Mary Irish:Mary Irish has an extensive background in horticulture, having served as an author, lecturer, educator, and garden writer. She is an accomplished gardener who has lived in Arizona for more than 20 years. Irish assisted thousands of gardeners through the years as the Director of Public Horticulture at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, during which time she managed the botanical gardenrsquo;s Plant Introduction and Sales Programs. Mary has author numerous books on southwest gardening includingMonth-By-MonthGardening in the Desert Southwest, Month-By-Month Gardening in the Deserts of NevadaandArizona Gardenerrsquo;s Guidefor Cool Springs Press. In addition to her… frequent contributions to regional and national publications, Irish regularly teaches classes on desert gardening, the use and cultivation of agaves, and the care and cultivation of succulents. Judith Phillips: Judith is a landscape designer, a nursery grower, a university lecturer, and garden writer. As a landscape designer, Phillips has designed hundreds of residential landscapes in New Mexico, many of which have won design awards. Phillips is the author of numerous books including theNew MexicoGardenerrsquo;s Guidefor Cool Springs Press. Judith has received recognition both for her work promoting native plants and water conservation, as well as for her writing. Her awards include: the City of Albuquerque Water Conservation Award; NPSOT Carroll Abbott Memorial Award forNatural by Design and Plants for Natural Gardens;NPSNM Lifetime Membership for contribution to the use of native plants in landscapes; and the City of Albuquerque Award of Merit for Xeriscape Demonstration Garden. NanSterman: Nan Sterman is a horticulturist and well-known garden writer who was the former editor of theSan Diego Home, Garden and Lifestyle Magazineand is an award winning writer for theLos Angeles Times,theSan Diego Tribune,Sunset Magazine, Organic Gardeningmagazine and many others. She is the author of theCalifornia Gardenerrsquo;s Guide Volume II,which is about gardening with low water, climate appropriate plants that are low maintenance and use limited resources. Nan is an advisor to the San Diego Water Authority and answers the Water Smart Pipeline, a low water gardening hotline for the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon, California. Nan is well known for promoting the use of California native plants and other plants from low water, Mediterranean regions of the world. Nan is the co-producer and host ofA Growing Passion, a television show about real-world, sustainable home gardening.