I’m Sam! I grew up in the UK and now live in the desert Southwest of the USA. When I’m not indoors, I’m outdoors, and I try to be there as much as possible. Growing flowers is my greatest gardening passion, but I won’t say no to some raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, beans, or leafy greens.
I have a certificate in landscape design and have been gardening for over 15 years, from small home gardens to large formal gardens and kitchen gardens.
My current garden is quite small, so I’m experimenting with growing cactus from cuttings, as they’re particularly resilient to heat and aridity. Cactus fruit makes great syrup, too, though I have yet to produce my own.
I also have some tomatoes and peppers on the go this year as well as some amaranth and loofa ready to plant (2025).
A kitchen garden I helped to plant and maintain a few years ago as a volunteer.
Outside of gardening, you can find me hiking, snapping photos with film cameras (possibly repairing them), or undertaking a design project.
Growing Rhubarb Part 3: Rhubarb Care, Forcing, Dividing, and Harvesting
Once rhubarb is established, it requires surprisingly little maintenance, though a few simple techniques can greatly improve both yield and flavor. In part 3 of this series, we’ll cover how to care for rhubarb, including how to divide it, how to harvest it, and a couple of other tips.
Overwintering Rhubarb In temperate climates, rhubarb generally survives the winter on its own. In fact, the plant needs around 500 hours (around 7 weeks) at 40°F (4 °C) or below to trigger healthy new growth in spring....
Growing Rhubarb Part 2: Adaptations for Different Climates
Although rhubarb prefers temperate environments, it can be grown outside its ideal temperature range with some care. With additional winter prep in colder climates and careful planning for summer in hot regions, rhubarb can thrive almost anywhere.
More so than in temperate climates, it’s vital to watch the weather. Extreme heat spells or cold snaps require forethought to protect your plants, and site selection is even more important. These tips cover key points for hot and cold climates, and how you can grow rhubarb successfully....
Growing Rhubarb Part 1: Popular Rhubarb Varieties and Planting Guide
Rhubarb is a hardy perennial. It’s easy to plant, care for, and harvest. With so many varieties out there, it can be overwhelming to pick the right one, and then choose a good place to plant it.
In the first part of this series, we’ll discuss popular varieties and go over how best to plant rhubarb.
Popular Varieties There are dozens of rhubarb cultivars, each created for different reasons. Some grow more quickly, others are sweeter, and some are suited to more challenging environments....
Composting in the Desert
Deserts are notoriously harsh environments. Hot and dry (excluding Antarctica), with low rainfall, desert soils are challenging for most plants and take years to naturally build fertility. Deserts are found on multiple continents, from Australia to the Desert Southwest in the USA.
Compost is an excellent soil amendment and a powerful way to enrich impoverished soil. But as compost requires moisture and plenty of organisms, is it possible in the desert?...
Mulching Trees: A Guide
Trees are wonderful. They provide shade, structure, habitat, and beauty to a garden. But if you’ve planted a tree in your yard, it may not be in its natural or preferred environment. Supporting its growth means helping recreate those natural conditions wherever possible. While trees get around 90% of their mass from carbon in the air, the remaining 10% from the soil is equally vital.
So, how can you mimic that natural nutrient cycle and the accumulation of organic matter on the ground at home?...
Leaf Mold: The Simple, Nutrient-Rich Soil Booster Every Gardener Needs
If you live anywhere with deciduous trees, then you have the key ingredient for one of the best natural soil supplements—leaf mold. This organic material improves soil structure, boosts moisture retention, and supports beneficial soil organisms, making it an essential addition to any garden.
In this article, we’ll run through the simple process and break down (pun intended) some of the science behind it.
What is Leaf Mold? Despite its name, leaf mold isn’t slimy, smelly, or unpleasant....
Samm's Garden Journal: Entry 2
We’re finally seeing a slow temperature decline in the Desert Southwest, which is wonderful. We’ve passed our yearly highs, and although it wasn’t nearly as hot as last year (thankfully), July and August brought far less rain, leaving us below average for the monsoon storms. Below-average years are inevitable, of course, but it’s still disappointing. That said, a wet winter is predicted, which is wonderful. Here’s a brief look at what’s happening in my garden right now....
At Home Fertilizers and Plant Foods
Plants love to grow; it’s what they do. However, sometimes conditions are less than ideal. Fertilizers help to optimize plant growth by maximizing the growing conditions and helping to stave off pests and diseases.
In this article, we’ll go through some easy at-home fertilizers you can make that are more environmentally friendly than most commercial options and can be more affordable, too.
What Do Fertilizers Do? Fertilizers are food for plants: they provide nutrients for them to grow and thrive....
Native and Needed: Creating Habitat for Bees
Bees are among the most essential—and most overlooked—insects in our ecosystems. With thousands of native species worldwide, they pollinate around 80% of the world’s flowering plants. Unlike honeybees, which were introduced in many places, native bees evolved alongside local plants and are often even better suited to pollinate them.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the key issues they’re facing, how your garden can help them to thrive, and what they’ll do for you in return....
Samm's Garden Journal: Entry 1
It’s been a dry year for the Southwest so far, though things are looking up with a fairly active monsoon season underway. I’ve been helping my garden adjust to the heat, use water more sustainably, and provide better habitat for local wildlife. I’ve lost some plants, but plenty have still thrived. Here’s a look at what I’ve been doing in my Sonoran Desert, zone 9a garden.
Some plains coreopsis winning against the heat....