Designing in the Desert

Best Garden Blog in Arizona?

2009-09-24T23:24:00.007-07:00

Well, I'm amazed. Designing in the Desert has been nominated for the 2009 Blotanical Award of Best Garden Blog in Arizona. I'm honored and amazed. Thank you all so much, who voted so far. I've been working so much, I wasn't even aware of the awards or my nomination until another blogger sent me a congratulatory "tweet" this afternoon.

Which brings me to another point, the competition.... I don't have a chance.

Mo at Green Desert and Aiyana at Water When Dry both have excellent blogs. I enjoy reading them before any others and highly recommend them to you. They both have been much more faithful posters and great about sharing their lives and garden interests with us then I have been. ...And they both have better cameras, but I digress.

The other two, A Garden in the Desert and The Desperate Gardeners are both fairly strict garden blogs of the edible variety and where I like to visit when I'm in the mood for Az veggie garden info.

Never the less, I am fairly competitive. Since I don't have a chance at winning this thing straight up, I'm going to call on my enormous networking and Web 2.0 clan to create a landslide of votes and bury those two wonderful gals under tons of peat.
Four days left to buy votes.... Good luck Ladies! Bwa ha ha ha ha!

Step 2) Wetting the Root Zone

2009-09-16T02:56:00.010-07:00

Ok, in this step we will discover how to properly cover and wet the root zones of your plants and trees. Not vertically like we did in the last step, but horizontally.

Remember, in the last step we figured out how many minutes it took to water your plants to the proper depth. Now we are talking width.

Why width? Because plants naturally send out roots to the drip line, or foliage line. The leaves and branches will naturally direct rain water away from the trunk towards the outside rim of foliage.

We want to place our emitters at about the same place to take advantage of the natural tendencies of the plant

Remember the illustration below? You can see how plant root structure stretch out from the trunks. We want to place emitters so the water wets as much of the root system as possible. We also want to encourage new plants to spread their roots out, as well.

You can also see how some larger plants will need more then one emitter, and trees can need numerous emitters to form health root growth.

In the drawing below, you can see a couple of examples of emitter placement as it relates to the canopy of plants and trees

The small canopy might be a small ground cover or accent plant like a Lantana or maybe Penstemon. One emitter wets a large amount of the root area.

However, when we move up to a larger plant, say a Sage or maybe Ruellia one emitter wets only a small part of the root area. At least two are needed.

You can see that even a small tree then can easily require eight or ten emitters to water the root area evenly.

Don't forget, as the plant or tree grows and spreads it's canopy, so do the roots. Your emitters will need to be moved out or new emitters added to evenly wet the root area and deliver enough water for the size of your plants.

Adding emitters to trees can be a real chore, especially if you're not experienced. I like to use the 5/8" drip tubing to loop around the tree and if you add an emitter every 2' to 2 1/2' you get a fairly even wet zone.

Here we have dug out a hole for a 15 gallon or 24" boxed tree. We have looped the tubing around the edge of the hole. the placement of the tubing is important because you must wet the root area that has been in the container, but also encourage the root to expand and anchor the tree. Right on the edge is perfect.

I like to use five 2 gallon per hour emitters on a 24"boxed tree. Four around the edge of the container and one on the base of the trunk.

You can use the smaller 1/4" tubing or "spaghetti" to fine tune the exact drip point where the water will enter the soil. Again, as this tree grows, you will need to move these emitters out and add a few more.

In this image you can see the emitter placed on the 5/8" tubing and the spaghetti leading up from it. The spaghetti tubing can be up to 10' long before you begin to lose volume.

Soil composition is important here also. The more dense or clay like your soil is the more the water will spread out as it percolates down to the roots. You may not need to add two emitters to medium sized plant because the water spreads out nicely. On the other hand, sandy soils usually require more emitters because the water doesn't spread much at all. It can run straight down with only a small wet spot on the surface.

We'll talk a little bit more about soils and also about irrigation timing on the next step.

Step 3) Cycle and Soak.

Rain Water Harvesting - The Good, the Bad and the Bunyips.

2009-07-30T14:43:00.016-07:00

The Monsoons are supposed to be coming, hopefully. When they do, how much water will remain on your property? Will it cause problems on your property like flooding, erosion or foundation settling? If it happens to be a big rain, how long till you turn your irrigation system back on? Two, maybe three days?

I recently attended a very interesting seminar here in Phoenix. The topic was Rainwater Harvesting. If you live in Phoenix you may not know much about rainwater harvesting. We seem to have the attitude that water is cheap and plentiful, and it is thanks to the CAP. But this isn’t the case most everywhere else in Arizona. Tucson, for instance will be mainstreaming rainwater harvesting into their city development plans very soon. Starting this January all commercial projects in Tucson will have to provide 50% of the landscape irrigation through rainwater harvesting.

This is big news and no small step for any municipal water district. But what do you know about rainwater harvesting? Would you like to know more?

Well, the seminar was basically an introduction to an on line information module just now available for free through the University of Arizona, The Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF), and The Water Sustainability Program. The actual module site was created by the Arid Lands Information Center team: Carla Casler, Theresa Crimmins, Damian Hammond, Chris Hansen, and Katherine Waser.

The goal of the site is to provide Arizonans who are new to rainwater harvesting with the tools and information they need to begin planning their own rainwater harvesting system. They discuss some of the most useful backyard water harvesting strategies, including some that you can implement yourself without a lot of expensive equipment or tools. They even offer a How-To video on Bunyips.

