Arizona Citrus

Appropriate Watering is Key Master gardeners in the state of Arizona explain that the biggest problem for home gardeners growing healthy citrus trees is watering. When you water your citrus trees the area on the ground that you water should be about a foot wider than the canopy of the tree. Generally this is about how far the root system …

Agave Geminiflora

Agave ferdinandi-regis (King of the Agaves) – A stunning small slow-growing agave to 18 inches tall by as wide with an open rosette of stout triangular blue-green leaves having narrow longitudinal white bud imprints that usually form a triangle shape. The margins of the leaves are dark reddish brown and spineless terminating at the blunt leaf tip in a stout …

Sago Palms

This lush, long-living plant isn’t actually a palm at all, though their foliage looks like palm fronds. Sagos are in the cycad family and are native to southern Japan. Cycads go back to the Jurassic Age, and with all of their armor, it’s easy to see why they have survived so long. There are several types of cycads on the …

The Pittosporum Plant (Mock Orange)

Leaves show a textured, contrasted border Evergreen / Low Maintenance Stand alone or medium hedge Small creamy white flowers have a pleasing orange-blossom fragrance Native to Japan, Korea, and China, Pittosporum is commonly used as a hedge, where its dramatic foliage color can bring interest to landscapes. Also known as Mock Orange, this is an attractive mounding evergreen shrub with …

Heavenly Bamboo

Heavenly Bamboo This 1970’s shrub is still a great choice for morning sun or partial shade. It does not need to be pruned very much, and the foliage will give you beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red in the winter. It’s a great accent with red brick and also has tiny red berries. There are several varieties depending on …

My poor lantanas!

Whiteflies A white, protective wax coating conceals the bodies of greenhouse, giant and silverleaf whiteflies as they drain sap from the backs of lantana leaves. Besides causing the leaves to yellow and drop, the winged adults and their larvae secrete sticky, clear waste called honeydew. Honeydew-covered leaves add to messiness of a whitefly invasion by luring black sooty mold fungi …

Blue Glow Agave​

Blue Glow Agave have smooth, blue-green leaves with yellow-edged. The leaves have red margins form a single, symmetrical rosette. Each leaf tip bears a short red spine. They are a comely choice for sunny, low water gardens in warm coastal or humid Mediterranean-like climates. Blue Glow Agaves are handsome in dry desert gardens as well, provide some shade for them …

Jacaranda Trees

The first time someone sees a jacaranda tree (Jacaranda mimosifolia), they may think they’ve spied something out of a fairy tale. This lovely tree often spans the width of a front yard, and is covered in beautiful lavender purple blooms every spring. Read on to learn how to grow a jacaranda tree if you have the right environment. Growing jacaranda …

California Orange Trichocereus Cactus

Blooms can vary in color depending on weather & fertilizer given. Can be ground planted if given excellent drainage in winter months. Tends to lean at 3ft in height, so staking maybe required above 3ft if not in a tight mass planting.  Trichocereus Hybrid ‘ORANGE CALIFORNIA’ Has a large 8″+ diameter bloom in light orange to pink and a darker orange midstripe/backpetals. …

Xeriscaping with Style – Part 16

PREPARE A COST ESTIMATE Pre-shopping activities should provide the information needed to estimate the total cost of the landscape. Use a worksheet like the one above to generate the cost estimate. Make several copies, in case you need additional space or want to revise your list of materials and services. It might save some time to list similar items on …