Southwest Regional Reports

  • growing aloe vera
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Growing Aloe Vera in Southern California

    Aloe vera (Aloe vera syn. Aloe barbadensis, Zones 10–11) is only one of many species in the Aloe genus. It is likely native to parts of North Africa where conditions…

  • Gaura lindheimeri Pink Cloud
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Peak-Season Perennials for the Southwest

    While we would all ideally have gardens that look at their peak in every season, the reality is often far from that ideal. Very few of us have all the…

  • Claire Grace Wild Bee Balm
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Peak-Season Perennials for the Southern Plains

    While we would all ideally have gardens that look at their peak in every season, the reality is often far from that ideal. Very few of us have all the…

  • planning a firewise landscape
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Planning a Firewise Landscape

    With urban expansion pushing communities farther into natural areas, wildfires are growing more and more problematic for homeowners. Subdivisions and individual homes surrounded by natural landscapes face special wildfire risks.…

  • garden bed with cacti and succulents from Mexico
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Plants from Mexico for the Southwest

    The American Southwest has indelible ties to Mexico that run even deeper than its architecture, food, and culture. Many of the literal roots of our gardens can trace their lineage…

  • companion planting california
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Companion Planting for Successful Southern California Vegetable Gardens

    For centuries, gardeners have been observing how various plants can be impacted by their vegetative neighbors. In the vegetable garden, our great-great-grandparents passed on their discoveries that tomatoes and basil…

  • blackberry varieties
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Growing Blackberries in Southern Gardens

    Blackberries are a rewarding crop to grow and one that tolerates the high heat of the Southern Plains. In recent years, improvements in pest resistance and reduced chilling requirements of…

  • growing echeverias
    Southwest Regional Reports

    How to Grow Echeverias

    The inward spiral of rosette-forming plants always seems to draw us in. From Romanesco broccoli to golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii, Zones 9–12), many plants grow with mathematical precision that…

  • ‘El Tigre’ fragrant pitcher sage
    Southwest Regional Reports

    Shopping-List Plants for California

    Little kids have Christmas. Gardeners have spring. To anyone who loves plants, this is the most wonderful time of the year. As warmer weather approaches, gardeners across the country eagerly anticipate…

  • Southwest Regional Reports

    Shopping-List Plants for the Southern Plains

    Little kids have Christmas. Gardeners have spring. To anyone who loves plants, this is the most wonderful time of the year. As warmer weather approaches, gardeners across the country eagerly anticipate…