Did you know that just by making one change in your garden that you will benefit not only the earth, but also your plants, your back and your pocketbook? The one change I am talking about is making sure that you are watering your plants at the recommended rate for your area.
Okay, first the benefits to the earth. The first one is fairly obvious….by watering at the proper rate and frequency, we are conserving water – a precious resource.
Now the first benefit is fairly obvious, but here is another one….did you know that when plants are watered correctly, that they produce less excess growth and grow at a healthier rate? Many of us do not take that into consideration or even think of it.
Each time I consult with a homeowner, I often go over what their current irrigation schedule is. Believe it or not, over 90% of the time, I find that their trees and plans are being over-watered. In fact, one of my horticulture professors did a study and found the same statistics. Naturally, that is understandable; we live in a desert, so logically we think that more water will help our plants.
But, the truth is, is that the majority of plant problems we see related to irrigation is due to over-watering NOT under-watering.
Mature shrubs and trees need less water then you may think – especially if you are growing plants that are adapted to our arid-climate. In response to over-watering, the extra growth that is produced has another interesting effect….it causes the plant to use more water in order to maintain the excess growth then the same type of plant being watered at the proper rate.
Irrigating (watering) correctly not only causes your plants to grow at a healthy rate, but also encourages roots to grow deeper where the soil is cooler and moister and helps to flush out salts in our soils that can build-up around the roots of your plants. As a result, your plants will be better able to withstand the stress of summer.
Here is an example for our area (around Phoenix): Did you know that your mature citrus trees only need to be watered every 21 – 30 days in the winter and every 7 – 10 days in the summer? The past three clients I consulted with, who had citrus trees, were watering them 3 times a week in the middle of winter. They were not watering them long enough and not deeply enough. Many of their trees were suffering multiple problems related incorrect irrigation, which were easily corrected by changing their watering schedule.
Okay, you may be saying, I don’t have any citrus, so how does this apply to me? Well then, here is another example; desert-adapted shrubs need water every 7 – 10 days in the summer. Even mature shrubs that are high-water use only need water every 5 – 7 days in the summer. Most people are watering their shrubs every 2 – 3 days in the summer. *I water my own shrubs every 7 – 10 days throughout the summer and once every month in the winter and my garden is thriving.
Now, for the savings….you do the math – with less growth, there is less pruning required and therefore less maintenance. So, we are not only conserving water and saving $ off of our water bill, but also using up less space in the landfill and also saving you money (if you use a landscape company to prune your trees and shrubs). Or at the very least, saving you a backache from all of that extra pruning you are saved from doing ;^)
All right, you are saying, that sounds great….save the earth, healthy plants, less pruning and saving money – all good things – I’m on board, but what do I need to do to get started?
Okay, here are the keys to watering your plants the right way – it all has to do with how deeply your plants are watered and the frequency. Trees should be watered to a depth of 3 ft. and shrubs to a depth of 18 – 24 inches. The trick is, figuring out how long you need to water each time to reach the recommended depth.
The length of time for each irrigation cycle can vary depending on your individual system. So, to do this, all you need is a 3 ft. piece of rebar, (seriously, that is it). Once you have irrigated (watered) your plants, gently push the rebar down to see how far the water has penetrated. It will slide easily down through the moist soil. When it stops, measure the distance on the rebar to see how far it penetrated and you can see how much longer or shorter a time you will still need to water.
*The average time the water should be turned on for shrubs is approximately 2 hours at a time, but this can vary depending on your irrigation system and soils.
Adjust how often your water (the frequency), seasonally. Plants do not require the same amounts of water in winter then the rest of the seasons. However, the length of time you turn on the water does not change.
Even though the specific recommendations of this post are geared for the desert gardener in Arizona, the broader principles can apply to us all. For those of you who do need to provide supplemental water to your plants, take the time to make sure that you are watering them correctly.
I would like to offer one word of caution, when changing your current irrigation schedule, gradually wean your plants from the excess water they have been receiving – you don’t want to shock your plants and it will take them some time to adjust to the longer length of time between each watering cycle.
I am joining with Jan from Thanks For Today and other fellow garden bloggers in sharing ways to garden sustainably in honor of Earth Day and this is my submission :^) Please visit her blog to see links to other posts honoring Earth Day.
Garden Bloggers Sustainable Living
*For landscape watering guidelines in greater Phoenix area, please visit AMWUA which is an excellent resource on irrigation which has more specific information on how often to water seasonally.
