Gardening in the Southwest

Ok, so you've noticed that we have REALLY hard, dry soil here. What to do? Well, I have learned that building a raised garden makes gardening really easy.

There are plenty of fancy, costlier ways of building a raised garden than the way I did it. However, no matter how you decide to build it, there are a few things you need to know. First, build your garden no more than 4 feet wide. You can make it as long as you want to (mine is 4ft x 12 ft), but keep it to only 4 feet wide or less. This is for the simple reason that you can reach the center of your garden fairly easily to plant, harvest or pull weeds. Otherwise, you'll have to tramp through your garden to reach certain areas or you'll strain your back trying to reach the center. Also, on the same topic, you want to have space to be able to walk all the way around your garden. This way all sides are easily accessed.

Second, you need to consider placement. This is extremely important here in the hot desert. I have found that most plants enjoy a bit of afternoon shade. Watch your backyard to see how the sun hits it from about 2:00 pm until nightfall. The ideal location would be shaded during this part of the day. I have my garden near a wall that shades it during the afternoon. Also, take note of any nearby trees that may provide shade also. The trick is to place it where it will get some sun in the coolest part of the day (the morning) and shade in the hottest part of the day (the afternoon/evening).

Third, depth! My garden is 12 inches deep. I wouldn't go any less than that, but more would be fine. Consider how much soil you will have to purchase when deciding depth. It takes quite a bit to fill, so the deeper you go, the more soil you'll need. However, the deeper you go, the more nutrients your plants will have available and the better drainage you'll have.

Ok... Time to build! My raised garden is very simple. I decided on a 4 ft x 12 ft garden. You could do longer or shorter than that depending on your space. I've seen people do rows of squares 4 ft x 4 ft that looks really nice. Just make sure you can walk all the way around each box. You need 2, 12 ft sections of 12x2 inch wood and 2, 4 ft sections of 12x2 inch wood. You will also need some long screws and a power drill. The ground where your garden is going to be needs to be relatively flat and clean. If you want a drip or watering system to your garden, now is the time to install it to the area. Otherwise, you will have to water by hand daily (that's what I do). Start with two pieces of wood, set them where you want them and use your power drill to screw in your screws to hold the 2 pieces together forming an "L". Continue to do this for the remaining 3 corners until you have all 4 sides firmly held together. Your box needs no bottom or lid, you're ready to fill it!

Time to fill your garden with the good stuff! I recommend to add 3 parts "Super Soil" or another organic soil to 1 part composted manure to your garden and mix it well. This should be the majority of your soil. Fill it until it's about 11 inches deep (leaving 1 inch at the top). Then add 1 5lb bag of blood meal (I know, it's gross) per 4 ft x 4 ft section (for my garden, it would be 2 bags). Other optional additions that will promote healthy plants are soft phosphate and soil sulfur. Mix it really well with a shovel and water it very well. Plant it and add at least 1-2 inches of mulch (I use bark).

I love to add nutrients to my garden whenever possible to keep my plants happy and well-fed. I like to stay with organic additions since they are better for my plants, my kids and my pets.

#1 FAVORITE: Starbucks coffee grounds. Go to Starbucks and ask them for their USED coffee grounds. Chances are that they will have some already packaged up, but if they don't they'll usually throw some together for you. They are great for your plants and for the soil AND they attract earthworms, which is a good thing. You can also throw your own grounds or tea leaves in the garden. Best part? IT'S FREE!

#2 FAVORITE: Mulch! I usually use bark which is pretty inexpensive. If you can find eucalyptus bark, even better (it repells most bad bugs). Read my section on mulch if you're not convinced. This is a secret to success. Be sure to replenish your mulch layer from time to time.

#3 FAVORITE: rabbit food. I buy this in HUGE bags from Wal Mart for about $5 each. Rabbit food is mostly hay-like grasses and other similar plant products in pellet form which are great for your plants as it breaks down. It also holds water like a sponge giving your plants more time to drink that precious water. By the way, hay is a great mulch.

Ok, so... Where I am (outskirts of Phoenix) it's so hot during the summer that most people cringe to even think about gardening this time of year. Well, I'm here to tell you to get a hat, some sun screen and quit being a wimp 'cause there's a lot of good stuff you can grow this time of year.

I'm a big fan of eggplant, anyone who has talked summer gardening with me knows that (rolling their eyes... here she goes talking about eggplant again). Well, there's a reason for that. Read the column below. In addition to those little purple beauties you can grow tomatoes, zucchini (pictured above), cucumbers, radishes and carrots.

You need to know a few things first. Ammend your soil. Mix it half and half with "Supersoil" or some nice organic compost and put it in a raised bed if you can. Also, mulch, mulch, MULCH! This conserves water and keeps your plants much happier during those hot months. Put a few inches of bark over your soil and you should be fine. Water in the evening during the hottest months. When nights are still cool, this is not a good idea (there's a fungus amoung us!), however during the hottest months this will allow your plants all night to drink up the water so they are ready when temps rise the next day.

Tomatoes... Plant smaller varieties. I've had good luck with "Sweet 100" and "Yellow Pear". Keep the soil evenly moist (MULCH). Cucumbers... I plant the "burpless" variety. Radishes should be planted from seed. These are fun to do with kids since you will get fast results. There are some fun varieties out there that you can try. Carrots... These should be planted from seed as well. I plant shorter varieties (Nantes) since I find these do better. You can experiment with different varieties of these too.

Herbs do great in the summer! I always plant basil because it's easy to grow from seed, not picky about soil, will handle drought very well, will reseed and come up next year and it's wonderful with eggplant (there I go again with the eggplant). Also plant thyme, rosemary, and parsley. They'll appreciate some afternoon shade.

