Rain Can Be Hit or Miss – Especially During Summer Monsoons A little red-headed girl once sang “The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there’ll be sun…” Since many areas in Arizona receive over 300 sunny days a year, the state certainly lives up to the sunshine in the song. But what about rainfall? Have you noticed it can be very localized, especially during the summer monsoon season? According to the National Weather Service, 6.04” of rain have fallen in Mesa so far in 2024. My home, in the west part of the city, has received 4.21” – almost 2 inches less! Here’s ..read more

Living in the desert in Arizona, we are no strangers to extreme heat and sparse rainfall. As temperatures rise, so do health concerns. However, we can harness the limited rain the desert provides to build communities resilient to these challenges. One approach to achieving this is through “nature-based solutions,” which leverage natural systems to enhance both community health and watershed vitality. For instance, planting a native tree to shade your AC unit or patio not only increases the efficiency of your cooling system and keeps your patio cooler but also requires minimal water once establ ..read more

The spines on the ironwood provide a great defense against predators.Desert Ironwood, Olneya tesota Dense, thorny, and strong like steel, the Desert Ironwood Tree (Olneya tesota) is an under recognized super tree of the Sonoran Desert. It is naturally found along washes and hillsides of Arizona’s deserts under 3,000 ft of elevation. It offers valuable protection for understory plants and habitat for our native wildlife. When in their natural environment, these trees are unassuming and blend into the surroundings. They can get large for a desert tree at 25 x 25, but they are slow growers and ca ..read more

The watering needs for your yard vary from season to season and even month to month. So, regularly adjusting your irrigation schedule is essential. It is also an easy way to save water and money while ensuring your plants get the proper amount of water they need to thrive, yet it often gets overlooked.   To better assist residents with this issue, the water conservation specialists from the AMWUA Cities worked together to deliver a solution. Simply text WHENTOWATER to 1-844-416-1428 and receive a text message on the first of each month with a link to that month’s ..read more

Yellow Bells provide a burst of summer color to desert xeriscape gardens. Spectacular clusters of bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers attract hummingbirds and cover these large shrubs or small trees from April through November. Pencil-like seed pods that develop in the fall provide food for over-wintering songbirds. The bright green foliage offers a cooling effect during the hot summer months. Yellow Bells can be used with more evergreen desert shrubs such as jojoba and Arizona rosewood to form a natural screen or barrier. They can also be used against walls where it is afforded some frost ..read more

THIS IS GOING TO “Be GROSS” It’s time to talk about something unpleasant, folks, because what you flush matters, and I’ll tell you why. Hold onto your seats while I take you through a guided tour of a typical wastewater treatment plant. SOCKS, BASEBALLS, AND RUBBER DUCKIES. OH MY. On any given day, wastewater treatment operators encounter a staggering variety of strange objects while operating and maintaining the equipment at their treatment plants. If it is small enough to fit through a typical household pipe, we’ve seen it. While at my job, I personally have encountered baby wipes, sanitary ..read more

A 3rd Place winner in the 2024 Arizona Arbor Day Contest. Friday, April 26th is Arbor Day, a special day set aside to encourage the planting and proper care of trees.  It has been 152 years since J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day. His simple idea of setting aside a special day for tree planting is now more important than ever. The 1st official Arbor Day was created by Morton and celebrated in Nebraska in 1872. In the years following that first Arbor Day, Morton’s idea spread beyond Nebraska and today all 50 states celebrate Arbor Day. Trees Are Superheroes These superheroes of nature c ..read more

When you ask most people what they want in their garden, their most common answer is, “color”. One of the best plants that I like to recommend for warm-season color is the coral fountain. Also known as the firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis). It has beautiful, cascading foliage that resembles the movement of water. Deep orange flowers begin to appear in spring, the attract both humans and hummingbirds. As you can see, this is not a plant for subtle color – it is dramatic. It looks great when paired with succulents like artichoke agave (Agave parryi ‘truncata’), elephants food ..read more

Shamrocks Aren’t the Only Green Plant to Celebrate in March I hear that wearing green will make you invisible to leprechauns so you can avoid being pinched. Some say it will bring you good luck. Even beyond March and St. Patrick’s Day, green is often used for interior decorating for its calming effect? You’ve likely heard about television guests waiting in the ‘green room’ to relax. It’s also been increasingly recognized that forests and outdoor green spaces alleviate symptoms of stress and anxiety while providing health benefits like lowering blood pressure and mental well-being. Fresh green ..read more

Your journey to creating or maintaining a water-wise landscape is now even easier thanks to the resources provided by the city of Phoenix Water Services Department. Phoenix Water recently collaborated with design experts from Arizona State University to produce free, easy-to-use desert landscape, or xeriscape, design guides that anyone can download. The Desert Landscapes in Your Front Yard guides were created to offer ideas for three typical front yard sizes. Each inspirational design guide provides fun facts, helpful tips, desert plant selections, and even plant substitute ideas.   Spri ..read more