Arizona Desert June Landscape Tidbits

Before the monsoon gets here it is going to be hot and dry. Your winter flowers should have already been pulled out and replaced with summer friendly plants. Vinca's are a great flower that does really well in the Arizona heat. Fortunately, you can plant almost any time in Arizona but some plants will do better in the summer then others. Check with you local nursery or Landscape Contractor for advice on which plants will do better than others.

When watering your plants, do not water overhead. Apply the water directly to the soil to avoid evaporation, reduce salt build-up, and reduce disease. You can also put several inches of mulch in your garden beds around plants to cool the soil, maintain moisture, reduce watering needs, and control weeds.

Make sure you are maintaining your flowering plants by snipping off the flowers that are dead. Leave as much of the the leaves as possible on the plants to protect the main stems from the hot sun.

Shade your outdoor gardens as much as possible. If you don't have natural shade you can create one with a screen or a trellis of vines. The more shade you provide now will help keep the plants alive for fall.