A bunyip is a mythical creature from Australian folklore, but also a very old and useful tool for grading. Personally I’ll stick with my laser level, but bunyip is such a cool word, I had to work it in.

You must register, but use of the module is free. Check it out: Simple Techniques for Back Yard Water Harvesting.

Have you ever noticed how happy your plants look after a good rain? It isn’t your imagination. Your plants prefer rainwater. I encourage you to get your feet wet (pardon the pun) and try a small project. If you have children, they will love it and it might get them away from the game console for a little while.

Landscape Irrigation without the Numbers – Step one.

2009-07-18T18:11:00.005-07:00

Step 1) Discovering your watering rate:

Basically in step one, we want to figure out how many minutes it takes your system to wet the root zone of your plants.

First we need to let your yard or garden dry out a bit.

Then you will water it once for the normal amount of time.

Then you will measure the depth of the wetted area under your plants.

Let the soil in your yard or garden dry out for the regular interval between irrigation cycles, plus maybe one or two extra days. Watch your plants carefully. You may need to hand water certain plants, especially your pots and containerized plants that begin to stress.

When you are satisfied the ground is dry, or when many of your plants are beginning to wilt, turn your irrigation system back on manually for one cycle. Everything should get the normal drink of water. If your plants normally get 30 minutes, run it for 30 minutes. The best time to do this is early in the morning or just after the sun sets. Wait about an hour after the normal watering cycle is finished, then grab your soil probe. You are going to gently push it into the soil about 4” - 6” away from the drip emitter or bubbler of each plant. Remember, I said gently.

**** But first, a word of caution. ****

Every yard has utility lines, water, electric, phone, cable TV, natural gas and sewer. Add to that, landscape irrigation pipe and hoses, pool piping, landscape lighting, electrical for outdoor kitchen, patios, fountain pumps, drainage line, etc. Anytime you dig or push a soil probe into the ground, you should understand where these things are and take proper precautions not to hit any of them. There is a chance that you could make contact with an electrical line and receive a lethal electrical shock. Never use a hammer or anything to drive or pound your soil probe into the ground. Also make sure your probe is rounded or blunt on the tip. This way, if you do bump a drip line or pipe, your probe will probably slide off rather then puncture or cut the line.

Always call before you dig or excavate! Arizona Blue Stake will mark your utility lines in your yard for free.

The soil will be wet so the probe should push in easily. My wife can do this with one hand. If you have very little hand and arm strength, you might need to use two hands, but be careful. If the probe doesn’t go into the soil easily, don’t force it. You can move to the other side of the plant and try it, or move to another plant and try it again. I have been using soil probes for a very long time and I have never damaged anything. However, I use them very gently as if I expect I might hit a drip hose or pipe.

When the probe hits dry soil, it will be become harder to push it down. Don’t force it. You are measuring the depth of the wet soil only. Hold your finger, or mark your probe at ground level and then pull it out. This is the depth of the wet zone or soil reservoir your irrigation system has provided for your plant.

The 1, 2, 3 rule works well for mature plant root zones. Here in the desert, ground covers have a root zone about 1 foot deep. Shrubs feeder roots will usually run about 2 feet deep. Tree feeder roots usually run about 3 feet deep. Lawns should be watered to about 8”.

Adjust your timer till you have the right wetted depth for most of your plants. You don’t have to be perfect, just get close and write down your results. I usually make a simple drawing with the wetted depth for each plant along with the number of minutes used on the timer. This is very close to the amount of minutes you will use to irrigate each given zone or valve.

Don’t go out and buy a bunch or drip emitters and try to balance each plant just yet. In the next step we will talk about proper wetting of the entire root zone and balancing the water rate at each plant. You may need to change or add some emitters in this next step. That will be when you can go out and buy stuff.

Work through your watering depths and check back here for Step 2. Wetting the Root Zone.

Landscape Watering by the Numbers

2009-07-15T17:52:00.008-07:00

Ok, it’s mid July and the Monsoons haven’t made much of an appearance yet. Recently we’ve had the hottest days of the year (so far) and some of your plants are probably looking a little sick. Many of us actually over-water this time of year because we worry about our plants out there suffering in this heat. So, in the spirit of hot air and since July is now Officially National Smart Irrigation Month, here is the beginning of a series on how to water your plants.

There are some pretty good guides and pamphlets out there that cover the subject very well.

This is the best pamphlet I’ve seen so far and you can download a PDF here.

The problem is these guides take time and to read and follow and we are all busy, right? Sometimes it’s just easier to add more time to the controller. And so this is how it happens that people get big water bills and many times sick plants from over watering.

Would you like a quick start guide? OK!

I have a fairly simple process that is part of a program I use on almost all of the properties where I manage the Landscape Irrigation. I have developed this process because everyone’s yard, garden and landscape is unique. Every yard is a micro-climate all its own. Plus the irrigation system is almost always different too. Sometimes they need some work, but I’ll cover that in another article.

However, the goal is almost always the same. We must deliver just enough water to wet the root area of the plant plus just a tiny bit of extra. Then to let the root zone dry a bit, then repeat. I’ll show you how to do that in your yard in three steps.

