News & Events

News & Events

Fall Planting with Water – Plant It Wisely

September 12, 2024

The fall planting season is here! Temperatures are cooling down, making it a perfect time to replace your plants you may have lost during the record-hot summer, or replace your high-water-usage plants with water-thrifty ones. Find our favorite Water – Use It Wisely resources below: Water – Plant It Wisely: Our Ultimate Fall Planting Resource Put your gardening gloves and …

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Rediscover the New “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” for Fall Planting Preparations

September 3, 2024

“Now is an ideal time to start planning for the fall planting season and looking at options for transforming your yard.” Our most popular publication, Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert, has been relaunched. A refreshed and updated version is now available to help residents add some extra flower power by incorporating desert-appropriate, drought-tolerant plants into their yards to create …

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Fall is the New Spring for Planting

August 30, 2024

Why Fall Planting Rules! Spring is a wonderful time in Arizona, but in the low desert the season is very short and ends quickly with the intense heat of early summer. The garden centers and general theme for spring nationwide is, “now is the time to get those gardens and plants in”, when in many cases in the low desert …

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Plant of the Month: Creosote Bush

August 20, 2024

Creosote Bush, Larrea tridentata is the perfect plant for us to feature during these hot summer months. It’s one of the toughest plants you’ll find, and with a little extra water, they are green and attractive in the landscape! Description – What does the Creosote Bush look like? Whenever it rains in the desert, Creosote Bush lends a distinctive fragrance …

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10 Ultimate Arizona Water-Saving Tips

August 1, 2024

In Arizona, water conservation benefits the entire state. Conserving water around your home is a great way to do your part while saving you money! Although you may be a drop, your actions create a ripple. Check out our ultimate Arizona water-saving tips for easy ways to save water this summer and all year round! 1. Leaks, Leaks Everywhere Toilets …

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It’s Monsoon Season. What To Do When a Storm Hits

July 26, 2024

Monsoon Season in Arizona It’s July 25th in Mesa, and we are feeling hopeful with the prediction of having a whopping 40% chance of storms. In Arizona, the monsoon season officially runs from June 15 to September 30. Most summer storms don’t move in until July. So far in 2024, when consulting the experts, we’ve heard ‘drier than normal’ and …

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Save your trees from monsoon damage

Help Track Rainfall with Rainlog.org and Make a Difference!

July 12, 2024

Rain Can Be Hit or Miss – Especially During Summer Monsoons A little red-headed girl once sang “The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there’ll be sun…” Since many areas in Arizona receive over 300 sunny days a year, the state certainly lives up to the sunshine in the song. But what about rainfall? Have …

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Plants of the Month: Heat-Hearty Plants Bursting with Red, White, & Blue

July 1, 2024

It’s summer in the desert… and it’s brutally hot! Many of our spring blooming plants are taking a rest. So, what can we expect to see blooming now? Turns out, there are three tough, heat-hearty plants that are perfect for the 4th of July! Check out these plants, having ‘hot fun in the summertime’ and offering blooms for your landscape …

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School’s Out and Water’s In: 5 Ways to Save Water Over Summer Break

June 23, 2024

Hey there! It’s Wayne Drop, your favorite water-saving pal from Water – Use It Wisely. As school ends and summer begins, it’s time to unleash your water-saving powers at home! I’ve got five splash-tastic ways to conserve water during your epic summer break. After all, it’s a break from school, not from saving water.   1. Turn Off the Faucet …

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Build a Rain Garden: Nature Based Solutions from Schools to Your Home

June 13, 2024

Living in the desert in Arizona, we are no strangers to extreme heat and sparse rainfall. As temperatures rise, so do health concerns. However, we can harness the limited rain the desert provides to build communities resilient to these challenges. One approach to achieving this is through “nature-based solutions,” which leverage natural systems to enhance both community health and watershed …

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Plant of the Month – Ironwood

June 3, 2024

Desert Ironwood, Olneya tesota Dense, thorny, and strong like steel, the Desert Ironwood Tree (Olneya tesota) is an under recognized super tree of the Sonoran Desert. It is naturally found along washes and hillsides of Arizona’s deserts under 3,000 ft of elevation. It offers valuable protection for understory plants and habitat for our native wildlife. When in their natural environment, …

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Monthly Watering Text Alert Takes Guess Work Out of Watering

May 28, 2024

The watering needs for your yard vary from season to season and even month to month. So, regularly adjusting your irrigation schedule is essential. It is also an easy way to save water and money while ensuring your plants get the proper amount of water they need to thrive, yet it often gets overlooked.   To better assist residents with …

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