*For guidelines for watering citrus, please check out the following link.
“The Joy of Composting”
Caution….Beware of Sharp Things in the Garden
AgaveThe sharp spines of Agave desmettiana begin to emerge.
In honor of Foliage Follow-up, which was created by Pam of Digging, I decided to focus on a part of the foliage of Agave – the thorns.
Now, I am the first to admit, that is my least favorite part of the Agave, having pricked myself countless times.
Thorns surround each leaf of this Agave colorata.
But, despite the fact that I have been pierced by their thorns, I do find beauty in them just the same.
The leaves of the Victoria Agave (Agave victoria-reginae)
I love that the colors of the thorns contrast so beautifully with the color of the leaves.
Close-up view of the leaves of my Artichoke Agave (Agave parryi var. truncata).
The thorns themselves, often have interesting shapes as well.
The thorns of the Agave salmiana surround the entire leaf.
So, what do you do if you like the beauty of the many different types of agave, but do not want to risk getting hurt by their thorns?
Well, there are three different solutions….
First, you can plant agave species, such as Octopus Agave (Agave vilmoriniana), which does not have sharp thorns.
Secondly, you can plant your agave away from walkways and the patio, and placing them farther out in the landscape, where you can enjoy their beauty, without accidentally getting hurt.
Thirdly, you can just cut off the tips of the thorns. This is what I do for the two Agave I have growing by my front entry. The thorns do not grow back and I can continue to enjoy the beauty of my agave, close-up.
So, enjoy the beauty of the entire agave….even those sharp thorns ;^)
Spring Has Sprung….February GBBD
AZ Plant LadyThe weather has warmed into the low 70’s this week and the flowers are beginning to burst out of their buds….
Pink Beauty (Eremophily laanii) The first few blooms are beginning to appear on this Australian native. Grows up to 6 ft. high and blooms spring through fall.
Desert Senna (Senna artemisiodes sturtii)
Another of my Australian favorites and are drought tolerant and extremely easy to grow.
Grows up to 6 ft. high and flowers in the spring.
Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii)
This Southwest Desert native has reached full bloom, causing hummingbirds to eagerly drink of it’s nectar.
Grows up to 2 ft. high, when flowering. Blooms winter through spring (removing spent flowers, will cause more blooms to form and prolong the flowering period).
‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde (Parkinsonia hybrid ‘Desert Museum’)
It’s early, but the first few blooms on my Palo Verde tree are starting to appear.
This beautiful tree grows approximately 30 ft. high and wide. In late spring, the tree will be a mass of beautiful yellow flowers.
Bower Vine (Pandorea jasminoides)
This blossom is ready to open and join it’s neighbors and reveal its magenta heart.
Grows on a trellis for support and blooms fall through spring in the desert.
Purple Lilac Vine (Hardenbergia violaceae)
My second favorite Australian native, is in full bloom and is buzzing with bees.
Grows on a trellis or as a groundcover. Blooms in February.
Violas and Alyssum
My annuals have bloomed non-stop all winter and show no signs of quitting any time soon.
Valentine (Eremophila maculata ‘Valentine’)
My favorite Australian native who is aptly named for the time of year when it reaches full bloom.
Grows approximately 3 ft. high and wide. Blooms December through April.
This is my monthly contribution to Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day, which occurs on the 15th of each month. Please visit Carol of May Dreams Gardens to see what is blooming in other gardens around the world.
Two Celebrations, Three Visits and Endless Beauty
az plant lady familyLike many of you, I am focused on Valentine’s Day….making special desserts for my family and distributing Valentines and hoping I get something nice from my special Valentine :^)
But there is also another special day to be celebrated, and that is the Chinese New Year. Now, I am not Chinese….but our family does celebrate the Chinese New Year. Why do you ask? Well, that is because 3 of our 5 children are Chinese – we adopted each of them from China. As a result, we were fortunate to have visited China three times.
And so in honor of the Chinese New Year, I would love to share with you some of the beautiful landscapes of China we visited….
The hills surrounding Hangzhou, Summer 2003
Martyrs Park, Changsha, Fall 2007
Purple Orchid Tree (Bauhinia), Guanzhou, Winter 2005
Martyrs Park, Changsha, Fall 2007
Provincial Museum, Hangzhou, Summer 2003
My husband and daughter, exploring the gardens around West Lake, Hangzhou, Winter 2005
Lotus growing on West Lake, Hangzhou, Summer 2003
Martyrs Park, Changsha, Fall 2007
The gardens of West Lake, Hangzhou, Winter 2005
Evidently, we are not walking fast enough for my daughter, who forged on ahead.
