NEW GUINEA IMPATIENS(Impatiens ‘New Guinea’ hybrids) Best traits—A good choice for a summer bloomer, the New Guinea variety of impatiens is more sun-loving than other types of impatiens. Flowers range from pink to red and orange to white. Its lush-looking foliage offers exotic appeal in the garden.  Growing tips—This low-maintenance annual does best with morning sun and afternoon shade. Avoid fertilizing the …

We’ve all seen them, those little purple boxes and balls that line the streets and sidewalks of our valley. You may know them as Texas Sage or Texas Rangers and a surprising number of folks seem to be operating under the assumption that they actually grow that way naturally. They do not grow that way and now that we’ve got that firmly …

Never heard of spittlebugs? You are not alone. There are around 23,000 species of spittlebugs, yet few are the gardeners that have ever really seen one. Most probably have seen the protective covering or nest they make, wondered what it was, or if someone had spit on their plant! Spittlebugs are very good at hiding too, so not real easy …

Red Yucca is an excellent accent plant for desert and transition areas. Attractive clumps of long grey leaves with a fringe of white hairs down the sides make the Hesperaloe parvifolia a truly beautiful desert plant. Vibrant flower spikes rise high above the plant from the spring through the summer. Red Yucca require very low maintenance and are tolerant of …

Morning Glory produces soft, silver foliage on a low mounding shrub that looks beautiful on mounds, in rocky landscapes and near cactus as a contrast. Silver Bush Morning Glory can really stand out when used in raised planters and containers for a nice contrast. Shear in spring every couple years to keep it fresh and full. This Morning Glory prefers …

The Valentine Emu is a lush evergreen shrub which produces masses of red tubular flowers in late winter and early spring, peaking just in time for Valentine’s Day. The small oval leaves take on a red tinge in cold weather. Has an attractive natural shape, but also takes well to shearing. In fact it is desirable to shear in spring, …

The Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) has long been a favorite summer blooming plant in Arizona. It celebrates the warm season with a dazzling display of orange-red flowers. This shrub grows fast to 8 feet tall with an equal or greater spread. In the spring, red racemes (flower stalks) grow up to 20 inches long. The racemes grow in a triangular, …

A densely branched habit with blue-green leaves that have a citrus scent when crushed. The versatile compact size is perfect for today’s smaller gardens. ‘Little John’, is one of the most seen and identifiable shrubs in the Valley. Blood red, bottlebrush-like flower spikes cover this small to medium shrub evergreen shrub from spring into summer. In warm, temperate regions, it will continue …

When wrapping trees with Christmas lights, there are some basic measurements that you need to take into consideration. Measure the circumference of the tree trunk, as well as the circumference and count of any branches you wish to wrap with lights. Determine how much spacing you want both between each light bulb on the string, as well as how far …

Often honeysuckle and yellow bells in Arizona are suseptible to “leaf roller” disease. Skeletonized leaves,  leaves ‘rolled’ up and little black dots (insect poop) indicate shrubs that are suffering from ‘leaf rollers’, which are tiny caterpillars that roll the leaf around them while they eat.  It is hard to spot the caterpillars themselves, but the damage they cause, usually makes it …