Archive for “Arizona Articles” Category

News & Events

Superstition Springs Transit Center Planting Event Restores Desert Landscaping

November 30, 2023

Beautiful trees and shrubs, including milkweed and other pollinator-friendly varieties, now grace the walkways and parking areas of the Superstition Springs Transit Center. This transformative project is the result of collaborative efforts between Mesa and its partners: Meta, Mesa High School, and the Arizona Sustainability Alliance. Additional support for the initiative came from Valley Metro and the Superstition Springs Center …

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

May 30, 2023

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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Landscape Professionals Get Special Tree Care Training

May 9, 2023

With many Arizona cities focusing on tree planting initiatives to help mitigate the impacts of climate change, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Smartscape program recently developed an advanced course focusing on urban forest management. Industry professionals and Cooperative Extension staff worked on a comprehensive curriculum. The first course took place with Pima County Cooperative Extension (Tucson area) in February, …

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Celebrate AZ Water: A Tale of Two Watersheds

February 23, 2023

Did you know that Arizona residents and businesses receive the majority of their water from surface supplies like rivers? While this winter’s snowfall has benefited watersheds positively, the result of Arizona’s winter snowpack affects each watershed system differently. This blog contains great information from SRP and CAP on the current snowpack conditions, and its potential impact on our state’s water …

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Trees Play a Vital Role in our Communities

January 27, 2023

There are many ways to enhance any landscape, but one of the most beneficial ways is with trees, especially desert-adapted ones that can thrive in our arid climate. While planting the correct type of tree will make an immediate visual impact because of its beauty, color, and texture, trees also bring many benefits when planted and cared for properly. Low-water-use …

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Our Top Desert Gardening Books

December 9, 2022

Why we need books by local experts! One thing is certain when it comes to gardening books and magazines . . . gardening in the deserts of the Southwest is far different than in all other regions of the country. For that reason, most books, national magazines, and even those AP stories (that the local newspaper will occasionally publish) just …

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Gardening Books

Simple Ways to Become More Water-Wise

October 17, 2022

Conservation actions are more vital than ever as pressures on our water supplies increase. While reducing your water use won’t solve the Colorado River shortage, conservation enables your city to maximize and stretch all of its water supplies – this is crucial when dealing with the consequences of a historic drought and shortages. As we all prepare to have less …

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Tip Widget Turns Your Website into a Water Saver!

May 26, 2022

Our Tip Widget is easy, and free! Water – Use It Wisely has developed a Conservation Tip Widget! This handy piece of code will turn your website into an everyday water saver. We’ve created ten rotating water-saving tips with fun designs and graphics. Each has a helpful reminder on how to save water in and around your home and will …

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Efficient and Effective Outdoor Watering is a Key Component of Conservation in the Desert

May 20, 2022

Here in the Valley, most of our water use occurs outdoors and not inside the home. With such a significant amount of our water being used outside, it highlights the importance of being efficient with our outdoor water use, especially during a historic drought, changing climate, and Colorado River shortages. As our temperatures rise, so does outdoor water use in …

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Photo of a drip emitter

Plant of the Month: Ironwood — The Desert’s Oldest Nurse

May 12, 2022

Feeling melancholy as you sweep up the spent yellow petals of your Palo Verdes? I understand why: when the “month of monochrome yellow” is behind us, the baking summer is upon us, and most plants (and people!) sober up to prepare. Don’t despair yet, though—late spring wildflowers still surround Saguaros wreathed like brides with white blooms. And, now is the …

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Plant of the Month – Texas Mountain Laurel

January 23, 2022

Texas Mountain Laurel Note this plant was recently reclassified to Dermatophyllum secundiflorum, but is often still sold as Sophora secundiflora. Description This evergreen shrub grows slowly, in time becoming treelike with multiple trunks. A typical mature size is 15 feet high and 10 feet wide. Glossy dark leaves up to 5 inches long are divided into seven to nine 1-inch …

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WaterSense Labeled Homes: Building in Water Savings for Arizona

October 11, 2021

We all know that water is an important resource, and Arizonans may understand that better than those in other parts of the country. In an area such as Central Arizona, saving water not only saves money and energy, but it also helps to ensure that communities will be able to grow and thrive for the next generation. WaterSense® is here …

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