Michael Strong
Thanks for having me out, Michael. Here's everything we covered as we walked the yard, in the order we walked it. You've got a great setup for a pollinator garden and a cactus garden, and the biggest wins are going to come from swapping rock for mulch, getting the right plants on the walls, and feeding the soil.
Shaded Wall: The Mock Orange
The mock orange up against this wall looks okay, but it's gotten very woody. It's an old plant, and that's why it's woody. This spot also gets a lot of shade, so whatever goes here needs to handle that. You have two paths here.
Option 1: Renew it. Instead of cutting the whole thing back at once, take out about a third of the oldest, thickest stems right down near the base this winter. Do another third next winter and the last third the year after. That forces fresh growth from the bottom and fills it back in without leaving you with bare sticks. Please don't shear it into a box or a ball. Thin it and let it grow into its natural shape.
Option 2: Replace it. Another mock orange is a fine choice since it already proved it can handle this shade. Here are some other options that do well in shade along a wall.
Mock Orange
Pittosporum. Dense, glossy evergreen that handles deep shade better than almost anything else on this list. Fragrant white flowers in spring. 6 to 10 feet tall and wide if left to grow naturally.
Japanese Privet
Fast, full evergreen screen that does well in shade. Grows 8 to 12 feet, so it covers a wall quickly. Small white spring flowers the bees love.
Cape Plumbago
Soft, mounding shrub with sky blue flowers most of the year. Happy in part shade, 4 to 6 feet tall and wider. Can lean on a wall and climb a bit if you let it.
Foxtail Fern
Upright plumes of bright green, 2 to 3 feet. Loves shade and gives a soft, lush look at the base of a wall.
Asparagus Fern
Airy, feathery groundcover-style fern for shady spots. 2 to 3 feet, fills in gaps under taller shrubs.
If you go with a mix, keep the taller ones (mock orange, privet, plumbago) against the wall about 5 to 6 feet apart, and tuck the ferns in front.
Back Wall: Vine and Wall Coverage
There's a vine on this wall right now that's gotten tangled and dried out. If you want to stay with a vine, here are options that will work here. That said, for covering this wall the best long term answer is a shrub like Arizona rosewood. Here are all of my favorite block wall options. Any of them gives you a full, green screen from the ground up, it doesn't need a trellis, and it won't pull on the wall or the neighbor's structure.
Best for wall coverage
Arizona Rosewood
Native evergreen that grows 10 to 15 feet tall and about as wide. My go-to for covering a block wall. Dense, takes full sun and reflected heat, white spring flowers for the pollinators, and it never needs shearing.
Hopseed
Dense, upright evergreen, 10 to 12 feet, that fills in fast and handles full sun and reflected heat. One of my favorites for covering a block wall. Narrow enough that it doesn't eat up the yard.
Orange Jubilee
Fast growing, 8 to 12 feet, with big clusters of orange trumpet flowers from spring through fall. Hummingbirds are on it all day. Can freeze back in a hard winter and comes right back in spring.
Yellow Bells
Tecoma stans. The yellow variety is native to the Sonoran Desert. Bright yellow trumpet flowers spring through fall, 8 to 12 feet, and a hummingbird and bee magnet.
Twisted Myrtle
Evergreen with small, twisted, fragrant leaves and white summer flowers. Grows 6 to 8 feet, dense and tidy, and takes the heat. Bees love the flowers.
Vine options
Tangerine Crossvine
Self-clinging vine that grabs onto block or stucco without wires. Evergreen, orange trumpet flowers in spring, handles full sun and heat. One of my favorites for walls.
Lady Banks Rose
Nearly thornless climbing rose with a huge flush of small yellow or white flowers in spring. Vigorous, evergreen here, and tough in the heat once rooted. Needs something to lean on or tie to.
Hacienda Creeper
Self-clinging vine with small leaves that hug the wall flat. Takes full sun and reflected heat, turns red in the cool months. Great where space is tight.
