Space, The Landscape Frontier!

 Say what you like about Phoenix.....hot, the devil lives there, it's hot, water guzzlers, it's really hot.....Jan Brewer.  Hey, it's all true!  But I have to admit one thing about downtown Phoenix.....it's pretty cool.  Let me be more specific....the area around the Convention center is eye candy.  Let's look and see what's going on in this area that makes this part of Phoenix glow!:)

During our convention center fun, I was also looking forward to snapping off some shots from several of the garden spaces around this block area.  The above picture was taken from the 15th floor of the Hyatt.  As we look across the way, we see an area full of date palms. One of the complaints about Phoenix is that it is a city of concrete. And because there is so much concrete, the sidewalks and roads absorb all that 100+ heat and augment the temps by even more.  At night, instead of cooling down like Tucson does, the heat stays!!  Plus many of the people are transplants from green belts in the states.  They bring their water guzzling ways and plant many non native species which increases our states use of the water.  And yes...it does bother me:)  So let's look at what works here.  I don't think you have to sacrifice anything to achieve that "look".

We have to think about what will survive and create an oasis to appeal to the senses.  Look at these planters.  There are a variety of palms including the Canary Palm and the Mediterranean Fan Palm. I will be adding this to our landscape in the next month because as you may or may not know.....it's time to put your palm trees into the ground!!!  How cool is that!  Okay maybe I'm a bit too excited about all of this, but I seriously love landscaping in the desert.

And there's more.  But here is a LOVE about Phoenix.  Check out this shot.  Cactus in the front and skyscraper in the background.  Now that's hot!

 

Sometimes the need for art is overlooked in the landscaping design.  While I'm not so crazy about this sculpture, I would have to say that it makes a statement.  From the wrong angle, this fisherman appears to be peeing in the water.  However, I do like the roadrunner on the rock.  That's pretty cool. 

Lets's look at some of the plants here that are true survivors of our intense summers and at times, cold winter nights.  The most cold sensitive of this bunch is probably the Canary Palm(center, pic below). From left to right(below), you see the Mediterranean Fan Palm, Red Yucca(huge hummingbird favorite with its red/pink flowers.....and a popular plant in Tucson), Agave, Canary Palm(in the middle), and the very sexy Mexican Bird of Paradise.  More on that plant in a sec.

For now, let's combine the element of design....art, plants, water, and an area to relax.  Space is everything.  And I think this is perfection. 

The downtown area of Phoenix uses its space very well.  Any little opening is utilized according to the shade from building etc to create a greener feel for visitors or Arizonans like myself.....and I do appreciate good landscaping.

Now many of you LOVE this plant. It's one of the top searches for Las Aventuras.  And I can understand why....it's fern like and has the most brilliant orange blooms. It's also bushy in appearance and makes a bold statement in landscape.  And this delicate looking plant is one of the TOUGHEST in the desert.  Very little water is required, but I do give it a little extra to grow quicker.  In Phoenix this plant doesn't die back unless their winter is severe.  In Tucson, the Mexican Bird of Paradise is cut back to the ground.  In spring, it will send out its first shoots from the ground.  And remember, the more sun it gets; the more blooms you'll have.  I highly recommend this plant for beginners who want something that will survive.  Xeric to the max and will make people drool all over your yard.  And that's good because any extra moisture during this dry month of June is good for the plants:)

Let's move on.  Space.  It's the topic.  You'd think that I'd be better at it.  But the simple truth is, I'm not.  I love birds and wildlife in my garden.  Therefore I create a lot of area for the birds to hide etc.  Bird landscaping is a bit different in design from a clean landscape design.  Both are cool, but I like waking up to birds in the morning.  I have some work I've been doing around El Presidio coming up in several weeks.....I can't wait to show you.  There's so much going on here that it's difficult not to throw all of it at you all at once.  But that might be too much:)  Let's just say it's an exciting time here.

Some cacti and succulents do better in Phoenix than in Tucson.  An example of this is found behind this jazz player.   While you may see things like the San Pedro etc, you won't find many succulents.  The simple fact is that Tucson gets too cold and you'll end up losing these plants creating a huge mess.  Our historic freeze last year proved fatal for many of these beloved plants.  Remember that if you are working with Euphorbs(especially the African kind), you'll need to take care with the milky sap that will sometimes ooze from a broken piece.  You'll get a nasty burn/rash on your skin.  Always wear gloves when handling these plants.   In fact, I love when a cacti or succulent grows like this.  I have such a cluster in my own side garden and I wrapped that sucker up from last years historic freeze.  Today it stands tall and beautiful like it has for over a decade.  It's in the headlining pic for Las Aventuras. 

Rainbow Bush/Portulacaria afra 'Variegata'

I mentioned succulents.  Gorgeous plants that add a lot of appeal to any garden or art design.  However they thrive in moderate climates like San Diego along the coast. But several do extremely well here in Arizona....mostly in Phoenix.  This(above pic) is the hardiest of the succulents that I experimented on here in Tucson.  It endured our cold nights and LOVES our heat.....with a little bit of water.  It's usually placed along a drip line with a little shade, but not too much.

 When space is tight, there is always a solution.  Date palms, Lantana, Red Yucca, Agaves.....you name it.  If clumped together in the right combo they can make your home or business pop! The nice part about many of our xeric plants is that they clump or are very structural in nature. 

 This pic above was taken at night.  A warm summer breeze with the skyscraper in the background.  Nice!

And voila!  There you have it.  Desert design, IMHO, at its best!  People seem to love it as does the local wildlife.  More tomorrow.....

Holiday Plants for Tucson

Can the "Nochebuena" or Pointsettia be grown in Tucson?

