Landscape Design

Planning a Beautiful Garden and Saving Money

Those who know me quickly learn that I love a bargain. I get so excited when I find something on sale. It gets even better when I have a coupon for the sale item. Finding a good bargain is in my DNA. I come from a long line of women who love to find great deals.

Well for me, this also extends to the landscape. Now, it may seem a contradiction when I state to my clients that they can save a lot of money by using large plants. We all know that large plants cost a lot of money at the nursery.

I quickly go on to explain to them that I DO NOT recommend buying large-sized plants at the nursery. In fact, I love finding shrubs in the 1-gallon size at the nursery. They are much cheaper, which pleases the bargain hunter in me. What I DO recommend is buying plants in small containers that will grow large fairly quickly.

For example, this 1-gallon Green Cloud Texas Sage cost about $5 dollars at the nursery.

I admit, it is not very impressive and it is hard to imagine what it will look like when it grows up. But, this is a fast growing shrub and in just 2 – 3 years it will look like this….

I’d say that you got a pretty good deal for only $5.

A few years ago, I worked for a home builder, helping new buyers design their new landscapes. By the time I would meet with them, they had spent a lot of their money already on the inside of their new home. And so, their budget was quite limited in terms of what they could spend on their landscaping.

I would then create a design for them using trees and shrubs that would grow large and quickly. This way, they did not have to spend money on a large amount of plants and their garden would still look very beautiful.

Here are some shrubs that grow quickly and will grow large, as long as you don’t over-prune them. All of them can be purchased as 1-gallon plants.

Orange Jubilee (Tecoma x Jubilee)

Threadleaf Cassia (Senna nemophila)

Hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa)

Bougainvillea

Other advantages in starting out using 1-gallon plants as opposed to 5-gallon or larger is that the smaller the initial size of the plant, the easier it is for them to be transplanted. Not just for the gardener, but it is also easier for the plant as well. Larger plants can have a more difficult time dealing with transplant shock.

I have been making some changes in my own garden and have been on the look out for shrubs in a 1-gallon size. I planted a Chaparral Sage (Salvia clevelandii) last month from a 1-gallon container.

I admit, that it is quite small. But, it won’t stay this way for long. Soon, it will soon reach the size of this 3 year old Chaparral Sage that I planted in a commercial landscape….

While you are waiting for your small shrubs to grow large, you can fill in the empty spaces with annuals that you can later pull out once your shrubs start to grow.

Another new addition to my garden is a new Red Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima). The nurseries are starting to stock them right now and it is easy to find them in 5-gallon sizes. I had to look a little more carefully before I found the 1-gallon size.

Okay I admit that I almost have to put on my reading glasses to be able to see this tiny shrub. But it grows so quickly.

In just 2 – 3 years, it will look like this….

Not too bad for $4, is it?

Visions of Pink – One Pretty, One Amusing and the Other Unique

Visions of Pink – One Pretty, One Amusing and the Other Unique

Arizona, Arizona garden, Flowering Annuals, Landscape Design

I want to share with you three amazing plants that I encountered on Saturday, each with pink flowers, yet each one so different from the other. I spent the afternoon at the Arboretum at Arizona State University (my alma mater). Many people are surprised to find out that they have a wonderful arboretum that encompasses the entire main campus. I had a wonderful time just walking around and taking pictures of beautiful trees and plants, my husband patiently trailing behind me with the kids.

OK, first the pretty…

Queen’s Wreath, Coral Vine (Antigonon leptopus)

Queen’s Wreath is a beautiful vine that is native to Mexico and Central America. Stunning pink sprays of flowers appear in spring and last until the first frost. The most common variety has vibrant pink blossoms. However, there is a scarlet variety ‘Baja Red’ and also a rare white variety as well. Bees are attracted to the flowers, and the leaves are an attractive heart-shape.

Queen’s Wreath can grow in full sun including areas of reflected heat. It will also grow in light shade although flowering will be reduced.

This beautiful vine will die back at the first frost, but it’s roots are hardy to 20 degrees F. In the spring, it quickly grows back and requires a trellis, fence or an arbor for support.

**When we bought our first home in Phoenix, there was support made up of twine tied between two Palm trees. We had no idea why, but it sure looked ugly. Well, before we had time to remove it, beautiful, light green, heart-shaped leaves began climbing up the twine support and quickly covered it. Then gorgeous sprays of pink flowers promptly followed, which was a pleasant surprise.