Provincial Museum, Hangzhou, Summer 2003
Shamian Island, Guanghzou, Winter 2005
I was completely unprepared for how beautiful the landscapes and gardens of China were. I hope to return when my children a bit older so that we can visit their homeland and see it’s beauty.
And so in closing, I wish for you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day and also Happy Chinese New Year!
Happy 11th Gotcha Day!
Horticulturists Don’t Wear Nailpolish….Do They??
HorticulturistI was asked this question 10 years ago by a woman in the human resources department as I was filling out new hire paperwork for my new job. At first I was taken aback. But, the evidence was irrefutable….I was wearing pink nail polish and I was a horticulturist.
Bougainvillea, Gold Lantana and Purple Lilac Vine adorn a feature area along the golf course.
And so that was my introduction to what turned out to be many years at a very fulfilling job working as a horticulturist for two golf courses, and for the surrounding community areas.
The golf courses were bordered by a national forest, (yes that is a national forest in the background), and an Indian reservation, so much of the surrounding area was untouched and just beautiful.
I set to work right way, designing and planting new landscapes everywhere I could find bare, boring areas…and there were quite a few.
My job was not without it’s challenges…..I was the only woman in a department of 38 men, besides the secretary, which was not always easy. I had to earn their respect before they would do what I asked. Also, sometimes I would have to act braver then I was when the guys would show me snakes they found as well as huge grubs they dug up. I would pretend it was no big deal to me, even though I cringed inside.
I managed all of the landscape areas, but thankfully, not the turf areas on the golf course. I had a crew of 4 men, which included my foreman, who had followed me from my previous job.
Although my favorite part of my job was designing and installing new landscape areas, I also was in charge of the maintenance of 100’s of trees and plants as well.
I did have unfortunate mishaps such as losing a large saguaro in a torrential summer storm and the Palo Verde tree below.
I used to dread going to work the days after a summer storm. I would spend hours deciding what fallen trees could be saved and those that could not. It was always very sad to see some beautiful trees lost.
Riding in my little golf cart around the golf courses and community was always so much fun. I typically spent 1/2 my days in the office and 1/2 outdoors. The weather was usually very nice to be out in. In the winter, the golf courses would be covered in a layer of thick frost at times and golfers would anxiously wait until it melted so they could start golfing.
For the most part, summers were nice too, although an occasional day over 114 would hit. Those were hard, because the crew would have to continue working outside, so I would have the crew work on pruning trees so that they could stay in the shade – I always felt guilty that I had an air-conditioned office to retreat to.
Some landscape areas did not have an irrigation system, so were planted with succulents and hand-watered twice in the summer. Washes lined with river rock ran through many of the areas, like the one above, which would rapidly fill with water after a summer storm.
After placing the plants that were to be planted, I would often join my crew in digging holes and planting. Did I already mention that this was my favorite part of the job?
New Planting of Valentine and Rosemary
I was given the opportunity to present landscaping seminars for the local residents and was absolutely terrified my first time, but soon learned to love speaking to groups. **People who meet me find out very quickly that it is hard to shut me up when I talk about plants ;^)
I left this wonderful place to work for a landscape design firm, where I could focus on what I enjoyed best – designing and installing landscapes. My community was running out of areas for me to create new ones. Sadly, the area above was one I did not get to before I left.
I realize that I have shown this picture in previous posts, but it was my favorite landscape that I worked on. It is a hummingbird garden.
As I looked back on the places I worked as a horticulturist, this was my most favorite job. I loved the people, the landscapes, the beautiful desert setting and I miss the beautiful, large trees that I would drive by each day on the golf course.
Okay, so back to the HR lady’s nail polish comment….I told her that I did wear nail polish, but that I also wore gloves when working with plants, so it wasn’t a problem. I also wore make-up and curled my hair, which I guess was not what her picture of a horticulturist was ;^)
‘Boss’ For a Day…
Flower of the Sun….
AZ Plant LadyThere is so much beauty as you look closely as the flower of the sun begins to unfurl it’s petals.
A Sunflower slowly begins to unfurl it’s petals, eager to face the sun.
Now completely open, the Sunflower embraces the desert sun.
