Goodyear – Converting Lawn to Xeriscape
Learn the steps and best practices for converting your lawn to low water use plants. Register here
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Carefree Desert Gardens: A Desert Jewel
October is a welcome time to get back outside as temperatures start to cool. Desert or xeriscape demonstration gardens provide a fun way to enjoy the outdoors with the family. Since many of the gardens have shady places to enjoy a picnic lunch, you can plan to spend some time exploring and enjoying the surroundings as you build ideas for …
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Why Arizona Landscapes Benefit from Low-Water-Use Plants
As communities across Arizona face increasing heat and water challenges, many homeowners are rethinking traditional lawns, artificial turf, and rock-only landscapes. Landscaping experts at SummerWinds Nursery explain in their guide on why low-water-use plants are a better choice for desert landscapes that water-wise plants provide a smarter, cooler, and more environmentally friendly alternative. Desert-adapted and native plants: Require significantly less …
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Plant of the Month (to NOT Plant): Ryegrass or Winter Grass
To Overseed or NOT to Overseed… Most Americans love lush, green lawns, and have shown that they are willing to do whatever it takes to have them. Nowhere is this act of defiance against nature and common sense more obvious than in the Arizona desert, especially in the fall when the ritual of winter grass activities begins! You’ll hear the …
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Mesa’s Grass-to-Xeriscape: Saving More Than Water
Are people asking you “what’s up?” and you find yourself answering “my water bill”? Maybe it’s time to get rid of the grass or water-thirsty plants and replace them with a Xeriscape, which creates a beautiful, commonsense landscape that reduces water use, and provides cooling shade with a bonus of being much easier to maintain. Once the grass is removed …
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Mesa’s Summer Survival for Plants
Join us on Saturday with University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners who will talk about dealing with summer heat, drought, and monsoon weather. Learn about providing extra attention and care to get your landscape through some of our challenging summer conditions. Red Mountain Library, 635 N. Power Road. Learn more.
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Plant of the Month: Vitex or Chaste Tree
Learn more about Vitex agnus-castus, Chaste Tree or Monk’s Pepper This small tree provides spring and summer color, and is great for pollinators! At-A-Glance Bloom Period: Summer Mature Height x Spread: 25 x 25 ft (8 x 8 m) Exposure: Full sun Cold Tolerance: -10°F (-23°C) Origin: Southern Europe Description This is a large, deciduous shrub commonly grown as …
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Landscape Professionals Get Special Tree Care Training
With many Arizona cities focusing on tree planting initiatives to help mitigate the impacts of climate change, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Smartscape program recently developed an advanced course focusing on urban forest management. Industry professionals and Cooperative Extension staff worked on a comprehensive curriculum. The first course took place with Pima County Cooperative Extension (Tucson area) in February, …
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Plant of the Month: Chihuahuan Orchid Tree
This month, our plant of the month blog features a plant description from a newly revised book, Cool Plants for Hot Gardens by Greg Starr! In his book, Greg features 150 water-smart choices for the Southwest – it’s no wonder why we like the book so much here at Water – Use It Wisely! He includes a fun category of the “Etymology” …
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Planting Ahead: Benefits of Smart Gardening & Desert Landscaping
Did you know that what you plant today has short-term and long-term benefits? It’s true. As water resources become even more precious, planting wisely is more important than ever. You will enjoy the immediate effects of lowering your outdoor water use while enjoying the knowledge that you are creating a sustainable outdoor space for the future. Another benefit is that …
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PLANT OF THE MONTH: PENSTEMON
Penstemon’s Are a Top Desert Perennial With many beautiful varieties of penstemon, it is hard to recommend just a few. These perennials are spectacular in bloom, with their trumpet shaped flowers ranging in color from orange to red, to purple, to white, and everything in between. Hummingbirds cannot resist their flowers. Penstemons are wonderful accent plants, and make great additions …
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Trees Play a Vital Role in our Communities
There are many ways to enhance any landscape, but one of the most beneficial ways is with trees, especially desert-adapted ones that can thrive in our arid climate. While planting the correct type of tree will make an immediate visual impact because of its beauty, color, and texture, trees also bring many benefits when planted and cared for properly. Low-water-use …
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