The Life and Times of a Desert Gardener

It’s the middle of February here in the Sonoran Desert, and the last few weeks have brought El Niño moisture to the desert valley we call home. A recent foray up Picacho Peak had our hiking party skimming over a soft green carpet of what will soon be colorful wildflowers, and new grasses. Once at the top, the 360 degree view was smoothed by a humid haze that made it hard to distinguish the horizon.

A lot of things are going on in my gardens this month. The wildflowers that I seeded in my front yard have germinated with the rains and some supplemental garden hose showers, and are sure to put on quite a show in probably just a few weeks. The mix I planted contains California Poppy, Desert Marigold, Penstomen, Lupine, Blue Bells, and Cassia, which are all flowers native to Arizona. I bought the paper bag of seeds at the Native Seeds SEARCH store on 4^th Avenue, a great place to find interesting seeds for plants and crops that have a long and involved history in the Southwest.

Unfortunately, it is now too late to plant wildflowers from seed, but there are many other more conventional flowers available in nurseries for flower beds or containers. What better way to welcome the coming of spring than with beautiful, patio-brightening blooms such as miniature Sunflowers, Petunias, Pansies, Nasturtiums, Snapdgragons and Geraniums. Sweet Allysum can be planted too but must be kept in the shade when it gets hot. At our house, we have a large pot with Allysum draped all around the sides and over the edges. Right now it is almost entirely covered in delicate white blossoms, the scent of which is almost enough to make one fall completely in love with life.

Greens are looking especially healthy, as the weather right now is pretty much perfect for the cool-weather-loving plants. One project this year was to take an old wheelbarrow, fill it with a mix of potting soil and mature compost, and plant a small salad garden in it. This has allowed me to move it about the yard with ease  to wherever the sun is shining, which has made the greens grow especially quickly. Anytime I care for a fresh salad, all I have to do is walk outside and pick right from the wheelbarrow. And I have to admit  that I think it’s pretty cute too.

February is also the time to think about growing your own tomatoes. Many garden stores around town will be setting out young plants for you to snatch up and take home to a nitrogen-rich spot. If you have already started your own plants from seed earlier this year (something I didn’t get around to) then you are even more ahead of the game. Though growing good tomatoes can be difficult, the reward is completely worth it when you taste the difference in a tomato that ripened right on the plant.

It’s a season of promises, many hours outdoors in the sun, and lots of flowers. For those of you who may be interested in exploring a little green thumb action this spring, I encourage you to ask me any questions you might have, or head over to a lovely nursery where they will have ideas for how to make your garden dreams come true. In the meantime, grow green and have fun doing it.

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