Coral Vine (Mexican Creeper)
Fast summer vine with sprays of pink flowers late summer through fall. Bees love it. Freezes back to the ground in winter and returns in spring, so it covers in the hot months and opens up in the cool months.
Bower Vine
Pandorea. Glossy leaves and pink and white trumpet flowers. Prefers some afternoon shade, so it's a good fit for a covered or partly shaded spot.
Plant the shrubs about 6 to 8 feet apart along the wall and about 3 to 4 feet off of it. You can stick with one or mix a few for more variety. They'll grow together into one solid screen in a few years. Vines go right at the base of the wall, about 8 to 10 feet apart.
Pollinator Garden Wall: Replacing the Oleander and Bougainvillea
Along this wall there's some old oleander and a bougainvillea. This wall frames the area where you want your pollinator garden, so I'd go native here. Arizona rosewood, hopseed, orange jubilee, or yellow bells would all be great. Orange jubilee and yellow bells bring in lots of hummingbirds, and they really love them. The yellow variety of yellow bells is native to the Sonoran Desert.
Arizona Rosewood
Native evergreen that grows 10 to 15 feet tall and about as wide. My go-to for covering a block wall. Dense, takes full sun and reflected heat, white spring flowers for the pollinators, and it never needs shearing.
Hopseed
Dense, upright evergreen, 10 to 12 feet, that fills in fast and handles full sun and reflected heat. One of my favorites for covering a block wall. Narrow enough that it doesn't eat up the yard.
Orange Jubilee
Fast growing, 8 to 12 feet, with big clusters of orange trumpet flowers from spring through fall. Hummingbirds are on it all day. Can freeze back in a hard winter and comes right back in spring.
Yellow Bells
Tecoma stans. The yellow variety is native to the Sonoran Desert. Bright yellow trumpet flowers spring through fall, 8 to 12 feet, and a hummingbird and bee magnet.
You can pick one or mix them. A mix looks more natural and gives you flowers at different times. Plant them 8 to 10 feet apart and 3 to 4 feet off the wall. The oleander and bougainvillea will need to be cleared out first, either by you or a landscaper, since we don't do removals.
Here's a short video on orange jubilee if you want to see it in action: Orange Jubilee video.
Along the House
Same idea along this side of the house. Pull out the lantana and the volunteer tree, then line the house with the same options.
Arizona Rosewood
Native evergreen that grows 10 to 15 feet tall and about as wide. My go-to for covering a block wall. Dense, takes full sun and reflected heat, white spring flowers for the pollinators, and it never needs shearing.
Orange Jubilee
Fast growing, 8 to 12 feet, with big clusters of orange trumpet flowers from spring through fall. Hummingbirds are on it all day. Can freeze back in a hard winter and comes right back in spring.
Yellow Bells
Tecoma stans. The yellow variety is native to the Sonoran Desert. Bright yellow trumpet flowers spring through fall, 8 to 12 feet, and a hummingbird and bee magnet.
Space them about 6 feet apart so they fill in faster. Using the same plants here and on the pollinator wall ties the whole backyard together.
Pollinator Garden Under the Eucalyptus
This is the grass area under the eucalyptus where you want your pollinator garden. We already turned off the water to the grass, which is the right first step.
Getting the ground ready. Once the grass browns out, you don't need to dig it up. Lay plain cardboard (tape and labels removed) right over the top, overlap the edges by about 6 inches, soak it, and put 2 to 3 inches of compost over the cardboard and then 3 to 4 inches of mulch over that. When you plant, cut an X through the cardboard and plant right through it. The cardboard smothers what's left of the grass and breaks down into food for the soil. If bermuda pokes through at the edges, pull it as it shows up.
About the eucalyptus. Eucalyptus roots are shallow and thirsty, so the plants under it are competing for water. Give the new plants their own emitters and water deeply, and keep plantings a few feet out from the trunk. Leave the mulch at least a foot back from the trunk too.
Here's the full list of pollinator plants that would work here. You can't fit all of these, so pick your favorites and intermingle them. Plant in loose drifts of 3 or 5 of the same plant rather than straight rows. It looks fuller, it's easier for pollinators to find, and you don't need to stress about exact placement. Put the smaller ones near the edges and paths and the bigger ones toward the back.
