Desert Landscape

Discussion in 'Picture Perfect' started by Anita Mae, Jul 12, 2013.

  1. Anita Mae

    Anita Mae New Member

    100_3010 - Copy.jpg 100_3013 - Copy.jpg 100_3236 - Copy.jpg 100_3227 - Copy.jpg O. Vera Medicine Plant.jpg


    My front and back yard both have Desert Landscape...using little or no water.

    My two Orange, edible, Citrus trees - - I only water twice a week - -20 minutes - on sprinkler bubbler system.

    Front yard: Oleanders, 3 Texas Sage (uses none to minimal water), Bird of Paradise, and cactus which blooms in the Spring. Back Yard: Brittle Bush, Hopseed Bush, Texas Sage, Elephant Ear - succulent, Medicine Plant, Oleanders, Pyracantha, Rosemary, Bird of Paradise.
    These all require minimal to no water (No water- in the winter).

    Available on line....www.amwua.org to obtain a booklet "Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert" (Your local nursery may also have copies).

    Front yard pics: Blooming Red Oleanders - -pic taken in Early April - - newer pic of 3 sage & oleander taken June -- after house had stucco and re-paint.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2013
  2. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Beautiful. How do you keep seeds & weeds from sprouting in the rocks? I've tried rocks where I live but too difficult to keep it clean. Of course we have so many seeds on the wind here. Since much of SC is desert landscape, I am curious if that keeps the sprouts down.
     
  3. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Where is the elephant ear, I don't see it in your pics. I have 2 elephant ears in huge pots and they need lots of water in the heat.
     
  4. Anita Mae

    Anita Mae New Member

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    Here is the Elephant Ear - - it is planted in the same "hole" in my backyard - - sharing space with one of my Brittle Bushes. I only water it - - twice a week about 10 minutes or so with auto bubblers...does great ! ! It is a beautiful plant -- I had it growing in a pot also for along time - - then it got big ! so I planted it last fall. The cold temps we had this year...nipped it's limbs - -so I had to trim it down a lot in March -- all came back very nice...it is green & healthy !
    In the background is my pyracantha - -to the right - the tall bush...and the smaller bushes in background - by the screen-in patio -- are my oleanders -- which I recently trimmed.
     
  5. Anita Mae

    Anita Mae New Member

    Cynthia...my entire front yard has Plastic liner under the rocks -- previous owner had put it there -- however, that does get yucky - after years of the heat - the plastic tends to "shred" - then you have to pull it up or cut it out anyway - - I prefer No plastic... but the plastic helps prevent weeds from growing.

    In my back yard - -I have no plastic...just the rock over the ground which I had put in when I moved here - -it was basically just hard dirt....AND yes - -our soil, dirt is so so hard - -like a clay - - very difficult to dig a hole - - you have to water soak an area before you plant (usually)
    ...When it rains in the winter - -sometimes - -you get a few weeds growing - -but normally weeds don't care to live in my yard---if they do come up - -I kill them with either with vinegar or just - plain- old- bleach. Kills them fast...got to get them when they are small.
     
  6. Anita Mae

    Anita Mae New Member

    Cynthia - - What area in California are you near to ? You might get a lot of rain ? Here - -up until our maybe, 1/10 - 1/4 of an inch of rain we had yesterday - - we had no rain for over 94 days ! ! that is DRY ! In the winter months - - sometimes we get more.
     
  7. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Los Angeles. Most years we do not much rain but I understand we get a bit more that you, not a lot more. We are into a 4 year drought now.
     
  8. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    Anita, I've done a lot of research on putting plastic under rocks. Most experts agree that it does not help much to stop the weeds growing because they actually fly in on the wind and seed on top. That's the reason I say maybe less plants growing there creates less seed in the wind.
    The plastic is needed to help the stones not to sink into the ground. I have done it without plastic here and after years the rocks work their way down into the soil and somewhat disappear. But if your ground is truly that stone hard and you get little rain, the rocks might not sink. Not sure. I have an area of hard packed soil that I still lost some rocks to over a period of years. Also might depend on how think the rock layer is. Do you know what place in time that people switched to rocks...how old are most of the desert/rock landscapes in SC? Some of the old SC photos it seems they were still trying to grow lawns.
     
  9. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    FYI, I don't think that is a true elephant ear. When I bought mine from a specialty nursery he told me people call lots of plants elephant ear but these are the only true ones. elephant_ears.jpg
     
  10. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    I can only see bits and pieces of your yard but the flowers and your arrangement look near perfect to me. I really love it.
     
