Emily, here's what we covered
3836 E Cambridge Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85008Thanks for having me out to walk the property. I put this together in the same order we walked it, backyard through front. As a consult client you're already in the Garden Nerd Club, so I'm happy to keep working through this list with you whenever you're ready.
Iceberg Roses, Creeping Fig Climbing Up
I'd go with Iceberg Roses here, with Creeping Fig growing up the wall behind them. Other rose varieties would work in this spot too, but Iceberg is going to be the most reliable bet. I'd put in a small border to define the bed, then layer down compost followed by mulch. This is also a spot that'll need a new drip irrigation line run out to it so everything here actually gets watered.
Iceberg Rose
Most reliable rose for this spot, clean white blooms most of the year.
Creeping Fig
Climbs the wall behind the roses.
One or Two Large Shade Trees, Depending on the Pergola
This wall actually faces east, but that's not really the point here, these trees are meant to block that harsh western afternoon sun from reaching the rest of the yard, not to shade the wall itself. I'm thinking one or two large shade trees here, if the pergola in the corner ends up happening, I'd just do one tree so it's not competing for the same space, if the pergola doesn't happen, I'd do two. For the variety, Chinese Elm and Carob are both good options that fit the whimsical, elegant look you're after, Ficus is worth a look too, and a Bottle Tree could be a fun, more unusual pick if you want something a little different.
Chinese Elm
Fast growing, dense canopy.
Carob
Evergreen, tough and well-shaped.
Ficus
Evergreen, needs room to grow.
Bottle Tree
A more unusual, whimsical pick.
That last option got cut off on the recording, I filled in Bottle Tree as a guess since it fits the whimsical look, let me know if you had something else in mind.
A Mockup of What This Could Look Like
You mentioned possibly doing a concrete pad with a pergola in this corner. Along the edge of the pad, I'd add a bit of a border with some low growing plants worked in to give the area some dimension. A small water feature could also be a nice addition here if you want to take it a step further.
Mockup
A rough idea of what this corner could look like with the pad, pergola, and border planting in place.
A Few Good Ways to Cover This
I'd cover this wall completely, and Orange Jubilee is probably the best option, on top of the color it actually attracts hummingbirds, which is a nice bonus. Yellow Bells is another good choice. Arizona Rosewood works well too and ends up looking the closest to a Ficus hedge if that's a look you like. Hopseed and Twisted Myrtle are both solid options as well.
Orange Jubilee
Best option, also attracts hummingbirds.
Yellow Bells
Covered in yellow trumpet blooms through the warm months.
Arizona Rosewood
Closest look to a Ficus hedge.
Hopseed
Fast, thick, fills in quickly.
Twisted Myrtle
Dense evergreen option.
Pick one to run the length of this wall rather than mixing them together.
Same Options, Plus Bougainvillea and Barbados Cherry
All the same shrub options from the last wall would work here too. I'd also see if you like Bougainvillea, getting a few different varieties and colors mixed in would look great, and this spot takes the afternoon sun just fine for it. Barbados Cherry is another option worth considering, you can pick one up at Greenlife Nursery.
Bougainvillea
Mix varieties and colors, handles afternoon sun well.
Barbados Cherry
Available at Greenlife Nursery.
Let It Grow a Bit Longer, Feed the Soil
For this grass, I'd let it grow a little longer than you might be used to, that extra height helps smother out weeds on its own and means you won't have to water as often. On the weed side specifically, feeding the soil with a good organic fertilizer makes a real difference over time, healthier soil naturally starts crowding weeds out as the turf thickens up. If you want, send over your current watering schedule and I can take a look and see if there's room to optimize it.
Two New Dedicated Lines
For irrigation, you'll want to add two more lines, one dedicated just to trees, and a separate one for everything else, the shrubs and smaller plants. Trees want a deeper, less frequent soak, while shrubs want more frequent, shorter watering, so splitting them out means each can run on the right schedule. If you want to get planting started before that's in place, that's fine too, as long as you're willing to hand water in the meantime, now is actually a good time of year to do that.
Pack In the Flowers, Pack In the Pollinators
This is a great spot to build out a full pollinator garden. Chuparosa, Greg's Mistflower, and Desert Milkweed would all be great anchor plants, and I'd add a groundcover underneath to fill in the rest. For more color and variety, Baja Fairy Duster and Firecracker Plant both bring in hummingbirds along with the color, and Torch Glow Bougainvillea would add a lot of vivid impact if you want something bolder. Get as much in here as you reasonably can, the denser the planting, the more pollinator activity you'll draw in. Before anything goes in, I'd layer down compost and mulch to give it all a strong start.
