If you've ever noticed the distinctive scent that rises from the desert during our rare but welcome rainstorms, you can thank the creosote bush. Although it's one of the most abundant shrubs in our native landscape...
That smell - clean, resinous, unmistakable - is one of the great sensory gifts of living in Arizona. The creosote releases it when the first drops of rain strike its waxy leaves, and for many Valley residents it is the truest signal that the desert is about to bloom.
A scented garden, then, need not be imported. Build it from what already thrives here - creosote, sage, desert lavender, and citrus - and let the next monsoon do the rest. The most memorable perfume in any Arizona garden is the one the land makes on its own.
Originally published in View AZ Highlife Magazine, Spring 2008.