Southwestern Deserts
November, 2005
Regional Report
National News - From NGA Editors
Toast to Your Health With a Glass of Pomegranate Juice
This tropical fruit, which offers up brilliant red edible seeds, is showing up in finer restaurants as a special blend in cocktails. But pomegranates ( Punica granatum ) are not just trendy,...
Butterfly Bushes For Small Gardens
Butterfly bushes are well-known late summer- and fall-blooming perennials. There are a number of selections of these butterfly-attracting shrubs with different-colored flowers. However, the plants...
Organic Mulch Boosts Tomato Production
Heirloom tomato varieties continue to be popular among home gardeners. To get the highest production from tomatoes, some growers have been advocating the use of plastic mulch. New research in Ohio...
Add Beneficial Fungi When Planting
Many gardeners, especially those in warm areas, are still planting bulbs, trees, and shrubs, and adding soil amendments such as compost and fertilizer when planting. But the most critical additive...
In the Garden
Give Citrus from the Garden
The holiday season is right around the corner, bringing with it the annual gift-giving dilemmas. If you are the lucky owner of a citrus tree that produces ripe fruit in December, share your fortune with the "fruit-challenged" names on your list. Most...
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Resources
Favorite or New Plant
Devil's River The compact shrub called devil's river ( Zexmenia hispida ) is a fast grower, reaching its mature...
Clever Gardening Technique
Water the Soil, Not the Plant Don't regularly sprinkle water on plant foliage from above with a hose or sprinkler system. Wet...
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Regional Reminders
- Spread Mulch
- Divide Aloes
- Plant Red and White Color Bowls
- Check Irrigation Systems
- Remove Sneaky Bermuda Grass
