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On Saturday nights my girlfriend works at Rocco’s Little Chicago, an independent and totally rad pizza joint.  I’m sure you’ve been and I’m sure you loved it, because what’s not to love.  Anyway, these are my treasured solo nights where I do the following things:  nerd out about this blog and decide what’s coming up next, eat a lot of really crappy and ill-prepared food, such as a can of whole stewed tomatoes covered in melted cheese, and watch some less-than-superb television, namely, Parenthood.  I can’t believe I’m recording that last bit in writing for the world to see, but honestly I love it.  At least, I loved it until my mate came home early and caught the last half of a recent episode and pointed out some things I can no longer ignore.  A – the camera is constantly panning down to the hands of the characters, I guess to emphasize how real and intense their feelings and interactions are.  B – as they’re all talking over each other, they’re mostly just repeating a few key words over and over.  This last episode I think it was “class,” “pants,” and “printer,” and each were featured  dozens of times in a row.  C – beyond the repetition, it was pointed out that the dialogue is “laboriously predictable.”  Okay, I actually knew that one but it has never phased me too much.

So now my Saturday nights might be reduced to blogging and eating gross food.  I might look in to adding a section to the blog about the gross food I prepare and eat.  Nothing like a touch of class.

What are your secret solo activities?

Okay, on to some plant stuff!

Clockwise from top left:

Spreading Fleabane – These are lovely, petite, happy spring flowers that look great rambling amidst your other desert plants.  Based on what I saw in a friend’s garden, they re-seed readily and do well on very little water.  I’m definitely adding this to my wildflower mix later this year (in seed form).

Tufted Evening Primrose –  Big, showy flowers like this are somewhat rare in the desert, especially outside of the cactus blooms.  There are lots of different kinds of primrose, many native to the West, but this one is a real treasure.  The petals look pink before they open, then turn to white, then back to light pink as they close up.  Each bloom lasts one day – opening in the afternoon/evening and closing by midday – so you have to get your fill during that window.

Paperflower – This is a super tough native wildflower, found by walking around in the desert areas just adjacent to development in Tucson (and lots of other areas, I’m sure).  They have wispy foliage and lemon-yellow flowers, and you can get some started in your own yard just by grabbing a few of the flower heads and waiting for them to dry out before tossing them in a basin with mulch.

Desert Bluebells – Such great color on these!  Not a lot of blue to be found in the desert, so these are a real treat when they pop up.  They have a pretty decent bloom time at up to a month long, and again are easy to establish by seed (just remember the nooks and crannies thing – almost no seed will get well-established on a flat/hardened/uniform surface).

Have a great Monday, ya’ll.  I’m off to install 10,000 lbs of rock, hopefully in 2 days or less.  Wish me luck and bodily strength.

My partner in life and crime has informed me that today’s Snatch is on the boring side.  Maybe so for those of you who already have some of these beauties in your space, but still somewhat thrilling for anyone who’s looking to add something new and free!  Though, this mission definitely requires some ability for delayed gratification.

The California poppies in my yard have begun to slow down in the bloom department, but they’re gearing up as far as seed production goes.  So now’s the time to gather some up if you’re interested in getting them established in new areas.  If you’re happy with where they’re at, just leave them alone and they will continue on their merry way.  These types of flowers almost always come back completely from seed each year – the whole plant will die back and you’ll get a new one (or hundreds depending on how much viable seed each plant makes) next year.  It might be the case that the entire  plant survives year-round in some climates, but definitely not here in the desert.

Okay, so what you are looking for are the long tube-shaped pods that form after the flower petals have dropped.  They will go from skinny to plump as the seeds mature, and eventually the tube will dry out and explode, acting as a sling-shot for its contents.  You want to catch the tubes when they are plump but still green – too thin and the seeds won’t mature as readily, too dry and the pod will most likely explode as you handle it.  It’s not terribly tricky business – once you check them out you’ll see what I mean.