Ok, there it is... Go plant... and quit whining about the heat! :)

When planting your summer garden, don't forget a very important component... flowers!! Flowers are a MUST for several reasons. First, the taller varieties such as sunflowers can provide valuable shade for our hot climate. Second, Flowers will attract beneficial bugs to your garden. Examples would include ever-important pollinators like bees and predatory bugs like ladybugs who will feast on aphids or other pests. Third, some varieties, like sunflowers, provide a food source for birds. If you have birds coming to your garden, chances are that they will eat some yummy bugs (like grasshoppers) while they are there. Lastly, they're pretty and will add interest and color to your garden.

Here in the hot desert, your flower choice is critical. In my garden I like to plant annuals so that I can change them out when I change my veggies for fall/winter. Good choices are Sunflowers, Zinnias, Cosmos and Vinca. These are, in my opinion, the easiest to care for and prettiest. Sunflowers, Zinnias and Cosmos are easily grown from seed. I usually buy Vinca in 6 packs.

There are many different varieties of Sunflowers to choose from. Choose height depending on how much you are trying to shade. Make sure you plant them where they will provide shade where needed during the hottest part of the day (2 or 3:00 pm). Plant them near cucumbers, your cucumbers will taste sweeter.

Cosmos and Zinnias are easily grown and very heat/drought tolerent. I grow Zinnias almost every year because they're pretty and draw lots of attention from good bugs. Plant them in full sun and enjoy their vibrant colors! Both Cosmos and Zinnias will attract birds, bees and good bugs to your garden.

Vincas are probably my favorite. They are very heat and drought tolerent. They have pretty, dark green, glossy leaves and bloom profusely. They will flourish until frost hits in December or January and will re-grow next spring if you don't pull them out. I have these growing on the edges of my garden because they will cascade down the side beautifully. The picture at the top of this section was taken of one of my vinca's.

I think flowers are a must in any vegetable garden. They have so many benefits!

Right now we're gearing up for the hot (HOT) season... It's not far away. This is the time to start getting your summer garden planned and planted.

Eggplant is a favorite of mine, I grow it every summer. It thrives on heat, is a pretty plant, has pretty purple flowers and it's yummy too. The variety I usually get is "Japanese Eggplant" which is a thinner version of the one we're used to seeing in the grocery store. I have found these for sale at Lowe's, Target and Summer Winds Nursery. I always buy these as plants instead of trying to grow from seed. If you plant even 2 of these, you'll have enough eggplant for yourself and lots to share.

Eggplant is a relative of the tomato family, so you might get some tomato horn worms. I get some every year and, so far, have been able to leave them alone. They do eat the leaves, but not enough to destroy the plant. They eventually will turn into a beautiful moth that will pollenate your garden. So, if you can live with them, leave 'em alone. If not, pick them off by hand, don't spray pesticides!! To cut down on chances of disease and pests, do not plant them near your tomatoes or peppers and rotate their placement every few years.

Eggplant likes full sun. Mine are planted so they get some afternoon shade which helps in the hottest months. They need to be watered a few times a week deeply, more often during the really hot months. I find they do best when planted in a raised garden filled with nice, rich compost with lots of mulch to cut down on water evaporation. It would probably do fine right in the ground, but I would avoid putting it in a pot in very hot climates (like mine). The soil tends to dry out much easier in a pot. If you have to grow it in a pot, use the largest pot you can and water daily. One more important tip about watering... DO NOT GET THE LEAVES WET! They will burn when the sun hits them if they are wet. I find it's best to water in the evening so the plant gets maximum time to drink the water up before it starts evaporating when temperatures rise again.

Harvest them when they are shiny, firm and dark purple. The younger they are when harvested, the more tender. I usually cut mine off when they're about 7 or 8 inches long. You can sautee, bake, fry or barbeque them. You can cube 'em and throw 'em in your pasta sauce! I love to cut them lengthwise at about 1/2 inch thickness, brush with olive oil salt and pepper and grill them. Yum!

That's right, you can grow fruit too! I have an apple tree, peach tree, banana tree and a plum tree. I can tell you that growing your own fruit is much tastier, healthier and convenient than store bought. The key is knowing which varieties to plant. Since we don't get many chill hours here, we have to plant varieties that have low chill requirements.

My apple tree is a Dorset Golden. We get tons and tons of apples every year off of our tree. They're good apples too. Great for cooking with and yummy right off of the tree. The picture above is of some of my apples. My kids love the fact that they can pick one off when they're outside playing. The birds love these too. So far, I haven't had much trouble with the birds. There's enough to go around.

Who doesn't love a fresh, juicy peach? I planted a Bonanza Peach tree and I love it. It's a pretty tree and has given us a few crops of peaches. It seems like every other year we'll get a good crop. I think it has something to do with how the tree is pruned and how cold of a winter you have as to how many peaches you get. I have found that thinning the fruit out when they are small is improtant too. You'll end up with larger peaches in the long run.

I have a Santa Rosa plum. Some years we get a lot of plums and some years we don't get many. This year looks like we're going to get a lot. They are the most delicious plums you will ever have. They are a perfect combination of sweet and tart. Yum! I think it's a very pretty tree as well.

The banana trees will grow and multiply as long as they are given sufficient water. I think they are pretty and add a tropical look to a landscape. A few words of caution... The ants love them. The wind will easily tear their leaves. We haven't gotten edible bananas off of out trees yet. The fun part of them is that they are constantly sprouting babies that are easily pulled up and transplanted. This is fun to give away to friends and family.

Of course, citrus grows very well here. Try oranges (many varieties), lemons, limes, tangelos, tangerenes, grapefruit etc. In addition to citrus, I know you can grow pears, pomegranates and kumquats. My Granny grew these in her backyard along with huge pecan trees!