Saguaro Lake was created on the Salt River by the completion of the Stewart Mountain Dam in 1930. The dam, managed by the Salt River Project, is 212 feet high and 583 feet long, and has a 13,000-kilowatt hydroelectric generator. It was the last dam to be built on the Salt River. Named for the majestic Saguaro Cactus and situated about …
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The name calliandra refers to the beautiful stamens which make the tufted or ball-like flowers on these loosely branched shrubs. Their colors, ranging from pale pink through deep red, are indeed beautiful. These small to medium sized shrubs produce their flowers against a backdrop of finely divided, lacy-looking foliage. Calliandras can be used in a wide variety of landscape situations. Fairy dusters …
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The award-winning Xeriscape Demonstration Garden at the Glendale Main Library, 5959 W. Brown Street, began in June of 1990. Since that time, the garden has grown to nearly four acres in size with more than 400 species of plants. But, did you know that the garden is also certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation for providing …
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You know by now that up to 70% of your water use is outdoors. Strict water conditions are tough on everyone, especially our lawns. Although we do our best to be responsible and conservation-minded when it comes to lawn care, there are some measures you may not know about to keep your lawn healthy when water shortages hit. Raise the mower blades. Raise …
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Agaves are impressive leaf succulents with a wide range of color, texture and size to their rosettes. There are approximately 200 species found throughout the southwest, Mexico, and Central America. The bold rosettes are dramatic accents for the garden that contrast well with the fine texture of desert trees and shrubs. Agaves are some of the most useful desert plants, …
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Desert willow is a fast-growing tree reaching up to 30 feet with spectacular trumpet-shaped flowers and bright green, willow-like foliage. Chilopsis linearis is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, and is commonly seen in dry washes from 1,500 to 5,000 feet. The fragrant orchid-like flowers, in varying colors, attract hummingbirds. Desert willow blooms in clusters from May …
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A. Woods shared this photo where snow melt from the mountains creates a slippery slope of water fun! If you’re looking for a great place to cool off, have fun, and learn about some fascinating Arizona history, you need to plan a summer trip to Slide Rock State Park! Slide Rock is just a small segment of the beautiful Oak …
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Etched on the wall at the entrance of the City of Scottsdale’s Xeriscape Garden is this: “Demonstrating the Beauty of Saving Water.” That is a lovely explanation of why some cities plant and nurture free public demonstration gardens. These gardens are thriving examples of how homeowners, businesses, and HOAs can create lush and colorful gardens and landscapes using very little …
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Swimsuit season is all but here, but there’s still time to put your plants on a diet. Plants use sunlight, CO2, and water* to make food, a process called photosynthesis. As plants make food for themselves, they also make our homes more pleasant for us by releasing oxygen and water into the air through pores in the leaves called stomata. *Plants …
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S. James shared this photo where water and granite meet! Watson Lake, located outside of Prescott, AZ was created as a man-made lake and reservoir in the early 1900s when the Arizona Land and Irrigation Company built a dam on Granite Creek. The reservoir was purchased by the city of Prescott in 1997 to not only preserve it as a …
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Palo Verdes are native to the arroyos and foothills of the southwestern deserts and Mexico. Their unique green to blue-green bark and branches carry on photosynthesis, even when their small leaves are not present. This is a great strategy by the plant to conserve water during dry seasons. In the spring, these trees are covered with masses of bright yellow …
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T. Sansom shared a photo where water and saguaros meet! Ventana Canyon is located in the lower range of the stunning Catalina Mountains in the Tucson area. Snowmelt from the Catalina’s or summer rains feed into creeks, pools, waterfalls, and even a delightful destination called the Maiden Pools. Although the creeks are dry much of the year, much of the snowmelt …
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