There are many plants and trees that can be used in a small area to create a stunning landscape.  Follow a few simple rules and you will have a great looking yard:

• Create a theme for your landscape to give it consistency.  A “desert” theme would include very low water use plants such as cactus and agaves and native desert trees.  You can mix in some  other low-water use plants for color and interest.  An “oasis” or Mediterranean type landscape would incorporate low water use plants with more color and use palms and more broad leaf plants than a desert type landscape.  You can even get an oriental feel to your landscaping by using more traditional style plants that can take the heat of our summers.
• Figure out how much space you have available and what the mature size of your plants will be.  If you add too many plants to a small area, they will become overgrown and entangled.  You can always add some temporary plants to fill in between the permanent plants and trees until they fully mature.
• Talk to an expert before buying plants.  Nursery workers are very knowledgeable and can make  suggestions and help you choose the best plants and trees for your yard.  Consider working with a landscape designer if you are starting from scratch or wanting to add some  hardscape items such as an outdoor built-in grill or fountain.
• Work with a professional landscaper who is licensed and will warranty their  work.  It can become expensive to replace plants and repair an irrigation system that you just paid to have installed.

Here are some really good small desert trees that do well with limited space.  They each have their own distinct style and advantages.

It’s still not too late to plant native desert plants and trees.  Just a few small additions or changes can make all the difference in the look of your yard.  You don’t need a huge yard to have a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy.  And, this time of year is the best time to be outdoors in Tucson!

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It’s still a great desert garden plant.  Did you know that it’s the largest genus of

plants in the mint family?  It comes in many colors and sizes.  There’s a white variety (Salvia apiana) that does well in full sun and well drained soil.

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Want a desert landscape plant that looks good and doesn’t ask much from you?  This desert plant requires minimal care and just as little water.  But, watch where you plant it!  It can have deadly sharp leaves.  So, keep it away from drives,  walkways, and areas where kids or pets play.  What is this great desert plant…its the Agave of course!  I’m sure many of you knew I was going to say that.

Like cactus, agaves grow  naturally in the Sonoran desert and are well suited to our extreme summer heat.  They’ve adapted thick leaves to help hold in water for times when water is scarce.  Their main defense against animals eating it is sharp, pointed leaves often with razor hooked teeth along the leaves.

A small agave with a light green leaf that gets to be 2′x2′ is the Agave parryi or Parry’s Agave.  This is a slow growing agave that has sharp tips and can be used as a specimen plant.

Another small agave that I love is the Twin-Flowered Agave (Agave geminiflora).  This one is dark green and does not have hooked leaves though the leaves are sharp.   This agave is native to west central Mexico.  It gets to about 3′x3′ and has very thin leaves.   I’ve planted this agave in a pot and it does very well.

There are a lot of easy things you can do to participate in Water Awareness Month.

Make sure that you watch your garden hose when hand watering your plants.  A garden hose can put out up to 291 gallons of water per hour.  Before you know it, you could have a flood in your yard.

Check your spigots, valves, connectors and hoses for leaks and repair them.

Plant hardy low water use desert plants and trees.  They do better in our desert environment than non-native plants.  They use less water and can tolerate our scorching summers better than other plants.

Use a hose nozzle with an automatic shut-off valve to minimize water usage when watering your plants.  This helps to keep excess water from watering your dirt.

If you notice that your water usage listed on your water bill jumps from the previous month’s usage, track your water usage on your meter and water bill and check for leaks.  Repair irrigation leaks quickly and adjust your irrigation controller for monthly weather differences.  Minor adjustments can make an impact on your overall water usage.

Did you know that watering in the early morning hours helps to reduce evaporation?  Don’t water your plants in the heat of the day.  That’s when evaporation is at its greatest.

You can help to keep rainwater from running off your yard by creating river rock swales to direct water to your plants and trees.  Berms or raised areas on slopes slow down rainwater runoff.

