2026 PGSU Garden Story: Roxanne

Visitors to Roxanne’s yard are welcomed by large Chitalpa and Vitex trees that shade a lovely, water-conscious landscape. Near the front step, stop to admire shards of what locals call “glitter crystals”. It is Selenite, from Glitter Mountain, the old gypsum crystal mine near the Utah/Arizona border.

When Roxanne and her husband moved into the home five years ago, they became the landscaping, irrigation, and hardscape crew themselves. Over the next year or two, they divided the backyard into five distinct rooms.

The vegetable garden room features grow boxes linked by arched cattle fencing for vining veggies. The medicinal herb room includes many herbs, plus bok choy and spinach, planted in pots and large grow bags. A fruit room is walled by thirteen carefully pruned fruit trees that produce abundantly, provide privacy from neighboring condos, and cast shade on a small patch of grass frequented by her huge, wonderful dogs.

There is also a sitting room, framed on three sides by fragrant Tridentata (Cleveland Sage) shrubs and shaded by a gorgeous pergola built by her husband, who hand-dug all the holes for the uprights. In fact, he dug the planting holes for every tree, shrub, and plant on the property. Finally, a fire room, lined with tall grasses, decorated with whimsical art, and home to a veggie tower planted with leafy greens, serves as a gathering place for evenings spent with friends and family around a welcoming fire pit.

Access to and through the rooms is provided by a fine gravel walkway lined with dark rocks that encourages wandering. Waist-high Desert Spoons and small palms line the trail. One palm that was expected to remain small turned out to be a Filibusta palm…a tall hybrid of Mexican Fan and California Fan palms. Its redemption is that it has grown quickly and now provides lovely shade between the pergola and the fire room. Roxanne reminds us however, “Check the label…twice!”

Roxanne dries her many mints and herbs to create several signature herbal teas, which she sells at bazaars and Saturday markets such as the Washington Park Farmer’s Market. Orange mint makes a great base for most blends, while chocolate mint, lemon balm, and chamomile are other favorites.

Her plant choices are purposeful. Roxanne grows comfrey for nutritional compost and for poultices. Plants must be able to hold their own in the local climate, with no coddling. Those that don’t thrive are replaced with better-suited choices.

A few years ago, Roxanne started a garden club. She gives lectures to a growing group of attendees. She encourages gardeners to be intentional when replacing plants and often suggests choosing varieties that serve a medicinal or functional purpose. She will even make the occasional house call to help a friend install irrigation lines.

We hope you enjoy your visit to this inspiring and thoughtfully designed garden.

See you at the Parade of Gardens; April 24th-26th, 2026.