Friday Feature - First Friday!

Are you ready for the weekend?  It's going to be a great time to enjoy the night out.  Why not do something adventurous and check out First Friday.  This is the premiere artwalk in the state, and is actually one of the biggest in the country.
Roosevelt Row is the main hub for what's happening downtown, just south of I-10 off 3rd Street.  The scene is so full of energy, they sometime close off a few blocks just for foot traffic (and a bevy of street performers).  The cornerstone of it all is MADE Art Boutique, one of my favorite places to buy cool, funky books and jewelry.  Here, you can find out about what's happening, where to go, and you might even see someone you know.   

And from there, the fun just spills down the block and around the corner, with JoBot Coffee, Lost Leaf Cafe, Modified ArtSpace, Tammy Coe Cakes, and more.   Feeling hungry?  Your nose will do the walking toward the always awesome Food Truck garden.  Don't feel left out, you gardener types.  You have to go see GrowOp, a great little shop with vintage/found goods and fashion.  Oh, did I forget to mention the entire exterior space is brimming with veggies- along the sidewalk!

If you don't want to venture to far downtown, stay uptown and peep Practical Art, on Central Ave just north of Camelback.  Loads of amazing artisan wares and works of art.  The staff is nice to look at too (Love you guys!).  You can take a stroll for more cool vibes at Frances Vintage where you may not find what you need, but you'll definately find something you want; Stinkweeds music shop where vinyl still lives; and Windsor, and Postino for some fine comfort dining. 
Click here for more details on First Friday.  Now get out and support your local community!

(Cool things you see only at Phoenix First Friday)

All The Buzz at Xericopia

The carpenter bees seem to have discovered their bounty for the season. There are at least five or more every morning when I go out into the garden.
But I discovered something just as amazing, if not better - gold! A golden carpenter bee. WOW! I think it's a female, but that's just my plant-brained guess. (any novice entomologist out there know specifically what kind of bee it is?)

FROM: The Garden
TO: Your Health


1 - head of leaf lettuce (romaine)
1 - handful of kale
1 - cucumber, small
1 - lemon, small
2 - apples (okay, from the market)
1 - handful of ice

...Enjoy.

It's Earth Day - Reduce, Reuse, Return

Today is Earth Day. Lots of events and activities will involve being green and recycling and carbon footprints and saving the environment, yadda yadda. But let's focus to the real star - Earth.

Look down. (Well, go outside and look down.) Look at the earth, the ground, the dirt, the soil. What can you really do for the earth TODAY.


Real simple - give back. It's a good time to simply start a compost pile. Even better (and simpler), leave your garden alone and let nature compost. Allow your garden - the earth - the feed and replenish itself. Composting (decomposition) is a natural process that is always happening underfoot. Where the mulch meets the soil, in-between, the bugs and microorganisms are hard at work composting.


When we contribute to the process by adding more layers of mulch - or leaving the leaves where they lay - the earth is enriched with nutrient life. In the end, the earth will return the favor and give to us.


For more cool inspiration about good ol' terra firma, check out what's airing on PBS. Now go let your toes hug some dirt.

Knock, Knock...

Who's there?
Everybody! Xericopia is bursting with visitors these days. Well, not exactly visitors, more like new residents.

Lulu Bird has been banished to her chair, so now the lizards can workout in peace and everyone can come out and play...

Check out the carpenter bee loving some lavender pinata. (When he lands on the bloom, it droops over like a fishing rod. I think it's the bee version of a carnival ride.)

Mr. Mockingbird enjoys some apple while the shy Mr. Thrasher hides in the shadows while. (He prefer peanuts, or even better, dog food nuggets dunked in water.)

Bumble bees are loving some spanish lavender.(Keep your distance. They are feisty about their lavender time.)

Lizabelle is being her usual sassy self (as we sit less than a foot away enjoying the sunset).

The biggest surprise visitor this season has been a ladybug - and she's making babies!! (I think...)

But my favorites in the garden are the worms! The only critters working harder than me and I love it. Who's in your garden this spring?

Sayonara Winter!

Top 10 Signs that I know Winter is over:

#10 - Bees are all over my garden.
#9 - Pointsettias are happy to be outside.

#8 - My stray cats are 'singing' (yikes).

#7 - Baker Nursery has orange justicia now!

#6 - I stopped turning on my electric blanket.

#5 - Flowering pear tree has flowered.

#4 - Fungal gnats keep finding my glass of wine.

#3 - Maggie dog is shedding.

#2 - Tomatoes are ripening.

#1 - The bermuda grass is on the move!

Brrrr!

The rain has been awesome, and now the sky is amazing! Saturday afternoon, my wife and I decided to get out and enjoy the beautiful day by taking a walk through the Desert Botanical Garden.

