Hi, I’m Deane, the creator of Southwest Gardener.
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love plants. One of my first childhood memories is planting pansies and sweet peas in a small backyard plot.
When I was a teenager, I bought a copy of “The Time-Life Book of Foliage House Plants” that changed my life. I set out to own every plant in the book. And soon my hobby turned into a passion (obsession?).
After studying journalism for two years, I realized my true calling was plants and switched majors to get a bachelor’s degree in botany from University of South Florida.
For the past 13 years, I’ve been a science writer for a popular mental wellness website.
And now I’m thrilled to combine my two passions — writing and gardening — to create Southwest Gardener.
The first time I visited the Sonoran Desert, I was enchanted by the desert landscape and knew that this was where I belonged.
When I moved to Tucson fifteen years ago, I had to unlearn virtually everything I knew from my decades of gardening on the East Coast, mostly in Maryland.
I did this by avidly following Arizona gardening websites and Facebook groups, voraciously reading gardening books and blogs, learning from experienced gardeners, and becoming a frequent attendee of online Master Gardener classes.
For several years, I organized the Newcomers Club of Tucson’s Garden Club, which allowed me to meet and learn from some of the most knowledgeable garden professionals in Tucson.
Additionally, I’ve lived in five different homes in Tucson, all with very different garden styles, which has given me a wide range of gardening experiences.
Whether your interest in gardening is casual — you simply want to learn to take care of the plants you have — or gardening is your passion, I hope you’ll find what you’re looking for at Southwest Gardener and come back often. The easiest way to stay in touch is to sign up for my weekly newsletter.
Keep growing and learning,
Deane Alban (aka “Desert Dee”)