Archive for “Uncategorized” Category

News & Events

Be Waterwise With Your Pool This Summer

July 14, 2021

Summer temperatures have arrived meaning it is time to be cool in the pool. Pools are one of the greatest outdoor water users. So before you dive in, it’s important to ensure your pool is running as efficiently as possible. Here are a few simple ways you can conserve water in your pool. Take care of your pool. Maintain proper chemical levels and …

Read More

Water – Use It Wisely has a new look!

July 12, 2021

We are pleased to announce a fresh new look for Water – Use It Wisely that includes a new logo, vibrant new campaign colors, and a tremendous new website. Why now? Great question. For more than twenty years, Water – Use It Wisely has worked hard to ensure the message of water conservation flows continuously into the hearts and minds of …

Read More

Summer Water-Saving Fun with Wayne Drop

June 29, 2021

Don’t you just love summer?! Pool time, fun, games… and of course, water conservation!? Wait – what?!  Yes! You heard me right. Saving water during the hot summer months is important, especially in the Arizona desert. Because it gets so hot here, people often take more showers or baths. And, our plants in the landscape or swimming pools will use …

Read More

Earth Day with Wayne Drop

April 20, 2021

Hey everybody! Wayne Drop here…Earth Day is on April 22nd!   Earth Day is one of my favorite days of the year! After all, our amazing planet has 71% of its surface area covered in water. Earth Day was founded in 1970 to raise awareness about environmental issues such as pollution, deforestation and clean water. Since then, Earth Day has …

Read More

Plant of the Month: Calling All Chocolate Lovers!!

April 16, 2021

How would you like to be greeted in the morning by the delicious, rich smell of chocolate from your garden? If that sounds AMAZING, Berlandiera lyrata, or “Chocolate Flower” is the plant for you! When the plant is in full flower, it gives off a distinctive chocolate scent. Yum! This low-growing perennial has coarse, evergreen foliage, with yellow daisy-like flowers …

Read More

Plant of the Month: Pencil Milkbush

January 21, 2021

Add a little drama to your winter landscape with a Pencil Milkbush, Euphorbia mauritanica! This succulent is drought tolerant, perfect for your desert landscape and adds a pop of color when it blooms. We love Euphorbias in the winter! The Pencil Milkbush (sometimes called Pencil Cactus) is known for its pencil-sized stems and little yellow flowers that bloom during our …

Read More
Pencil Milkbush

Why the CAP canal shape matters — a tale of the trapezoid

December 4, 2020

Remove the water from a section of the CAP canal and you’d see what looks like a foundation for an amphitheater. If you were to stand on the canal bottom, gaze from the narrow base to the gradually widening sides, and imagine a water line on the surface, you’d probably notice the four-sided shape of a trapezoid. This canal shape, …

Read More

Local Xeriscape Gardens

November 23, 2020

Local Xeriscape Gardens Demonstrate What You Can Do   Grab some snacks and get inspired! If you’re planning on revamping your landscape this winter, one of the best design resources is your local xeriscape demonstration garden. They provide practical, first-hand examples of plants and plant combinations. Many of the gardens also have shady places to enjoy a picnic lunch, so …

Read More

Plant of the Month: Saguaros

November 17, 2020

SIX QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED ABOUT SAGUAROS Nothing says you’re in Arizona better than those silhouettes of saguaros set against a red sky at sunset. After all, the National Park Service says, saguaros mostly grow in the Sonoran Desert. That means that almost all the wild ones grow in Arizona and some smaller areas of Mexico and California. Often on “Rosie …

Read More
Saguaro in desert

Fall Container Gardening

November 10, 2020

As the weather changes in November, Arizonans get out and enjoy the cooler temperatures. Why not take advantage of the weather and give container gardening a try this season? We have some great suggestions about how to select a plant, choose a pot, get the best soil, and water your plants appropriately. The plant you choose is an important part …

Read More

Plant of the Month: Fall Planting for Spring Blooms

October 16, 2020

Spring wildflower season is one of the desert’s most colorful periods. But planning for those multicolored displays in the spring requires planning in the Fall. It’s prime time for fall planting! From late September through early December is the perfect time to sow spring seeds in the Arizona desert. Most spring-blooming wildflowers benefit from the cold temperatures of winter and …

Read More

Plant of the Month: Fairy Duster

September 2, 2020

Calliandra, commonly known as Fairy Duster, refers to the beautiful stamens which make the tufted or ball-like flowers on these loosely branched shrubs. Their beautiful and vibrant colors range from pale pink to deep red. These small to medium-sized shrubs produce their flowers against a backdrop of finely divided, lacy-looking foliage. Fairy Dusters can be used in a wide variety …

Read More