(Chuhuli yucca at DBG)

The rain had stopped, the streets were dry, and the sun was coming out. One thing we overlooked - the forecast! We arrived at the Garden and by the time we made it through the ticket booth we were freezing! It was 52* degrees and very breeze, with lots of clouds.

(Aloe pavillion at DBG)

Aloes were in bloom, gaillardia was spilling onto the paths, and birds chatting about. But it was cold!!!

(Wild Gaillardia at DBG)

So, we briskly made our way around the short loop hoping the fluffy clouds would spread out and let some sun shine through. No such luck. Maybe next weekend...

Eureka!

It's winter in Arizona and the bees are here at Xericopia! Hard to believe at 72* degrees it's winter time. Nature is confused! My trees just dropped their leaves (well, sort of) and it feels like they should start budding and blossoming. Even the basil in my garden is still ripe for plucking.

(bee visiting podranea pink trumpet)

But the most exciting thing going on in my garden is the presence of bees. Actually, 'a' bee. I like to believe that it's a different bee each day. Enjoying the lavender, enjoying the salvia, enjoying the weather - like me!

Container Edibles - Simple Beginnings

Do Not Attempt This At Home!

Well, I used to think that about growing edibles in pots. Especially here in Phoenix.

If you're new to this, I recommend starting simple, with plants that are sure to bring success and boost your confidence (something absolutely necessary in gardening).

(cilantro, red salvia, spearmint)

You can't go wrong with herbs and leafy greens. Many of these plants are not fickle about light, don't require much fertilizing, and can rebound from under or over watering.

(swiss chard, lemon thyme, spearmint, kale, dusty miller)

What I like most about growing herbs and greens in pots is the constant bounty. Many of these plants can grow year-round. They fill out the pots and look great just about anywhere in the garden (as long as they receive a bit of sunlight). Also, I can combine them with other flowering plants such as petunia, salvia, and oxalis.

(swiss chard with pine cone tephrocactus)

Don't feel limited by traditional container gardening. Our Phoenix weather allows us to do very interesting things. You'll always find some success in exploration.

Wednesday What To Do

Like most, I enjoy container gardening. But often, we think of use containers to fill bare spaces like patios and entry ways. You know, hardscapes. Here in Phoenix (and other parts of the southwest) where it's over 100* degrees or more (much much more), these hardscape areas can be 10-20 degrees hotter. Certainly, not a place for plants we love, right?

(chard, oregano, and thyme enjoying summer amongst friends)

So, try container gardening . . . in the garden. This beautiful large red pot functions as a raised bed for some sun loving edibles. It also adds a nice pop of color amidst a mass of green. The soil is a well draining mix of rich organic compost, topped with a deep layer of bark mulch to reduce dry out. I also hooked it all up on drip emitters (1/2gal per hour) so it gets watered with my other landscape edibles 3days per week.
Even if you use a smaller container, a good layer of mulch will keep the soil moist enough to avoid daily watering.

Wednesday - What To Do?

Welcome to my new segment I'm calling "What to do Wednesday", which will focus on a project you can plan for your weekend gardening. Why Wednesday, you ask? Well, if I gave out great garden project assignment on Friday, you would like have to spend your Saturday morning racing around to the nurseries, preparing soil, and digging holes. Then, your Sunday up to your dirty knees working on the project. I believe Saturdays are for gardening and Sundays are garden viewing. So, Wednesday gives you two days to get ready for the weekend fun.

This Wednesday to start, I thought of a simple project we all can do. Here in Phoenix, where it's been over 110* degrees for the past two weeks, it's about all we can do in the garden right now. I want you to spend some time thinking back.

("The Yard" - 1998 Spring)

I know it will do me some good to take a moment think back - back to the incredible spring we had this year. To think back to this time last year. I'm even thinking back to the early days when we had a 'yard'.

("The Garden" - 2008 Summer)

Thinking back will help you plan your next move for this fall. Perhaps, reminding you of what not to do (that you've maybe tried season after season still to no avail). Thinking back will give you some pride in what you truly have accomplished from year to year. So browse the old garden journals, flip through the Post-it riddled pages of your garden magazines, print of some old and new photos. Take note of how your garden has grown.

(2009 Summer - "Xericopia")

It's An Invasion!

Oh no - they're here!

And they're taking over my garden!
(Yeaaaa!!!)

It's the attack of the Compost Makers!
After years of managing my rickety compost bins made from recycled pallets, I decided to try these new-fangled eComposter (from CostCo). I started them in May 2009 and I figure they should be done cooking by mid-August.
Stay tuned to see what hatches...

