Brad's Tropical Paradise

Here in the Phoenix, Arizona area, freesia bloom in February, so you may see the first buds appear in late January. I just noticed the first one here today. I've had freesia here at The Tropical Paradise for many years, and, like all bulbs that naturalize in warm climates, they multiply and come back year after year. But freesia take some care to make them look their best, beyond just planting them in the ground and waiting. When I first see a bud, I go get some thin bamboo staking, that I keep in the garage. Freesia are heavy bloomers, and even if you planted them the correct depth, they tend to fall over when they bloom. No, wild freesia didn't do this when it was first cultivated, this is because of the years of improvement that has created a flower that it is much too heavy for the plant itself to hold up. So staking is absolutely essential. I get a bunch of bamboo sticks at my local dollar store and keep them handy. As the freesia really starts to take off, it beco...

It's the third week of January here in the Phoenix, Arizona area, and it looks like it's time to trim the fountain grass. I was out for a short walk this morning, to stretch my sore ankle, and I wandered past a house with some very ratty-looking fountain grass out front. It was brown and shaggy, and just looked more like a clump of weeds than the beautiful fountain grass that I have at The Tropical Paradise. I was wrong. I went over to The Outback here on the southern edge of The Tropical Paradise and I saw the same thing. A ratty-looking, brown clump. So I guess it was time to give it a haircut. Luckily, it only took a few seconds. I stuffed the clippings into a Hefty bag and will go back and clean up a bit more later. Fountain grass is a background plant. It needs a lot of space to look its best, and even when it's at its best, it doesn't invite close inspection. If yours is looking ratty, it's time to get the clippers out. Don't worry, it comes back f...

It's January 16th here in Glendale, Arizona (a suburb of Phoenix) and I am doing a little bit of watering, but not much. The automatic watering system has been shut off since early December, and will not be turned back on until February. That's because, even though the days are warm (up into the high 60s/ low 70s), the soil is cold. And having most of the plants that live here in The Tropical Paradise stand with "their feet cold and wet" is bad for them. In fact, it can kill the cycads. But certain plants do need additional water, such as the annuals, and the bulbs. The solution is a simple plastic watering can. I got this one at Home Depot. No, don't get a decorative metal one - they're heavy and they leak. I have this plastic one. It lives under the sink in my kitchen. I put in a few scoops of Miracle Grow and fill it three-quarters full. Then I go outside and selectively water the plants that need water. Every once in a while (and I mean very rarely...

In addition to being very beautiful, many desert plants, like agaves, are deadly and sharp. And planting them where people might bump into them, and get hurt, is just plain stupid. Nobody visiting a garden should ever, ever, have to watch out for the razor-sharp tips of a plant! Here in this part of The Tropical Paradise, I have planted several sharp plants, especially the agaves. Those are the plants in the back center of the photo. And I have provided some protection for my guests. It starts with making sure that the plant doesn't even come close to a walking area, and never will, even after it grows. I have also created a "transition zone" of rocks and Haworthia. Haworthia aren't sharp, but they're an early warning. Don't even think of walking past the rock with the gecko on it. And if someone is dumb enough to step over the rock, and onto the Haworthia, they probably will kick and damage the watering system (which you can just barely see), and if the...

I wish I could take credit for anything that goes right here at The Tropical Paradise, but mostly I'm just guessing. Over the years I have planted a LOT of bulbs. Some were from the Dollar Store, some I bought online for big bucks. And over the years, some have faded from memory, and from the garden. But these daffodils keep coming back year after year, and bloom every January. Since I've planted lots of bulbs, all over the place, I'd say that the three most important things are location, location, location. So, if you want to follow my lead, just plant bulbs all over the place and wait to see how they do. But I've drawn some conclusions as to the best place to plant them. • Plant daffodils (narcissus) in a sunny area. If you live in the desert, like I do, that doesn't sound difficult, but it's surprising how shade moves from month to month. What might be sunny when you plant the bulbs in September may not be sunny when the flowers need to bloom four month...

If you're wondering what flowers bloom in the winter in the Phoenix, Arizona area, that's easy. Annuals. Petunias, like this one in the photo. You can also count on flowers during the winter from Cape Honeysuckle, which is not an annual. In fact, Cape Honeysuckle looks great in the summer when no one in their right mind would want to visit you. Your bulbs really won't bloom until February, which I guess is technically winter, but here it seems like spring. So you can include daffodils, freesia, and iris in the category of "winter bloomers", although I'd say late winter, or early spring. If you've planted bulbs, you will see a lot of strong growth and foliage right now, but your visitors will remain unimpressed if they arrive in January, because there is little chance of flowers. I have some narcissus (daffodils) that bloom as early as late November, but you really shouldn't count on bulbs to bloom that early. Cape honeysuckle in bloom If yo...

Most backyard gardens are just "backgrounds". That is, trees, grass, you know, stuff that just fills in the space. Nice, but nothing that inspires closer inspection. My garden is a garden to be looked at. It's tiny, and it's filled with visually-interesting things which include plants, rocks, and small sculptures. If you have a garden like that, you need to design it so that people can walk up to things. I have always called small, visually-interesting things "walk-up-to-its". And the most important thing that you need to design for your "walk-up-to-its" is a place for people to stand. You don't want them strolling up into the planting area, or walking on gravel or mud, or even wet grass. March 1st,  freesia and petunias blooming, cyclamen added In the photo is an area that I found that people were walking up to. It already had a nice place to stand, because of that big piece of flagstone, and I have added some visually-interesting ro...

I had artificial turf installed here at The Tropical Paradise in 2006 and it has been one of the best things I've ever done. Even after all of these years it still looks great. And the only maintenance that is has ever needed was to blow the leaves off every once in a while. But something strange happened last year after some heavy rains. Along the edge, just in one place, it developed a dip. It's almost invisible to the eye, and that's the problem. I've watched people put their foot down and lose their balance there. It was caused by the puddling of water at one time and the fact that it is an area where people stand in one place more often than anywhere else. So it dipped down, or created a "swale". This morning I pulled up the edge (which is held down by long, thick nails) and slid a bunch of sand underneath it. I jammed the sand in using a plastic trowel. It will probably settle some more, and I will need to add more sand. A tiny detail, but that...