Brad's Tropical Paradise

We don't get a lot of overcast days here in the Phoenix, Arizona area. There really isn't any rain in the air, it's just kind'a grey. I noticed that the weather page is forecasting "episodes of sunshine". An interesting turn of phrase! Anyway, as you can see, there isn't much happening. It got down into the thirties again last night (just above freezing) but although it bothered the more tender plants on the other side of the yard, these plants are fine. The purple petunias, at the base of the little palm tree, have not grown much. Hopefully they are establishing a strong root structure and will start moving next month. The honeysuckle, towards the back, is now in need of a little trim. I like it to vine a bit, but now it's starting to look very untidy. I think I'll wait for one of those episodes of sunshine.

It can getting bitterly cold at night here in the desert, and if you have tender tropicals, it's best to keep an eye on the forecast for the overnight low and have a frost cloth handy. I've been lazy a few seasons and paid for it with some damaged plants, and even some that died. Here are some tips for using frost cloths • You don't need to invest in "frost cloth". Any old sheet will do. In the picture is a "bed skirt" that came with a comforter set. Or just any old sheet that has gotten too ratty even for the guest room will do. Just don't use anything plastic. • You don't need to cover your plants if it's not going to get below freezing (32 F). It really won't do them any harm, but it's a waste of time. Keep an eye on the overnight lows - when it gets into the 20s, and especially when if it gets into the teens (which it has here in Glendale), go cover your plants. • Keep your tender tropicals nearby. Down at the end of your...

It's very early Christmas morning here at The Tropical Paradise and I heard a sound even earlier this morning than I don't usually here at this time of year - voices, and the laughter of children. What are people doing outside this early in the morning? Don't they know how cold it is? Then I started pondering. It's 45 degrees out there right now. But probably one of my neighbors has family visiting from back east. If it's anywhere near where I grew up, Minneapolis, the weather here, even at 45 degrees, must be glorious. Even if you have to throw on a sweatshirt, it's not like where I grew up, with temperatures below zero (which is 32 degrees below freezing, by the way). I delivered newspapers as a kid there and there were mornings that were 32 degrees below zero. That's sixty-four degrees below freezing, it you're following. Anyway, my point is - isn't it great to be in Phoenix on Christmas Day? I've lived here for a long time, and sometime...

It's December 23rd and it looks like the elephant ears got some cold damage last night. The temperature got close to freezing, but not below it, but this area is a bit of an "air trap", where the cold air cannot drain away, so the leaves on the top plants got hit. It's just unsightly, but not fatal to the plant. When it warms up today a bit I'll go out and trim these leaves away. I have intentionally kept this area very full, knowing that the cold weather would hit the top layers, but the middle and bottom layers of this area are protected. There is a nice cycad down below, and that's the one I don't want to see any cold damage to. Elephant ears, and cannas, will grow back nicely, but cold damage on a cycad is permanent. This is a minor annoyance, but I need to keep an eye on the overnight lows for the next few weeks, and get ready to throw an old sheet over this area as protection.

Although the Phoenix area is noted for its extreme heat (and deservedly so!), it can get bitterly cold here, too. No, not cold enough to snow, but cold enough to hurt. Today is a clear day after a few days of rain and while the temperature is nearly fifty right now, the humidity is very low and it's painfully cold out there. Remember people saying, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity"?, well it works in reverse in the winter - the low humidity makes it feel even colder, bites at your skin. Anyway, this is yet another reason that I am glad I have the artificial turf. Not only do I not have to go out in 100+ weather to mow it, I don't have to go out now in the cold, either. When there was real grass here, this was a particularly awful time to get out there and mow and trim. The rain would make some areas of The Tropical Paradise terribly boggy, and I would end up mowing a lot of mud along with the grass. As you can see from Macintosh's long shadow, w...

It started raining last night and there is still a gentle rain this morning, December 15th. It's a good, slow, steady, soaking rain, perfect for the garden. Not so good for the people who wanted to play golf today! I just remembered to turn off the automatic watering system for the front. I have an automatic watering system for the front yard and the backyard, and they will stay off until about February. With any more luck, we will get more of these nice "Christmas rains" as I call them throughout December and January. This, fortunately, is typical for the Sonoran Desert. You know that you are a real Arizonan when a rainy day puts you in a good mood! December showers will bring February flowers here.

Here in the Phoenix, Arizona area, we have two rainy seasons, one in mid-summer, which are violent thunderstorms, and one right around Christmastime, which are gentle. It's December 13th as I write this, and we are getting a nice "Christmas rain". I turned off my automatic watering system for the season today, and it looks like my timing was perfect. For the next three months the only plants I will have to water will be the annual flowers and the bulbs. and that only if it gets warm and dry.

As the winter solstice approaches, the shadows from the south lengthen. Here Macintosh, the good little wiener dog is just about perfectly aligned north and south (although she is looking west). It's just before noon so her shadow casts neither east or west, but stretches out towards the north. This is because the sun is describing a shorter arc in the sky and will do so, until it begins to return northward again after December 21st. Thinking about shadows is important in the garden. In the next couple of months your plants will need all of the warmth they can get. If they spend their time in shadow during the day and freezing temperatures at night, don't expect them to do very well. If you are suddenly discovering your flowering plants are now in shadow, it's time to move them. The best place is where they can get as much of the southern sunshine as they can. By the way, yes, that's artificial turf. I've had it here since 2006 and it's still the best in...

Combining flowers, palms, and cycads in your garden takes a few tricks. The problem, of course, is that these different plants require different amounts of water and sunlight (commonly called their cultural requirements if you're a stickler for that). The most important trick is to have a slope. Here in this photo, taken along the southeastern edge of The Tropical Paradise, you get a better view of the slope, which is 20 -30 degrees. I wish I could take credit for this idea, but it just happened that when I moved here there was a whole bunch of gravel everywhere that I just shoveled up against the walls. When you visit gardens you will rarely see everything planted on flat ground. And it isn't just to make things display better, it helps your plants to grow better. Towards top of the slope are the cycads. They appreciate water, but it needs to drain off right away or their roots will rot. As you go down the slope, you see where the palm trees are planted. They also like w...

Yes, you can plant petunias in December in the Phoenix, Arizona area. In fact, you can plant annuals all winter long. You need have no concern at all that it will get too cold. In fact, it's still getting to 80 now, so keep them watered! It's the first week of December here at The Tropical Paradise and I noticed that the area just above Scorpion Rock was looking a little, well, empty. The daffodils are starting to grow, but in the meantime, there seemed to be a lot of dirt. I had planned on being patient, but I found myself at K-Mart today while I was with a friend and I impulsively bought some petunias. And here are some tricks that I have found handy: • Look for a weed. It's an old farmer's trick. A weed means that it's a great place for a plant already. Just replace the weed with the plant you want. • Add in some moisture crystals and plant food. I bought a bag of potting soil but it's not really necessary for a plant like this. Annuals like water...

Like many young people who moved away from Minnesota to live in Arizona, I made the mistake of going back home a few times for the holidays. And no, I'm not talking about anything but the weather. There is a reason I left Minnesota as soon as I could, and if you live in the Phoenix area, and it's December, you know why. And even though I haven't been back to Minnesota during the winter since the 1980s, it still makes me shiver. And it really, really, makes me appreciate being here in Glendale, Arizona right now. Nothing much to do this month gardening-wise. This is the time to enjoy! This message was not brought to you by the Chamber of Commerce, but it could have been.