Tag: flowers
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Best Landscape Plants for Areas Without Irrigation in Phoenix
I think it goes without saying that low desert yards are challenging places to plant, especially without a dedicated irrigation system to supply water. It’s definitely possible to hand water a wide variety of plants out here – watering deeply and less often will train their roots to become more drought tolerant and resilient. That…
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Why it’s Nice to Have a Personalized Guide for the Yard
I’ve met a lot of people in the Phoenix area who feel like they’re flying blind when it comes to their front yard and backyard landscaping. The Sonoran desert is a unique and challenging ecosystem to plant in, though it is also very rewarding to maintain gardens of these lovely plants we have in southern…
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Quick Guide to Gardenia in Phoenix
Gardenia shrubs don’t grow as well in Phoenix AZ as they do in other parts of the country. They have a lot of elements working against them. Our soil is too alkaline, our summers are too intense, and even our water might be too salty for these fragrant shrubs. When grown in the landscape, they…
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Bring the Bajada to Your Yard
The Sonoran desert is beautiful and draws many people to the Phoenix area. Without our iconic desert, Phoenix is just like any other concrete parking lot but much, much hotter. Luckily our desert trees provide shade without asking for much upkeep. Our desert flowers bloom effortlessly where other plants struggle. Drive out to the trails…
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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…
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What’s Blooming in the Desert: Barometer Bushes
These last few weeks of ample rainfall have set off the Texas sage. These shrubs that blend into the background most of the year suddenly look like thickly frosted cakes on the side of the highway. A bloom as intense as the one we’re having now is a nice way to showcase the different forms…
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Quick Guide to Star jasmine in phoenix
Some plants that are well known in other parts of the country are unfortunately not an option in the Arizona low desert. Plants like wisteria, hostas, and viburnum will be rarely found in the valley if at all, because the summer intensity and incompatible soil prevent them from growing well in Phoenix. But some beloved…
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Gardenias and Other Acid-Loving Plants in the Low Desert Garden
Some plants are well adapted to the unique and harsh conditions of the Sonoran desert. The saguaro cactus is so comfortable here that it grows almost nowhere else in the world. Though many plants are able to adapt to the Phoenix area, other plants brought in from different climates might not be able to hack…
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Identifying and Dealing with Hotspots in the Desert Garden
Phoenix is an urban environment in a hot desert. Because of concrete roads, sidewalks, and walls, the city environment has more extreme microclimates than the desert surrounding it. The desert outside of Phoenix is actually better for plants than the city in some ways. Heat is trapped by the inversion layer that settles over Phoenix…
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Summer Threats to Plants in the Low Desert Part 2: How Much Sun?
The harshest learning curve in desert gardening is probably the realization that beloved full-sun plants from other parts of the world like lavenders and roses just can’t handle afternoon sun during the summer months here in the low desert. Plants limping through June, July, and August suffer from sunburn, dieback, and attacks from pests when…
Paige Maloney | Arizona Landscape Designer 