So, just start trimming the pods with some scissors, store them in a breathable container with a lid (I put mine in a Trader Joe’s cardboard coffee container – lid is essential or the sling-shot mechanics send your seeds everywhere) and forget about them until the first winter rain (at which point you can toss them about your yard – preferably where they can settle into some nooks and crannies, like between rocks or under some mulch).  Until then, it’s a good idea to store them somewhere dark and dry, like a closet.  You’ll hear them pop open as they dry out.

Happy seed hunting to you!  You’ll be pleased next spring when you see your sleuthing put on display.

Have a great Sunday, everyone.  I myself will be charting out the spring “to-do” list: re-coating the roof, patching adobe cracks, digging footers for a shade structure – all the stuff that becomes somewhat impossible in May/June.  Soaking up the 80 degree days while they last!

So I know just a couple days ago I carried on about our native plant palette, and how desert color comes and goes, and how we all have to come to appreciate the multitude of gray-greens that surround us.  But I love petunias.  And they are so far from native, or near-native, or desert-adapted.  I love them and I’m going to always have one fun pot of them on my front porch because I’m not soulless or completely dead inside.  They smell fabulous and they come in the most vibrant colors, and after all it’s just one pot.  By June I’ll have a small grudge against them because they’ll need a pitcher of water about 3 times a day, but for now they make me happy with their tropical flowers and happy green foliage.

Do you have a splurge pot?  Marigolds, perhaps?  Pansies?  Now is a great time to get these types of flowers growing – the nights are warm enough and the days aren’t scorching.

Have a great Saturday, everyone.  I hope you get at least a few moments to relax and soak up some Spring sun.

Have you taken a look at the April issue of National Geographic?  If not, you’re missing out on a fancy removable insert depicting the progression of our universe from the size of a golf ball to its current detectable size (the edge we’re aware of is 47 billion light years away).  They also throw in the idea that we may be part of a multiverse, and that “our cosmos may be one in a sea of others just like ours – or nothing like ours.”  This stuff simultaneously freaks me out to the point of hysteria and completely calms me to the core.  I’m trying to grasp and maintain the latter stance for now.  Helps me realize that A. if we blow it on this version of Earth, maybe we really can get a do-over elsewhere, B. I’m glad I have plenty of opportunity for distractions so I don’t go crazy thinking about the multiverse, and C. next time I get to feeling bad about the million-odd things that have gone wrong so far in my short life (I want those hours of reading a Nicholas Sparks book back – seriously) I can meditate on the fact that we, meaning all of us and all of everything, were smashed together into a golf ball glob at one point and attempt to feel the warm fuzziness of that experience.

What about you?  Does space give you the jeebs?  Given the chance, would you take a space holiday? (nope)

Okay, so here are a few delights from the Tucson craigslist interwebs this week.  Some are awesome, and I want you to invite me over for a cocktail party when you have purchased them.  Others will be snapped up by yours truly.

“Real Art From Prison” – $100

I’m going to start off with a bang, because why not.  The only thing I’m going to say is that I found this by searching “plants” in craigslist, so surely some wires were crossed when this listing was posted.  Rather than insert my own commentary, let’s let this guy do his own explaining: “I have these 2 peaces of art they r drawn on a new sheet with a pen my roomate drew them when i was in prison they are verry detailed of naked wemen and weed plants dnt wana get rid of them but wife wont let me hang them up i Want a 100 for them.”  Anyone want to go in on this?  I love that these ladies are lazing about in a pile of weed foliage!  Brilliant.

1960s Furniture Set – $230

Love this set.  And I think the price is pretty fair, right?  Perfect for a small patio on a hot summer night.

Tulip Table – $495

Obviously I’m a sucker for Mid-Century furniture, but this looks like it’s in really good restored condition (8 new coats of paint?!?) and the ad says they typically go for more than double this price.

Gothic Lamp – $295

Look at this fantastic lamp!  It has six different colors of stained glass and I find it totally enchanting.  I imagine you need a series of bolts and hooks to support the weight (they think it came from a church at some point), but I think it would look so nice amongst some creeping vines and potted plants.