Next, the amusing…..

Chinese Lantern Tree, Sickle Bush (Dichrostachys cinerea)

I had to laugh when I saw this flower. I think it looks like it is having a bad hair day. You can see why some people call it Chinese Lantern tree because the flowers do resemble them and it sounds better than calling it “Bad Hair Day Tree.”

The tree itself is relatively unremarkable. The flowers are not distinct. It is native to the tropical areas of Africa, parts of Southeast Asia and Australia. It grows well in full sun or filtered shade. In wet, tropical areas, it can be invasive. However, in our dry climate, that is not a problem.

Seed Pods

**Okay, I have to admit, that I had to look up information on this Chinese Lantern tree – I hate admitting that. I do not profess to know about every type of plant; this is easily evidenced by my travels to colder climates where I know about only a fraction of what the plants are there. But this one was in my backyard. I had never seen this type of tree before and had never learned about it either. So, I went through my countless dry climate plant books hoping to find what type of tree this was, and only one book had it listed, (which made me feel better). It is not common here in Arizona, but I guarantee that I will never forget it.

Now finally, the unique…

Floss Silk Tree (Ceiba speciosa, formerly Chorisia speciosa)

The flowers of this tree make you stop in your tracks – they are that beautiful and unique. Unfortunately, the flowers were all gone except for the one above, which was almost ready to fall. The flowers are produced primarily in fall and winter months. Some trees will produce flowers once they drop their leaves in winter, while other varieties flower both with and without the leaves being present. Although the flowers are a striking feature, there is more…

Their trunk is covered with cone-shaped thorns.

This beautiful tree does well in full sun or part shade. They do grow quite large, up to 40 ft. Wide and 50 ft. Tall. Silk Floss trees are native to Brazil and Argentina.

**So, I was done for the day. I had two memory cards full of photos, sore feet, and a patient husband and kids, walking with me to the car. I was about to get in when I saw the Silk Floss tree next to the parking garage. So my husband, who knows me all too well, wordlessly unpacked the camera so I could take the last few photos. Occasionally see these trees around the Phoenix area, but rarely, so I was thrilled to get these pictures.

I hoped you enjoyed my visions of pink. I will post more of my expedition at a later time. I’m pretty sure it will take me a long time to catalog all of the photos I took.

Can You Over Water Your Plants in the Desert ?

Read The Plant Label…Or You Might End Up With Cupcakes

Arizona, Arizona garden, Landscape Design, Landscape No-No

Has this happened to you? You walk through the nursery, and you spot “the perfect plant.” You can envision it in your yard and know precisely where you will put it.

After coming home and planting it, you pat yourself on the back for finding such a great plant. Time passes, and your beautiful plant starts to grow, and grow and grow.

Texas Sage ‘Green Cloud’ (Leucophyllum frutescens ‘Green Cloud’) 1-gallon Approximately 1 ft. Wide and tall.

Texas Sage ‘Green Cloud’ pruned like ‘cupcakes.’

Fast forward a year or two now it looks bad unless you constantly prune making it high maintenance. Now your beautiful plant no longer looks so lovely (above and below). It now looks more like a ‘cupcake’ because you have had to prune it back to keep it small enough for your space.

No more flowers, no nice foliage…

More ‘cupcakes.’

Unfortunately, there is an epidemic in our area of homeowners and landscapers who prune flowering shrubs so that they end up looking like ‘cupcakes’ or ‘poodles’ just so that they fit into their allotted space. More about that in another post…

Texas Sage ‘Green Cloud’ in its natural shape. They can grow up to 8 ft. high and wide but can be easily maintained at a more moderate 4′ x 4′.

Texas Sage Flower

Also with flowers this beautiful, why plant it somewhere where you will have to prune them off so that it can fit?

So our lesson is…. be sure to READ THE LABEL of plants before you buy them, which should list how large they will grow, along with the correct sun exposure. If it’s not listed, ask the nursery salesperson for this information, or use your smartphone to get the information.

Then you can go home and place your new “perfect plant” where they will have plenty of room to ‘stretch out’ and dazzle you with their beauty.

**Allowing enough room for plants is just part of what it takes to grow attractive shrubs. Pruning is the next part of the equation. Click here for guidelines on how to properly prune your flowering shrubs.

