As a garden writer, 我曾被邀请评论一些园艺书籍,并认识一些作者,可以证明他们在西南地区园艺方面的专业知识.

*这篇博客文章包含会员链接. 如果您点击并购买,我可能会收到佣金(对您没有额外的费用). 

Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening

1. Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening

推荐十大正规网赌平台干燥的气候是种植水果和蔬菜的理想地区,因为推荐十大正规网赌平台比温带地区有更少的虫害和疾病. 从苹果、桃子到柑橘——许多种类的水果都可以在这里种植. 种菜是我最喜欢的消遣, 由于推荐十大正规网赌平台的冬天相对温和, 推荐十大正规网赌平台可以整年都种. Tucson native, Jacqueline Soule, teaches you how to create your own edible, southwestern garden. Click here to order. 

Gardening In The Deserts of Arizona

2. Gardening In The Deserts of Arizona

玛丽·爱尔兰是我最喜欢的作家之一,她在凤凰城的沙漠植物园工作了多年. 我喜欢把她的书称为在西南地区种植观赏植物的“圣经”. From lists of plants that grow well in our climate to how to maintain them each month, this book is a must-have for new (and old) desert gardeners. She has written several books, but this is a good one to start with as it breaks down how to care for your garden. I met her at a conference in California and found her utterly charming and down to earth. Click here to order. 

Lawn Gone

3. Lawn Gone

Austin, Texas resident, Pam Penick, is well known for her blog, Digging,以及她经常给各种园艺杂志投稿. 她的方法是通过移除或减少草坪面积来节约花园中的水, with an emphasis on simple and creative design solutions. I am fortunate to call Pam my friend and have toured gardens with her in Arizona and California. 这本书我已经买了好几年了,它仍然是我最喜欢的书之一. Click here to order. 

Potted

4. Potted

今年早些时候,安妮特推荐十大正规网赌平台了我,请我评论她的书. 她和玛丽在洛杉矶拥有一家时尚的花园商店,专注于户外配件和设计服务. As its title suggests, this book focuses on instructing readers on how to create unique containers using everyday items. 结果是引人注目的,并为花园空间添加了受欢迎的设计元素. This book is for those on your list who like to be on the cutting edge of gardening trends. Click here to order. 

在干旱、沙漠和干旱时期种植蔬菜

5. 在干旱、沙漠和干旱时期种植蔬菜

If you or someone on your gift list like to grow vegetables, this is an invaluable book that speaks specifically to grow an edible garden in an arid climate. 最大限度地提高你的收获,同时管理水是一个重要的技能,学习和作者利用她的生活和园艺的经验在加利福尼亚州的沙漠地区. 把这本书和几包 vegetable seeds and a raised bed kit对于一个刚开始种菜的园丁来说,这将是一个非常受欢迎的礼物. Click here to order. 

Homegrown Herb Garden

6. Homegrown Herb Garden

Herbs are very easy to grow and flourish in arid climates. I grow them in pots, in my vegetable garden, as well as indoors. 作者之一,Ann McCormick,也被称为“Herb n ' Cowgirl”有一个 blog by the same name. 这本书提供了有用的种植技巧,以及如何使用它们来调味你最喜欢的菜,使它成为一个伟大的选择园丁和厨师在你的名单上. Click here to order yours.

Trees and Shrubs for the Southwest

7. Trees and Shrubs for the Southwest

许多园艺书包含更小的植物清单, 但这本玛丽·爱尔兰式的书全面列出了西南地区繁茂的灌木和树木. It delves beyond the often repeated plant palette of bougainvillea, oleander, and Texas sage, 并深入了解了这里生长的各种各样的植物. 这本书是一个深思熟虑的选择,谁想要了解更多的植物,可以生长在推荐十大正规网赌平台的干旱气候. Click here to order.

The Water-Saving Garden

8. The Water-Saving Garden

This book holds a special place for me because of the author, Pam Penick, 她在为她的书做研究的时候到亚利桑那州来找我. 推荐十大正规网赌平台花了一整天的时间一起参观大凤凰城地区的花园(包括我的花园), 行程超过150英里. Many of the photos that she took that day are in the book, which as its title suggests, 重点是如何创建可爱的花园,不需要很多水. Click here to order. 

所有这些书都会对你清单上的园丁起到启发和教育的作用, 如何创造一个美丽的花园,将蓬勃发展在干旱的西南气候.

Want more ideas? Check out Day 1 and Day 2 of my garden gift ideas. 