6′ Tiki Statue – $150

I’m not totally joking around on this one, just like I wasn’t joking with the dragons from a few weeks ago (those are still available, by the way).  I think if you’re going to go for some garden art, really just go for it.  One huge piece that attracts some attention is so much more pleasing than a bunch of trinkets spread around like flies on cow patties (all that buzzing is distracting).  So if you’re in the market, why not this guy?  Tuck him in with some shrubs and boulders and forget the BigLots metal butterflies.

Patio Lamps – Assorted Prices

I really enjoy a good estate sale, especially when they feature large and mysterious collections of unrecognizable (to me) objects.  What I do recognize, though, is that I love lamps and I will probably need all of these lamps at some point in my life.  A table lamp (or 4) really brings a touch of romance to a covered patio, and even more so when they’re old and rusty.

“Death Chair” – $1

Again, I happened upon this mysterious ad as I was searching for “house plants.”  I imagine it’s a hazard of trolling craigslist.  Well, whatever this project was supposed to look/function like, it’s now up for grabs if you can scrounge up a 12 pack of Bud Light to trade.

Happy weekend deal-hunting everyone!  I’ll be heading to the Tucson Botanical Gardens tomorrow morning to take a look at the Grow Down competition.  Head on over if you’re looking for backyard design ideas, should be pretty great.

I get these requests all the time, and actually part of me is going for the same thing in my own space, but with a different set of parameters in mind.  Lush, green, and colorful can all be achieved in the arid West, but they come with some asterisks.  I mean this in the nicest way possible, but if you’re looking for tropical foliage, dark green grass, and ever-present blooms, I hear Hawaii is real nice.  How about we all go soak up the rainforest for a couple weeks, take note of the vastly different ecological conditions, then come back with renewed appreciation for our lovely deserts and western landscapes!  You pay, I’ll blog about it.

Now, I also want to get something else straight.  I keep hearing about the California drought on the radio, and the conversations invariably boil down to residents either having grass (old model) or cactus (new model) as landscape plants. Check this index if people need the best landscapers.  People can read and learn more about commercial landscaping design here. I’m going to take two minutes to expand on that today, but more in relation to southern Arizona (though plenty applies to CA as well…along with most of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah…you get the idea).  Yee haw! People can also check this contact form, if they need goo landscape services.

 Lush: We can do lush.  In fact, the Sonoran desert in particular has some very lush areas, including those in and around Tucson.  If you were to take a walk in Greasewood park, on the west side of Tucson, you would see bountiful vegetation.  The mix includes saguaro, foothills palo verde, triangle leaf bursage, jojoba, hopbush, prickly pear, ocotillo, mesquite, acacia, creosote, and dozens (hundreds?) of other plants packed together.  It is far from the iconic wind-swept dunes of the Sahara.  And it’s a variety of plants that is infinitely more interesting than whatever you can import from other climates that may or may not survive long-term.  The key to achieving this type of lush look in your outdoor space is to reintroduce complexity, by which I mean nooks and crannies, a small bit of topography, passages for water to flow through, and a mix of rocks of all sizes.  I’ll hit on that in another post because it’s a biggie.  But trust me, we can do lush.

 Green:  Being the plant nerd I am, I took my Behr paint color book outside and checked out the actual hues of green in my yard (p.s., I don’t work for Behr, I swear, but they make some great paint like ones at Archute services.  You don’t even need to get the paint + primer they offer, just go for the normal flat finish and you’re in business.  Low odor, zero VOC, the whole nine.  Plus, you can get a color sample book for free!  Behr, call me, I will work for you).  Our plants tend to be olive green, gray green, and other shades that are better at deflecting some of the sun’s potent rays.  You might get some of the traditional grass-green color in small bits, or on plants that thrive during the monsoon and then fade back into brown.  So we all just have to adjust our expectations of what we mean by “green” and come to appreciate “Mother Nature” (actual Behr color that matches many of my shrubs).

Colorful:  We’re never going to have the same brand of color as you see in botanical gardens across the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, South…I guess actually most of the rest of the United States.  The scenario we have in the West is much more subtle, with pops of ridiculous color here and there as plants gain the energy to put on a show.  You will definitely see hot pinks, rich yellows, saucy oranges, and every other shade you can think of, but they will come and go as seasons and patterns permit.  You have to soak it up here and there – orange globe mallow this month, yellow palo verde blooms next month, white Saguaro flowers in May and June – the colors are fabulous and somewhat fleeting.  So yes, we can do color.  Not the azalea and dahlia kind, but a palette that is strictly ours that reminds us of the seasons and the sun.