What Plant Where? Beautiful Plant Combinations

Arizona, Arizona garden, desert gardening, Landscape Design, Southwest garden

Discover Stunning Plant Combinations

Do you ever wonder what plants look good together? Below are pictures of some of my favorite plant combinations along with some general guidelines that I follow when designing a garden. Keep in mind that planting similar plants together which require similar water needs makes it easier to maintain a landscape.

Color Harmony in Plant Combinations

Sometimes red and pink colors always complement each other. Introducing yellow flowering plants provide a high color contrast that brings out the red and pink colors. Above is a golf course landscape that I planted with Valentine shrub (Eremophila ‘Valentine’), Parry’s penstemon (Penstemon parryi) and desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) against the backdrop of foothill palo verde trees.

Parry’s agave (Agave parryi) with purple trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis)

Succulent and Perennial Pairings

Also, succulents paired with perennials almost always complement each other with their contrasting shades of green and textures. Other recommended succulent and perennial pairings include desert spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri) alongside black dalea (Dalea frutescens), prickly pear species with penstemon or try octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana) with purple or white trailing lantana.

Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii ‘Red’)

Emphasizing Colors with a White Flower Contrast

Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)

I use plants with white flowers as a backdrop for plants with red, pink and purple flowers; I like the way the white flowers emphasize the other colors.

Using the Color Wheel for Plant Combinations

‘Rio Bravo’ Sage (Leucophyllum langmaniae) & Red Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Most of the time the pairing of purple flowering plants with those that have orange flowers always looks great. When deciding what colors look good when paired together, it helps to look at a color wheel. In general, the colors that are opposite each other look great when paired together because their colors contrast so well. Other orange, purple plant combinations to try are cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) with (Leucophyllum species), or Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) with purple lantana.

The Power of Yellow Flowering Plants

Angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis) and parry’s penstemon (Penstemon parryi)

Also, I believe that any garden looks better with some yellow flowering plants. As I mentioned earlier, the color yellow makes the other plants look better, (think of the color wheel). I have had clients that have said they do not like yellow until I show them how much better their other plants look when we introduce just a few yellow flowering plants to their landscape and they quickly change their mind.

Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans stans)

Large Shrub Plant Combinations

Bougainvillea ‘Barbara Karst’

I often recommend the following for those who are looking for large shrub combinations. Okay, I realize that many people either love or hate bougainvillea. Personally, I love them. I have two bougainvillea and since I don’t have a swimming pool, so I am not bothered by their litter. Their beautiful and vibrant colors are amazing.

Timing Matters in Plant Pairings

I pair my bougainvillea with yellow bell shrubs. Their colors contrast nicely, and they screen out the back wall of my garden. I give them plenty of room to grow, and they produce beautiful flowers spring through fall. If you do have a swimming pool and don’t like bougainvillea, how about trying orange jubilee (Tecoma hybrid ‘Orange Jubilee’) and Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) together?

Weber’s agave (Agave weberi) and purple trailing lantana

I have just one more tip – if you want to pair flowering plants together to enjoy the contrasting colors, make sure that they bloom at the same time of year. It is so easy to visit the plant nursery and see the pretty photos of flowers on the different plants and pick what ones you think will look great together only to discover later that one flower in the fall while the other blooms in spring and so you never see their flowers at the same time.

So, visit your local nursery and try some of the suggested plant combinations or see what beautiful plant pairings you come up with for your garden.

Iconic Desert Tree, The Palo Verde

Arizona garden, desert, Landscape Design, Trees

Large blooming palo verde an Iconic tree

Iconic tree, Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida)

When people think of the Sonoran desert, hillsides studded with saguaro cactus and cholla often come to mind. But interspersed between the cactus, you will find the palo verde, an iconic tree with their beautiful green trunks and branches.

An Iconic Desert Tree; The Palo Verde

The word “Palo Verde” means “green stick” in Spanish, referring to their green trunk, which is a survival mechanism in response to drought.

Palo verde trees are “drought deciduous,” which means that they will drop their leaves in response to a drought situation. Their green trunks and branches can carry on photosynthesis, even in the absence of leaves.

'Desert Museum' Palo Verde planted in groups along a walkway

‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde (Parkinsonia hybrid ‘Desert Museum’)

Palo Verde Trees Are Nurse Plants to Saguaro Cacti

Palo verde trees act as a “nurse plant” to young saguaro cacti by protecting them from the cold in the winter and from the intense sun in the summer. Beautiful, yellow flowers are the product in the spring.

