FREEZE WARNING - Cover your plants

There is a deep freeze warning here in the Phoenix valley tonight through the next few nights. You need to cover your plants. You can wrap the trunk of your palm trees and other trees, cover the canopy if possible, especially Ficus trees. Drape all of your plants and put cups on your cactus. Many of our desert friendly plants will die in a hard freeze like this.

Desert garden worth the effort

Here is a great article from Kath Babcock from the Desert Botanical Garden. She talks about Arizona gardening and how it differs from the midwest gardening. In Arizona we have two seasons for vegetable gardening: Fall and Spring. In other parts of the country everything is planted in for the summer garden. We are not able to plant everything we need for a salad at one time because different plants are planted at different time, depending on their heat tolerance. She also talks about our drip irrigation systems. Due to the little amount of rain we get here in the Arizona desert, everything is on a drip system to meet the watering needs of the plants. For help with your Arizona Desert Garden call a local licensed landscape contractor. Arizona Living Landscape & Design 480-390-4477. If you would like help installing, designing or repairing your irrigation system, we can also help you.
Read the article below.
Desert garden worth the effort

Winter Frost Warning

All Phoenix customers, there is a frost warning tonight November 29, 2010. Do not forget to cover all of your tropical type, cold sensitive plants or bring them in under your patio. These include annuals, bougainvilleas, hibiscus, vegetables, etc.

Cactus in the Arizona Summer

The summer temps are rising and the plants are thirsty. But, did you know that cactus needs a little water in the summer? In years like this when the monsoon season doesn't bring much rain our cactus needs a little help. Water your cactus plants deeply about once a month to keep them from getting dehydrated. Be careful to not overwater them but give them a monthly dring and they will love you for it.

Install a Patio Misting System

It is HOT out there Arizona. Wouldn't it be nice to sit in your yard and enjoy the evenings by the pool with a Professionally Installed patio misting system? When properly installed, these patio mist systems can dramatically reduce the temperature in your back yard or anywhere you might need a system. Misting Systems can be installed around your Patio, Pool, Entertainment Areas, Greenhouses, RV, boat, trailer, golf cart, or anywhere you can imagine. Misting systems use very little water (less than half a gallon per hour for each nozzle) and are constructed and installed to last for years. Sure, you can go to a hardware store and pick up a do it yourself kit but you get what you pay for. The key is in the components used and the pump for a true fog effect.

By pressurizing water up to 1000 psi and forcing it through a specially designed mist system nozzle, billions of tiny water droplets can be created. Each droplet is smaller than the size of a grain of salt and are so light they actually suspend themselves in the air. If the water evaporates, it produces cooling up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit making it a very effective method of outdoor cooling. If the droplets are enclosed in an area such as a greenhouse, humidity levels up to 100% may be achieved. Because the droplets are so small, they have the ability to remove small particles from the air making fog systems a very effective method of dust and odor control. Misting Systems can be used within your landscape (mist-scaping) or a fog effect can be created in a pool water feature (Fog Deck). The key to the full effect is in the pump, high-quality materials, and regular maintenance.
Call for a free estimate on a professionally installed patio mist system 480-390-4477

Arizona Summer Planting Tips

Extreme temperatures during summer in the Arizona desert make it a challenge for gardeners. June through August are the most extreme months for heat. Your plants may start to yellow or look droopy. Do not add more water to planters if the leaves start to look droopy at the end of the day. Take a look at them in the morning and if they are still drooping, then it is time to increase your watering. Otherwise, the sun, heat and salt in the soil are causing the drooping leaves. You want to water deeply enough for the salt to wash away from the soil but too much water will cause root rot. To help the plants look their best and keep the ground cool and moist, try adding some mulch. Be careful to keep the mulch away from the stems of the plants as much as possible and water your plants in the evening or early morning during the summer.
Another great idea for your plants is to install a patio misting system or greenhouse misting system. Plants on the patio will love the moist air from your patio misting system and it will keep your patio 10-20 degrees cooler. Call Arizona Living Landscape for your next misting system. 480-390-4477
Try these ideas for color around your flower bed from Home Depot. Annuals for summer heat

Irrigation System Check-up

The heat has arrived in Phoenix AZ. With the hotter and drier weather it is time to check your irrigation system. Below is a checklist of items that need attention:

• Check for waterline breaks, leaky valves, broken drip emitters or broken sprinkler heads.


• Adjust the sprinklers to water the lawn and not the sidewalk, rock or driveway.


• Adjust the sprinkler/irrigation timer for proper watering times and frequency.


• Move the drip line emitters out to the drip line of the trees and shrubs as they grow.


• Check out the following website for guidelines: www.Wateruseitwisely.com/arizona

For a complete irrigation system check up and repair call an Arizona licensed landscape contractor at 480-390-4477.

Backflow Preventer & Your Irrigation System

What is a backflow preventer and why do I need it? Homes built in Arizona with a front yard landscape already installed, usually have a backflow preventer installed. If your house does not have one already in place, then you must have one in order to have an irrigation system.
The backflow preventer is designed to stop the back flow of water from your irrigation system to your house and the city or well water system. The valves in the sprinkler system will not do this alone, thus a backflow preventer is needed. Landscape irrigation water is considered a contaminant and can introduce chemicals to your house and your drinking water. In Arizona, you are required to have a backflow preventer on your irrigation system. If your landscaper says you do not need one then find a new landscaper. The valves will eventually leak or break and without a backflow preventer installed, all the contaminants in your yard and ground water will come into your house.
Call Arizona Living Landscape & Design in Arizona for full sprinkler system or irrigation system installation or repair. 480-390-4477
www.LandscapeArizona.com

Organic Gardening: Plants that repel insects for your garden

Are you planning your vegetable or flower garden for spring. You might want to consider planting various plants that will actually repel those pesky bugs. In turn, you can use less chemicals and make your yard safer. Here are a few plants to consider in your organic garden in Arizona.

Basil: repels flies, caterpillars and mosquitoes.
Bay: repels ants, caterpillars and moths.
Chives: repels aphids, borers, and crickets.
Garlic: repels aphids, crickets, and grasshoppers. This is a great plant to plant around your roses, fruit trees and in your vegetable garden.
Marigold: repels aphids, caterpillars, crickets, grasshoppers, nematodes, slugs, and whiteflies
Onions: repels ants, aphids, borers, moths, crickets, and grasshoppers.
Rosemary: deters many insects including moths, beetles, crickets, fleas, grasshoppers, and mosquitoes.
Sage: deters mice and repels circkets, moths, and grasshoppers.
Thyme: deters cabbage worms, flies, and whiteflies.

Call a licensed landscape contractor for organic gardening ideas.