Hi Readers.
Use My Guy here with another installment in my series on
xeriscaping. This week I’m going to begin
wrapping the series up by giving some suggestions on plant placement and
irrigation methods. For those of you
that have not been following the series here’s a short recap on what has been
discussed so far. First of all the
definition of xeriscaping according to Merriam- Webster is” a landscaping
method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilizes
water-conserving techniques (as the use of drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and
efficient irrigation)”. What this means
for you as a homeowner. If you practice
these techniques then you will save yourself time and money because A) You will
spend less time watering your plants and B) You will use less water and will
therefore be doing a large part in the conservation of Arizona’s most precious
natural resource.
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| A perfectly xeriscaped yard in full summer bloom. |
Over the last four
weeks I have talked about plants that are drought resistant and heat resistant,
most of them are even resistant to freezing temperatures. Most of these plants only need to be watered
once a month to once weekly. Compared to
most of the plants that most Arizonans have planted in their back and front
yards these plants are drought resisting superstars that will attract a variety
of native fauna to your backyard.
Additionally most of these plants provide beautiful blooms that will
attract local pollinators year round.
So let’s get down
to business. This week I am going to
talk about great combinations that will provide shade, blooms, variety,
pollinators and even fruits in your yard year round. I will organize them by season and list the
type of plant before the name of the plant, so let’s get started.
First up is
spring, this is the most exciting part of the year when it comes to blooms and
pollinators because this is the time of the year when most plants are in bloom
and when the flowers are blooming the pollinators are buzzing.
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| Lilac Vine |
Vines: Lilac Vine, purple showy flowers, blooms late winter
to spring, prefers full sun, needs watering once a week.
Trees: Anacacho Orchid, white or pink flowers, blooms spring
through summer, water once a week during drought. Blue Palo Verde, yellow flowers, blooms early
spring through summer, water once a month, great for shade. Chilean Mesquite, yellow flowers, blooms in
spring, water once a month, great for shade.
 |
| Blue Palo Verde |
Shrubs: Barberry,
yellow flowers which turn to bright red berries, blooms late winter through
spring, water once a month. Baja
Ruellia, purple trumpet shaped flowers, blooms spring through fall,
water every
two weeks during drought.
Flat top Buckwheat, pink flowers,
blooms in the spring, water twice a month during drought conditions. Oleander, pink to white flowers, blooms
spring through summer, water twice a month, makes a great hedge. Pink Fairy Duster, pink showy flowers, blooms
spring through fall, water twice monthly in drought conditions.
 |
| Grey Ice Plant |
Ground Covers: Gray Ice Plant,
orange to red flowers, blooms in the spring, water twice a month in drought
conditions. Trailing Dalea, purple
flowers, blooms spring through summer, water once a week in drought
conditions. Damianata, golden and yellow
daisy-like flowers, blooms in the spring and in the summer, water once a month
in the summer.
Cacti: Argentine Giant, white
showy flowers that bloom in the evening, blooms in the spring, needs no
supplemental watering. Prickly Pear,
reddish to yellow blooms that turn to edible fruit, blooms in spring and the
fruit appears in the middle of summer, no supplemental watering. Spruce Cones, small pink and white flowers,
blooms in the spring, water once a month in drought conditions. Mexican Fencepost, pink flowers, blooms in
the spring, no supplemental watering, makes a great yard barrier. Saguaro, white showy flowers, blooms in the
spring, needs no supplemental watering.
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| Prickly Pear |
These are all drought resistant plants that bloom in the spring if you
continue to follow my blog I will go through each of the seasons and by the end
of it you will be able to make educated choices about what plants are
complementary of each-other and how to keep your yard in bloom year round. My tip for watering in this article is
automation. There are many different
brands and styles of irrigation system timers and you are sure to find one that
fits your needs. Because all of the
plants mentioned in the articles only need to be watered between once a week
and once a month you will need a relatively inexpensive timer that only has
four stations on it. Each station gets
programmed for different groups of plants that have different need. For instance station one can water plants
that need to be watered once a month, station two can be set to water plants
that need it once a week and so on and so forth. With some time spent on a timer you can
automate your entire yards irrigation system and never again have to spend your
own precious time watering your yard.
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
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