Archive for “Gardening” Category

Plant of the Month: 5 Plants That Can Take the Southwest Heat

July 16, 2019

It’s no surprise that the biggest challenge to growing plants in our region is the intense heat and dryness of summer, which is a stressful environment for plants. Thankfully, there are several plants that thrive in a hot, dry climate. Here are a few of Southwest Gardening’s Noelle Johnson’s favorite plants that can take the Southwest heat.   1. Bush Lantana (Lantana …

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Hydrate Your Yard with Rainwater, Greywater, and Composting!

June 28, 2019

Envision your dream landscape. Does it have a rainwater-harvesting garden, rockwork, and basins overflowing with flowering native plants? How about a greywater system watering a fig tree or a buzzing pollinator garden? Once you’ve got the image, how would you bring it to life? Watershed Management Group (WMG) can help! Water harvesting rain gardens are basins that collect water and …

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Conserving Water In Your Garden — 13 Essential Tips

June 4, 2019

A healthy, thriving garden needs water, there’s no way around that. However, many people waste huge amounts of water, and it’s possible to make a lot less of it go a lot further. Here are our top 13 essential tips for conserving water in your garden. Why bother saving water? Before we look at how to save water, let’s just …

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Don’t Just Stand There … Plant Something!

March 12, 2019

Want to improve your quality of life? Plant Something. Seriously. How is a plant or tree possibly going to make life better, you ask? By lowering your heart rate, providing beauty and shade, improving your property value, lowering your energy costs, cleaning the air and water, and creating a more inviting yard and community…….whew…….that’s a lot for a landscape to …

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Home Check-Ups for Winter Water Savings!

December 21, 2018

Winter is one of the easiest times to save water and money. Here are our top tips to save water indoors and out during cooler months: Perform Outdoor Checks Your irrigation system provides a lifeline to the plants in your landscape; remember to include it in your regular maintenance routine. To water your landscape efficiently, your irrigation system must be …

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Mulch Much? Take Your Plants from Stressed to Best-Dressed

December 11, 2018

Are your plants feeling underdressed? Maybe you take the best care of your garden; digging deeply, using good soil, adding nutrients, and providing ample water. But have you left your plants topless? For several reasons, a good top dressing of mulch is the final layer your plants need to truly thrive. In nature, it is common to see fallen leaves …

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WAYS TO KEEP YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM EFFICIENT. WE ASKED OUR WATER GURU!

November 6, 2018

So, you’re thinking about installing a new irrigation system or updating the one you already have. There are several steps you can take to create the most efficient system possible, which ultimately will save water, save time, and keep your plants looking beautiful. Water – Use It Wisely asked Warren Gorowitz, Vice President of Sustainability from Ewing Irrigation & Landscape …

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Tips for Container Gardening

November 2, 2018

When most people think of gardening, they think of large in-ground plots or raised beds. From my experience, this picture tends to intimidate many people. Particularly those who are on a limited income, have limited space and time, live in a space where HOAs or landlords do not allow any renovations or changes, or are new to gardening and not …

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The Edible Gardening Series: The Basics of Water-Wise Edible Gardening

October 1, 2018

It’s October! Let’s rejoice with a sigh of relief for the unofficial end of summer, shall we? All at once now: ahhhhhh. Doesn’t that feel good? With cooler temperatures on the horizon, many of us in Arizona will be trading in the flip-flops for the trowel and tending to our vegetable gardens. All October long, we’ll be posting some of …

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SMALL SPACE? TRY USING SMALL, DESERT-ADAPTED TREES

September 18, 2018

It is far too common to see trees that are entirely too large for the yards they occupy. When trees with mature canopies reaching 30 foot or greater (like Ficus or Chilean mesquite) are planted in tiny front or narrow side yards, the amount of pruning needed to keep the trees a manageable size is overwhelming. Not only is it …

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ECO-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING TIPS TO HELP YOU SAVE WATER

September 7, 2018

With more and more stories coming out in recent years about the importance of making eco-friendly changes to our homes, it’s a good idea to look for ways to reduce and conserve that will be sustainable in the long term. Saving water is a great example. This is especially true for homes in the Southwest, particularly in states like Arizona, …

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ABC’S OF MONSOON PLANTING

August 14, 2018

The summer rainy season is here, making it a great time to get out in the garden and do some planting! For many seed varieties in the Native Seeds/SEARCH collection, this is a traditional time to plant. The monsoons allow for a second summer season after crops planted in March and early April have matured and been harvested. These varieties …

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