You will need a soil probe for this process. I think every gardener should have one. It doesn’t have to be spiffy. A very long screw driver or a piece of rebar with a point on one end works great. A three foot long soil probe is best, but a 24” probe can work. I use an old piece of rebar with a “T” welded to one end and grind stripes every 6”.

Here is a picture mine. It’s old and not real trendy.

You don’t need a “T” on the end. Rebar bent to an “L” on the end will also work great. I think almost any hardware store that sells rebar, sells shorter pieces and can bend an “L” on one end for you. Concrete installers use bent rebar all the time to brace concrete slabs. Very long screw drivers are cooler looking but they can be expensive.

**** A word of caution. ****

My soil probe is all metal. Yours doesn't have to be all metal. I have used all metal soil probes for many years without a problem. Used properly, they are about as safe as any other tool. However, there is a chance you or I could make contact with an electrical wire, conduit, irrigation line, sewer line, or water line that has been buried in your yard. There is a chance you could come into contact with a lethal amount of voltage. If you decide to use a soil probe of any kind, use it at your own risk. Never use a hammer or anything else to drive of force your soil probe into the ground.

In the next article, I will cover the proper use of a soil probe. Used properly, I believe they are about as safe as any other tool. There are some really cool soil probes on-line that range from $80. on up. There are a number with fiberglass shafts that should insulate you in the event you strike a high voltage line on your garden.

So go find one in the garage, build one or buy one and then come back for step one.

Will the REAL Mexican Bird of Paradise, please stand up?

2009-06-03T13:10:00.011-07:00

I was thinking of Blooming Tuesday and set off on my morning appointment with camera in tow. Lots of plants are blooming in Phoenix right now and one of the most colorful are the Caesalpinia pulcherrima. So much color!

Notice the flower color and the leaf size.

Some of you right now are thinking, “Oh yeah, the Mexican Bird of Paradise. I love those”. Well guess what? This isn’t a Mexican Bird of Paradise. This is the actually the “Red” Bird of Paradise.

The distinctive element that separates this Caesalpinia from the others is the red flower color. Hence the common name, Red Bird. It grows to about 6’ and is root hardy to about 15 degrees. Although it likes to be cut back to 8” to 12” annually in the winter or very early spring.

There is a Pulcherrima “Yellow” Hybrid which makes it even more confusing. You'll see why shortly.

Since the Red Bird and Yellow Hybrid look pretty much dead or frost burned in the winter months, you will want to place it near or behind something that will be prominent during that time of year. I like to place them three or four feet behind boulders. Planting these right next to a sidewalk like above, probably isn’t the best location.

There are actually four Caesalpinias that are popular here in the Phoenix area; all of them are beautiful but, slightly different. Here is the next one.

This is Caesalpinia Mexicana

Again notice the flower color and leaf size.

The Caesalpinia Mexicana, the real Mexican Bird of Paradise is a larger plant, has larger leaves and can be pruned into a small tree up to about 12’ or 15’, is hardy to 18 degrees, and is a native to Mexico. Hence the name, Mexican Bird of Paradise. You can even buy them in 24” and 36” box containers now that the tree form has become more popular.

You can see some great examples of the “Mexican” bird of Paradise in the shopping center parking strip on the north east corner of Tatum and Shea. Hopefully they haven't been hacked up by an eager maintenance person.

One interesting use is in a partially shaded oriental garden. The Mexicana adapts well to shade and opens up into a beautifully delicate and graceful patio tree. This is the best I could do for a picture as this one hasn't been pruned and cleaned up. However you can see how the Mexicana responds to limited sun and how it will fit into a tight spot. The more shade the more open and to me, more graceful it will become.

Curiously enough some of you right now might actually be saying, Oh yeah, the Cascalote, I love that tree. Well guess what? This isn’t a Cascalote. Funny isn’t it. The Cascalote or Caesalpinia cacalaco is a slightly larger tree yet.

As you can see, they look very similar to the Mexicana. The leaves are a bit larger yet (impossible to see here), and the flower looks virtually the same, which is probably the reason for the confusion. However, if you look closely you will notice the bark is bumpy, thorny, and darker. Sort of a reddish-brown. They grow slowly to about 20’ or maybe a bit larger and are hardy to about 20 degrees, slightly more frost sensitive then the Mexicana.

There is another Caesalpinia and it is just as beautiful in its own way. The Caesalpinia gilliesii or Desert Bird of Paradise.

Again, notice the flower structure and color.

You can see this plant is similar in size to the Red Bird but, more open and graceful. The flower is yellow but, with very prominent red stamens. It grows to about 8’, is root hardy to 15 degrees and is a native to Argentina. Like the Red Bird, it likes to be cut back annually and re-grows fairly quickly.

I’m told that all parts of this plant are toxic. I don’t have any direct experience with this issue so I can’t advise you. People do grow and love the Gilliesii. Similarly I have heard that Oleander is said to be poisonous. However, I have planted, trimmed, pruned and probably even inhaled lots of it without a problem. I’m not sure how exactly the toxic issue with the Gilliesii manifests, but be warned, just the same.

All of the Caesalpinia are low water users and adaptable to part shade conditions. They like well drained soil so they are happy in the rocky and sandy soils found around greater Phoenix. The Mexicana and the Cascalote can make a great patio area tree in tight back yards, side yards and even entry ways. They are happy planted in full sun or part shade. Don’t expect everyone you talk to will know the difference. But you will.

On My Drawing Board – Phase One.