Tomorrow, I’ll share my picks for garden gifts for kids

Fuss Free Plants

洋蓟龙舌兰, 金桶仙人掌(棘仙人掌), 及女鞋(大脚掌),

要到外面去冒险的想法, 当温度超过100度时, 照料你的花园使你三思而后行? 我必须承认,在夏天设置了灌溉控制器后,我有好几次让我景观中的植物自己照料自己. But, 之后,当你不得不进行额外的修剪和其他维护时,通常要付出代价.

然而,有许多不同的植物在夏天茁壮成长,让你在家里享受空调的舒适,同时从窗户看到你美丽的花园. Here are some of my favorite fuss free plants for the summer garden.

Fuss Free Plants

墨西哥忍冬(Justicia spicigera)

Mexican honeysuckle has lush green foliage and produces tubular orange flowers throughout the entire year. They do best in filtered shade and attract hummingbirds. 我喜欢把它们种在树下,比如牧豆树或帕洛阿尔托树.

Learn more about Mexican honeysuckle.

Fuss Free Plants

朝鲜蓟龙舌兰(龙舌兰)

Artichoke agave is highly prized for its rosette shape, and it’s easy to see where it got its name. 当它与深绿色和浅绿色的植物并排放置时,蓝灰色和栗色的边缘给花园增添了巨大的色彩对比.

Of course, these are but one species of agave that would make a delightful, 夏日花园的一个无杂色的附加物. I also recommend cow’s horn agave (Agave bovicornuta), smooth-edge agave (Agave desmettiana), and Victoria agave (Agave victoriareginae) to name a few.

Fuss Free Plants
Fuss Free Plants

《推荐十大正规网赌平台》(Summertime Blue, Eremophila)

‘Summertime Blue’ 它是一种讨人喜欢的灌木吗?一年四季几乎不需要维护,用它明亮的绿色叶子和从春到秋的紫蓝色花朵来装饰花园. It grows slowly but will reach approximately 6 feet tall and wide. 如果有足够的空间,它可以在一年(或两年)之前需要修剪. While you may have to look around for a nursery that carries it, it’s well worth the effort. It is also usually found at the Desert Botanical Garden’s spring and fall plant sales.

Fuss Free Plants

女鞋(大脚掌)

Lady’s Slipper 是一种形状独特的无刺茎多汁植物,生长习性像“美杜莎”,在浅色处更明显吗. The upright stems add a welcome vertical element to the landscape, 小的橙色花在春天和秋天断断续续地产生. They can be grown in containers or planted in the ground and do well in full sun or light shade.

Fuss Free Plants

布什马缨丹(Lantana camara ' Radiation ')

Bush 对于像推荐十大正规网赌平台这样生活在干旱气候中的人来说,马丹那是一个熟悉的景象. This species of lantana is slightly different than the trailing gold and purple lantana. 它有更大的叶子,长得更高,有多种颜色的花,根据品种的不同而不同. Bush lantana is a great choice for a colorful summer garden as they are seemingly heat-proof.

Fuss Free Plants

Totem Pole ‘Monstrosus’ (Lophocereus schottii ‘Monstrosus’)

Totem pole ‘Monstrosus’ 已经成为沙漠花园的一个很受欢迎的添加物,很容易从它疙疙瘩疤的形状看出原因. Another bonus is that they are almost always thornless, 这使得它们适合靠近入口或露台的地方,而这些地方不欢迎多刺的仙人掌. 在阳光充足的情况下,植物在一排,以一个现代的外观或地方旁边的巨石,以一个更自然的外观. 

Learn more about totem pole cactus.

Fuss Free Plants

德克萨斯圣贤(Leucophyllum langmaniae ' Heavenly Cloud ')

‘Heavenly Cloud’ Texas sage 它可爱的紫色花朵在整个温暖的季节里断断续续地出现,值得添加到你的风景中吗, 通常是由于湿度增加. 所有种类的德州鼠尾草在夏天都很好,如果有足够的空间让它们长到8英尺高和宽的尺寸,并让它们生长成它们的自然形状,它们几乎可以不需要维护. 这种特殊的鼠尾草比更常见的“绿云”德克萨斯鼠尾草开花更多.

Fuss Free Plants

金桶仙人掌(echinoc仙人球)

Golden barrel cactus are wildly popular, and it is easy to see why with the globular shapes and yellow coloring. 这种仙人掌多才多艺,既能在阳光下生长,也能在淡阴处生长. I like to use it in groups of three next to boulders or in a row. 它们也可以在容器中单独种植或与其他多肉植物一起种植.

Fuss Free Plants

赤色天堂鸟(Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Red bird-of-paradise 是亚利桑那州低沙漠地区最具标志性的开花灌木之一吗. Also known as mexican bird-of-paradise and royal poinciana在美国,游客们惊叹于它们橙色、黄色和红色阴影下的美丽花朵. 引人注目的花朵出现在晚春和初秋,这让蜂鸟非常高兴. There is nothing to do to care for them in summer other than to marvel at their beauty.