These handle the filtered shade closer to the tree
Mexican Honeysuckle
Orange tubular flowers almost year round and soft green leaves. Does very well in the filtered shade under a tree. Hummingbirds love it.
Greg's Mistflower
Fuzzy lavender flowers that are a butterfly magnet, especially queens in the fall. 1 to 2 feet and spreading. Handles some shade.
Firecracker Plant
Russelia. Cascading green stems with red tubular flowers that hummingbirds go after constantly. Takes shade well, 3 to 4 feet. Nice in front of a taller shrub.
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii. 2 to 3 feet with red, pink, or coral flowers spring through fall. A hummingbird favorite that fits small spaces.
These want the sunnier edges
Desert Milkweed
Upright gray-green stems, 3 to 4 feet. A host plant for monarch and queen butterflies. Every pollinator garden here should have some.
Chuparosa
Native with red tubular flowers through winter and spring, when hummingbirds need it most. 3 to 4 feet, loose and natural.
Penstemon
Upright flower spikes in spring, 2 to 4 feet, with a small footprint. Hummingbirds and native bees love them. Great for narrow spots.
Globe Mallow
Native with orange cup shaped flowers in spring, 2 to 4 feet. Native bees depend on it.
Desert Marigold
Native with silvery leaves and bright yellow flowers, about 1 to 2 feet. Reseeds a little, which is a good thing in a pollinator area.
Brittlebush
Native silver mound, 3 feet, covered in yellow daisies in late winter and spring. Feeds a lot of native bees.
Pink Fairy Duster
Native, airy shrub about 2 to 3 feet with soft pink puffball flowers in spring. Hummingbirds and bees both use it.
Baja Fairy Duster
Red puffball flowers almost year round, 3 to 5 feet. Hummingbirds visit it all day. Handles full sun and heat.
Desert Lavender
Native, fragrant gray shrub, 4 to 6 feet, with small purple flowers the bees go crazy for.
Desert Honeysuckle
Anisacanthus. Orange flowers summer into fall, 3 to 4 feet. Tough and a hummingbird favorite.
Turpentine Bush
Native, 2 to 3 feet, covered in yellow flowers in the fall when pollinators need late season food.
Desert Ruellia (white)
Small native shrub with white flowers, 2 to 3 feet. Fills in nicely between bigger plants.
Blackfoot Daisy
Small native mound, under a foot tall, covered in white daisies most of the year. Perfect for hot, narrow strips with reflected heat.
Angelita Daisy
Tidy 1 foot mound with yellow daisies nearly year round. Takes reflected heat and stays small.
Damianita
Low, fragrant mound about 1 to 2 feet with bright yellow daisies in spring and fall. Loves hot, sunny, tight spots.
Texas Sage
Silver or green leaves with purple flushes of flowers after summer humidity. 4 to 6 feet if you let it grow naturally.
Red Yucca
Clean, grassy clump about 3 feet with tall coral flower spikes the hummingbirds love. Fibrous, shallow roots and very little litter, so it's great near a pool or a foundation.
Red Bird of Paradise
Big red and orange flower clusters all summer, 6 to 8 feet. Loves full sun. Butterflies and hummingbirds both visit.
Wildflower seed. Right now through early December is the perfect time to scatter native wildflower seed in the open spaces between plants. Lupine, poppies, and desert bluebells fill in quickly and come up in late winter and spring. A&P Nursery carries a good desert wildflower mix. Rake it lightly into the compost before the mulch goes down, or scatter it in any bare spots and keep it damp until it sprouts.
Back Patio Trellis: The Jasmine
The star jasmine on the trellis panels under the pergola has died. I believe it was a lack of water. We spent a good amount of time on your irrigation controller, so now that the watering is dialed in, jasmine may work here again. Make sure the emitter is right at the root ball and that it's soaking down deep, not just wetting the surface.