2009-05-26T20:40:00.009-07:00

I know this might bore some of you. This article isn’t about beautiful flowers and plants or stunning design, but it is about what to expect during the installation process.

Ok, so in the last post we had and approved design and we had already selected and scheduled contractors for the demolition, the concrete work and the irrigation system. If you remember there were some Bermuda grass patches and probably lots of Bermuda roots just waiting for an irrigation system to sprout new grass all over the place. The home owners didn’t want to wait to kill the Bermuda first since it can take over a month to kill it correctly. They wanted a patio and a lawn for their little boy to enjoy ASAP.

A word about Bermuda grass.

Normally we kill the Bermuda first because it is so much more difficult to kill after the plants and gravel are installed as you can see in this photo above. In there somewhere is a Red Lantana. Bermuda grass is very tenacious stuff. Just because it is brown doesn’t mean it is dead. It can wait in a dormant state for a very long time and green up with watering in 7 to 10 days. Also, Bermuda that has been worn away on the surface still has productive roots waiting for moisture below the surface. The process is detailed here and you may want to consider bio-remediation afterward to “normalize” the Glyphosate you will be applying to your soil.

Again, since this project will be phased to fit the home owner’s budget, the Bermuda can be killed while we wait for phase two to begin.

Project Phasing.

A project can be phased in order to fit a customers financial situation. You can still have a beautiful yard, it just takes a little longer. Sometimes a customer would really like to have a $10,000 or $15,000 yard, but they only have maybe $5,000 or $8,000 to spend right now. A Master Plan can be developed with a phased installation in mind. Then the project can be installed in two or three phases to fit the customers comfort zone. The Master Plan will help make sure everything fits together when the job is complete and no work is somehow duplicated.

There are three basic issues to consider; what the customer wants right away, any element that might be covered or blocked or destroyed by later work, and or course the current available budget. Obviously demolition comes first, then traditionally underground elements like drainage, irrigation, electrical and gas lines can be considered for installation. Then comes the concrete footings, patio surfaces and structures. I like to install 2” diameter sleeves under the concrete slabs, curbs and footings and use them for irrigation access later. This way I can wait on the irrigation system till the last phase if I need to.

In this case, the customer wants a patio and a lawn as soon as possible so the job order will be:

Demolition - Concrete work- Irrigation System - Kill the Bermuda.

Above you can see the yard has been pretty much cleaned out. The demo crew still needs to remove another load of trash, but we have the concrete crew setting forms already. The concrete contractor was eager and offered to include the curbing free if we used him for the patios. YES!

Form setting is all about levels and lasers. You can see the laser level on the tripod to the left above. The forms may look hap-hazard, but they are not at all. The top of the boards are the top of the new concrete patio and curbing. The new concrete patios will have a very slight slope so water will run off away from the house.

Here we see the finished concrete after it has cured for a couple of days. I’ve set flags for the drip emitters and the irrigation crew has set the emitters and tree rings in place. The tree holes have been started for 24” boxed trees. The irrigation system is simple but efficient.

The red flags are where a 2 gallon per hour emitter will be placed. The white flag designates a 1 gallon drip emitter. The tree rings have multiple emitters placed at about a 2' interval. These rings of tubing will be placed at the outside edge of the root ball of the tree. Later it will be easily moved to the "Drip line" or canopy edge of the tree as it grows and matures.

Here you can see the tubing looped in the fountain area. Eventually there will be plants and annual flowers planted around the fountain so we'll have to have irrigation ready. The new lawn area has been graded and is ready for soil and sod. Sprinklers with MP rotator nozzles have been set and are ready to go. Now to kill the Bermuda.

The irrigation system here is simple but an efficient design with excellent quality components. I’ll cover all the pieces of an efficient irrigation system in the next installment.

On My Drawing Board

2009-04-30T13:37:00.007-07:00

I thought I would post about some of the current design work that has passed over my drawing board this season. This job is just beginning the demo phase so I can show you pictures of the installation as it progresses. This is a smaller job with a conservative budget. Nothing super fancy here. The clients have a new son and would like to spend more time in a nice backyard.

As you can see the house is sort of a ranch style. The front is simple and fits the rest of the neighborhood. Hands off, Bill. The job is in back.

Here are a couple of general pictures of the yard.

The grass has been stressed and warn in places. There is a sprinkler system,but it obviously doesn't work well. The trees look like they aren't getting any water either. However, the Austrailian Bottle trees look fine. Here is a good argument for Hydo-zoning. The practice of seperating plants and trees by water need rather then by location. Imagine if all these trees were on one irrigation zone (they probably were). The water to the bottle trees would be wasted while you tried to keep the citrus happy.

The clients would like a complete redesign. Bulldoze it and start over. Good call!

While walking the yard the first things to look for when walking into a remodel are utilities lines. The most dangerous lines are the ones added by the homeowner or previous owner. Below is the existing and poorly designed irrigation system. Now we know why the citrus is sick and the lawn is dieing.

The next thing is drainage, where does the water go when the monsoon hits. This yard drains to the back fence. This could be an issue. Write it down and move to the next observation. Circulation and access; where do people come from and where do they go? What kind of equipment can we use here? The shed blocks the beautiful RV gate. We’ll need to move it. Next we look at view lines and privacy. Cactus Road is just behind the back fence so we could use some screening.