Add a rain sensor to your automatic irrigation controller to automatically shut off your irrigation system when it rains.  You don’t want to water when it’s raining.  It automatically turns your system back on when the rain stops.

Contact us at (520) 370-5697 if you’d like to implement some of these ideas into your landscape and irrigation but don’t want to do it yourself.   We can help you be more water smart!

It’s also evergreen so the leaves stay on during the winter.  And, since it’s small, it has a small root system and it can be planted by walkways or walls.  They also attract hummingbirds.

Watch our short video to find out more about this native to Texas and the Chihuahuan Desert.

You can often find this plant at your local nursery in a 10-gallon container.  Even when small, they bloom their purple clustered flowers.  It’s a great patio tree.

Do you have questions about your Spring planting?  Give us a call at (520) 370-5697.  We’re happy to answer them.

You have choices.  You can purchase organic produce and meats.  And, there are organic materials that you can use to help reduce weeds in your yard.  Did you know that if you have a basin or wash, traditional weed control chemicals cannot be sprayed in them?  They can leach into the groundwater.

Organic materials are a more earth friendly way to help with your weed control efforts.  Corn gluten is an organic material that works to help keep weed seeds from germinating.  And, there is a citrus-oil based product that works to kill weeds that are already growing.  Watch our short video to find out more.

Contact us at (520) 370-5697 or through this blog post if you have questions  about organic weed control materials.  They are a viable alternative to other weed control methods.

Shamrock plants (Oxalis species) are tender leafed plants that are grown from bulbs.  They grow to approximately 8″ high and 8 – 12″ wide.  They should be kept indoors if you want them to do well.  Don’t plant them outside in your desert landscaping.  They come in different colors of leaves and not just green.  They like moist soil but don’t keep it soggy.

The Shamrock plant needs a rest period a few times  year.  You’ll notice that the leaves start going yellow and drooping when it’s time  to let it rest.  Place your Shamrock plant in  a low light area.  Reduce your watering and remove the wilted leaves and your plant will recover nicely.

You can transplant your Shamrock plant every  few years to make sure the roots are doing well and giving your plant a boost with new  soil.  Your plant should give you many years of joy and hopefully some good luck too!

Another interesting Irish fact…over 40% of American Presidents had Irish ancestors.

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Have you heard of the Desert Spoon plant?  What does it make you think of?  A wooden spoon made out of cactus maybe?  Actually, it’s a great plant to use in  a Tucson landscape.

Desert Spoon is also known as Sotol and it’s scientific name is Dasylirion wheeleri.  Use it as an accent plant in an open area away from play areas, walkways and driveways.  It gets the name Desert Spoon because the area where the leaves meet the trunk forms a wooden spoon.  Pretty interesting!  It gets a stalk in June where it’s flowers are formed and it’s fruits mature in August.  Unlike agaves, the Desert Spoon does not die after it’s stalk blooms.

Watch our short video to see what the Desert Spoon looks like and  how to use it.

Sonoran Oasis Landscaping is dedicated to the use of desert plants and water-saving irrigation.  Visit our website to find out more about us.  Or call us at (520) 370-5697 if we can help you with any of your landscaping needs.

There is another reason to use rocks (specifically Catalina rock).  You use it to help keep a sloped area from eroding.  And, when you have a wash area that you want to stabilize.  Sometimes you don’t realize you need to add rock until you have a problem.

Our short video shows an example of Catalina rock being used to stabilize a wash that had a lot of runoff when it was just dirt.

Most rip rap type rock such as Catalina rock comes in the size of 4″ – 8″.  This size of rock covers approximately a 40 square foot area and equals about one ton.  Just measure out your area and you can easily figure out how much rock you’ll need to cover your area.

And, of course, if you don’t want to go through all the trouble to do it yourself give Sonoran Oasis Landscaping a call at (520) 370-5697 to help you with your rock project.  We’d love to do it for you!