Welcome to Sow Arizona!
I'm Kara. I'm passionate about the ways plants, people, and places are connected. I'm a master gardener and writer in the Southwest, combining my degree in molecular biology and love for all things growing into a lifelong dedication to the art and science of gardening.
I create written content and educational videos that feature themes relevant to the history and significance of Sonoran Desert plants and effective gardening practices there. As an advocate for sustainable gardening practices and environmental stewardship, I promote the importance of preserving and enhancing our natural world. My garden content frequently touches on subjects like organic gardening, pollinator-friendly landscapes, soil health, and low water use gardening practices.
Follow me on my journey through the garden, one word and video at a time, either on YouTube or Instagram @sowarizona ❤️
Email: kara@sowarizona.com
Sow Arizona
PO Box 1493
Tubac, AZ 85646
Sow Arizona
Ready to grow this fall? Want a FREE resource to get you started?
I just released The Fall Starter Guide, a quick, practical mini‑guide to fast, nutrient‑dense crops you can grow right now in small spaces.
Get your free copy now by following the link below:
www.sowarizona.com/s/Free-Fall-Guide.pdf
8 hours ago | [YT] | 11
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Sow Arizona
The garden has been feeding us well the last few weeks. I naïvely joked about struggling to grow zucchini, of all things, in my garden. Well, the zucchini plants heard my pleas and decided to be generous. A little too generous. They, along with baskets of eggplants, peppers, okra, and cucumbers, have been piling up in the kitchen, waiting for me to use them. My dehydrator has been running 24/7, the freezer is full to bursting, and our vegetables for every meal (except lettuce, which can’t handle this heat) have come from right outside our door. Paired with the homegrown garlic, onions, carrots, and potatoes harvested in the spring and kept in storage, we are feasting like kings.
After more than 4 years in this space, it feels so satisfying to finally be growing most of our produce. It’s a dream come true.
1 week ago | [YT] | 61
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Sow Arizona
I just published a tour of my August garden. I'd love for you to come join me!
1 week ago | [YT] | 5
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Sow Arizona
I just added a new flower seed to the shop, and it’s one I’ve been excited about all season: Dara (Daucus carota). These seeds come straight from my garden, saved from plants that consistently produced deep purple and maroon umbels that will stop you and the pollinators in your tracks.
Dara grows tall and airy, with lacy blooms that bring a soft, meadow‑style feel to the garden. It is also very easy to grow. It handles heat, is not fussy about soil, and blooms for a long stretch of the season. The long stems, steady flower production, and moody colors make it a beautiful filler in any flower garden.
If you’ve been wanting a flower that is easy, elegant, and a little wild, Dara is now available in my web store. Thanks for supporting my little seed shop and for growing alongside me.
www.sowarizona.com/store-1/seeds
1 week ago | [YT] | 28
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Sow Arizona
My dad was the first gardener I ever knew, and the older I get, the more I see how deeply he shaped me into the gardener I am today. He always made it a fun adventure. Every year he ordered a surprise kid’s gardening box from Gurney’s just for me. It would show up in a cardboard box with big question marks on the sides, and I can still remember the excitement of tearing it open to see what strange little treasures they’d sent. He was always experimenting—sugar cane one year, peanuts the next—but he was loyal to his half‑runner beans. Those were the only beans he’d grow, no discussion. I’m the same way now.
The garden was the backdrop of some of my clearest childhood memories. Following behind his tiller as it churned up the earth so I could scoop up earthworms for fishing the next morning. Riding in the wheelbarrow on a pile of soil as he pushed it to amend the beds. Bonfires in early summer with foil‑wrapped potatoes baking in the coals. Being irritable as I sat on an upturned bucket, picking beans with itchy arms because he made me. Watching him peel an apple from our tree, amazed as the long spiral of green skin fell away in one perfect strip. Collecting giant sunflower heads and laying them out to dry in the barn. I could fill pages with the memories, but the point is this: he made the garden a place of wonder, where I could explore, observe, learn, and feel happy.
I didn’t realize it then, but those moments were planting something in me that never left. Every time I step into my own garden, I feel him there. I hear his voice when I step through the cucumber vines or pick the green beans, reminding me, as he always did, “Respect the plant.” What he meant was simple: don’t damage what feeds you.
My dad has been gone for fourteen years, but his lessons and his love will always be with me. Though he isn't here to celebrate, it feels right to honor him for giving me this lifelong love of growing things. It has been my saving grace more times than you know.
And for all the dads out there—share what you love with your children. It may not seem to stick right now, but I promise you, it’s sinking into their hearts.
1 month ago | [YT] | 49
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Sow Arizona
New article on Substack today. Just some musings about connection with the seasons and following them rather than the calendar. Hope to see you there:
thedesertdiaries.substack.com/p/the-garden-keeps-a…
2 months ago | [YT] | 17
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Sow Arizona
I have something new to share with you this month: my new ebook, The Sunflower Season: A Practical Guide from Planting to Harvest. This guide goes beyond basic growing instructions and includes botanical information, a brief history of sunflowers, and detailed sections on pests, growing conditions, varieties and types, and the many ways sunflowers can be used in the garden and beyond. I’ve also included guidance on harvesting for both cut flowers and seed, along with a collection of my personal favorite varieties that perform especially well in our climate. It’s designed to take you from planting through harvest with clear, practical information at each stage.
This resource is available for download now on my website. You can find it here:
www.sowarizona.com/store-1/p/the-sunflower-season-…
2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 23
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Sow Arizona
Are you wondering what you can plant in your June garden? I've got the short list for you in my new video. Get your planting plan together for the weekend!
https://youtu.be/c5EtrHI5iSs
2 months ago | [YT] | 32
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Sow Arizona
I just posted a new article on Substack today. Follow the link below if you'd like to read it!
thedesertdiaries.substack.com/p/a-postcard-from-19…
2 months ago | [YT] | 9
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Sow Arizona
Tomato taste test loading...there are so many good ones this year and I can't wait to share each one with you. Also, it's so nice to have garden tomatoes again, because store bought ones just never hit the same.
2 months ago | [YT] | 42
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