Fall has firmly arrived in the desert Southwest, and it’s wonderful.
Although our daytime highs still linger in the high 80s, mornings are cool again, and the dew has returned. With shorter days and lower UV, it’s the perfect time to start cold-season crops and work in the garden all day without drying out. Here’s what’s happening in my garden right now.
Crops
I only have two things in the ground at the moment: corn (Zea mays) and my loofah. Both are maturing nicely and should be ready to harvest before the frosts arrive in late December.
I’ve been keeping a close eye on the weather with the arrival of the La Niña pattern this winter. It looks like Arizona will cling to its warmth a little longer than usual during the day, but we’ll still get those good, cold overnight temperatures that encourage strong growth.
My loofah is still in a large pot, so I can move it indoors if frosts come early. It’s survived a steady onslaught of birds and insects this year, so I’m happy to have made it this far. Because it’s a little later for it to grow, hoverflies have been the primary pollinators, now that many of the bees have moved on for the season. Just a fun observation.
My hope is to get at least one gourd to dry into a sponge, plus plenty of seeds to donate to my local library’s seed-sharing program, which is where I got some of my seeds from this year.
Next to go into the ground are carrots and mustard greens, with a few other cool-season vegetables following soon after.
Flowers
My Vinca is doing too well for an annual — I suspect it was mislabeled and is actually the perennial variety. Sadly, though, it hasn’t attracted many pollinators, so I may retire it at the end of the year and replace it with more pollinator-friendly flowers, even though I’ve grown quite fond of it.
On the brighter side, I’ve planted two more Gregg’s Mistflowers. After a tenuous summer, they’ve fully rooted and are putting up fresh growth. We’ve had dozens of butterflies this year, and I hope for even more next year as I expand their food and larval host options. I have two varieties of native penstemon growing, as well as a handful of other native wildflowers, which escaped the hungry Cardinals.
Desert Plants
It’s been a good year for cactus and other desert natives. I’ve started six young Ocotillos — soft and spindly for now, a world apart from their thorny, architectural adult form. They’re finicky to start and have a low germination rate, but finding local seeds has helped.
I’ve also rooted another half dozen paddle cacti, rehabilitated a few dozen agave pups, and started several barrel cacti from seed. My native grasses are on track for transplanting next spring, and I’ve begun growing half a dozen less common native trees — easily the part of the garden I’m most excited about.
Other native plants — sunflowers, jojoba, and desert willow — are maturing well and should overwinter successfully.
Future Plans
This winter will bring a lot of tree work and the creation of a new wildlife habitat. I’ve seen a noticeable increase in bees this year, and I’ll be building bee habitats for solitary bees over the colder months. Pruning, root work, and general maintenance will continue well into spring, but the trees already look much healthier for it.
I’m also planning more plants that feed pollinators and serve as larval hosts — a research project I’m thoroughly enjoying. This year, I saw over half a dozen Arizona Mantises (Stagmomantis limbata) hiding in the native plants, which was wonderful. I hope to attract even more native insect species as the garden continues to fill out.
Wrapping Up
There’s so much that excites me; I could write for hours about the different birds I’ve seen, the other native plants I’ve been planting, the zen garden I’ve made, and more, but this snapshot will have to suffice.
I hope your garden has gone well this year, even if you faced challenges. I had more than a handful with the weather and all manner of other things, but I had fun once again, and I hope to continue that enjoyment over the winter.
