Marylee’s Desert Container Gardening Books

In her books, Marylee Pangman shares a wealth of information, gained through 3 decades of creating successful potted gardens in the desert.
There are no other books on the market that address the desire of desert dwellers to create a garden ‘like back home.’
Shop Locally
Getting Potted in the Desert and Riley’s Garden Oasis are available at the following locations:
Tucson: Tucson Botanical Gardens and Antigone Books


Getting Potted in the Desert
The book, “Getting Potted in the Desert" has been a long process of gathering all of these desert gardening experiences into one volume available for sale.
It is not just the difference in seasons but the intense heat, long growing seasons and challenging winters that require a different mindset as well as a defined practice to maintain a beautiful container garden.
A Month by Month planning guide plus;
- Ideas for creating and caring for potted gardens
- Advice on container selection and plants.
- Bonus chapters including seasonal flowers and plants lists.
- Strategies for dealing with specific challenges like desert critters, the desert sun and water usage.
Marylee used the practical learnings of growing potted gardens for 100’s of customers and teaching her tried and true methods for success to create this resource.

The Author
Marylee Pangman

Riley’s Garden Oasis
Are you envisioning exquisite desert container gardens, brimming with vibrant flowers and distinct plant varieties that excel in hot and arid climates?
Meet Riley, a recent transplant from a colder, wetter climate now living in Southern Arizona who longs to plant and enjoy a year-round colorful oasis. With the help of her knowledgeable neighbor, Ben, Riley learns how to cultivate thriving desert container gardens filled with vibrant flowers, colorful perennials, and hardy shrubs.
While entertaining the reader, Marylee Pangman’s unique parable-style book Riley’s Garden Oasis provides step-by-step instructions and valuable tips for planting and nurturing successful desert container gardens in a parched climate.
Let Riley’s Garden Oasis guide you from being a hopeless "black thumb" to becoming a skilled and fearless gardener, ready to enjoy the splendor of fragrant and colorful potted gardens.