That’s all for today, folks.  Riveting, I know.  Tune back in tomorrow for some craigslist high jinks!

It’s about that time of year where I’m dreaming of some kind of major back-muscle intervention.  I’m thinking we just take out the whole latissimus dorsi, seen below, and replace it with Spider-Man webbing.  Surely someone in the world is working on this, and I’d like to volunteer to be first in the trial run.

On a related note, wouldn’t a year-round dipping pool be so nice?  I don’t think we’ll ever take the full plunge into installing either a hot tub or swimming pool (so much water and maintenance), but it would be really awesome to have a well-designed vessel that can be used as a replacement for both.  Heated in the winter (some achieve this with a wood fire!), left as-is in the summer (add ice if needed when 110 degrees), and emptied when not in use (into a basin with trees, of course).  I guess I’m talking about an over-sized outdoor bathtub, but with a  nicer look and function.  I would love to hop in one tonight and give the Icy Hot a rest.  It’s starting to get a little stink-tastic in the house with all that menthol in the air.

Anyway, feast your eyes on these gems:

#1

#2

#3

#4 (not that glamorous but pretty affordable…we could jazz this up a notch)

#5 (okay this one is a little bigger than what I’m picturing, but it’s rad, and it looks like it can dump into the happy trees around it)

Trees are really vital for they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilize the soil and give life to the world’s wildlife. They also provide us with the materials for tools and shelter. I suggest not to cut them away, let’s just trim them with a tool like axes for splitting and chopping woods so they can still stay for some more years.

Do you also dream of something like this?  Once June arrives (or April if we’re being really honest) we’ll all be wishing for one.  If you’ve already got some good ideas about this kind of thing, hit me up!  I’m ready to work out the details.

Have a great day, everyone.  I’ll see you tomorrow (unless it turns out I head in for a full musculoskeletal transplant).

For those of you who have not spent some serious time watching The Price is Right over the last four decades, here’s what I’m talking about with “sad tuba.”  It works well with any given defeat, but I’m going to use it for this new blog segment that focuses on the horrors of bad pruning.  And let me tell you, there are some true atrocities going on in this town!  I’m sure it happens everywhere, but with desert plants it’s just so much more obvious and painful. Our vegetation doesn’t just shoot up an extra 12′ after being hacked back like it might  elsewhere in the country (there are plenty of places where not enough pruning might lead to a total takeover of your property – not even close to true in the Sonoran desert).

The first casualty we’ll take a look at is the desert spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri), which gets chopped and decimated all over the place.  This native plant is supposed to have a lovely spherical shape made up of toothed leaf blades that taper to a point.  After many years it begins to lift off the ground as the slow-growing trunk forms.  It’s a beautiful and tough plant, and if you want to buy one that’s close to full size (without a trunk) you’ll drop somewhere around $100.

I’m not sure what the motivation is, but with increasing frequency you’ll see these fellas pruned in to all kinds of crazy shapes.  I think it must start innocently enough – trim off a couple dead blades on the bottom, even it out a bit so it looks consistent, take off some of the more ragged points, take off all the points so the blades match, cut everything back just a bit to hide the unevenness – and before you know it the whole darn thing has been trimmed to look like a flattened pineapple top!  You’ve instantly lost more than half the plant.  And it’s never coming back.  Ever.  Those blades are a one-shot deal.  I’ve mentioned before that the desert doesn’t just give out free shows – it has a system, and now that system has been disabled.  So you potentially had a  beautiful multi-hundred dollar plant, and now you’re left with something totally silly and bizarre.

Nauseating, right?  It’s just too sad for words.

So let’s all agree to hire landscape professionals that know what native plants are supposed to look like.  And feel free to pull over and give a small lecture if you see this happening in real time.  (Or just throw food from the car.  Soft stuff – like cake or bananas or something).  Save the desert spoons!

