Garden of the Bs: Arizona’s oldest high school, Mesa High, once offered a thriving agricultural education program to its students that included use of a field on campus for growing crops and grazing animals. But since the retirement of the program’s last teacher over 25 years ago, that one acre lot has been ignored, grew weeds, collected wind-blown trash, suffered …
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Add Winter Interest to Southwest Gardens with Euphorbias The unique shapes and colors of euphorbias add a touch of drama to drought-tolerant landscapes. There are hundreds of species of this genus of plants, most that resemble something out of a Dr. Seuss book. These are succulents that do well with little attention and do well when planted in the ground …
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It seems like the perfect solution. Replace thirsty lawns with something that plays the part yet is perfectly (un)dead and therefore requires no water, no maintenance, and no sweat. But the story of artificial turf is not as simple as it sounds, and most of that has to do with the “no sweat” part of it. Let me explain. We …
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Maintaining an attractive and healthy lawn is not easy in our desert climate. While bermudagrass (our summer-active turf) is drought and heat tolerant, it still requires a great deal of time, resources and energy to keep it looking good. If a year-round green lawn is desired, winter ryegrass needs to be seeded each fall, creating more work and requiring more …
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Our landscapes cradle the world between the wild and the civilized. If you are lucky enough to own or rent a little piece of land, you have a chance to create your own private paradise that marries nature with individuality. But how do you get started? And what if you need help? How do you select a landscape professional? How …
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Description The gray leaves of Desert lavender, Hyptis emoryi, are covered with fine hairs and are soft to the touch. A pleasant lavender scent is released following rains or if you brush against the foliage. Individual leaves are 1-inch-long by ¾ inch wide, broader at the base than the tip. The edges have rounded teeth. The branches grow upright to …
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The fall planting season has arrived! Temperatures are cooler, and it’s a great time to replace plants you may have lost during the hot summer. Why is fall planting so good for plants? Soil temperatures are still warm, encouraging root growth and development and allowing plants to get much better established before next summer’s heat sets in. Also, with cooler …
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Lisa Osborne and her husband bought their City of Avondale home in 2008. They planted two citrus trees in the backyard that sat in a field of gravel for years and proceeded to turn brown. Until last November, the backyard had not changed. The economic downturn and family responsibilities left the yard to become what Lisa called the dog’s den, …
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Description Desert Milkweed, Asclepias subulata, has slender gray-green stems that grow vertically to 4 feet from a woody base. The plant’s spread can reach 2 feet or more. Leaves 2 inches long by 1/8-inch-wide appear on new growth but soon drop. The white milky sap that oozes from cut stems contains rubber. From spring through fall, flat-topped clusters of pale …
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It’s summertime! Your grass is finally greening up and is even filling in nicely where you had brown spots. The conditions are perfect … perfect for killing your lawn, that is. Keeping a green, attractive lawn isn’t a simple task in the low desert. Grass doesn’t just grow where there is bare ground. You have to water it, feed it, …
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Monsoon season is upon us and one important change you can make to help prevent ‘wind throw” (trees blowing over) has to do with watering. You should avoid watering near the trunk. Wet soil near the trunk discourages roots from growing out to the edge of the canopy where they should be. Wet soil near the trunk is also unstable and …
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Discover how to keep your backyard healthy and environmentally friendly Maintaining a sustainable backyard can be difficult during summer months. However, you can keep your yard green and healthy without water waste by implementing these four tips. Take advantage of native plants Keeping your backyard healthy and vibrant starts with the plants you’re using. In order to more easily save …
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