The husband tells me he envisions a Corona commercial for his back yard design theme. A hammock is mandatory. The wife would like more of a southern garden theme, the plantation style. The first thing I think of is the French Colonial influence in our southern states and the Bahamas. A French Plantation theme! But, before I get too excited, I need a budget reality check. Budget constraints on this job will keep us conservative and require us to phase this project into two or three installations. Access needs to be openned up on the west side. The east side needs to contain the dogs. A natural screen and sound baffle is needed accross the back. And we need to insert as much Southern Comfort as possible. Not the beverage, thank you.

Ok, I envisioned the stereotypical southern plantation driveway here. But without the drive. Large majestic trees (Chinese Elms) line and contain the lawn area where children can play. The little circles you may be able to make out under the trees are up-lights. This yard will be stunning at night. But that is phase two. The patio is extended for Mom and Dad to enjoy and a fountain tames some of the road noise. The small patio at the top of the page is a gazebo area with the little portable fire pit you may have noticed in one of the pictures above. It is difficult to see in this scanned image, but a white fence like you would see at a Caribbean plantation or resort separates the dog run to the east and the RV access to the west. The little square to the left is a grass patch the client requested for the dogs. To the right you can see I’ve really opened up the access for an RV, boat or whatever and I’ve moved the shed to the south west corner. I really like this simple design, but most importantly the clients loved it, too. They didn’t want to change a thing.
I’ll upload more in a day or two as the job progresses

The Spring Rush and Web 2.0

2009-04-28T19:44:00.005-07:00

Wow, I've been pretty much over run with work. This is a good thing anytime, but especially this year. We all know why. However, it's been a month since I posted an article here and originally the goal was at least one post a week. Sorry I wasn't able to keep all my plates spinning.

A reality check is in order! Originally I wouldn't have considered posting anything here that I didn't design or build or at least photograph myself. But, this takes a lot of time to create an article from my own files and find or take pictures. Time that I don't always have. I guess I'll have to come down off my high horse a little.

This also limits the topics and discussions to things I've designed or built. Frankly, there are a lot of great topics and emerging ideas I have no direct experience with. Why limit this blog to me when there are so many talented Landscape Designers and Landscape Architects out there? Answer: I shouldn't. I have a website, Inspired Landscape Creations (right now being updated) where my company and my work can be showcased exclusively.

My Blog will be a platform for discussion and an exchange of information pertaining to residential landscaping. A way for me to pass on information to former clients and home owners to hopefully make designing, installing, and maintaining your gardens more enjoyable. Not to mention figuring out some of the technology, new and old. Sound good? I think so.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.

Bush Morning Gloriousness

2009-03-26T22:17:00.007-07:00

Is this not Glorious? Photo: George & Audry Delange

This month has been so busy, lots of Garden shows and activities. I almost didn’t make my plant of the month post. For March it has to be Convolvulus cneorum or Bush Morning Glory. They are blooming gloriously right now.

Clients always ask me about them in March. “What are those beautiful plants with all the white flowers”? I want to say, “Ask me again in a month”. But they won’t because the poor little Bush Morning Glory will be only a memory. It only flowers for about a month and turns into a humble little silvery ground cover in short order.

Then there is the issue of rabbits. Rabbits love Convolvulus and they love new Convolvulus the best. They will hop right by everything else in your yard. That’s not to say they won’t eat anything else, they just won’t miss your Bush Morning Glory. So as spring brings flowers to Bush Morning Glory and retail nurseries sell lots of them, the waskley wabbits get fed and the circle of life continues. Chicken wire and Blood Meal helps if you aren’t into the circle of life thing.

On the good side of the ledger for Convolvulus cneorum; It is definitely a low water use plant, and it loves full sun all day. It is a native to the Mediterranean, Sicily, Croatia, and North Africa and it thrives in dry, sandy, well-drained alkaline soil. Butterflys enjoy Bush Morning Glory. It will grow moderately to about 4’ wide and 2’ – 2 1/2’ tall with very little drop or litter.

Designers like Bush Morning Glory not for the flowers, but for the silvery foliage that it displays the other 48 weeks of the year. Plant BMG near anything purple like Leucophyllum, Reullia, or Lantana. It looks good under any of the darker Bougainvillea including the Torch Glow or other red-ish plants like Callistemon x 'Little John'. The silvery leaves and texture go very will with Olive trees and Sophora Secundiflora. It looks absolutely stunning as a short hedge under an Olive for a manicured Tuscan look, just make sure you place it out about 3’ – 4’ out from the trunk. Again in a Tuscan Garden, mix it with Myrtle of other greens for a dramatic silver accent. Try it in a Moon garden. The silvery leaves, not to mention the white flowers during March, make it a great choice. I'll be starting a Moon Garden design next week and BMG will definitely be included. By itself, you might want to consider massing to bring it into prominence.

It's a great little plant that doesn't get placed correctly very often so it usually goes unnoticed till late February and March.

Aloe in Bloom always says Spring to me!

2009-03-20T00:03:00.008-07:00

Aloe Barbadensis just flowering.

They have been flowering from about the beginning of February here in the Phoenix area. I took some of these pictures a month ago, but thankfully I have been very busy with design work. The Aloe always reminds me of spring here. I can’t help but get excited when I see the stalks growing up and budding out Yellow and Orange all over town.

