Archive for “Xeriscape Landscaping” Category

News & Events

Cycle-and-Soak is Just One Idea for Smart Irrigation Month

July 7, 2022

July is Smart Irrigation Month! It’s the perfect opportunity to highlight this great cycle-and-soak watering method from WaterSense to be more efficient with your landscape water use! Watering Tips from WaterSense® It’s important to know when, how often and how long to water your lawn. Each landscape is different. One watering method, Cycle-and-Soak, makes sure your soil absorbs the most …

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Plant of the Month: Eight Plants Perfect for Your Pollinator Garden

June 16, 2022

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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Using native plants in your yard and landscapes is the best way to support healthy ecosystems and protect biodiversity.

Questions Answered: Water Deeply But Infrequently – What Does That Mean?

June 9, 2022

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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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

Arbor Day: Because Trees are Nature’s Superheroes

April 26, 2022

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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Shade Tree in front of home

Plant of the Month: Azure Bush Germander

April 8, 2022

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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Plant of the Month: Aloe

February 10, 2022

Aloes are striking succulents from southern and eastern Africa that offer some of the best color for Arizona gardens with their impressive and long-lasting show of flowers during the winter and early spring. Aloes have numerous forms ranging from low groundcovers to treelike species. Small clustering forms work well in containers and the tree forms work well as accents or …

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plant-of-the-month-aloe-flowers

Top Five Blogs of 2021

January 10, 2022

2022 has arrived! Let’s take a “drip” down memory lane. Here are our top 5 blogs from 2021. #1 Plant of the Month: 5 Plants That Can Take the Southwest Heat It’s no surprise that the biggest challenge to growing plants in our region is the intense heat and dryness of summer, which is a stressful environment for plants. Thankfully, there …

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TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE AND GARDEN FOR WILDLIFE

October 2, 2021

Everyone needs a home and desert wildlife such as quail, hummingbirds, sparrows, and butterflies are no different. An emerging trend in urban gardening is a return back to our desert roots through the use of native plants and sustainable landscape practices that are done in a way that would encourage these pollinators to visit our gardens. Here are some easy …

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Plant of the Month: Desert Milkweed – Fit for a Queen and Other Royals

August 19, 2021

Botanical Name Asclepias subulata Common Names Desert Milkweed, Jumete, Rush Milkweed, Reed-stem Milkweed Habitat / Range Desert milkweed is often found along desert washes and sandy flats, and sometimes on rocky hillsides in lowlands up to 2,500 feet.  It will settle into disturbed soils, so can be found along roadsides as well. The range of desert milkweed extends from western …

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Desert Milkweed Plants

HOW TO USE OLLA IRRIGATION

July 6, 2021

Use of low-fired, clay ceramic vessels (ollas) is an ancient technique for the efficient irrigation of crops. First, in use in China and North Africa more than 4,000 years ago, the technique has spread throughout arid regions of the world. The use of ollas (pronounced oh-yahs) can save the gardener time, energy, and water. Olla users report that their vegetable gardens produce …

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Plant of the Month: Pollinator-Friendly Plants are All the Buzz

May 10, 2021

Bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies are just a few of the helpful pollinators flying through our landscapes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pollinators are responsible for assisting over 80% of the world’s flowering plants to reproduce. We depend on pollinators for the gardens we enjoy, plant materials we utilize, and the food we eat. Bees are by far the …

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