The 7 Landscape Challenges Most Common in Phoenix AZ

As a landscape designer in the east valley of Phoenix, I’ve heard many different reasons a client is unhappy with their landscaping. The Arizona low desert is a unique environment unlike almost anywhere else in the world and presents unique challenges. Here are some of the most common landscaping issues homeowners have in this difficult yet beautiful place.

Summer stress:

Let’s start with the issue that is everpresent in Phoenix gardens. Sometimes we get lucky and the summer isn’t too bad (if you consider 115F+ “not too bad”) but we never know what the next one will be like. I always plan for the harshest summers because those are the years that can make or break a desert landscape. 

It’s important to know where the most intense sun and reflected heat will be in the yard so the hardiest plants can be installed there. Better to plant the sunny back wall once than to replant the same area every few years when the plants don’t make it. 

Be sure the emitters are properly set up. When I do emitter checks I usually end up adding emitters and moving them farther out because the plants have grown since the emitters were installed and they now have different needs.

It’s also important that plants are healthy going into summer with proper nutrition and trimming. I give my homeowners guides for their specific garden to help them feel confident that they can handle the summer season.

An installation done in the past few years isn’t establishing well:

How frustrating! A homeowner takes the time and expense to add a landscape planting and for some reason the plants fail to grow. Maybe some plants die immediately or they survive but don’t establish. Maybe the javelina tear up some of the plants while they’re fresh in the ground. 

When people come to me because they’re dissatisfied by a previous planting I check the yard for clues as to why it’s happening. In many cases the plants were installed improperly. 

A plant being buried too deep doesn’t seem like it should be a big deal but it causes problems for the rest of the plant’s life. Emitters placed incorrectly is another reason why plants that seem perfectly suitable may fail to be established. These problems are fixable!

Sometimes the wrong plants were chosen, which is more difficult to fix. Full sun plants may survive in the shade but will never live up to their potential. Succulents and cacti can be moved, but shrubs are trickier. Shade plants in the sun probably didn’t survive their first summer, or end up mangled and bleached. 

Losing cacti and succulents suddenly:

Arizona’s low desert is a perfect place for many hardy succulents. Saguaros live for hundreds of years in the wild. But sometimes these plants fail suddenly and dramatically in the landscape. Unfortunately many succulents are susceptible to rotting from the roots up when they’re stressed, and the urban landscape can often be a source of stress to these specialized plants.

Reasons for cacti and succulents to fail in the landscape include overwatering while dormant, too much shade, reflected heat from walls and roads, and improper installation. Agaves are vulnerable to weevils that lay their eggs inside the carbohydrate rich center and causes them to rot. Most of these issues are preventable with proper care.

Citrus trees are stressed or underperforming:

Citrus trees can perform very well in the low desert but they need extra love and maintenance. When I see really sad citrus trees it’s usually for a lack of soil nutrition or water. 

I like to baby citrus trees with regular additions of compost, mulch, or leaf litter. I also usually end up adding emitters because one or two drips at the base of the trunk of a citrus tree is wildly insufficient. As long as the tree isn’t in full sun this treatment is normally enough to turn around the appearance of citrus within a few weeks.

Increasing number of empty spots in the yard:

Many of my clients are homeowners with mature landscaping. Over time the designs that were implemented long ago begin to wear out. This can be a normal process because plants have lifespans just like animals do. Perennials might only live a few years.

Sometimes empty spots appear in the yard prematurely as plants die from mistreatment and are removed without being replaced. It’s important to understand why the yard is emptying before starting a new landscape installation. 

Empty spots in the yard are a great opportunity to tie together the landscaping and add plants that the homeowner will love. 

Flowering plants aren’t flowering:

Plants that flower well in other yards but hardly or not at all for the homeowner is a common complaint I hear. Oftentimes the reason isn’t readily apparent. Plants that should be doing well are losing flowerbuds before they open, or never even try to make flowerbuds. Sometimes the flowers are being cut off during regular trims. 

This is often indicative of a care issue. Depending on the flower, it may need compost, more or less water, or a different trimming method. It could have been installed incorrectly. Again it’s important to take the time to understand why it’s happening before attempting a solution.

Landscaping seems mismatched:

This might be the top problem I’m hired to help with. Phoenix has a climate that can support the toughest desert plants from around the world and also a surprisingly wide variety of tropical plants. The challenge is creating a yard that feels cohesive between such different plants. 

Without any grave issues with the landscaping it’s still possible to feel underwhelmed or dissatisfied with the yard. When working with mature landscapes I like to focus on making additions that tie together the plants that are already present instead of ripping out perfectly good existing landscaping. 

Luckily, bringing a yard together is more simple than it sounds. I like to use a repeating pattern of two or three types of plants and take advantage of existing boulders and cacti to create new groupings. I like to add texture with rocks. And well placed accents can go a long way to make a yard feel new and special. 

Scheduling now for February consultations

Please don’t hesitate to reach out on my contact form to schedule an in-person consultation. I’m a Smartscape certified sustainable landscape designer in Arizona and a certified plant nursery professional. 

I take the time on my consults to walk the yard with my clients and understand what’s going on with the yard and what the client is hoping to accomplish. I make individualized guides for each homeowner, including plant lists and potential designs, and I do installations as well. I have access to wholesale nurseries and do plantings start to finish including the irrigation. I’m insured.