Aloe Barbadensis Buds

Some Aloe around town look really ratty. Burned tips, purple and grey tones and very little green they look like they need to be watered badly. They might, but chances are your looking at an Aloe planted in full sun. If you buy an aloe from a retail nursery the plant care tag may tell you, “Plant in full sun to part shade”. Don’t believe it. In Phoenix Aloe are happiest in part sun or filtered sun conditions. Mid-day and afternoon shade works well, too.

Aloe Vera - Aloe Barbadensis - Medicinal Aloe

Most Aloe is native to Africa, but I hear that some Aloe Vera – Barbadensis is native to Central and South America, the Cannary Islands, Jamaica mon (he he), and Bardados, hence the name. This is the medicinal variety that has been used by doctors, folk healers and clever mothers to treat burns, bites, inflammation, and to prevent infection. The Yellow Aloe Vera is the most effective, but Aloe Vera Orange works almost as well.

The height of the leaves is about 2’ to 3’ and the stalks can reach up to 5’. Aloe Vera clumps freely, so to keep it looking good (my opinion here) I pull off the little suckers and give them away.

Aloe Ferox, Cape Aloe, Tree Aloe

Aloe Ferox or Cape Aloe is very dramatic and can grow to 12’ or so and 5’ in diameter. It doesn’t clump so you can trim off the old dead leaves exposing and interesting tree form. It grows in a less upright form then Aloe Vera, but the stalk has an enormous amount of intensely orange flowers.

Most Aloe are cold hardy to the mid 20’s and are definitely a low water use plant. They do attract birds and our beloved humming birds enjoy them, too.

Plant them as an accent and keep them trimmed clean for a more dramatic effect just as you would an agave, just not in full sun, please.

1st Annual Flower & Garden Show

2009-03-11T10:30:00.011-07:00

Last weekend was the 1st Annual Southwest Flower and Garden Show. It was beautiful early Saturday morning when I arrived, the Sweet Acacia trees blooming and the parking lot empty so I could get a good spot. Left click the pictures to enlarge.

I usually avoid Home & Garden shows. I’ve never been a very aggressive marketer or salesperson and I think it helps at home shows. But, this show was to be different. This was to be the beginning of a real Flower & Garden show in Phoenix. I was hopeful. A few others were too. The Arizona Nursery Association teamed up with the Arizona Chapter of the ASLA to judge a container garden contest. A couple of nurseries had some very beautiful displays of flowering plants, Gardener’s Eden and one of my favs, Desert Gardens Nursery. The Phoenix Art Museum had an exhibit, too. Our group, the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, Arizona Chapter, planned to provide some simple Landscape Design consultations on Saturday morning and Sunday.

I arrived early Saturday because I also wanted to take some pictures. Here is our APLD area. The lavender, Bush Morning Glory and Blue Hibiscus got a lot of attention all day.

I’m glad we had a place to sit during the consultations. Some people brought pictures, others brought sketches, some people just asked pointed questions. The consultations were fun, but not physically being in the yard was difficult for me.

Desert Gardens Nursery put together a very nice display. Two waterfalls and some very interesting plants.

But by far the best part of their display were these two islands of succulents. What a beautiful arrangement.

Here is the front.

The Best display of the show was by local Landscape Architect and Contractor, Chad Robert. Hats off to him and his company "Exteriors", for putting forth the effort to create a very interesting display. Obviously Sustainability was a big part of his message as many of the materials were recycled.

Interesting meandering path of used concrete (Urbanite) lined with lots of succulents.

The Presentation boards were great, but the light conditions and my meager camera skills prevented a good closeup. Notice the retaining walls.

The Aloe and Fescue in front of that blue wall is great. Like I said, succulents everywhere. This would be a very low water use landscape.

Here is the main entrance below. The sculpture just behind the awning was made from found materials as well I believe.

His use of used concrete with glass bottles placed here and there with lights tucked inside no-less show what you can do with recycled materials and little imagination.

I have to admit, I don’t know what his retaining walls are made of. Again, inserting the bottles sure made it interesting. I don’t think I could have passed up the opportunity to put lights inside those bottles though, but I’m obsessive that way.

Can you make out the bottles poking out of every other hole in the wall?

You might be thinking YUK! That looks rediculous! Step back a sec. Remember that a realistic display is not the goal. Realistic displays are a dime a dozen at virtually every home show and Phoenix has a lot of home shows. The idea here is to express concepts and new design asthetics, not realisim. They are supposed to stimulate your imagination and show off some of the designers talent. He integrated water conservation, recycled materials, innovative lighting, art in the landscape, and leading edge plant materials (all important design elements and challenges right now) into a beautiful space. Like I said, hats off.

As far as the show, there was diffinately space left open and traffic was probably slow for the "Slicer-Dicer and Miracle Cleaners" people. However, I think we should recognize this will take a few years and a better economy to grow into a really great Flower & Garden Show; we in the industry should join in and support the process. If we do support it, the show will grow and mature in quality. I found out about this show a little late this year. However, I am excited about putting together a display project for next year. Hopefully the economy will come around some, as well. I'm looking forward to it.

The great Pennisetum debate

2009-03-07T02:05:00.008-07:00

About a week ago Jenn, of Garden Djinn posted a question to me, “As a professional landscaper in the phoenix area, do you plant fountain grass, Pennisetum setaceum, and if you do, can we talk about it? It is considered an invasive plant.”

