Colorful desert garden of Noelle Johnson, Arizona Plant Lady
Last month I visited Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, to see how they’re gardening in a much drier climate than Austin’s. (Drought is much on our mind in Texas). I toured Desert Botanical Garden, which was amazing, saw a couple of Steve Martino’s beautifully designed gardens, and admired the “green” dry gardens of homeowners in Tucson’s Civano neighborhood.
But the highlight of my trip was spending a day with my friend Noelle Johnson, a Phoenix garden coach who publishes the excellent and informative blog AZ Plant Lady. Noelle and I knew each other only through comments on each other’s blogs and a few email conversations. But when I told her I was coming to Phoenix, asked for recommendations for gardens to see, and inquired if she had time to meet me, she generously set aside a full day to explore gardens together, worked up an itinerary with printed handouts on the gardens, and even chauffeured me around in her pickup truck. What a treat!
Our first stop was her own garden, which I was delighted to see in person after years of following her blog. As you can see, Noelle’s spring garden is as colorful as an Arizona sunset. In her back yard, Noelle tends a kitchen garden just off the back patio and another edible garden with citrus trees in the side yard, both areas fenced to keep her dogs out.
In the cool season she grows lettuces and pansies in pots. Cheerful nasturtiums, also edible, tumble over the low picket fence and ramble among the containers.
A stand of tall, pink hollyhocks next to her stucco house reminded me of Santa Fe gardens. These are such pretty cottage-garden flowers.
While her back garden is reserved for more water-intensive edibles and cottage favorites, out front Noelle has created a very drought-tolerant garden with native and desert-adapted specimens mulched with gravel. Sculpted with berms and valleys for visual interest and to capture and direct rainwater, the garden was in full spring bloom in early April. Native palo verde offers filtered shade and beautiful yellow blooms in spring.
Below, trailing lantana in purple and white mingle in a multi-hued mound.
Noelle spaces her plants generously just as they would grow in nature, so that individual plants do not have to compete for precious moisture.
Her garden is not at all the thorny landscape that many people imagine Arizona to be, as she favors a mix of softer, flowering perennials and shrubs. But she does have this striking Mexican fencepost cactus, which I love, and some beautiful agaves.
After touring her garden, Noelle and I jumped back in her truck and began our day of garden sightseeing. Midday, we stopped for a tasty lunch at Joe’s Farm Grill, where we took this selfie. You can see we were having fun!
Noelle is very knowledgeable about growing a beautiful garden in harsh conditions, while conserving water, pruning appropriately, and planting those plants that can take long periods of drought and extreme heat. Her blog is a terrific resource for gardeners in the Southwest and other dry parts of the world — regions rarely represented in gardening books and magazines. My thanks to her for an educational and fun day exploring water-wise gardens in Phoenix.
Up next: An inspirational xeriscape demonstration garden designed by Christine Ten Eyck in Scottsdale, Arizona.
All material © 2006-2014 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
The mexican fencepost cactus is beautiful!!! And I really like the look of palo verde. That is an incredible garden! thanks for the tour
I covet that fencepost cactus. If only they grew in Austin. —Pam
I enjoy Noelle’s blog and garden so it’s fun to see your tour too. The fence post cactus is gorgeous and those soft plants are just enough to keep the garden inviting. Hollyhocks always remind me of my grandmother’s garden in New Mexico. They are tough plants.
And they love the dry air of the desert, as opposed to our sticky humidity. A grandmother’s garden in New Mexico sounds delightful. Do you have pictures, and if so, have you ever posted them? —Pam
I follow Noelle’s blog. And, it is fun to see he yard, through your lens.
I’ve learned a lot from her postings.
Thanks for taking us along. I can imagine what fun you had.
We did have a fun day and saw some great gardens. —Pam
You two DO look like you were having great fun! I’m pleased to see such a big difference between her front and back gardens, it makes me feel better about my own. The front is going to be very colorful, while the back will stay more serene.
The beautiful thing about one’s own garden is that you can do exactly as you wish. Trying something different in front and back sounds like fun to me! —Pam
I love the planting in gravel, but can’t figure out how to mulch/compost the plants?? I try to fertilize organically and love adding compost each spring and fall. What’s a girl to do?
Thanks!
Desert plants prefer poor, gravelly soil and don’t need annual compost/mulch, Ruthie. If you have plants that need an annual feeding, it would be better to use wood mulch around them instead of gravel. —Pam
I enjoy reading her blog. Nasturtiums in Arizona what a green thumb! The undulations do add visual interest. Pam, it just started pouring in the DFW area which is badly needed.
Nasturtiums are winter/early spring annuals in the Southwest, Jeanette, like pansies. They’ll be gone when the heat arrives. Congrats on the rain! I hope Austin gets some of that too. —Pam
I miss Joe’s Farm Grill! I was going to say it looks like she lives in the Gilbert area. Beautiful garden. I didn’t know about her blog, I’m excited to follow it now.
I’m glad to have introduced you to her blog, Kate. It’s a great resource for Southwestern gardeners, and it’s fun reading for those in other locales too. —Pam
Beautiful garden…love the selfie! What a fun trip : )
It really was, Laurin. —Pam
Boy those poppies and nasturtiums tell us the living is good don’t they! Pat and I head for Sedona in June so we’ll get to see the Arizona landscape. May 24 is the Daylily show at Zilker – 1PM , so come see us! We made a website of our garden so please take a look. It includes the garden art I make — because I’ve always liked to be making things.
Congrats on your new website, Tom. I love seeing the whimsical sculptures you’ve made, plus your pretty garden (and your family enjoying it). —Pam
I have nasturtium seeds in a packet just waiting to be planted when we get past the worst heat of summer here. I’m hoping to get them to winter over a bit and also hoping to try out the flower petals in salad – I understand they are peppery and delicious.
I am developing a deep admiration for how gorgeous palo verde trees are. Pam, do they grow here in Austin? I keep thinking I’ve seen a few around town but am always driving and didn’t take a good enough look to make sure.
Green-trunked retama (Parkinsonia aculeata) grows well here; it’s a Texas native that’s sometimes called “palo verde” but more often “Jerusalem thorn.” However, a thornless, long-blooming hybrid of retama and two species of palo verde called ‘Desert Museum’ (Parkinsonia x ‘Desert Museum’) is being planted locally by Austin designers like Mark Word. See my pictures of ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde at El Monumento restaurant in Georgetown. —Pam