Month-By-Month Gardening in the Desert Southwest 
Do I prune my hydrangea in the fall or do I wait until early spring?
When is it safe to put out tomatoes?
Can I divide iris now?
If you have ever asked yourself questions like these, Month-by-Month Gardening in The Desert Southwest is for you. Gardening is a journey, not a destination. The day-by-day gardening experiences - planting a few onion sets in the first warm afternoon of spring… the surprises - a purple crocus before the snow has even gone … the satisfaction - fresh green beans on the dinner table, or tomatoes, bright and red, safely in quart jars … these are the things that keep the gardener coming back year after year.
Month-by-Month Gardening in The Desert Southwest is packed with information that explains what needs to be done and when it needs to be done in the southwestern garden. Topics include:
The most effective planting techniques. How and when to prune. The best season for fertilizing your lawn. The differences between bare-root, container, and balled-and-burlapped plants. Eleven plant categories, including Annuals, Bulbs, Herbs, Vegetables, Houseplants, Lawns, Perennials, Roses, Shrubs, and Trees. Twelve monthly calendars for each plant category - 132 calendars in all! - that make is easy to find the proper gardening advice.Whatever your gardening interests or the time of year, you can take the guesswork and mystery out of gardening. You will become a more satisfied gardener … and your garden will show it!
Reviews
The Arizona desert is like no other climate in the USA. It has low rainfall, concrete-like soil and huge temperature variations. Gardening in this state is very unique and this book tells me what I need to do... so I don't have to remember.
Information from books written by authors without the experience of gardening in Arizona, doesn't work in this state. Mary Irish has spent her life working for a variety of Arizona gardening organizations and is an expert on agaves. She knows the climate so her information works... simple as that
The book is organized by section - trees, shrubs, grass with a chapter for every month in each section. Tasks are outlined so the information you need is easy to find.