Surviving Summer

It's hot here in Phoenix. Really hot. Yesterday was 115* degrees. Today it was 115*. And the forecast consensus shows over 110* degrees for all of next week. YIKES!! If you think it's tough on us humans, be assured it's tougher on our plants. Remember, outside it's not only hot, but the sun is intense. If it's not a cactus, it's stressing.


One of the easiest ways to beat the heat (well, tolerate the heat) is simply installing shade cover. Just by reducing the amount of direct intense sun, life gets a little bit nicer for plants.

The set-up in my garden is quite rudimentary. It's not pretty, but it is effective, and it only took ten minutes to put in place. My new seedlings are much happier now.


This is all a temporary solution for current season. Since my back garden receives west exposure, I have a greater plan for future protection. In summer 2008 I planted some new trees (palo verde, bauhinia, crape myrtle, pomegranate) to create natural shade cover. By next summer 2010, too much sun will not be an issue for me.
(keep cool!)

Summertime Spirit

Summertime is often a very disheartening for many of us Phoenix desert gardeners. As we slowly slip from the 'comfortable' springtime 80* and 90* degree temperatures, the dreaded heat can but the breaks on our gardener spirit. But don't dispair; If you think there isn't much to plant during the dog days of summer, think again. Here are a few of my favorites for warm season survival:

(Palo Verde - Parkinsonia florida/cercidium floridum from 24"box)

Nothing better to plant during summer than trees. The warm season is the growing season for most native-adapted trees, and there is no better time thatn the present to start working on shade. Palo verde is the perfect solution.

(butterfly on zinnia)

From simple beginnings come great things. You can't go wrong with zinnia seeds. It's never too late to get your seeds in the ground - especially before the monsoon rains arrive.


Go native and go big. This leucophyllum sage is on its third bloom cycle of 2009.

But a couple of my summertime favorites are red salvia and orange justicia. These two sun lovers will not only bloom through summer, but with occasional dead-heading, can bloom year-round. Bring on the color!

For more planting options, visit the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association or the Maricopa Master Gardeners plant guide.

Something Simple...

One fun thing I love about summertime gardening (even though summer is still technically 3 weeks away), is how you have to challenge yourself to be inventive. With the impending heat, it's always questionable what to plant next that will survive.
Instead of wrestling with flowers, and keeping them watered, and fertilizing them, and deadheading to keep them blooming, and wondering when they will finally fade away, etcetera, etcetera....
I thought I'd try something interesting with succulents.

This is an old antique wheelbarrow with the bottom rusted out. It used to be filled with geraniums (a few times throughout the year because they would die from lack of watering, too much drainage, and harsh sun exposure).
First I converted it to a stone garden with a couple cactus. Not quite impressive, I then added another plant or two. Finally, I put together a plan using some small scale succulents, a few cuttings, and a couple feature specimens (in the end, about $15 on plants). It took less than six months to entire planter to fill in, and this photo was taken just after pruning. The planter is located under a large elm tree and receives midday filtered sun and then about 3hrs of full afternoon exposure. It is quite a conversation piece in this downtown Phoenix garden.

In The Gardener's Garden - 2009-04-04

Life is good...

My wife and I spent some peaceful time in the garden today (trying very hard to ignore the wind). So to help focus, I ran off to the frontyard and cut a few things for little vase (Don Juan roses, raspberry snapdragon, nasturtium).



As the wind settled, all the birds came out to eat, and the whole verdin bird family came to visit


But a gardener's work is never done. I have to go prune some edibles and cook them up for dinner!

Lights Out! Don't forget this weekend is "Earth Hour".

Everyone is encouraged to turn out their lights from 8:30 - 9:30pm on Saturday, March 28.
(Check out the "Earth Hour" video)

According to Mayor Phil Gordon, here are some other things we can also do to participate in this global event:

* Change at least one light bulb to a CFL
* Park your car for the day
* Turn your air or heat down or off
* Use public transportation (including light rail)
* Fill your recycling container
* Reduce your water consumption

Read more at: http://phoenix.gov/news/032509earth.html

I plan to spend my Saturday morning celebrating by planting some trees - a lot of trees! Valley Forward Association and the Mayor's Office will host a tree planting event downtown on Roosevelt Row Saturday 03/28 ( 8am-12noon).

In honor of VFA's 40 years in Phoenix as the Valley's premier environmental public interest organization, 40 trees will be planted along 5th Street and 6th Street from Roosevelt to Garfield. It's sure to be quite a day.

Later, during Earth Hour, I will be on my patio enjoying my garden in the candle light.

Road To Success!

Well it's finally done! It took some time to fit in between weekend schedule and brief nights after work. (about 14 hours over 4 weeks)

Now that I've figured out my formula, it's time for phase two...