Goodbye Borrego Summer... Hello Cool Season Gardening!

Summer Zinnias planted in June are still going strong!

Summer, and the round-the-clock heat that accompanies it, is over!  We won't miss the 24/7 heat, but we will miss the Summer garden color.  

Red Mexican Bird of Paradise (caesalpinia pulcherrima) continues to be my Summer favorite.  It is a workhorse and a must have in the low desert garden! I've had good luck starting plants from seed (although germination rate is about 4 out of 10). 

Bees like Red Bird of Paradise too!

Collect seed pods now before they twist and pop open so you can start your own plants for next year.  These seeds have especially hard shells, so file part way through the shell with a nail file or cut into the shell a bit to allow water to penetrate and the seeds to germinate.