This spot gets a lot of shade in the winter and a decent amount of sun in the summer, so whatever goes here has to handle both. Here are some options, including the jasmine.
Star Jasmine
The vine you have now. Fragrant white flowers in spring, evergreen, good in part shade. It needs steady, deep water to get established, which is likely what it was missing.
Purple Lilac Vine
Hardenbergia. Evergreen vine with purple flowers in late winter and early spring, right when not much else is blooming. Likes some shade, light and easy to keep on a trellis.
Bower Vine
Pandorea. Glossy leaves and pink and white trumpet flowers. Prefers some afternoon shade, so it's a good fit for a covered or partly shaded spot.
Tangerine Crossvine
Self-clinging vine that grabs onto block or stucco without wires. Evergreen, orange trumpet flowers in spring, handles full sun and heat. One of my favorites for walls.
Lady Banks Rose
Nearly thornless climbing rose with a huge flush of small yellow or white flowers in spring. Vigorous, evergreen here, and tough in the heat once rooted. Needs something to lean on or tie to.
One vine per trellis panel is plenty. Tie the new growth loosely to the lattice for the first few months until it starts grabbing on by itself.
Groundcover around the vines and snake plant. First, pull the rock out of this bed. These plants will be much happier with mulch instead. Rock holds heat against the house and the roots. Put down a small layer of mulch, about 2 inches, then add a groundcover that will fill in around the jasmine vines and the snake plant.
Yellow Dot
Wedelia. Fast spreading groundcover with little yellow daisy flowers most of the year. Stays low, about 8 to 12 inches, and fills in bare ground quickly. Likes some shade, so it's a good fit under the pergola.
Purple Heart
Trailing groundcover with deep purple leaves and small pink flowers. Spreads easily, stays low, and the color pops against the green of the jasmine and the snake plant.
Plant them about 2 feet apart and they'll knit together in a season. Keep them a few inches back from the base of the vines.
Pool Fence: Narrow Strip
Along the pool there isn't a lot of space between the pool deck and the fence, and this area gets very hot. Everything here should be desert adapted, able to take the heat, and able to fit in a tight space. Near a pool you also want plants that don't drop a lot of leaves and petals into the water.
Small to midsize shrubs
San Marcos Hibiscus
Desert adapted hibiscus with lavender flowers with a dark center, 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Handles the heat by the pool and stays compact enough for a narrow strip.
Red Yucca
Clean, grassy clump about 3 feet with tall coral flower spikes the hummingbirds love. Fibrous, shallow roots and very little litter, so it's great near a pool or a foundation.
Little Ollie
Dwarf olive that stays dense and evergreen, 4 to 6 feet. No fruit and no pollen mess. Handles full sun and reflected heat by the pool.
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii. 2 to 3 feet with red, pink, or coral flowers spring through fall. A hummingbird favorite that fits small spaces.
Damianita
Low, fragrant mound about 1 to 2 feet with bright yellow daisies in spring and fall. Loves hot, sunny, tight spots.
Totem Pole Cactus
Smooth, knobby columns with no spines. Slow, upright, and narrow, with shallow roots. Handles the hottest walls.
Vines to grow up the fence
Tangerine Crossvine
Self-clinging vine that grabs onto block or stucco without wires. Evergreen, orange trumpet flowers in spring, handles full sun and heat. One of my favorites for walls.
Hacienda Creeper
Self-clinging vine with small leaves that hug the wall flat. Takes full sun and reflected heat, turns red in the cool months. Great where space is tight.
Coral Vine (Mexican Creeper)
Fast summer vine with sprays of pink flowers late summer through fall. Bees love it. Freezes back to the ground in winter and returns in spring, so it covers in the hot months and opens up in the cool months.
Yellow Orchid Vine
Callaeum macropterum. Desert adapted vine with bright yellow flowers spring through fall and papery seed pods that look like butterflies. Handles full sun and reflected heat. Needs a wire or trellis to climb.
A nice pattern here is to alternate a vine every 8 to 10 feet on the fence with a couple of the smaller shrubs in between. That covers the fence without crowding the pool deck.