Here is the culprit above.
Pennisetum setaceum - 'Green' Fountain Grass

A native of South Africa, it seeds numerous times during the year and crowds out or own native species in sand washes and creek beds.

Well I recognized the name and I had planted some Pennisetum setaceum – Purple Fountain grass last year. What the heck? This had me worried. I got on the phone with a couple of the growers I buy from including Mountain States Wholesale Nursery, and this is what I’m told:

Above are three of the plants local growers are selling:
Pennisetum setaceum – 'Purple' Fountain Grass.

Yup. They are both called Pennisetum setaceum. But they are different cultivars. There are actually more then two, in fact Mountain States grows there own version called Pennisetum setaceum – ‘Eaton Canyon’, or ‘Red Dwarf’. The red and the purple don’t seed as prolifically as the green fountain grass and most of the seed produced is sterile. How do they know this? They tried it with a test group of 'Purple' and 'Eaton Canyon' before they ever sold a single plant. I did find out however, that if there are some green Fountain Grasses near by, the purple and the red can cross pollenate and make more green fountain grass.

I do have one more call to make, a guy from the Arizona Native Plant Society. I'm saving him for last. I wanted to hear what the local growers were saying before talking to anyone from AZNPS. If I find out anything new, I’ll post it. I the mean time, git yer hoes and dig up some Green Fountain Grasses. Thanks Jenn for your question.

Here is a closer look at a Pennisetum setaceum - Purple Fountain Grass.

Chihuly! The Nature of Glass

2009-03-02T17:53:00.005-07:00

We have a unique opportunity to experience one of the most amazing glass sculpture artists work in the world. Dale Chihuly’s The Nature of Glass exhibition at the Desert Botanical Garden. This exhibition has toured numerous world class museums and botanical Gardens all over the world and now it’s here. I think it’s a must see and besides, March is an awesome time to visit the Garden.
You can read a Bio of Dale Chihuly here and some info on the show here.

Here my wife and children pose near the entrance.

I think it is interesting to note that Dale Chihuly studied Interior Design and Architecture at University of Washington Seattle in the 60’s but became captivated with the process of blowing glass. I think all Landscape Designers and Architects love Sculpture. Many of us practice some sort of art as a hobby and since sculpture is three dimensional, maybe it feels more familiar to us. We all love to incorporate art and sculpture into our designs and this exhibit has some great examples to learn from.

His works displayed at the Desert Botanical Garden are all very organic and vibrantly colorful. Chihuly’s works are alive with energy and movement. You will be awed at the scale of some of his works like, “The Sun” (just above) in the Ottosen Entry Garden. Some works compliment the natural surroundings while being the focal point, others are meant to be radical contrasts that introduce a completely new meaning. Chihuly says, “Over time I developed the most organic, natural way of working with glass, using the least amount of tools that I could. The glass looks as if it comes from nature”. He also says many of abstract flower and botanical forms are reminiscent of his mother’s garden in Tacoma.

I’m sure one or two are tongue-n-cheek, but I’m not telling which. You’ll have to discover them for yourself. The only thing that had me worried was the boats. Yes boats, old wooden row boats full of stunningly beautiful glass globes. I’m sure boats have a more important meaning in the Pacific Northwest then they do in the Sonoran Desert. So although I think the boats should have been left on the trucks, the glass is amazing. Don’t miss it.

The Chihuly exhibit will continue thru May 31st, but March is an amazing time to tour the Garden. The spring Butterfly event starts on the 7th, too. So that the Garden doesn’t become over crowded and your experience is more enjoyable, you will need to make a reservation before attending. Now that it is warmer, I’m sure the evening shows will fill up fast, too. Enjoy your trip to the Garden.

Be My Valentine, Emu

2009-02-18T21:55:00.007-07:00

My plant of the month for February had to be the EREMOPHILA maculate v. brevifolia – ‘Valentine’TM.

The Valentine Emu bush is native of Australia and is relatively new in Phoenix area landscapes. "Eremophila" means desert loving and the name "Emu Bush" comes from the flightless bird that feeds on the fruit. The Emu’s natural habitat is salt lake margins, dry watercourses, and clay pans of arid inland Australia. So you can imagine this shrub is extremely drought tolerant. There are a couple of other Eremophila species being offered by local growers; Most notably the, “Easter Egg Emu”, “Winter Gold”, and “Summertime Blue”. The “Valentine Emu” begins blooming in January and peaks right around Valentine’s Day. Depending on the weather, it can continue blooming into April. Evergreen, naturally dense form, extremely heat and drought tolerant, and an Eye catching abundance of hot pink to red tubular flowers during the winter months has made this new shrub extremely popular. You may have guessed that Hummingbirds love it too.

Design Applications: Because the Emu offers such showy red color in the winter, it can really stand out in winter landscapes. It makes for interesting contrasts when grouped with other drought tolerant plants like Leucophyylum, Muhlenbergia, Reullia, convolvulous species. Valentine can be massed for a bold red statement in the midst of the grey-green and yellow winter desert plants like the Encelia farinosa and early blooming Senna species like the Desert Cassia. It makes a great background for Agave and Yucca and Aloe species as well. It has a medium texture and can grow as large as 4 feet by 4 feet. The Valentine Emu should be planted in full sun and can tolerate reflected heat well. It is not choosy about soil type, although it prefers good drainage.

Notice the reddish tinge to the leaves in my picture here.