I'd like to mention several plants that stand out during this time of year in Tucson whether they be placed into pots or in the landscape.  I'll hear Tucsonans talking about several of them as the year goes on.  So let's begin this fun look into several of these "holiday-ish" plants for our area.    The first one I'd like to start with is the Pointsettia.  We consumers love this plant and will purchase it in great numbers.  A wonderful supplier here is Green Things.  Okay okay....none of this is new.  Why would I bring this plant up?  Well because many Tucsonans ask the question, "Can we place this plant into our landscape after the holidays?"  A complicated question.  If the plant has a great root system and wasn't just placed into a pot for the holiday time period.....then yes BUT!........there are a couple things you should know about as I have tried this experiment myself.  "Have I seen this plant in Tucson growing in the landscape?"  Yes BUT here are the things to keep in mind.  This plant is SUPER sensitive to frost and it will be killed, roots and all, if bitten by damaging temps.  It does like water, but if you water it too much, you'll kill it from rot.  The roots do not like sitting in water at all.  This plant is wild in Mexico and is quite stunning.  However, the temps there are milder and the plant thrives on moderate rainfall without the severe freezes like Tucson gets.  I have seen several healthy and large plants in Tucson that are grown in planters and protected from the intense sun by a building or a large trees afternoon shade. The owners say they are a bit fussy but worth the effort. So blankets and heaters have been used.  It should get some morning sun but protected from extreme hot summer afternoon sun.  Both Pointsettias were placed in enclosed planter areas that were protected from frost biting temps and kept warm by outside trees and shrubs.  It never hurts to experiment.

Arizona Madrone(I took this photo in Madera Canyon last year)

A couple plants that naturally create a nice holiday feel in our own gardens are the berry producing ones.  In Madera Canyon, you'll find the Arizona Madrone.  Here in Tucson, the Pyracantha offers hues of reds, oranges or yellows.  The color will depend on the variety growing in the landscape.

Pic taken from my neighbor's yard

And what about those desert plants in our landscape that really don't stand out for the holidays?  Take your agave or cactus, like the above pic, and add some color to the tips.  Many folks around here put lights(mostly white) around their Saguaro cactus. I don't know, but I think it's kinda fun to see the agave like this.  The point here is to be creative:) I'll show you some fun ways to dress up your desert plants this week:)

Pic courtesy of Wiki

People love bulbs and there are all kinds to place in pots around our homes and gardens.  But it's during this time of year that the infamous Amaryllis catches our eyes with its' brilliant colors of reds and pinks. Interestingly enough, I placed this bulb into my garden after its' bloom was done just to see what it would do....and it grew lovely green leaves throughout the year in the garden. However, you need a substantial amount of chill and rest for it to bloom again. But the leaves were nice.

Photo courtesy of Wiki

Finally, I'd like to end with Desert Mistletoe.  Newcomers are always shocked by the idea that the desert has mistletoe!!!  We do.....and a lot! It's a parasitic plant that lives in many of our native trees like mesquite or palo verdes.  To the human eye, it looks like a bird's nest because it clumps inside the tree's branches. It's mistletoe and that's what it does.  There are A LOT of thorns so don't even try and attempt to grab a piece for that smooch under the doorway. You'll draw blood! While it's a cousin of the full and velvety leafed Christmas mistletoe, our variety here is stringy with brittle jointed stems.  Birds will eat the berries on this plant.  So keep your eyes open for this plant around our beautiful desert. And that's my holiday report for today:)

Close up of Desert Mistletoe thanks to my friend and special guest photographer

Casey Scheidegger! (You are awesome:)

 

Club Green

I love this fountain and it is my FAVORITE piece from this garden.  It reminds me of a beach in Rocky Point with coral and shells abound.

One of the things that came to mind while putting together several posts was our school garden. A biology teacher, Mr. Ewing, began this special project several years ago and today it's a lovely oasis for teachers and students alike.  I enjoy being able to go down and visit the garden area on my prep time to grade papers or just take a stroll.  While it takes some maintenance, I believe it's important for schools to have a garden.  Most high schools won't bother with something like this, but I'm glad someone was forward thinking and started this project. My 4th Year Spanish class donated an orange tree to the garden and today it has grown quite large.  Let's take a look at some of the highlights this natural and wild garden offers.

The roses in April are fantastic!!!  This plant has taken off with late morning sun and afternoon shade. 

While in this wildlife garden, you will notice all kinds of birds fluttering about....sometimes having a little bird fight. 

The entrance to the garden is warm and inviting from the sterile concrete hallways of our school.

All along the garden, you'll find rustic benches and ramadas for people to sit and take a break.

During this photo shoot, there was a bird war over some seed.  This little guy takes a break from the territorial anger:)

Agaves took a beating this past winter, but blooms remind us that some of these plants have recovered.

A pond was placed in the garden and is maintained by students during the day.  Several critters that come to visit.....javelina, rabbits, snakes, lizards, and other desert fauna. This picture is taken from a teacher's second floor window.  What a view!!

I think this garden represents peace in a dark time for education.  With all the cuts going on and happening throughout the US, we are facing some very depressing times for our kids.  There comes a breaking point for everyone and I don't know when that will happen, but we are losing wonderful teachers and programs due to cuts.  In Arizona, some interesting laws are being passed that are changing the face of the public school system here.  Most people feel saddened by what is happening....and powerless.  But in a time of sadness, it's good to know that there is a place you can go to let the bad thoughts disappear.  Mr. Ewing has done a great job educating kids and extending the classroom out into the garden.  I know it takes a lot of time and effort to care for this garden and I'm thankful we have it.