Southwestern Deserts
June, 2007
Regional Report
National News - From NGA Editors
Fruiting Banana Tree for Containers
There is no fruit more representative of the tropics than the banana. However, other than frost-free areas in South Florida, Texas, and Southern California, you rarely see fruiting bananas in the...
Spectacular Evergreen Dogwood With Abundant Flowers
Chinese evergreen dogwoods ( Cornus angustata ) are a relatively new group of landscape trees that are primarily grown in the Southeast. Although they have been around for 20 years, they arent...
Electric Fly Swatter for Your Next Picnic
Summertime is mosquito and flying insect time in many areas of the country. The simplest method of killing an errant fly is with a fly swatter. However, trying to kill a flying insect with a fly...
Pea Seeds Grow Better With Vitamin C
If youve had trouble getting pea seeds to germinate and grow in your garden, try soaking the seeds in a solution of vitamin C or folic acid before planting. Researchers at the University of...
In the Garden
Baby Quail
For a "grown up," I am deriving considerable child-like glee watching Gambel's quail babies visit the water source I refresh each morning. It's a very shallow ceramic saucer filled with pea gravel so they won't drown. I hid the saucer beneath a chair...
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Resources
Web Finds
eNature: America's Wildlife Resource On eNature Field Guides , the National Wildlife Federation has made it simple to compile...
Books
Subtropical and Dry-Climate Plants During summer's heat, it's fun for desert-plant-lovers to stay cool indoors and comb through...
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Regional Reminders
- Relocate Container Succulents
- Cover Tomatoes With Shade Cloth
- Harvest Basil
- Save Seeds
- Thin Desert Trees as Needed
