Happy Solstice – winter and summer!

My wish on today’s Solstice is that 2021 will be a better year for everyone! 2020 can’t end soon enough!

The light at the end of the proverbial tunnel is brighter now that the roll-out of COVID 19 vaccines has begun.

Now, you can make the natural world better this coming year by planting a tree that’s suitable for your climate to cast shade on your garden and home. The world continues to grow warmer and a tree will help cool it down a bit over the coming decades.

And, if you still have a grassy lawn, make 2021 the year you remove it and plant water-wise shrubs instead. Lawns are fine in wet climates, but an unwise use of water in hot dry gardens.

And, keep in mind that by planting long-living shrubs and trees you are also providing homes for Mother Nature’s other creatures, especially birds and insects.

May your garden thrive in 2021!

Carol Lightwood
Hot Gardens

The photo at the top of this page was taken at the Tucson Botanical Garden in December 2020.