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 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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Lovely, white blossoms of not one, but two different types of cordia, add welcome beauty to the arid landscape throughout the warm season, including summer. Cordias are large shrubs that are underused in the garden and deserve more attention due to their ability to thrive in full sun and shrug off the summer heat. Their evergreen foliage looks great all …
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Arizona water has been making headline news lately. You’ve seen the headlines and the images of lakes (reservoirs) that appear to be draining before our very eyes. The growing urgency to preserve the precious water we have challenges us to think harder about the water we use. Fortunately, our state is having a relatively active monsoon season this summer. However, …
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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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Texas sages are among the most reliable and fool-proof of the low water use plants available in Arizona. In the past twenty years, many new species and varieties have been brought into cultivation. These evergreen shrubs are native to Texas and Mexico, and perform well in our desert with very little maintenance. These shrubs require full sun and good drainage. …
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Help protect biodiversity! There are over 7 million humans in Arizona, and we all rely on insects and plants to survive. Native plants support native wildlife. Using native plants in your yard and landscapes is the best way to support healthy ecosystems and protect biodiversity. An easy place to start with planting natives is a pollinator garden. No matter where …
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The Watering Mantra for Desert Landscapes You may have heard Arizona landscape experts saying, “water deeply but infrequently,” but what does that mean? If you are originally from a part of the country that gets significant rain throughout the year, watering means running the sprinklers or hose occasionally during a dry spell. Arizona is one of the few places where …
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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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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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Trees Are Superheroes Why do we celebrate Arbor Day, a day set aside just for trees? These superheroes of nature cool our environment, they help clean our air by absorbing carbon dioxide while also producing oxygen, and they provide habitat for wildlife. They help us save air conditioning costs in summer when properly placed around buildings to provide summer shade, …
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Something Blue Azure Bush Germander (Teucrium fruticans ‘Azureum’) is a unique blue flowering perennial that thrives in full sun & drought tolerant Arizona gardens. With striking silvery sage foliage and cooling blue purple blooms that cover the bush in Winter extending into Spring, it’s sure to bring pollinators and brighten up your garden at a time of year when most …
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Tempe residents… This one is for you! Tempe Water Conservation and Efficiency has rolled out a new program called the Certified Water Efficient Home. Now Tempe residents have the opportunity to self-certify their home and receive a yard sign along with a water conservation kit to display as a symbol of their dedication to saving water. What does it take …
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