Against the House by the Pool: Two Feet and a French Drain
Up against the house here there's only about two feet of space, and there's a French drain underneath. Whatever goes here can't have aggressive or deep roots, should top out around three to four feet, and has to handle a lot of reflected heat and sun off the wall and the pool deck. Here's a good range of options that fit all of that.
Desert Ruellia (white)
Small native shrub with white flowers, 2 to 3 feet. Fills in nicely between bigger plants.
Damianita
Low, fragrant mound about 1 to 2 feet with bright yellow daisies in spring and fall. Loves hot, sunny, tight spots.
Angelita Daisy
Tidy 1 foot mound with yellow daisies nearly year round. Takes reflected heat and stays small.
Desert Marigold
Native with silvery leaves and bright yellow flowers, about 1 to 2 feet. Reseeds a little, which is a good thing in a pollinator area.
Trailing Indigo Bush
Low, silvery spreading shrub about 1 to 2 feet with purple spring flowers. Takes full sun and reflected heat.
Bush Morning Glory
Silver foliage and white flowers, 2 to 3 feet. Looks cool and clean against a hot wall.
Red Yucca
Clean, grassy clump about 3 feet with tall coral flower spikes the hummingbirds love. Fibrous, shallow roots and very little litter, so it's great near a pool or a foundation.
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii. 2 to 3 feet with red, pink, or coral flowers spring through fall. A hummingbird favorite that fits small spaces.
Penstemon
Upright flower spikes in spring, 2 to 4 feet, with a small footprint. Hummingbirds and native bees love them. Great for narrow spots.
Totem Pole Cactus
Smooth, knobby columns with no spines. Slow, upright, and narrow, with shallow roots. Handles the hottest walls.
Plant them in the middle of the strip, about a foot off the wall, and 3 feet apart for the small ones. Keep the emitters off the drain line itself and point them at the root balls so you're not just running water into the drain.
Side Yard: Cactus Garden and Getting Rid of the Rock
This back side yard gets a lot of sun and has quite a bit of rock. You want to make this your cactus garden, and there's plenty of open ground off the wall to do it.
Before we get into plants: this goes for every area we walked, not just this one. Anywhere you can remove the rock and put down mulch is going to help. Rock soaks up heat all day and radiates it back at night, so the ground and the plants never get a break. Mulch shades the soil, holds moisture, cools everything down, and feeds the soil life as it breaks down. Your plants will work a lot better.
Cactus and succulents
Saguaro
The icon of the Sonoran Desert. Very slow growing, so start with the biggest one that fits your budget. Give it full sun, room to grow tall, and very little water. Plant it facing the same direction it grew at the nursery (most are marked) so it doesn't sunburn.
Golden Barrel Cactus
Round, glowing gold spines, 2 to 3 feet over time. Looks great in groups of three or five.
Fishhook Barrel Cactus
Native barrel with red hooked spines and orange flowers in late summer, followed by yellow fruit the birds eat.
Hedgehog Cactus
Low clumping native with huge magenta flowers in spring. Good for the front of the cactus garden.
Totem Pole Cactus
Smooth, knobby columns with no spines. Slow, upright, and narrow, with shallow roots. Handles the hottest walls.
Mexican Fence Post Cactus
Tall, clean columns that add height. Plant a few together for a strong vertical look.
Ocotillo
Native, tall whip-like canes with red flower tips in spring. Leafs out after rain. Gives a cactus garden real Sonoran character.
Perry's Agave
Blue-gray rosette, 2 to 3 feet across. Clean and sculptural. Give it room from paths since the tips are sharp.
Hercules Agave
Big, upright statement agave with smooth edges. A good anchor plant in the middle of the garden.
Red Yucca
Clean, grassy clump about 3 feet with tall coral flower spikes the hummingbirds love. Fibrous, shallow roots and very little litter, so it's great near a pool or a foundation.
