Laurel Startzel
Laurel Startzel is an interior designer and garden container designer. She lives in Tucson, Arizona.
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Southwest Regional ReportsTwo Hot-Colored Milkweeds for the Southwest
Monarch butterflies are becoming more and more scarce, and it’s up to humans to help them. In the past 30 years, the number of monarchs has decreased by 90%, as…
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How-ToProtect Your Arms from Garden Injuries with Kevlar Sleeves
Dealing with cuts and scratches in the garden was a daily occurrence that I accepted decades ago. It comes with the territory, right? Well, not since I discovered these amazing…
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How-ToTweezers for Delicate Work in the Garden
Planting and pruning small, fragile items can be difficult. I cannot count the times I’ve cleared all the foliage from a string of pearls (Senecio rowleyanus, Zones 9–12) just by…
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Southwest Regional ReportsUnbeatable Plant Combinations for the Southwest
Although I have no problem creating single-plant containers or placing plants individually in garden beds, sometimes I come across a grouping of plants that just works so well together that…
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Southwest Regional ReportsShade-Tolerant Perennials for the Southwest
In the desert landscape, sometimes it can feel like everything is being constantly drenched in sunlight. That being said, most of us still have some shaded areas in our gardens…
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Southwest Regional ReportsDrought-Tolerant Ground Covers for the Southwest
I think it is fair to say that when most of us think of ground covers, we imagine low, mounding, and spreading plants. Although that image is accurate, it isn't…
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Southwest Regional ReportsHeat-Tolerant Grasses for the Southwest
Living in the desert can be a blessing and a burden when it comes to growing grasses. We all know that lawn grasses, or turf, don’t belong in the desert.…
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Southwest Regional ReportsOcotillo Is a Native Shrub You Need to Grow
Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens, Zones 7–11) is an unusually beautiful desert gem. This succulent shrub, often misidentified as a cactus, is impossible to miss when you are traveling through the desert.…
Fine Gardening Magazine
