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If you love sunflowers, but don’t love having to plant them every year, Maximilian sunflower is a perennial to consider....
09/04/2026

If you love sunflowers, but don’t love having to plant them every year, Maximilian sunflower is a perennial to consider. Unlike the typical annual sunflowers, it comes back every year!

Maximilian sunflower is a large, shrub-like perennial with daisy-like flowers that is a boon for birds. Here’s how to grow this native North American sunflower.

When covered with brilliant flowers, bougainvilleas are a sight to behold! So when they fail to bloom, it can be disappo...
09/04/2026

When covered with brilliant flowers, bougainvilleas are a sight to behold! So when they fail to bloom, it can be disappointing. Learn why bougainvilleas stop flowering, when it’s a problem (and when it’s normal), and how to encourage yours to produce more flowers.

Discover why bougainvilleas stop flowering, when it’s a problem (and when it’s normal), and how to encourage yours to produce more flowers.

Desert willow 'Bubba' is a cultivar of native desert willow. Compared to the parent plant, ‘Bubba’ offers many advantage...
08/28/2026

Desert willow 'Bubba' is a cultivar of native desert willow. Compared to the parent plant, ‘Bubba’ offers many advantages. It has thicker, glossier leaves, lusher foliage, and produces fewer seed pods.

Desert willow “Bubba” is a fast-growing native tree with showy blooms. Learn where to plant, how to water, prune, fertilize, & more in this complete care guide.

If TEP (Tucson Electric Power) is your electricity provider, you can take advantage of their “Trees for You” program. He...
08/28/2026

If TEP (Tucson Electric Power) is your electricity provider, you can take advantage of their “Trees for You” program. Here’s a review of the trees available through this program to help you decide which would be a good fit for your yard.

Tucson residents can take advantage of TEP’s $5 tree program. Here’s a look at the trees they offer to help you decide which would be a good fit for your yard.

While September might mean fall elsewhere, it’s still summer here in the desert Southwest. However, the monsoon is windi...
08/25/2026

While September might mean fall elsewhere, it’s still summer here in the desert Southwest. However, the monsoon is winding down, which brings some changes in weather and gardening tasks. Here’s a look at what you should and shouldn’t do in the garden now, and learn why September is the month to plan, not plant.

It’s September in the desert. The monsoon is winding down. There’s plenty to do in the garden this month. Here’s what to plant, pests to expect, and more.

Fishhook barrel is a rugged cactus that looks rather nondescript until it blooms during the monsoon, when it adds a surp...
08/21/2026

Fishhook barrel is a rugged cactus that looks rather nondescript until it blooms during the monsoon, when it adds a surprising touch of vivid color when many other desert plants are looking tired.

Fishhook barrel is a rugged cactus that looks rather nondescript until it blooms during the monsoon. Here’s how to grow this Sonoran & Chihuahuan Desert native.

Every monsoon, an alarming number of desert trees lose large limbs or are completely uprooted. It can be upsetting to se...
08/21/2026

Every monsoon, an alarming number of desert trees lose large limbs or are completely uprooted. It can be upsetting to see a beautiful tree meet such a devastating end. Discover why this happens and what you can do to protect your trees from storm damage.

Every monsoon an alarming number of desert trees lose large limbs or are completely uprooted. Here’s how to protect your trees from storm damage.

Mexican flame vine is a beautiful, perennial vine with vivid orange flowers that butterflies can’t resist. Unlike many d...
08/13/2026

Mexican flame vine is a beautiful, perennial vine with vivid orange flowers that butterflies can’t resist. Unlike many desert vines, it stays a manageable size. Here’s how to plant and care for this native of Mexico.

Mexican flame vine is a beautiful, perennial with vivid orange flowers that butterflies can’t resist. Here’s how to plant and care for this native of Mexico.

We’ve all noticed that plants perk up after a rain. They look greener and brighter and suddenly put out new growth and f...
08/13/2026

We’ve all noticed that plants perk up after a rain. They look greener and brighter and suddenly put out new growth and flowers, even though they were regularly watered with tap water. Discover the amazing ways that rainwater is better for your plants than tap water, and why desert plants especially love the rain.

Plants look better after a rain - brighter, greener. They grow faster too. Discover the surprising reasons rain is better for desert plants than tap water.

‘Little Lynn’ is unique among the Texas rangers. It stays compact, requires little-to-no pruning, and blooms prolificall...
08/06/2026

‘Little Lynn’ is unique among the Texas rangers. It stays compact, requires little-to-no pruning, and blooms prolifically throughout the summer, regardless of rain or humidity. Here’s everything you need to know about planting and caring for this “new and improved” Texas ranger cultivar.

‘Little Lynn’ Texas ranger stays compact and blooms prolifically throughout the summer, regardless of humidity. Here’s how to grow this new & improved cultivar.

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