I’ve worked a lot on getting gardens to preform year round, and it’s difficult, especially when factors like water usage come into account too. But there are some plants to think about if August is an important time for you, and why wouldn’t it be? Summer is still amazing.

The large white flowers open in the evening only and attract bees, moths and all kinds of nocturnal insects.

When I went back today, I was pleased that the peach tree and apple tree, planted last fall, had fruit on them, and the blue spruce trees had grown, the ash trees looked good, and the honeylocust was lovely.

So much changes every day and it’s a battle to keep up with pruning, harvesting and attention to detail, but worth every minute of the battle.

This is the time of year where it is easy to take our gardens for granted, and to let them go. The young love phase is over. The dog days are here. Weeds and insects are starting to win some battles and we pick out battles.

One problem that people often overlook in the southwest is the need for shade gardens.

We all drive by those gorgeous, colorful perennial gardens and wish they were ours.

How should I care for these at the beginning of the year before they start growing green again? …

The Greek word for Rainbow…

A garden is evolving, things are changing…

The first week of April brought amazing blooming plum trees…