Natives to fill in between
Desert Marigold
Native with silvery leaves and bright yellow flowers, about 1 to 2 feet. Reseeds a little, which is a good thing in a pollinator area.
Globe Mallow
Native with orange cup shaped flowers in spring, 2 to 4 feet. Native bees depend on it.
Brittlebush
Native silver mound, 3 feet, covered in yellow daisies in late winter and spring. Feeds a lot of native bees.
Damianita
Low, fragrant mound about 1 to 2 feet with bright yellow daisies in spring and fall. Loves hot, sunny, tight spots.
Blackfoot Daisy
Small native mound, under a foot tall, covered in white daisies most of the year. Perfect for hot, narrow strips with reflected heat.
Group the cactus in clusters of three or five with the tall ones (saguaro, fence post, totem pole, ocotillo) toward the wall and the barrels and hedgehogs out front. Tuck the flowering natives in between so it doesn't look sparse.
Planting cactus is a little different. Skip the compost in the hole for the cactus and agave, plant them at the same depth they were in the pot, and wait about a week before the first watering so any roots that got nicked can heal. Keep mulch pulled back a few inches from the base of each cactus.
Your Watering Schedule
We spent a good amount of time on your irrigation controller. Here's how it's set up now, organized by program, so you always know what's running and when.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Move zone 4 to Program C. The Mexican fence post is getting 20 minutes three days a week on Program A. That's way more water than a cactus wants, especially heading into the cooler months, and too much water is how cactus rot starts. Move zone 4 onto Program C so it waters once a week on Fridays with the rest of the cacti and agave.
- Get the leaks fixed. Zone 6 has leaks around the gate area. Leaks waste water and leave the plants at the end of the line short. Call Garrett at 480-678-9121 to take care of them.
- Figure out zone 5. It's off for now. Garrett can trace where it goes so you know whether anything is depending on it.
- Plan water for the pollinator garden. With the grass zone off, the new plants under the eucalyptus will need their own drip emitters before they go in. That's another one for Garrett.
- New plants need more water at first. Anything new you plant will need watering more often for the first several weeks until the roots grow out into the soil. Don't let the root balls dry out.
- Don't skip a watering after rain. Our rain rarely soaks in deep enough to count. Let the schedule run.
Soil and Feeding
Everything in this write-up comes down to the soil. Healthy soil full of life means stronger roots, better flowering, fewer pests, and plants that handle the heat. Here's how to do it yourself, and below that, what it looks like if we take care of it for you.
Doing it yourself:
- Compost. Spread a generous layer of quality compost around the drip line of the eucalyptus and any other trees, and closer in around shrubs. Two to three times a year. Arizona Worm Farm has great compost.
- Worm castings. Sprinkle worm castings around your plants every quarter. They're loaded with biology and gentle enough for anything.
- Organic fertilizer. Use a good organic liquid fertilizer that's high in fulvic acid, monthly. I recommend Catalyst Jenner 8, Organic Nitro Jen, and their kelp fertilizer.
Catalyst Jenner 8
All-around organic feed for the whole landscape.
Catalyst Organic Nitro Jen
Organic nitrogen for strong green growth.
Catalyst Kelp
Trace minerals and natural growth hormones. Helps with heat stress.
You can find these at Catalyst Product Group. Click Products, then Home and Garden.
Or we can do it for you. Our monthly fertilizing program covers the whole landscape with a liquid organic spray every month plus compost three times a year, and you get a recap video after every visit.
Liquid organic feeding every month, compost three times a year, recap video after each visit.
Text us to get startedMore details here: Monthly Fertilizing.
Next Steps
You've got two good ways to go from here.
- Do it yourself. Everything you need is in this write-up. You're already in the Garden Nerd Club as a consult client, so you have direct access to me there. Post photos as you go and ask questions anytime.
- Have us plant it. We do planting. Pick the plants you like from each area, send them over, and I'll put together a planting proposal with pricing. No rush, whenever you're ready.
For anything irrigation related, call Garrett at 480-678-9121. He's who I trust with irrigation, and we don't do any irrigation work ourselves.