Planting
- Spineless cactus (Zones 12-13): Bishop's cap (Astrophytum myriostigma)—pure white, fragrant yellow summer flowers. Good drainage essential; withhold water from October.
- Golden bloomers (Zones 12-13): Tecoma 'Gold Star' (prolific yellow trumpets) and 'Sunrise' (copper buds opening yellow)—cleaner habit than 'Orange Jubilee'.
- Vegetable sowing by zone: Zones 1a-3b: bush beans, collards, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, okra, snap beans. Zones 10-11: corn, cucumbers, gourds, melons, pumpkins, squash, tepary beans. Zones 12-13: black-eyed peas, corn, gourds, melons, pumpkins, squash, tepary beans. Source tepary beans and black-eyed peas from Native Seeds/SEARCH (866/622-5561).
- Pink-blooming cactus (Zones 10-13): Glory of Texas (Thelocactus bicolor v. flavidispinum)—conical spiny form with 3-inch vivid pink flowers spring through fall. Source: High Country Gardens (800/925-9387).
- Medium-size palm (Zones 12-13): Oaxaca palm (Brahea nitida)—thornless petioles, graceful drooping fronds (green top, chalky white underneath). Hardy to 18°F, slowly reaches 30 feet. Pair with deer grass.
- Hardy vine: Orange-flowered trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans)—vigorous to 40+ feet. Climbs ramadas, pergolas, fences. Avoid painted stucco (aerial roots have powerful adhesive).
- Seasonal color: Heat-tolerant annuals: celosia, cosmos, four o'clock, gaillardia, gazania, globe amaranth, lisianthus, Madagascar periwinkle, portulaca, zinnia.
Maintenance
- Create rainwater basins: Shovel depressions to catch roof runoff; plant trees/shrubs around perimeter. Resources: harvestingrainwater.com or Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands by Brad Lancaster.
- Early fig ripening (oleification): When oldest fig on a shoot shows pink pulp, dab olive oil on each fruit's eye with cotton swab. Ripens in ~5 days (30+ days early).
- Insect control: Blast cochineal scale, green aphids, spider mites with strong water jet. Purple prickly pear especially susceptible to cochineal scale (white cottony masses on pads).
- Harvest prickly pear fruit (Zones 10-13): Late July-early August. Use steel tongs. Processing guide: The Prickly Pear Cookbook by Carolyn Niethammer.
Bonus: Showy Coleus 'Henna'
2 feet tall, 16 inches wide—fills a medium pot alone. Scalloped copper-and-lime leaves pair with chartreuse Lysimachia 'Aurea' or Ipomoea 'Marguerite'. Combine with bronze Carex 'Toffee Twist' and terra-cotta calibrachoa. Pinch flower spikes, water regularly.