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Good Monday morning to you!  And happy St. Pat’s day, if you’re into that sort of fun.  While I’m no fan of drunken green-beer debauchery, I could definitely go for some corned beef and cabbage at any given moment.  What about you?  Traditions in the works?

So I think it’s actually still a little early to start talking about cactus blooms, but I’ve been out and about this past week and have spotted some of the most gorgeous flowers and couldn’t resist.  Cactus bloom season is amazing.  The flowers around these parts are so intricate and wildly colorful and they pretty much beat the pants off anything you’ll see anywhere else in the world.  So now that that’s settled, away we go.

Clockwise from top left:

Argentine Giant – Seriously, how can you beat that?  Can you even imagine that a flower of this size (up to 7″ across) pops out of a regular old cactus?  It’s completely insane.  And they come in an assortment of fabulous colors like white, light pink, salmon, and yellow.  I’m willing to replace everything in the yard with thousands of these cactus just to experience the week or two that they bloom.

I don’t know what this is, please tell me! – I spotted this at the Mission San Xavier last weekend.  I think it’s fair to say that this is the most magical flower I have ever seen, ever.  Look at that bright orange with the pale yellow and the medium pink bits and a splash of perfect green in the middle!  It’s wondrous.  I honestly can’t stand how amazingly lovely this flower is.  In my next life I want to be this flower.  So if you can identify it, I will be indebted to you forever.

Aloe (vera?) –  Oops, not actually a cactus.  But still pretty, and nearly unmatched as far as toughness and reproductive ability go (they make tons of new plants each year, so after one initial plant you’ll quickly end up with a large clump).  I love pairing aloe with yellow barrel cactus, orange globemallow, “dinner plate” prickly pear, and palo verde trees.  I’m totally drawn to orange + yellow + green color palettes, and aloe does a nice job of tying it all together (comes with both yellow and orange flowers).

Purple Prickly Pear – The big prickly pear flower show is just about to start, and this guy is on the early end of things.  Such a nice monochromatic yellow set against the purple of the cactus pads.  The crazy thing about these flowers is that they open for just one day!  Such a brief moment of beauty.  That’s the great thing about cactus – they’re not just going to give you a free show for months on end.  You have to wait it out, get your timing right, and savor the moment when it comes up.  It’s so worth it.

Have a great day, comrades.  See you back here tomorrow for some adventures in pruning (oooo, exciting!).

I realize that some of you are going to need at least a little convincing with today’s Snatch.  You’re mostly thinking “ouch” and that this plant belongs in natural desert settings where you can stay far away from it, right?  I used to agree wholeheartedly, but now it’s one of my absolute favorites.  Why?  Their beautiful yellow spines and light green flesh catch the sun unlike any plant I know – it’s other-worldly.  Their flowers are incredible (more on that when they bloom).  They develop a sturdy and upright single trunk, meaning they don’t form a sprawling thorny mess that traps trash (like some forms of prickly pear).  And, they serve lots of native birds and other wildlife with their fruit and protective cover.  Just try one clump and see how it goes!  Put it in a spot where you can move around it and not accidentally bump into it – away from your house, utility meters, a tree you have to trim regularly – you get the idea.  Also, pair it up with stuff from the last three weeks!  Teddy bear cholla, purple prickly pear, yellow striped agave and a pot of pedilanthus will really jazz up an empty space in your yard.  Maybe I’ll post pictures of that very combination next week.

Alright, so there’s not a lot of new information about how to complete this mission, but let’s review anyway.  First, hit up a friend with some desert property – I’m pretty sure taking cuttings from public desert parks is illegal  (but, do what you may).  Second, get out the trusty (long-handled) snippers.  Cut off a chunk at a joint and have a bucket ready to catch the winnings.

Let the cuttings scab over for a day or two, then plant the chunks in the ground.  That’s it!  Then just wait for some glorious new growth to emerge, which might happen in the next month or two (or it may just spend some time adjusting to its new home  for a while).

Eventually you can surround your new friend with soft and fluffy stuff like creosote, triangle leaf bursage, and brittle bush and you’ll have an excellent sampling of beautiful desert vegetation that requires very little input.

