Gardening In The Valley Of The Sun

Arizona.... when thinking about our dear old Grand Canyon State three things may come to mind,

   
   1. Desert
2. Dry 

3. Sun 
4. Hot 
Yes, that is four, but you can't mention Arizona without mentioning heat!!!

But, after living here for 20 years you learn some things. You learn to NEVER leave a soda in the car during the summer, you ALWAYS enjoy the rain, and eventually you will adapt to the heat... for the most part.

Another thing that may seem out of the question in the Valley of the Sun but is also just a matter of adapting to your surroundings is to

A lush green landscape and crops may seem like a dream, but with help from masters with years of experience, your own trial - by - error, and a helpful blogger who is willing to share their resources, you too can have the garden of your dreams!

So first thing is first. This is my #1 guide to pretty much growing everything in Arizona. It was put together by The University of Arizona and includes everything from soil preparation, irrigation guide, and a vegetable planting guide that includes the perfect time to grow for your elevation. It also covers my favorite way of gardening, container gardening, I like this way for only one simple fact, mobility. When it gets hot I can move my plants from the sun, or into the rain, depending on the weather and time of year.

From a first-hand experience here are a few fruits, vegetables, and herbs I have successfully grown

BASIL











                                                       OREGENO











CILANTRO













                                                 STRAWBERRIES
















PEPPERS

                                                          TOMATOES







Many more plants can and have been grown in Arizona, even the low desert.  Something good to know is how to keep out any unwanted sun..

Equally important is plant nutrition, ways to make sure it's healthy and how to promote a healthy lifestyle in your plants.

First testing PH balance for alkaline and acidity levels

And what foods to add to benefit soil and the plants

Egg Shells

banana peels

Coffee grounds

Whatever your tastes are for, however green your thumb, growing a garden with fruits and vegetables you love is not so far fetched as it may seem. See what works for your, your yard, and especially your time and always remember one thing... HAVE FUN!!!!

Closed Mouths Don't Get Fed

Alright, so  in my past couple blogs I've been bitching about and providing examples on how the toxic chemicals found in pesticides and herbicides are bad. These chemicals have shown to have a negative impact on the honeybee population and other insect and aerial pollinators. It has also shown to cause multiple health problems for animals and humans. But you know what they say, 

"Closed mouths don't get fed!"

So what exactly can we do to help out? First, we can start off at our own homes. If your main concerns are weeds or grass there are many non-toxic ways to get rid of them:

1. Pull them!  

2. Pour Boiling water on the weeds you want gone

3. Vinegar (pickle em!)

4. Salt 

Another great tool for life and for weed control is EDUCATION!!!

DID YOU KNOW?!

There are many weeds that are edible and have many nutritional benefits! I have seen and pulled (yikes!) many of these, unknowing of the health benefits they possess.

Purslane: Full of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Fiber, Vitamins A, B, and C. Plus many more!

Wild Chamomile, also known as Pineapple Weed is a common one to pop up in my front yard. It can be drank as a tea and has many internal and external health benefits.

The AZ Master Gardener Manual has a pretty informative page on beneficial weeds that grow in Arizona. 

For bug control, it can be as simple as planting "partner plants" that repel the insects but not harming any beneficial bugs or plants

Ooh!! I found this really neat search engine that tells you your ecoregion and a handy guide on plants that will grow in your area and attract pollinators! This will help in the production of your insect repellent plants, while providing food for our pollinator friends!! Check it out!

I also found this website with handy DIY Pest Control that includes using essential oils, coffee grounds, borax. Here is also a handy video on making a pesticide that will kill some of the most common pests on your plants, with soap!

Last but definitely not least, GET YOUR VOICE HEARD!! PAN, or the Pesticide Action Network has many campaigns to support and resources to get your voice heard by state and federal governments.  

Change starts with three letters Y - O - U

via GIPHY

Pesticides: Can't Live With Them, Can Live Without Them

Pesticides….they are everywhere. No, seriously, they’re literally everywhere. It’s being put into our air; not just by Bob the landscaper. It's the local non-organic farms crop dusting, it’s our neighbors, or even ourselves taking the easy way out and spraying toxic chemicals onto the weeds instead of getting dirty and pulling the damn thing out.

According to the National Pesticide Information Center: “Scientists have found that particles released in the atmosphere in Asia can reach the forests and national park on the west coast of the United States in less than a week.”

 If particles released in Asia can reach over 6,900 miles in less than a week, then how do we 

not think the weed killer our neighbor is spraying into the wind is not being breathed in by 

all of us? Annually, 20,000 farm workers get pesticide poisoning. Below is a video from a specific, but unfortunately not rare case, that occurred in Florida:

Here is another short interview with some of America's farmers

As a mom, I fear the scary truth… That we can’t get away from these toxic chemicals. I go to 

the grocery store and there is a special section for “organic food”

Organic
adjective  or·gan·ic  \ȯr-ˈga-nik\

3 a (1) :  of, relating to, or derived from living organisms <organic evolution> (2) :  of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides

This makes me think, Why did we even start using pesticides and herbicides on our agriculture in the first place? Shouldn't all food be organic? Well, America saw its biggest interest in pesticides in the 1940's with the discovery of DDT, or dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, and it became so popular for four main reasons:

1. It is toxic to a wide range of insect pests, yet initially thought to have low toxicity to mammals

2. It didn't need to be reapplied often

3. It was inexpensive

4. It is water soluble

And also a slew of propaganda:

It wasn't until 1962 when Rachel Carson released her book "Silent Spring" highlighting the effect DDT was having on "non-target" creatures, specifically birds, that the public became concerned. For many years after, and even currently traces of DDT is showing up in our atmosphere, in our fishes and mammals hundreds of miles away from any pesticide use, and scary enough traces of DDT, and other toxic chemicals that are in pesticides and herbicides, has even been found in human BREAST MILK!!! This all from a chemical that has been banned since 1972!

In 2013, a grim infographic was released:

With scary infographics like these being published, and misleading propaganda still being released: 

When in fact Monsanto is today's leading manufacturer and distributer of pesticides, and many of these chemicals stay on the food even after a thorough washing, prompting people to create a "Dirty Dozen" list of foods that should be boughten organically.

Education is key to future of our world and our children. We can start the solution at home, by growing our own foods, supporting local organic farms, and raising our voices and let big companies like Monsanto, and our own governments know that " No! We don't want your poisons and No! we are not Roundup ready!"

Bees: What's all the buzz?

The honeybee decline is a global issue but the solution starts at the personal level. With 40% of the honey bee colonies declining in the past ten years to a disorder known as Colony Decline Disorder, we can see the effect our actions are having on nature - and this decline is only what’s happening in the United States. Unfortunately, though, the United States is one of the countries with the biggest problem; our use of pesticides and our governments ability to turn a blind eye and even benefit pesticide companies is hurting our world. 

Action has started being taken and with the continuing education and advocacy for the bees, we can hopefully turn the outcome into one of a more positive note; Famous actor Morgan Freeman has even converted his 124 acre home into a bee sanctuary.

Being an advocate for the bees is not only for those who have 100's of acres there are many things we can do at home to help bees. Including planting bee-friendly flowers and plants, using natural pesticides, leaving water out for them, buying from local organic farms, and becoming active by letting your voice heard- to your community, to congress, to all who will listen.