Desert Museum’ Flower

There Are Several Species of Palo Verde

There are three species of palo verde that are native to the desert Southwest; blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida), formerly (Cercidium floridum), foothill palo verde (Parkinsonia microphylla), formerly (Cercidium microphyllum) and ‘desert museum’ palo verde (Parkinsonia x ‘Desert Museum’).

*Grab my FREE guide for Fuss-Free Plants that thrive in a hot, dry climate!*

Another species of palo verde that is prevalent in the landscape are called palo brea (Parkinsonia praecox), formerly (Cercidium praecox). They have a dusty green trunk and branches that twist and turn. Their cold hardiness range is around 15 to 20 degrees F.

Iconic tree, Palo Brea

Palo Verde Landscape Uses

Palo verde trees serve as beautiful specimen trees where their green trunks, branch structure, and flowers serve as an attractive focal point in the landscape. They are drought tolerant, once established and provide lovely filtered shade year-round.

When deciding where to place your tree, be sure to take into account that they need a lot of room to grow, mature sizes are listed below.

Palo Verdes don’t do well when planted in grass and will decline over time. Locate away from swimming pools due to flower litter in the spring.

Because of their more massive thorns and branching tendency to point downwards, palo brea trees aren’t recommended in areas close to foot traffic.

Mature Sizes:

Blue Palo Verde – 30 ft x 30 ft
‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde – 30 ft high x 40 ft wide
Palo Brea – 30 ft x 25 ft
Foothills Palo Verde – 20 ft x 20 ft

As with many desert trees, Palo Verde trees have thorns, except for the ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde.

Foothills Palo Verde

Basic Palo Verde Maintenance

Pruning for Canopy Elevation and Structural Integrity:

Pruning Palo Verde trees in your desert Southwest garden is a crucial aspect of maintaining their health, aesthetics, and structural integrity. One of the primary objectives of pruning is to elevate the canopy, ensuring it remains well-balanced and visually appealing. This practice involves selectively trimming the lower branches to create a more elevated and open canopy. By doing so, you allow for better air circulation and light penetration, which can promote overall tree health and reduce the risk of disease.

Steering Clear of Hedging and Topping:

While pruning is essential, it’s equally vital to understand what not to do. Avoid two harmful practices: hedging and topping.

Hedging: Hedging involves indiscriminate shearing or cutting of branches to create a uniform, artificial shape. This practice is highly discouraged for Palo Verde trees, as it not only compromises the tree’s natural beauty but also disrupts its growth patterns. Hedging can lead to dense, bushy growth with weaker, more susceptible branches.
Topping: Topping is the severe cutting of the uppermost branches, often leaving stubs or bare trunks. This practice is detrimental to the tree’s health and stability. When Palo Verde trees are topped, they respond with a vigorous burst of new growth that tends to be weak and prone to breakage. Topped trees are also more susceptible to pests and diseases.

The Proper Tree Pruning Approach:

Instead, adopt a thoughtful and strategic approach to pruning your Palo Verde trees. Start by identifying dead, diseased, or damaged branches, and promptly remove them. This eliminates potential entry points for pests and diseases, promoting tree health.

Next, focus on elevating the canopy by selectively pruning lower branches. When selecting branches for removal, prioritize those with narrow crotches or those that cross and rub against each other, as these can weaken the overall structure.

Consider hiring a certified arborist or a professional tree service to ensure that your Palo Verde trees receive the care they deserve. These experts have the knowledge and experience to prune your trees correctly, preserving their natural form and promoting robust, healthy growth.

By following proper pruning practices and avoiding hedging and topping, you can help your Palo Verde trees thrive in your desert Southwest garden. A well-maintained Palo Verde tree not only adds to the beauty of your landscape but also provides valuable shade and habitat for local wildlife while remaining resilient in the harsh desert environment.

Palo Verde is My Favorite Tree

As a landscape manager, horticulturist and arborist, I have grown and maintained all of the palo verde species mentioned, and I truly enjoy them all. However, at home, I have 4 ‘Desert Museum’ trees.

In comparison to the other species, their trunks are a deeper green; they produce larger flowers, are thornless and grow very quickly in the desert. Also, they require little, if any, tree staking when planted. Simple amazing!

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