Southwest Regional Reports

  • Southwest Regional Reports

    Uncommon Flowering Trees for the Southwest

    It’s not hard to set your Southwest garden ablaze with flowering shrubs and familiar trees. In the right zones, jacaranda (Jacaranda spp. and cvs., Zones 9–11), crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica…

  • Dwarf Palmetto
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Plants That Take Sun and Shade for the Southwest

      1. Whiteleaf Mountain Mint Name: Pycnanthemum albescens Zones: 7–9 Size: 3 feet tall and wide Conditions: Full sun to full shade; moist, well-drained soil Native range: Southeastern United States…

  • annuals for southwestern gardens
    Southwest Regional Reports

    The Best Annuals for Southwestern Gardens

    Annual plants are a garden designer’s secret weapon. Endlessly versatile and extremely showy, annuals add nonstop color without a high price or a lot of work. They are perfect for…

  • Southwest Regional Reports

    Shopping-List Plants for the Southwest

    If you’ve run into a garden rut, we’ve got you covered. It’s time to start planning for your first trip to the local nursery or garden center. What plants will…

  • water saving tips in southwest garden
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Water-Saving Tips for Southwestern Gardens

    For most of the Southwest, “dry” is a normal state of affairs. We live in a complex mosaic of arid, semi-arid, and seasonally arid zones that make most generalizations impossible.…

  • fragrant plants
    Southwest Regional Reports

    An All-Year Plan for Fragrance in Southwestern Gardens

    I grew up in the north, where my mother’s garden teemed with the intoxicating aromas of lilacs, sweet peas, and lily of the valley. When I moved to Oklahoma, I…

  • spring planting ideas southwest
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Spring Planting Plan for the Southwest

    In her article "Spring Planting Ideas," Michelle Gervais beautifully illustrates the magical time that is the start of spring: "Our winter-weary spirits lift as hints of green begin to appear.…

  • variegated agaves
    Southwest Regional Reports

    The Best Variegated Agaves for the Southwest

    When it comes to sculptural form in the garden, it’s hard to compete with a well-grown agave (Agave spp. and cvs., Zones 7b–11). With sizes ranging from 6-inch rosettes to…

  • Southwest Regional Reports

    Essential Hand Tools for the Desert Gardener

    Some people are particular about the garden tools they use. Others take it less seriously and are content with the cheapest things they can find. I’m somewhere in the middle.…

  • Southwest Regional Reports

    Evergreen Perennials for the Southwest

    Purple poppy mallow Callirhoe involucrata Zones: 4–9 Size: 8 to 12 inches tall and 2 to 3 feet wide  Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil  Native range: United…