These two beautiful photos were taken by my nephew, Mr. Green Jeans, who is the resident vegetable grower at “The Refuge”.
*For those of you who have not had a chance yet, please visit my 100th blog post and sign up for the giveaway, which ends on Friday (tomorrow).
Purple Lilac Vine
AZ Plant LadyWell, I can’t believe that this is my 100th blog post and that some of you are still reading my blog…. ;^)
I have enjoyed meeting so many of my fellow gardeners and those who want to learn how to garden. I have met people not just from Arizona, but around the country and all over the world. It just blows my mind how many of us there are, who love to garden and visit beautiful gardens.
The day after I started my blog, I joined Blotanical, which has been such a wonderful place to belong. I have met many fellow gardeners and have visited their beautiful gardens through their blogs. I highly encourage those of you who have not visited, to stop by Blotanical…a whole new world awaits you.
In honor of my 100th post, I would like to share with you one of my favorite vines….
Purple Lilac Vine
This is one of six Purple Lilac Vines (Hardenbergia violaceae) that I have in my garden.
You can see why it is called Purple Lilac Vine. The flowers mimic lilacs, but have no fragrance. They flower in February, when there are few other flowers in the garden.
It does require a trellis or other type of support to climb up against a wall.
Today, when I went outdoors to take these pictures, the bees were happily buzzing about the flowers, greedily gathering pollen.
There is nothing not to love about this vine. It does not suffer from frost damage in my zone 8b and so is evergreen. It handles the heat very well, has no thorns and is absolutely beautiful.
Long ago….okay about 10 years ago, I planted the vines as a groundcover along the golf course and they worked so well, that I bought some to grow as groundcovers in my own garden.
Even when out of flower, they are just beautiful. They need no special attention. I do not fertilize them and only prune them every couple of years or so.
And so, this is my type of plant….low-maintenance and beautiful!
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and letting me know what you think in your comments. I am excited to see what the next 100 posts bring!
A Simple February Bouquet….
A Pair of Boots and an Empty Chicken Coop….
Double S FarmsOur guest blogger for today is my youngest sister, Chicken Farmer, who is one of the residents of Double S Farms. Guess what!? They are ready for chickens!
Many of you have read Noelle’s post, (A Small House, Transplants and Chickens), about our plans to bring some chickens to Double S Farms. Well, the time has almost come and our little chicks should be arriving in the mail next week. We are beyond excited.
We have lived at Double S Farms for just about a year now and have been toying around with the chicken idea ever since we moved in. This past October, we went on a self-guided tour of the Valley’s coolest urban poultry set-ups (The Phoenix Tour de Coops). Talking with the chicken owners, seeing their chickens and coop setups, and learning about the benefits of having our own backyard flock sealed the deal.
Since I don’t do much of the gardening at Double S Farms, I have volunteered myself to be the “Chicken Farmer” and have jumped into the role wholeheartedly. There are several things I have done to get us ready for our new adventure.
First and foremost, I had to get a pair of boots. I have always loved and adored boots of all kinds so getting my very own pair of Hunter Wellingtons, was a top priority (well, top priority to me). I know, I know….seriously, if I have to scoop chicken poop, I’d like to look stylish while doing so.
In addition, I’ve read countless books on raising chickens and have spent hours gleaning information from websites like The City Chicken and The Backyard Chicken. I’ve even joined the Phoenix Permaculture Guild and taken some local classes on raising hens.
The next thing on the agenda was to design the coop. We explored several different coop setups on the “Tour de Coops” and the coop we liked the best was made from a converted shed. So we converted an 8′ x 10′ shed of our own. The chickens will have plenty of room to roam in their 25′ x 20′ fenced in yard around the coop. We are hoping to let them out into the larger yard a few hours each day to do some “hunting”. We have a lot of scorpions around Double S Farms and chickens love to snack on them.
The coop is just about finished. We still need to paint the exterior, finish some work on the fence, and build up a berm around the fence to protect them from the flood irrigation.
Once we finished the majority of the coop, we started on our brooder. A brooder is a box or cage of some sort where you can raise young chicks and keep them warm until they are fully feathered and ready to move into their coop. Baby chicks can’t regulate their body temperatures so a heated brooder is essential. Fortunately, brooders don’t need to be too fancy so a giant Rubbermaid box, some pine shavings, a feeder, waterer, heat lamp and thermometer are all we need.
