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It’s roselle time! No matter when you plant ros

It’s roselle time! No matter when you plant roselle is starts to bloom around the Fall equinox. And about 10 days after a flower blooms the calyx is ready to harvest. The fleshy, plump calyxes are most frequently dried to make tea but they can also be made into jam, curd, pickled, and other treats.

Catch my stories for more ideas of what to do with your roselle harvests.

And don’t worry- this footage is from a previous harvest and largely filmed in late October. Your plants likely don’t quite look like this yet. This is what is to come now that roselle is blooming.

#roselle #jamica #hibiscus #phoenixgarden #phoenixgardening

Meet my 11 lb Tohono Yellow Meated watermelon, Soa

Meet my 11 lb Tohono Yellow Meated watermelon, Soam Miliñ. It was ready to burst. And literally did as soon as I stuck in the knife. A sign of a good ripe melon. And it was delicious. And luckily I have 5 more just like it.

Variety is a wonderful heirloom from the Tohono O’odham Nation in Southern Arizona. I’ve grown it several times under different conditions and it’s always been a winner.

#phoenixgarden #arizonagardening

We are excitted to be heading back to @mesaurbanga

We are excitted to be heading back to @mesaurbangarden for a Fall Seed Swap. This will be a great evening event to enjoy the cooler Fall evenings with family and friends.

Please bring any extra seeds, plants, cuttings, or other garden related items to share. This garden offers loads of inspiration around garden bed layout, pollinator friendly plants, and sustainable urban living.

There is picnic space available to enjoy coffee or snacks from local downtown Mesa establishments or head out to enjoy dinner with new or old garden friends. There are some amazing local establishments walking distance from the garden.

#seedswap #arizonaevents #downtownmesa

September is for luffa flowers. I could spend all

September is for luffa flowers. I could spend all day looking at these big beautiful blossoms, watching the bees dart around. Pure bliss!

#luffa #phoenixgarden #arizonagardening

Join us for. Fall Plant and Seed Sale! Saturday,

Join us for. Fall Plant and Seed Sale!

Saturday, September 28th
10 AM – 1 PM

Inside @seaofgreenaz
1828 E. University Ave. Suite #`11
Tempe, AZ

NE of McClintock and University

Multiple vendors offering flowers, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, greens, lettuce, bulbs, wildflowers, garlic, fertilizer and more.

Sea of Green offers seed starting supplies, an expansive selection of fertilizers, soil and soil amendments. This event will be a one stop shopping experience!

#arizonagardening #phoenixgarden #tempegarden

Check out some of my favorite Fall seed offerings

Check out some of my favorite Fall seed offerings I have in my shop! All of these will be available at the upcoming Fall Seed and Plant Sale at n September 28th. Fall gardening is so amazing with so much variety that can be planted.

Head over to my website thedesertsmellslikeveggies.com to order.

I offer dozens of locally adapted seeds for Central and Southern Arizona saved from my garden in Tempe. I also have my tried and true varieties for our area sourced from other suppliers.

#arizonagardening #phoenixgarden #seeds

Check out some of the new seeds offerings I have i

Check out some of the new seeds offerings I have in my shop! All of these will be available at the upcoming Fall Seed and Plant Sale at n September 28th.

Head over to my website thedesertsmellslikeveggies.com to order. Comment SEEDS and I will DM you the link.

I offer dozens of locally adapted seeds for Central and Southern Arizona saved from my garden in Tempe. I also have my tried and true varieties for our area sourced from other suppliers.

#arizonagardening #phoenixgarden #seeds

It’s tomato planting time! At least for those w

It’s tomato planting time! At least for those who have the pleasure of enjoying 100 degree temps for another month and basically a frost free winter. Here are a few tips and products I use to get big healthy plants and most importantly- lots of tomatoes!

1. Start with good quality soil and top off with 2-6 inches of fresh compost.

2. Add worm castings to area. I like to do at least 4 cups per tomato and spread and mix around within a foot of planting hole.

3. Pinch off bottom leaves of tomato to plant deeply.

4. Add organic fertilizer to planting hole. I use Tony’s Magic Bloom from @tonysmagicmix. It had a 1-5-1 formulation. The slow release Phosphorus is great for flower production but also for growing big strong roots. More roots =more water and nutrient uptake= bigger faster growing plants. I will reapply Magic Bloom later in the season. When starting the tomato starts I use the Magic Mix formulation which is more balanced and added microrihzia.

5. Use additional microrihzia. I like Mykos. Microrihzia is a fungus that grows in a symbiotic relationship with a plant’s roots making them larger and aids in the absorption of nutrients and water. Apply directly to roots.

6. Backfill planting hole and water deeply.

#phoenixgardening #arizonagarden

My indoor Queen butterfly chrysalis opened! I was

My indoor Queen butterfly chrysalis opened! I was really hoping it wouldn’t open over the long weekend when no one was in the office to let them out but sure enough that’s when it happened. It looked pretty healthy so I hope it didn’t struggle for long to find an exit. It quickly found the flowers outside and fluttered all around me as I did my garden chores.

For the record- I have no idea if it is a he.

#queenbutterfly #phoenixgarden

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