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red bird-of-paradise

Fuss Free Plants

Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)

Red yucca 有观赏草的外表,但它的叶子是多汁的. 从春天到秋天,珊瑚色的花被长在高高的茎杆上高高举起——还有黄色的品种. 它们一年四季都很漂亮,即使在没有开花的时候,也很值得你把它们加到户外空间里.

Learn more about red yucca.

所以如果你厌倦了整个夏天给植物修剪和施肥, I invite you to try one of these 10 fuss-free summer plants.你有最喜欢的夏季植物吗?

succulent plants

In the past, 肉质植物主要因其耐旱性而受到重视,并在干旱地区进入园林. Today, while they are still a great choice for water-wise plants are wise, 它们为户外空间提供了许多其他的好处,包括添加多彩的花朵和解决常见的花园问题.

succulent plants

Elk Horn (Cotyledon orbiculata)

我写了一系列的文章 Houzz 关注多肉植物,以及如何用这些能在干旱气候中茁壮成长的多功能植物为你的花园增添美丽. 

I hope you find inspiration through them and look at succulent plants in a new way.

10 Spectacular Flowering Succulents

多肉植物如何解决你的花园问题

你喜欢在你的花园里使用多肉植物吗?

耐旱且美丽:阿纳卡乔兰

多肉植物赋予水的特性新的生命

在加州圣巴巴拉的一个旧喷泉里种植的月仙花和芦荟.

Water features have long had a prominent spot in the landscape, where the both the beauty and sound of water help to create an enjoyable outdoor atmosphere.

However, 水景的维护费用很高, messy to clean, 在干旱的气候中,水是一种宝贵的资源,这可能会造成问题. Because of these reasons, 这是不寻常的看到空水景空坐无目的.

In both my garden travels and work as a landscape consultant, I like to discover new uses for water features or ways to mimic the appearance of water, 哪种多肉植物能完成得漂亮.

图森植物园(Tucson Botanical Gardens)的巴里奥花园(Barrio Garden)部分,一个装满多肉植物的水槽溢出来

图森植物园(Tucson Botanical Gardens)的巴里奥花园(Barrio Garden)部分,一个装满多肉植物的水槽溢出来

Water features and succulents can add welcome interest, 从用它们的形状模拟水的运动到在盆地中代替水.

多肉植物赋予水的特性新的生命

Plumbing hardware can be used, along with succulents, to create an artistic arrangement in the garden such as these galvanized buckets and water pipes.

多肉植物赋予水的特性新的生命

Succulents can also add a lovely planting around water features like the example above with lady’s slipper (Euphorbia macrocarpus)它独特的“美杜莎”生长习惯增加了意想不到的设计元素. 重要的是要让多肉植物远离水,因为它们需要干燥的土壤来生长.

多肉植物赋予水的特性新的生命

装满多肉植物的容器可以成为一个吸引人的水景背景,因为它们不需要维护,而且它们独特的形状增加了受欢迎的纹理.

Visit any nursery, 你会注意到多肉植物有多受欢迎, as they make up a larger percentage of the plants on display, 引诱人们把它们加到花园里.

So go ahead and give your water feature new life with succulents!

多肉植物如何帮助解决常见的花园困境

peaches in Arizona

种桃子,做蜜桃酱

这是一年中我在花园里最喜欢的季节之一——我的桃树上挂满了美味的桃子, sweet fruit ready for picking.

Many people are surprised to learn that you can grow peaches in Arizona, but they do very well. 然而,它们确实比寒冷地区成熟得早. 在沙漠里,五月是桃的季节.

 peach trees

我的桃树在厨房的窗外, 我一直在盯着它们看什么时候可以收割.  终于,这一天到来了,我拿出我的篮子,开始采摘.

Making Delicious Peach Jam

One peach tree can provide you with most of the peaches you need. Last year, I made peach blueberry jam这种感觉很好,但并没有持续太久. Today, 我打算做普通的蜜桃果酱, 但如果我愿意,我可以随时从商店买桃子,做其他的变化.

Every May, I haul out my water bath canner, canning jars, 花两个小时做美味的蜜桃酱.

Growing peaches and making jam isn’t difficult or expensive. Here is a link to the guidelines that I follow.

Have you ever noticed circular areas missing from your leaves? If so, you aren’t alone. The other day I noticed several of my plants with neat semi-circular sections missing. But, was I worried? 没有,我会在我最新的园艺视频中告诉你为什么.

Has this happened in your garden? What plants were affected?