Brad's Tropical Paradise

Freesia do great in the Phoenix, Arizona area. I've had them here in Glendale for many years. I bought my bulbs online at  +Easy to Grow Bulbs, Inc.   but you can get them anywhere. Plant them in fall and they will bloom in spring (March). The buds start to form in February. But as beautiful as they are, I discovered that they're top-heavy. The first blooms I got looked great at first, and then tipped their faces into the mud. I wondered if I was doing something wrong, but no, that's just what happens with these flowers. Apparently the hybridized blooms that are so beautiful have made this plant unable to hold its flowers up on its own. So it needs a little help. You have to stake freesia. I use bamboo sticks that I get at the Dollar Store and some flexible floral tape. When you see the buds start to form (like in the photo), push a stake into the ground behind the plant and tie it from the bloom stalk. Yeah, it's a hassle, but once the blooms get going it will be...

This morning I planted an African Spear Plant (Sansevieria Cylindrica) here in my garden in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. I have been very pleased by how well they grow here, and was anxious to add another. In this photo you are seeing morning light. Here in the desert, most non-native plants appreciate a bit of shade, so by afternoon this plant will be in dappled shade from the tree, then deep shade from the house. It's planted in free-draining soil with its own dedicated water dripper (on a low-pressure drip system). This is actually the back side of it, as mostly it will be seen from over where the main garden is (where you can see the artificial turf). I call this area "the Outback" and it has mostly plants that require very little fussing over, and look good from a distance. The African Spear Plant has a nice sculptural quality about it, so it makes a good "from the distance" plant. This plant is actually a pup from a plant in a friend...

Creating a tropical paradise in the desert is an illusion. It's a mirage, an oasis. And that's part of the reason that it's so magical. And yes, it can be done - I have friends all over the valley who have done it, and yes, it takes a lot of tricks. And if you're like me, and you like to see what works, and what doesn't work, here are some suggestions: • Make friends with local people who have gardens. I got involved with the Arizona Palm and Cycad Association over ten years ago. It's a group of mostly middle-aged men, like me, who have a fascination with palm trees and cycads (sago palms, etc.). It's all well and good to see photos on the internet, or in magazines, of Hawaii, or Australia, but I wanted to know if I could grow these plants right here. And I wanted to see them with my own eyes. The group doesn't have regular meetings anymore, but the guys still get together every once in a while, and I will be visiting our Vice President today along ...

It's February 11th and I have to admit that it's been a disappointing year for flowers here at The Tropical Paradise. Most of my annuals faded away, and I have seen nothing on my daffodils or my iris, which are usually blooming by January, or at least early February. And here we are heading towards the middle of February and still no blooms! Of course, I go out all of the time and look, which is like looking for a bus down the street while you are waiting, it won't speed anything up. I have given them water and fertilizer and they're in a good location, where they've bloomed before. So, if you're impatient like me, take a look at the bottom of your plants. I did today and was pleased to see a little bit of color there. That's the first indication that a bloom stalk is getting ready to grow. The next thing you'll be seeing will be the slight bulge as it begins, then after that, finally, blooms! By the way, iris love water, so feel free to give them ...

Like a lot of people, I love trees. I feel better around them, they seem to make neighborhoods more friendly. I moved to Phoenix as a teenager from Minneapolis, a city of trees. And whenever I felt disconnected, while living in Tempe going to ASU, I would go to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, and walk under tall trees. I collect old photos of Phoenix, and it looks like somewhere along the line most of the trees disappeared. From territorial times up to the 1920s, Phoenix was practically a forest. Then along came air conditioning, I guess, and nobody needed shade anymore. So, if you would like to do a little bit to make Phoenix more beautiful, please do plant a tree. If you're wondering what does well in the desert, uses as little water as possible, and gives the best shade, just go visit a parking lot. Most of the trees in parking lots are acacias and mesquite . And they can survive with minimal care - you see them everywhere, in public places, by the freeways. But if you r...

It's February 2nd here in the Phoenix, Arizona area and if you're seeing a lot of weeds, don't be surprised. It's perfectly normal for this time of year. And if you have a garden there is a right way to get rid of them - use Roundup. No, they don't pay me to say that, I wish they would! It just kind'a pains me to see people out in their front yard, digging around, pulling up weeds and disbursing even more weeds into the neighborhood. I know that they mean well, and don't want to use poison. The good news is that Roundup isn't a poison. It blocks photosynthesis, which is just a plant thing, so it's harmless to people and pets. Hey, I sound like a commercial - sorry about that! I keep a bottle of Roundup handy all of the time. And I buy the small size, and I spray weeds with precision. No, you don't spray it all over the place, it will kill any plant. By the way, if you accidentally spray a plant, you have ten (10) minutes to wash it off wi...