How To Turn your Yard Into A Water Saving Paradise Part 3

   

   Hello readers, Use My Guy here with part three in my series on xeriscaping.  Just to refresh your memory, xeriscaping is the practice of using plants that are native to Arizona and the Sonoran desert instead of using plants that are native to other regions and require more watering.  Using this technique can save you hundreds of dollars a year in watering costs while giving you the peace of mind knowing that you are doing your part to preserve our natural resources.

Barberry

    This week I will be discussing shrubs.  These are the plants that accent your trees and grasses and will add even more color and variety to your already beautiful yard.   The best part about these shrubs is that they are rated very highly by the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association.  What this means for you is that all these plants require little to no supplemental watering which saves you money and helps to preserve Arizona’s most precious natural resource.                                                                             

     So let’s get into it.  The first shrub I’ll share with you is the Barberry.  Barberry or Berberis trifoliolata is a shrub that is native to Texas and can be distinguished by its bright red berries.  This shrub needs to be watered once or twice a month depending on how much rainfall has occurred.  This shrub makes a great hedge because of its uniform growth pattern.  It will need to be trimmed at least twice a year however and if you have small children it is a good idea to look for a variety without thorns.  The flowers this shrub produces are yellow and appear in late winter through early spring.

Baja Ruellia

    The Baja Ruellia or Ruellia Peninsularis is a great shrub that loves lots of sun and only needs to be watered twice a month.  It has purple flowers that begin to appear in spring and last through the fall.  This shrub has no thorns but when the flowers fall off they can make quite a mess.  It is a good idea to cover this shrub up before a frost because temperatures below twenty-eight degrees can kill it.  If you cover it up during a frost it will remain green throughout the year.

Chuparosa

   The Chuparosa is a California favorite although it survives well on just ten inches of water a year.  Also known as the hummingbird plant, this red flowered beauty attracts hummingbirds when the weather is reasonably mild.  Its flowers which bloom in late winter through spring are the perfect shape for the Hummingbirds long beak.  This hardy bush only needs one deep watering a month so if you love hummingbirds then keep the Chuparosa in mind.  Do be careful in the winter though as temps below twenty-five degrees can kill it.

Flattop Buckwheat

    Flattop Buckwheat or Eriogonum Fasciculatum v. Polifolium is a low flowering shrub with pink and white flowers that bloom in spring.  This is quite a small shrub that only grows to about one by two feet.  It more than makes up for it though with the copious amount of blooms that it produces.  This shrub is a little bit tougher than the last two I mentioned and can survive temps as low as fifteen degrees which makes it ideal for the mild Arizona winters.  It only needs to be watered once a month.

    The Oleander is an Arizona favorite with its large pink and

Oleander

white flowers that bloom from spring through fall.  It also makes an excellent hedge and can often grow over six feet tall and over four feet in width.  It does best in full sun and should be watered at least twice a month to ensure that the blooms stay for as long as they are supposed to.  It is a good idea to be careful when trimming and handling this bush because the leaves can be irritating to the skin so make sure you wear gloves.

    Langmans sage is native to the Chihuahuan desert with beautiful lavender flowers that bloom between summer and fall.  It can grow up to five feet in height and only needs to be watered monthly.  This is a very dense shrub that needs little pruning to maintain its round shape.

    If you decide to plant these shrubs in your yard you will be in for a treat because they all have beautiful blooms and will attract many different species of local fauna into your yard.  You will also save quite a bit of money because most of these shrubs only need to be watered twice a month.  So do yourself and Arizona a favor and get on the xeriscape train, you won’t regret it.

When looking for a landscaper we understand how hard it can be to find someone you trust that’s why we here at Use My Guy Services are on the Better Business Bureau where we have an A+ rating.  We are also on Angie’s List where we have a 5 star rating as well in addition to winning the Super Service Award for 2015.  You can also check us out on yelp and Face book where we have dozens of 5 star reviews.  So look no further because we are your trusted source for all your handyman needs from plumbing and electrical to shelf hanging and irrigation maintenance, installation and repair.  Call us at (602)316-9187 to speak with a member of our friendly and helpful staff or check us out online for a complete list of services offered and for more information about our family and how you can be a part of it.

Thanks for reading.

Use My Guy