Have you ever experienced the agony of sitting in a car that has been baking in an asphalt parking lot? If so, you understand the main value of trees in the desert; they provide much-needed SHADE! Trees benefit our environment in so many ways. They moderate our climate, provide wildlife habitat, improve air quality, and help conserve water by storing water and reducing storm run-off. Trees create microclimates that allow other plants, animals, …
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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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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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All good things must come to an end, and so too must our four-part series on water-wise edible gardening. (Sad face.) To catch up on where we’ve been so far: we’ve gone over the basics, introduced you to some lesser-known desert delicacies, and let you in on the secret awesomeness of saving and sharing seeds. To wrap it all up, …
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Welcome to the third installment of our early fall series on water-wise edible gardening. So far, we’ve talked about The Basics of Water-Wise Edible Gardening and introduced you to harvesting edibles from the landscape in our blog Putting The Desert In Dessert. Now it’s time to talk about seed saving and sharing. Survival of the fittest is the basic tenet …
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We’re back with the second part of our four-part series on edible gardening! Did you miss us? We missed you! Last time we introduced you to the basics of water-wise edible gardening, and now that we’ve given you a week to mulch, plant and tend to your bountiful harvest (maybe), it’s time to talk about another favorite topic of ours: …
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Greywater systems are a great way to increase a household’s water efficiency. Overall, these systems are quite intuitive, but those that are new to greywater use can benefit from understanding where mistakes might be made along the way. It’s no secret that freshwater shortages are growing across the globe. One creative solution embraced by those concerned with the health and …
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PROPER PLANTING OF WINTER GRASS Preparing to overseed your summer bermudagrass with ryegrass for a winter lawn? You’re way too early. That’s just one of the warnings offered by turfgrass researchers at the University of Arizona’s Maricopa County Cooperative Extension program. Overseeding now could leave large bare patches in your Bermuda lawn next summer. Avoid these three common mistakes for …
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Ten miles southwest of Flagstaff along Woody Mountain Road, out beyond the Arboretum, lies Rogers Lake. It’s a lake only ephemerally, during springs with heavy snow runoff. At these times, the lake also draws in waterfowl and eagles. More often, and especially this year, Rogers is grassy and wildflowery grazing land for cattle and elk. Coconino County owns more than …
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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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Water harvesting is the capture and storage of rainfall to irrigate plants or to supply people and animals. It is one of the oldest known gardening methods. Water harvesting dates back to the beginning of agriculture. In the desert southwest, Tohono O’odham, and Hopi tribes still harvest rainwater after the onset of summer and winter rain. Did you ever play in rainwater as a child, building earth dikes and letting them go? …
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July is Smart Irrigation Month, so that means that summer is a great time to learn about controlling your irrigation timer. Just because you have one hanging on the side of your house or in the garage doesn’t mean you can set it and forget it! Unless you have a ‘smart controller,’ you’ll need to make periodic changes to the watering …
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