Once we had all of those preparations in order, we sat down and decided how many and what types of chickens we would order. Overall, we’d like to have a flock of 8 hens. Since egg laying productivity starts to decline after a year and a half or so, we decided to order 4 chicks now and then another 4 or 5 chicks next year. That way, we’ll always have a few hens that are in their egg-laying “prime”.
I have boys that are 2 and 3 years old. they will be very involved in helping me with the hens so it is essential that we have breeds that are a bit more friendly and social, which is why we chose to order two Easter Eggers (mixed breed), a Barred Plymouth Rock, and a Buff Orpington. Not only are they better “pets” than some other breeds, they are also hardier to our summer heat (although precautions still need to be taken when it gets extreme).
Buff Orpington Chicken (Wikepedia photo)
About a week ago, we ordered our four chicks from MyPetChicken.com. Sometime next week, they will express mail our little day-old chicks to us. I’m still baffled about receiving live animals in the mail, but apparently it is very common. Chicks can live for 2-3 days without any additional food or water since they are still receiving nourishment from their yolk so they should be fine in transport.
I’m sure Noelle will keep you all posted on our chicken raising adventures and I always appreciate any advice or tips that anyone has to offer a novice like me.
*Noelle here….I will keep you updated as to when the chicks arrive next week. I will be going with my sister to pick them up at the post office because I am sure you all will be waiting with baited breath to see photos of their arrival 😉
“The Joy of Composting”
Arizona, CompostI would like to introduce you to “Mr. Compost”, a resident of “The Refuge”, (and my brother-in-law). He will be our guest blogger today. As you can see from his name, he knows a thing or two about composting.
Mr. Compost turning his composter.
You may have seen those “Turn Your Gold Into Cash” commercials on TV and if you had a lot of extra gold lying around your house, it would be appealing. However, you have something even better that you are probably throwing away that can be turned into “gold” for your soil; kitchen scraps.
Kitchen Scraps include apple cores, coffee grounds, egg shells, garden clippings, oranges and peels, bread and grass. The smaller the pieces, the easier it is for the bacteria to break them down.
Fruity Girl and Daisy Mom add kitchen waste to the composter.
That’s right, instead of throwing away your vegetable scraps, you can create a place to compost those scraps and turn them into soil enhancers.
“Black Gold”
There are many websites about composting that you can visit to get you started on the composting process, but you can get in the habit of putting those scraps into a separate container so you can eventually put them back into your soil and enhance your garden.
Refuge resident, Fruity Girl
Get your whole family involved and have fun!
*Okay, if you have been inspired, (and who hasn’t?) by Mr. Compost to start composting yourself, there is great information on how to get started here.
Many communities offer free workshops and compost bins to residents. Check out your local waste management department’s website to see if they are offered in your area. The majority of cities in the Phoenix metro area offer classes and compost bins).
**For additional information, please visit GippsLandGardener and read another post about composting.
Too Much Water Equals More Pruning, a Backache and More $ Spent in the Garden
Arizona, desertDid you know that just by making one change in your garden that you will benefit not only the earth, but also your plants, your back and your pocketbook? The one change I am talking about is making sure that you are watering your plants at the recommended rate for your area.
Okay, first the benefits to the earth. The first one is fairly obvious….by watering at the proper rate and frequency, we are conserving water – a precious resource.
Now the first benefit is fairly obvious, but here is another one….did you know that when plants are watered correctly, that they produce less excess growth and grow at a healthier rate? Many of us do not take that into consideration or even think of it.
Each time I consult with a homeowner, I often go over what their current irrigation schedule is. Believe it or not, over 90% of the time, I find that their trees and plans are being over-watered. In fact, one of my horticulture professors did a study and found the same statistics. Naturally, that is understandable; we live in a desert, so logically we think that more water will help our plants.
But, the truth is, is that the majority of plant problems we see related to irrigation is due to over-watering NOT under-watering.
Mature shrubs and trees need less water then you may think – especially if you are growing plants that are adapted to our arid-climate. In response to over-watering, the extra growth that is produced has another interesting effect….it causes the plant to use more water in order to maintain the excess growth then the same type of plant being watered at the proper rate.
Irrigating (watering) correctly not only causes your plants to grow at a healthy rate, but also encourages roots to grow deeper where the soil is cooler and moister and helps to flush out salts in our soils that can build-up around the roots of your plants. As a result, your plants will be better able to withstand the stress of summer.