Maintenance: The Emu is a moderate to fast grower depending on available water. If left unpruned it has a natural form very similar to that of the Chihuahuan sage. However, it responds well to shearing, and can be maintained in a tight ball. In fact, blooming occurs on new tip growth produced the previous season, so an annual shearing is recommended in late spring, after flowering has ended. March is probably the ideal month to prune. Later shearing may expose the shrub to sunburn.

Mountain States Wholesale Nursery says the Valentine Emu is hardy in Phoenix, Tucson, Palm Desert, San Diego, Los Angeles, South Texas, Houston and El Paso.

Over half of your water never reaches your house?

2009-02-14T18:58:00.005-07:00

The EPA and water providers across the country have been studying our water use. Water shortages in small towns to large metropolitan areas have forced water providers to gather data about usage patterns so they can find solutions to our growing demand.

One standout in the data is that nationally about 30% of the water that passes through our water meters goes straight to our landscaping. AMWUA (Arizona Municipal Water Users Assoc.) publishes 60% for Arizona. Why is that important? Because the estimated residential landscape water use in this country is roughly 7 billion gallons of water per day. My guess is this makes landscape irrigation the largest single water user in the American household. That has the EPA's attention. Worse yet, the study also show that roughly half of that water is wasted. How?

1) Over watering. Believe it or not, automatic controllers are part of the problem.

2) Deficient system design and function. Some systems just need a tune-up, others were just designed poorly and some weren’t designed at all.

3) Large lawns. The number one water user in most landscapes.

4) Evaporation and run-off. Some experts believe that when you water during the heat of the day, 60% of the water simply evaporates. Watering during the heat of the day in the summer isn’t good for desert plants either.

5) Leaks. A leaking valve can run through hundreds of gallons a day for weeks before you notice it. Some very small leaks make a big impact when they leak 24-7.

Not to worry. I’m going to cover each of these items in a series of D.I.Y. articles over the next few weeks. Each article will cover the most common reasons I see for the above problems and a number solutions for each. I’ll tell you what to look for and how to fix the problem. If you don’t want to fix it yourself, at least you’ll understand the issue better. You’ll be better prepared to talk to your sprinkler pro and you might even be able to tell if he really is a pro.

I always advocate hiring an experienced irrigation professional to maintain your system. Landscape Maintenance people usually don’t have the experience or the training to keep your system running properly. Some of the better maintenance companies will have a dedicated irrigation staff. This is a much better choice.

Of course you can always call me. Landscape Irrigation is how I got started in this industry and I will always have a passion for it. I would love to come out and help you tune up your system, perform a system Audit or replace your system with a more efficient design and the latest in water wise equipment.

Native Plant of the Month

2009-02-03T15:49:00.004-07:00

The Sonoran Desert offers us one the most interesting native plant palettes anywhere. Native plants like the Brittle Bush above (encelia farinosa) especially, but also locally grown desert adapted plants make perfect sense for our landscape projects. Locally grown and native plants will always use less water, require fewer soil amendments, need very little or no fertilizer or insecticide, and generally require less maintenance then plants trucked in from somewhere else. A no-brainer right?

Still, a huge number of plants are trucked in from Southern California growers to sell in home improvement stores and large discount stores. This didn't seem odd to me when I first started in this business, partly because I didn't understand the difference. It definitely seems odd now.

Do-it-yourselfers and some landscapers alike buy these plants I think because they don’t understand the difference either. They are available at the nursery, they look good, and the price seems right, why not? The more you learn about plant care, landscape irrigation, Sustainable Principles, Permaculture and of course our wondrous Sonoran Desert environment the more often the “Why not” question gets answered. But, I’m getting off track.

Instead of ranting, I would rather feature our Native plants and some selected desert adapted plants in a series of Plant-of-the-Month articles. I'm not qualified to bore you with Botany, but maybe some interesting articles and discussion on plant placement, some creative ideas on usage, and care would be helpful and fun. I would also love to see and hear about how some of you have used Native Plants in your landscapes, so post away!

The Brown Knees Chronicles

2009-01-15T21:34:00.004-07:00

The Brown Knees Chronicles are a collection of posts that come to this blog directly from my personal experiences in gardening, landscape irrigation, lighting, or whatever. The more painful the better.

Having been an irrigation technician and then a landsape contractor for a number of years, I have a few gems to share as it becomes appropriate.

Disclaimer

2009-01-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer:

All information contained in this blog is for discussion only. Many of the topics discussed here are theoretical and often represent very new ideas. Don’t assume that what might work or even be legal in one situation in one part of the world or town will automatically work in another no matter how similar the situation may seem. Before beginning any project or action, always seek the consultation of a qualified local professional who can review specific information relative to your project and the site where it will be constructed.

All comments and posts are not generated by Bill Kisich and Inspired Landscape Creations, LLC. Comments represent the opinions of the poster and shall not be considered the position or opinion Inspired Landscape Creations, LLC. Additionally, Bill Kisich and Inspired landscape Creations, LLC shall not be held liable for any comment or information posted.

Research these ideas carefully and ensure that they apply to your specific area and situation.

I've seen the light

2009-01-01T16:50:00.002-07:00

This is a test to see how posting and labeling works.

Saving water in your landscape

2009-01-01T16:47:00.001-07:00

This is a test to see how posting works

Common Design Mistakes

2009-01-01T16:41:00.003-07:00

This is a test to see how posting works.