Archive for “Outdoors” Category

Plant of the Month: Chihuahuan Orchid Tree

April 19, 2023

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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Surprise! This Garden Demonstrated Water Waste

April 7, 2023

Prologue to our story Since April is Arizona Water Awareness Month (WAM), we felt like it was a great time to focus on watering properly. WAM is an annual outreach effort that aims to spread the word about the value of conserving the Southwest’s most precious natural resource, water. A WAM website, first launched in 2011 by the Arizona Department …

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Planting Ahead: Benefits of Smart Gardening & Desert Landscaping

March 13, 2023

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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Two BIG Water Conservation & Landscaping EXPOS!

February 17, 2023

Get amazing landscape ideas, meet experts, get discounts, and more at these two events coming up in early March! 16th Annual SRP Water Conservation Expo  Salt River Project (SRP) invites Valley customers to learn about water conservation and water supplies at the 16th Annual SRP Water Conservation Expo on March 4, 2023, from 8 a.m.–12 p.m.  Attendees will have the opportunity …

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PLANT OF THE MONTH: PENSTEMON

February 8, 2023

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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Plant of the Month: Winter Color Means Winter Wonderful!

January 16, 2023

As we all know, our desert cities are magnets for winter visitors, who are seduced by our balmy weather, manicured fairways, and bountiful recreational opportunities. Not surprisingly, they also expect their winter paradise to be landscaped with loads of COLOR! This is always a challenge for landscape professionals because although our cold temperatures are mild compared to those across most of the country, they are low enough to prevent most ornamentals …

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Five Favorite Blogs of 2022

January 6, 2023

Happy 2023! We’ve rounded up our very best blogs of 2022 to help you start the year with a water-saving splash. #1 Xeriscape Gardens – Great Outdoor Escapes   Your local xeriscape garden not only serves as a helpful resource on water-wise landscaping but also offers a beautiful place to spend quality time in nature! We’ve pulled together a list …

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Wayne Drop’s Top Five Water-Saving Stocking Stuffers

December 21, 2022

Hi everyone, Wayne Drop here!  The holidays always put a big smile on my face. And yes, while I realize my smile is stitched to my face and can’t move, the holidays really do warm up the inside of me. Besides hot chocolate, s’mores, candy canes, bright lights, and presents under the tree, ‘tis the season I get to bring …

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Our Top Desert Gardening Books

December 9, 2022

Why we need books by local experts! One thing is certain when it comes to gardening books and magazines . . . gardening in the deserts of the Southwest is far different than in all other regions of the country. For that reason, most books, national magazines, and even those AP stories (that the local newspaper will occasionally publish) just …

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Gardening Books

Plant of the Month – Chinese Pistache

December 5, 2022

Are you in search of the perfect tree? Try the Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis). If you miss the vivid, light to very dark red, scarlet, orange and yellow colors of fall, this tree will give you a brilliant display in December, with new leaves emerging in late March to early April. Chinese Pistache, a native to China and Taiwan, is …

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Plant of the Month – Damianita

November 4, 2022

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 …

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Just dropped. Wayne Drop’s Water-Saving Activity Sheet

September 22, 2022

Hello, fellow water savers! Wayne Drop here! As you know, I am a thinker. I am always thinking about water conservation. Water is literally on my mind all the time, and if you’ve ever seen me, water is on my entire body, too. Which is good because I am always coming up with new ways to make water conservation fun and …

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Wayne Drop Reconnects with Impatient Fourth Grader!