Southwest & California
The Southwest & California (Zones 4-7) The desert Southwest is a very tricky place to garden; so much depends on elevation. While most of the Southwest enjoys mild winters, the last frost dates can be as late as early April to late May, and then look out because summer is on its way! Super high light levels, low humidity, and scorching temperatures mean that you are often better off planting an early spring garden and then selecting new plants for your summer garden, but nature doesn’t give you a lot of time to make that shift. Getting a late start can make it even harder since your plants may not have had time to adjust before summer begins. Here are some great plants we selected for best performance in the Southwest, and especially for your hot summers. Remember, a water-saving drip irrigation system can not only conserve water and save money, but if used regularly will also help extend the performance of your plants through the summer. |
ShrubsWinecraft Black® Smokebush |
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ShrubsBobo® Hydrangea paniculata |
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The Southwest & California (Zones 8-10) When it comes to gardening in the Southwest in USDA Zones 8-10, let’s just it's complicated. You might think that since your lowest temperatures fall between 30-40 degrees that you live in an eternal spring, but temperature is only part of the story. Much of the Southwest is VERY dry and VERY bright – so you need plants that can take the sun and are tolerant of dry air and soil. A great tip is to use larger containers or self watering AquaPots® Lite planters since they hold more water and won’t dry out too quickly in the heat. Soils in this region tend to have a high pH which can affect which plants do best. Clay-based soils are most common, which is useful since clay is great at holding onto water. You need tough and reliable flowers in Southwest landscapes where light levels are high and summer temperatures are blazing hot. Here are a few we recommend for the region. |
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AnnualsSuperlophus® Sunglow Oenothera |
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PerennialsFruit Punch® ‘Classic Coral’ Dianthus |
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ShrubsEstrellita Little Star® Firecracker Bush |
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Janey Santos, founder of the Best for the West Collection Janey Santos is a trained Master Gardener living in zone 9b, Central California. Selecting plants that can handle exceptionally low humidity and prolonged high heat during the growing season is key to her garden's success. Intense winds can further sap plants of moisture, making water-saving AquaPots® and WaterWise® drip irrigation essential in this region where watering restrictions are common.
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