Here is an example for our area (around Phoenix): Did you know that your mature citrus trees only need to be watered every 21 – 30 days in the winter and every 7 – 10 days in the summer? The past three clients I consulted with, who had citrus trees, were watering them 3 times a week in the middle of winter. They were not watering them long enough and not deeply enough. Many of their trees were suffering multiple problems related incorrect irrigation, which were easily corrected by changing their watering schedule.
Okay, you may be saying, I don’t have any citrus, so how does this apply to me? Well then, here is another example; desert-adapted shrubs need water every 7 – 10 days in the summer. Even mature shrubs that are high-water use only need water every 5 – 7 days in the summer. Most people are watering their shrubs every 2 – 3 days in the summer. *I water my own shrubs every 7 – 10 days throughout the summer and once every month in the winter and my garden is thriving.
Now, for the savings….you do the math – with less growth, there is less pruning required and therefore less maintenance. So, we are not only conserving water and saving $ off of our water bill, but also using up less space in the landfill and also saving you money (if you use a landscape company to prune your trees and shrubs). Or at the very least, saving you a backache from all of that extra pruning you are saved from doing ;^)
All right, you are saying, that sounds great….save the earth, healthy plants, less pruning and saving money – all good things – I’m on board, but what do I need to do to get started?
Okay, here are the keys to watering your plants the right way – it all has to do with how deeply your plants are watered and the frequency. Trees should be watered to a depth of 3 ft. and shrubs to a depth of 18 – 24 inches. The trick is, figuring out how long you need to water each time to reach the recommended depth.
The length of time for each irrigation cycle can vary depending on your individual system. So, to do this, all you need is a 3 ft. piece of rebar, (seriously, that is it). Once you have irrigated (watered) your plants, gently push the rebar down to see how far the water has penetrated. It will slide easily down through the moist soil. When it stops, measure the distance on the rebar to see how far it penetrated and you can see how much longer or shorter a time you will still need to water.
*The average time the water should be turned on for shrubs is approximately 2 hours at a time, but this can vary depending on your irrigation system and soils.
Adjust how often your water (the frequency), seasonally. Plants do not require the same amounts of water in winter then the rest of the seasons. However, the length of time you turn on the water does not change.
Even though the specific recommendations of this post are geared for the desert gardener in Arizona, the broader principles can apply to us all. For those of you who do need to provide supplemental water to your plants, take the time to make sure that you are watering them correctly.
I would like to offer one word of caution, when changing your current irrigation schedule, gradually wean your plants from the excess water they have been receiving – you don’t want to shock your plants and it will take them some time to adjust to the longer length of time between each watering cycle.
I am joining with Jan from Thanks For Today and other fellow garden bloggers in sharing ways to garden sustainably in honor of Earth Day and this is my submission :^) Please visit her blog to see links to other posts honoring Earth Day.
Garden Bloggers Sustainable Living
*For landscape watering guidelines in greater Phoenix area, please visit AMWUA which is an excellent resource on irrigation which has more specific information on how often to water seasonally.
*For guidelines for watering citrus, please check out the following link.
“The Joy of Composting”
Mis-Placed Plants…..Read The Plant Label Part 2
desert, ShrubsSometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Especially in terms of planting the right plant in the wrong place.
I took a drive this past fall around a neighborhood near our house and found many examples of beautiful plants that had been butchered in order to fit into a small area. I spoke about this in an earlier post, Read the Plant Label or You Might End Up With Cupcakes. But, I have more pictures to share of what went wrong by those who did not read the label.
So, even though I do love to ‘talk’ – I think I will let the following pictures speak for me….
Planting the right plant in the wrong place, Oleanders
Opuntia
Rosemary and Pyracantha
Texas Sage ‘Green Cloud’
Agave
Red Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)
Bougainvillea ‘Torch Glow’
Okay, I’m breaking my silence now.
You may be wondering why I am including the photo above. I took this photo of a client’s new landscape that they had just had designed and installed by a landscape company. You can see that the bougainvillea fit nicely in this area. Well, that was then…..what the homeowner did not realize, (until I told him), is that this shrub will grow 6 ft. high and wide. The area it was planted in was 1 ft. wide and located by the front entry. In addition, they did not take into account that bougainvillea have thorns, which would scratch people as they passed by this shrub as it grew outside of the planting boundary.
So, wherever you live….whether in England, China, South Africa, Australia and especially in Arizona – please, please read the plant label before buying a plant to see how large it will grow.