Chuparosa
Red tubular blooms hummingbirds can't resist.
Greg's Mistflower
Fuzzy purple-blue blooms, butterflies love it.
Desert Milkweed
Tough, upright, a magnet for monarchs.
Baja Fairy Duster
Wispy red blooms, stays small and compact.
Firecracker Plant
Tubular red-orange blooms, brings in hummingbirds.
Torch Glow Bougainvillea
Vivid color and fast coverage.
No need to use all of these, pack in whichever mix gives you the density and color you want.
Two Large Trees, One On Each Side
For the front yard, I'm thinking two large trees, one on either side. Chinese Elm is the first option, Carob is another good choice, both fit that whimsical, elegant look you like. Whichever one you land on, I'd use the same variety on both sides rather than mixing them, that symmetry is what's going to make the front yard read as intentional rather than mismatched.
Chinese Elm
First option, fast growing, dense canopy.
Carob
Evergreen, tough and well-shaped.
Soft, Low Growing Shrubs for Curb Appeal
This wall faces south and is right at the front of the house, so it's one of the first things people see. For that softer, whimsical cottage feel rather than a stiff desert look, Japanese Privet, Cape Plumbago, and Dwarf Myrtle all give you that fuller, more rounded, informal shape. Indian Hawthorn is another good one in the same vein, compact and soft with pink blooms. Pink Muhly Grass would be a great addition too, its airy pink plumes bring exactly the whimsical texture you're after and pair nicely with any of these shrubs.
Japanese Privet
Full, rounded, soft informal shape.
Cape Plumbago
Soft blue blooms nearly year-round.
Dwarf Myrtle
Dense, soft evergreen foliage.
Indian Hawthorn (Pink Lady)
Compact, soft, pink blooms.
Pink Muhly Grass
Airy pink plumes, whimsical texture.
Soft, Whimsical, and Pollinator Friendly
Along the front porch, I'd lean into that same soft, informal look rather than clipped and formal. Lavender brings fragrance and silvery texture, Autumn Sage keeps color going most of the year with red or pink blooms, Society Garlic adds a grassy, delicate look with purple flowers, and Penstemon gives you tall spikes of color that pollinators love. Asparagus Fern and Foxtail Fern would both add a soft, feathery texture underneath everything else, and Pink Muhly Grass would work beautifully here too, its airy pink plumes are about as whimsical as it gets.
Lavender
Fragrant, silvery texture.
Autumn Sage
Red or pink blooms most of the year.
Society Garlic
Grassy, delicate look, purple flowers.
Penstemon
Tall spikes of color, great pollinator draw.
Asparagus Fern
Soft, feathery texture underneath.
Foxtail Fern
Dense, upright, feathery texture.
Pink Muhly Grass
Airy pink plumes, very whimsical.
Planning Around the Bermuda Problem
Since you're putting in large trees here, Bermuda grass is going to become a long-term problem as it keeps creeping back in. St. Augustine is my first go to for this area. Kurapia is another solid option if you'd rather go with something lower water. Clover is worth considering too, just know it won't perform great until there's more shade coverage established from the new trees, it does much better once it's out of full, direct sun.
St. Augustine
First choice, thicker traditional lawn look.
Kurapia
Lower water option, handles foot traffic well.
Clover
Needs more shade coverage first to really perform.
Trees First, Then Compost, Then Sod
For this area, the order matters. Get the trees in first, then about a month before you sod with St. Augustine or Kurapia, work in the compost. That timing gives the compost a chance to actually integrate into the soil before the sod goes down, rather than sodding over freshly amended ground. If you go with Kurapia, West Coast Turf is a good source for the sod.
Where to Go
For Barbados Cherry, Greenlife Nursery carries it. For compost, visit Arizona Worm Farm.
Let's tackle this in whatever order makes sense
There's a lot here, so pick what matters most to you first, the shade trees, the walls, or the pollinator garden. We can advise you along the way in the Garden Nerd Club, or if you'd rather have help with any of it, planting or anything else, just reach out and I can get you pricing.
You can also read more about how we plant at thegardennerd.org.