  11. Anita Mae

    Anita Mae New Member

    Cynthia -- desert is desert - - our whole area was once nothing but desert cactus and hard rocky soil.....when the humans decided to move here --way back when -- they also decided they wanted grass....many yards have it - -when I lived in Peoria and homes in Phoenix area -- have grass...I had a grass backyard that the grass shared with my pool. However - - I do believe mostly Sun City had rock yards from the beginning... making it easy on Snow-birds and those retired -- not to have yard work - mowing, etc. also for water conservation. A lot of condos have grass - - however, they also have the yard men that care for it. Agree - - rock does disappear into the soil -- I think that is probably why my backyard had such little rock ---mostly hard dirt - when I moved here...My place was built in 1971--42 yrs. old I got entire back yard with all new rock - -yes -- it was costly.
     
  12. Anita Mae

    Anita Mae New Member

    You are so correct, Cynthia -- you have an elephant ear ! ! looks just like one - - mine is not -- darn...I called it the wrong name.
    The history of my plant is---I had an old friend who just could not care for her few shrubs-bushes that were in pots on her front porch. I would visit her once every couple of weeks and water them all.....after nearing the end of last hot summer....2 of 3 of her plants had died - - just fried in our heat. however, this one did make it - - My Elephant's Food Bush.. I was not sure of what it was -- yet, I knew it was a succulent of some sort....I had asked friends and posted a pic on Facebook page...like magic someone identified it - and I looked it up.. Interesting --Grows like wild in Africa and the Elephants eat it as food -- when pieces of the bush falls to the ground from elephant's chewing it--it re-grows itself. Must be a hardy plant - as it survived our cold winter temps this year. Here are some close up pics of it when I first acquired it last Aug. 388087_479439225399711_709242785_n.jpg 427334_478473215496312_213960044_n.jpg

    Elephant's Food - a succulent - and it is listed in that "Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert"
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2013
  13. Anita Mae

    Anita Mae New Member

    Thanks Emily L. I enjoy yard work - - however, I do not wish to do it in the hot hot summer months -- so - desert landscaping was a good choice for me -- trim the stuff maybe 3 times a year...requires little water and upkeep.
    When I lived just down the road in Peoria - - I had many bushes, shrubs and large trees and all were messy - -plus I had a pool to tend to - -natch -- it was all work work work - -and I had a green grass lawn to mow in my backyard. I am fortunate to have little upkeep now.
     
  14. Anita Mae

    Anita Mae New Member

    Cynthia not sure if you got this pic I posted ? - of this "Elephant's Food Bush" of mine .
    I am still trying to figure out how to gracefully work the programs on Talk of Sun City -- sometimes - -it is a hit & miss - opps...

    Anyway - my succulent is an "Elephant's Food" Bush - - my mistake - -I called it Elephant's Ear.

    I acquired this plant from a friend who could not care for it - -it was on her outside porch. The heat last summer near killed it. Fortunately I found out what it was via my Facebook Friends and their knowledge of plants. I goggled it and found the history of this plant - -a South African Plant. Elephant's would eat it and droppings from the bush would fall to the ground and then would re-grow itself. This plant is also listed in that AZ Desert Landscaping booklet I mentioned. It must be hardy as it survived our very cold cold winter this year. I had to trim off some dead branches -- but all re-covered. Here are the pics. before I planted it into the ground.

    388087_479439225399711_709242785_n.jpg 427334_478473215496312_213960044_n.jpg
     
  15. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    I have an Elephant Bush too, but I've kept it small. I have quite a few succulents. I also have some Jade I shaped like bonsai...about 15 years old. I'll try to remember to take a few photos and post them. I'm hoping I can bring some with me to SC when I move.
     
  16. Cynthia

    Cynthia Well-Known Member

    I don't have grass here either. Mostly hardscape, concrete & pavers. And then my succulents. I do have some hummingbird plants and shrubs for fencing. I never water the shrubs, I did for a few years but now the roots grow deep and they take care of themselves, except for trimming. Of course it doesn't get in the 100s here. Not much rain but the weather is temperate.
     
  17. Anita Mae

    Anita Mae New Member

    Cynthia - -yes - -bring your Succulents when you relocate to Sun City -- they grow well here -- and need little water !
     

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