Have a great day, everyone!  I’m headed out to Sabino Canyon to soak up some sun and check out the pretty plants.  I’ve heard that there’s still some water in the pools, so that’s always exciting.  Any fun plans in store for you and yours?

I know I told you yesterday that today’s post would be much more pertinent and/or interesting, and I’m really not sure that this fits the bill.  So actually tune back in tomorrow if you’re counting on that criteria.

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I once found myself in a romantic relationship I fondly refer to as “The Mr. Bojangles Show” (obviously his real name).  Bojangles played the main and all-consuming role in the story of us, while mine was a bit part that came on and off stage in flashes that barely registered on the screen.  On paper this pairing looked perfect.  He was an architect (ooo, ahh), was hugely intellectual, came from a wealthy family, had an ivy league background (again, ooo, ahh), was equally musically and artistically inclined, had athletic abilities way beyond me, and had an intense attention to detail that I could relate to.  Sounds awesome!  The big kicker, though, were that in a full year of being together not once did the words “how are you,” “how was your day,” “what do you think about ____,” or “tell me about ____” come up.  WHAT.

So I enlisted in some therapy and started by asking “what can I do to make this better?”  I was lucky enough to find a therapist who spoke directly to my soul, and after one session of learning my brain mis-wirings (in this case causing me to be magnetized towards  a narcissist), I changed my tune to “adios, this is so boring and sad and totally weird!”  Pretty good, right?  I’m unbelievably happy that I didn’t do 20-to-life in that supremely unfulfilling tango.  Incidentally, I now have superb radar for anyone who takes up more than their fair share of space in any given scenario and I steer my ship about 100 miles around them when possible (and it’s almost always possible).

Around the same time as the Mr. Bo-J debacle, my mom told me “if you don’t write your own story, there are plenty of people who will step in and do it for you.”  Isn’t that a gem?  So true, mom!  I carry that with me daily and it has influenced so many decisions. (On a related note, once when I was about 19 I flooded out her car by leaving the sun roof open during a multi-day storm, and she said “if you don’t take care of things you won’t have anything at all.”  ZING.  I can’t wait until my girlfriend and I have teenage kids – instead of disowning them when they wreck stuff like functional vehicles, hopefully we’ll come up with some of these prize statements.)

Now I’m in a relationship that weaves together two sets of ideas, dreams, goals, interests, and daily successes and failures.  Obviously that has its own set of complications (I’m definitely not saying that it’s all Candyland and fuzzy kittens), but we’re two people sitting equally at the table of life, and generally it’s pretty awesome.

So my point is:  therapy rules!  And moms have some irreplaceable words that help along the way.

Anyway, here’s my next point: gardens and landscapes can have huge therapeutic effects and taking help from Bradford Landscaping to maintain and clean it on a daily basis can be much more soothing to the soul.  There are at least a couple different sides to this.  One is the physical participation in gardens, like sledging out concrete, digging in the dirt, and cultivating plants, and the psychological benefits these activities bring.  The other includes the positive mental and physical implications gained from just spending time in a space that is beautiful and natural which you will see it here in any garden always.  Both of these “therapies” may bring about relaxation, release anger and negative feelings, and give the mental space needed to move beyond a particular hurdle.

I have a friend who works at a neighborhood elementary school as a counselor/environmental educator, and he uses the school’s garden spaces built by Twinwood Farms to help children deal with grief and loss, quarrels with peers, and the normal frustrations that come up in life. Schedule a consultation, and you will know how wonderful the garden can turn out to be. It’s a pretty fantastic approach, and gives the kids a whole new set of tools to cope with stuff in a holistic manner.  Let’s do this at every school!

So to wrap it up today, here are some photos of therapy, healing, and meditation gardens fit for a variety of ages and user groups.  Is this already the way you treat your outdoor space?  Or do you dream of your own therapy garden?  I know I want one, so my first move in that direction has been establishing as many trees as the yard can handle (I think we’re up to about 20 so far).  Check back with me in about a decade when they’re really doing their job.

Farewell for now, friends.  I hope you’re going to have some moments of relaxation this fine Saturday on planet Earth.