THE GARDEN GUYS

July, and once again its summertime here in the Sonoran Desert. In spite of the heat, new growth and blossoms are everywhere.

Gardening with native plants is not only growing in popularity, but these naïve plants are also the foundations of local ecosystems that provide essential food and shelter for wildlife. Over thousands of years these plants have adapted to our harsh desert conditions. These plants have had the chance to evolve with local climate conditions and are more resilient to weather extremes than non-native varieties. Once established, these “natives” typically thrive with minimal care. From vibrant, complex flowers to billowing grasses, native plants can create diverse and visually appealing gardens that will change throughout the year. The tough, waxy leaves of the “Creosote” bush, the hairy leaves of “Brittlebush” and the thick outer coating and spines on cacti are adaptations to the environment. Some desert trees and the “Ocotillo” can drop their leaves in times of water stress. In an extreme drought, “Palo Verde” trees can go one step further, cutting off the water supply to specific limbs which will then dry up and break off. The leaves of the “Jojoba” are angled vertically, minimalizing the leaf surface that is exposed to direct sunlight. Most desert plants are light green or grey colored in order to reflect sunlight.

Perhaps the most amazing adaptation of desert plants is their ability to extract moisture from seemingly dry soils. Even soils that appear parches still contain a certain amount of water. Native plants are able to pull those water molecules from the soil. One big problem for most non-desert plants is that they do not have the ability to retrieve the water from our desert soil.

Desert adapted, or native plants have efficient structures that gather and store water to use as they need it. Other adaptations protect the plants from the sun, minimize water loss, enhance water storage abilities and increase the plants capability to extract nutrients from the soil. These are excellent qualities for plants in any landscape, and they are particularly useful for beginning gardeners as the plants require much less care and maintenance. Always include desert-adapted plants in your landscape and enjoy their magic. 

Many problems that some homeowners experience with landscape plants are a result of putting the wrong type of plant in a particular location. Spend a little time examining your landscape’s characteristics and researching plants that will naturally thrive in that situation will translate into less maintenance on your part once the plant is established.

One of your best bets for summer color is the “Baja Fairy Duster” (botanical name: “Calliandra Californica”), Native to Baja, California and the Sonoran Desert, this plant has a fern-like foliage and feather flowers that give this shrub a very soft texture. The “Baja Fairy Duster” grows to 2-6 feet tall and wide, depending on variety. This irregular, upright form of the plant is best suited for informal shrub borders and containers. Requires little to moderate water once established. It performs well in the Phoenix summer heat and can bloom nearly all year-long.

Perhaps the showiest variety would be the “Mexicali Rose”. Reaching a height of 4-foot, this plant has a bright red bloom from March to November. It grows well in either rocky or sandy soil. The naturally dense and bushy form of the “Mexicali Rose”  requires virtually no pruning or maintenance. This plant is a shining star in any garden. What more could one ask for?

So, keep those flowers blooming. Keep those weeds pulled. Keep your garden neat and you too can be that shining star! After all, don’t you deserve it?

Happy Gardening!  

We are excited to welcome The Garden Guys to our website.  These guys really know their plants, what grows in Phoenix, and how to care for them.  It's always pleasing to see patches of green in our brown desert scape.  Be sure to visit their corner of the site for helpful hints on what to plant this month, how much to water, maybe when to feed.  Plants are fun to grow and beautiful to look at, and The Garden Guys can help make your efforts successful.

-Patrick McCombs

THE GARDEN GUYS

DAN AND MICHAEL, C-111

April, a time when one thinks of the charm of the garden and it is usually the flowers that come to mind first. Flowers are invariably the highlights of the garden. They can be grown in hanging baskets, in the ground or in many other types of pots or containers. Use your imagination and be creative, just be sure your container has drainage holes. A plastic or wooden tub placed in full sun with red geraniums and cascading white petunias will stand out in almost any setting,

Here in Phoenix there are many flowering plants that will provide results far beyond the modest investment in time and trouble to bring them into bloom. Even a beginner can plant with confidence. One attractive way to ensure an impressive effect is to group several different plants together in the same container. Make sure that the plants you have selected require the same watering and soil conditions. Here are two planting ideas for April:

LAVENDER,  a wild plant of the Mediterranean hillsides is a flowering her that for centuries has been widely cultivated as a garden ornamental and also for hedging, Once used as an early seasoning in stews, it was also burnt on low fires to perfume rooms. An essential oil, it was used as a cough suppressant, to treat nervous disorders and headaches. At one time it was thought to be an antiseptic and an external stimulant. The flowers attract bees and today are still gathered for perfume, potpourri and to scent clothing. Lavendar has gray-green foliage with spikes of small lavender flowers that open in early summer. This plant grows best in light, dyrish soil for maximum fragrance and color. It grows equally well in a container or in the ground. Reaching a height of 2 to five feet, this plant is a wonderful addition to any garden and can be purchased at any garden center. Difficult to start from seed, it is easier to just buy the plant. This hardy perennial should be pruned when necessary in order to keep the plant in shape and prevent straggly growth and visible bare stems. Avoid cutting back into the old wood.

There is no tropical blooming plant more stunning than the CANNA. This native of the American tropics shouts its presence with loose spikes of 4 to 5 inch long flowers that bloom in cream, yellow, pink, orange, red and white. Some even have multi-colored blossoms. This plant is one great Hummingbird attraction. Known for its large, lance shaped leaves that may be a rich green, bronzy-red or variegated, it resembles those leave of the banana or ti plant. Related to both bananas and gingers, these tall broad-leaved plants grow at least 3-feet tall (for the smaller dwarf varieties) with larger varieties reaching 10 feet or more. The Canna is classified as a “rhizome” which is a modified stem that grows horizontally, usually just below or right on top of the soil surface. Rhizomes tend to be elongated structures. Roots grow from the underside of the rhizome and shoots develop from buds on the top and the sides, usually near the tip . Cannas, some species or Iris, Lily-of-the-Valley, Horseradish and Sansevieria are all examples of plants that grow from a rhizome.

Cannas can be purchased in packages containing just the bare-root rhizomes but are usually sold as “bulbs”. This is the most cost effective.way to go and now is the time of year to plant them. Cannas are also sold as potted plants. They grow equally well in pots or in the ground. With potted cannas, keep the soil moist but not wet or the rhizome could rot and the plant will die. In-ground cannas seem to be able to handle more water. These plants prefer afternoon shade in the summer since they tend to burn easily. Varieties you might want to look for include “Sunsplash” which has yellow striped, green leaves coupled with orange blossoms. Height is 4 to 7 feet. “Tropicana” has reddish-purple foliage striped with green, yellow, pink and red. Orange blooms sit atop this 4 to 6 foot beauty. “Red King Humbert” has reddish-bronze leaves and orange-scarlet to red blossoms. Also in the 4 to 6 foot range, this Canna looks regal in any setting. The “White Giant” has white speckles on green foliage and can grow upwards of 7 feet.

It's a lot to think about, what should you plant? That choice is up to you. 

But, now, it’s time to plant. Time to get things growing. It’s time to welcome in Spring!

                                                  Happy Gardening!