August is all about the beginning of the harvest season, ongoing tending, and enjoying the results of your efforts and labor so far.  

With any luck, the monsoon is still visiting your little part of the world fairly regularly, and you've got a garden and landscape that is showing off it's splendor.  The character of things may not be quite as pristine as it is early in the season, but the party is well underway and meant to be enjoyed.

The days are still long and if you've done a pretty good job of tending to and feeding your landscape, you may be blessed with color and the gentle shift towards late summer.  Since autumn is my favorite time of year, I find this very joyful and exciting.  

If you haven't been able to keep up with your to-do's as well as you'd liked, don't worry about it.  Just jump in and do what you can now.  It's not too late to get some cooler season herbs and veggies going.

Just be sure to look closely, use all your senses, and slow down.  A garden is truly a gift.  Enjoy!
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July is about general tending, pest and water management.  And if you are lucky, this is the beginning of some harvesting too.

Most years we are into our monsoon cycle early in the month, and with that comes the daily/weekly dance of backing off on your automatic drip schedule when appropriate... and not forgetting to turn it back on if there's a break in the rain storms!  Even with a rain sensor, which helps make that easier, I've found that I need to pay close attention to newer plants that might still need a bit of hand watering after a storm, when the rest of the system is on delay.

If you've been keeping up with the monthly checklists so far, then you should find that July is quite a bit less heavy on the big tasks.  And just more about spending time in your landscape every day and tending to the little things that need doing.  
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June is all about water and pest management.

By now we've entered that super dry and really warm part of our summer and everything is probably in the ground and settled but often the newer additions or seedlings end up struggling a bit with the intense sun and heat.  

Strategies include a solid watering plan, but don't forget that the right plant in the right place, and shade structures or layering of plants can help immensely.  Overwatering can be just as bad as too little or too shallow as well.  

​Keep reading for your June checklist and tips.

As you know, I'm fascinated with growing less common AND useful plants.  

This is one of the 70-something herbs I've got going on in my little kitchen garden here in the high country of Prescott, Arizona.

And, while you might not know this plant by name, I bet you are still familiar with it.
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I have a kitchen garden that is pretty small but very well designed with 6 large raised beds and a rock garden along a fence - all of which allows me to grow 70-something different types of herbs (along with a couple of tomatoes, and fava beans).   

I keep thinking I need to put a post together with the whole list of what's growing in my tiny kitchen garden...

Today I wanted to do a quick spotlight on Feverfew.
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I grow many different plants in my small downtown garden here in Prescott.  And because of our high desert climate it can be interesting to learn what works, how to help each plant be at it's spectacular best, and at the same time make it a fun and manageable landscape.

Most of what I grow here would easily be characterized as water-wise, possibly native, cottage garden plants, and the vast majority as herbs.  Some are all four, but not always.

They always say:  know your climate (or your zone) when planning a garden.  In other words, pick plants that will have a high chance for success in your particular corner of the world.  I promise this will make it more successful and infinitely more enjoyable.

Those of you who are unable or unwilling to devote a lot of time and energy to your garden will thank me for introducing you to this week’s featured plant. Actually known as an herb that thrives on neglect, clary sage is a showy, fragrant, easy-to-grow favorite with abundant medicinal and herbal properties. 

​Let's get to it...

This time of year, when the abundance is fresh, I like to feature a few plants that I grow, and recommend for the Prescott high desert climate.  

Most of these would easily be characterized as water-wise, possibly native, cottage garden plants, and the vast majority as herbs.  Some are all four, but not always.

Today, I'm featuring a lovely and tough cottage garden plant that is water-wise, and is considered an herb offering various health and well-being benefits:  Monarda.  And in this case it's Monarda didyma.
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Let's get to it...

When someone mentions cactus, I bet most of you would first think of Prickly Pear.  It is one of the most distinctive desert plants, and grows in a wide range of locations, but is typically considered a hot desert dweller.

And for those of us who garden in the high country of Northern Arizona, some of you may not think of incorporating prickly pear initially.  While our climate is considered a high desert, it might be surprising to know that many prickly pear varieties will not only survive in our four season climate, but truly thrive.
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Optunia

There are many varieties of prickly pear, and it is found growing in southern Canada and all the way to southern South America.  In the Sonoran Desert region, which is a large part of central and southern Arizona, there are at least 18 species alone.  And there are hybrids as well.  I have seen references to even hundreds of cultivars around the world.

The cactus is named for the fruit that form after blooming and ripens in fall, and I guess some would say looks like a pear.  And the fruit is considered edible, as are in fact the pads of many varieties - much skill and work to properly prepare them goes along with a good recipe.

The whole process of watching the buds develop and burst into truly extravagant blooms, and then mature into fruit is really exciting to observe over the whole season.

I am  featuring an Engelman's Prickly Pear that is growing here at Juniper Hill Cottage.  One of my favorites.  Scroll down to learn more.

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