The Garden NerdYour consultation write-up
Thanks for having me out. Everything we talked about is below, in the order we walked, starting in the backyard and ending in the courtyard.
For the order of work: pull rock and lay mulch first, then plant trees, then cover the walls, then everything else.
A big shade tree by the court
This spot wants a big tree that throws real shade. Carob is a great fit, and here are a few others that get big and give you the same kind of canopy. Plant it at least 15 feet from the court and the wall so it has room to spread.
Carob
Evergreen, dense, and rounded, with deep green leaves year round. Grows up and out into a big shade canopy and handles heat well. Pods drop in fall, so keep it off the pool deck.
Chinese Elm
Fast, wide shade and only bare for a short stretch in winter. Handles heat and reflected light well.
Tipu
The fastest of the group, with a wide umbrella canopy and yellow flowers in late spring. Drops more litter and has surface roots, so give it room.
Mesquite
Fast, wide, native shade. Plan on structural pruning each winter while it's young.
A hedge along the walls
Along this wall, and any wall in the backyard, the goal is a hedge that completely covers it. It doesn't need to be tight and formal. Space these 4 to 5 feet apart and let them grow together.
Arizona Rosewood
The best alternative to ficus. Native, dense, and evergreen. Leave it to grow tall for full coverage and privacy.
Hopseed
Fast, dense, and handles full sun. The quickest way to cover a wall.
Orange Jubilee
Orange trumpet flowers spring through fall. Hummingbirds love it. Let it grow freely instead of shearing it so it fills in and keeps flowering.
Twisted Myrtle
Dense and evergreen with twisted leaves and a fresh scent. Works as a clean hedge or left loose.
Another big shade tree, with plants underneath
Another large shade tree works here, something that grows up and out like a carob. Once it's in, make a circle bed around it and plant underneath.
Yellow dot, purple heart, and star jasmine handle sun to part shade, so they can go in right away and fill in as the tree grows. Asparagus fern, foxtail fern, and dichondra prefer real shade, so add those once the tree has a couple of years of growth and is casting shade over the bed.
Pick one tree, then mix two or three of the plants below to fill the bed underneath.
Carob
Evergreen, dense, and rounded, with deep green leaves year round. Grows up and out into a big shade canopy and handles heat well. Pods drop in fall, so keep it off the pool deck.
Chinese Elm
Fast, wide shade and only bare for a short stretch in winter. Handles heat and reflected light well.
Tipu
The fastest of the group, with a wide umbrella canopy and yellow flowers in late spring. Drops more litter and has surface roots, so give it room.
Mesquite
Fast, wide, native shade. Plan on structural pruning each winter while it's young.
Yellow Dot
Low, bright green, and covered in small yellow daisies. Handles sun or part shade and spreads to fill the bed.
Purple Heart
Trailing purple foliage with small pink flowers. Grows in sun or shade and looks great against the green of the other plants.
Star Jasmine
Evergreen, glossy leaves with fragrant white flowers in spring. Used as a groundcover, it spreads low and handles shade under a tree.
Dichondra
A soft, low carpet of round green leaves that loves shade. Fills in the open ground between the other plants.
Asparagus Fern
Soft, airy, and fern like. Great for filling in under trees.
Foxtail Fern
Upright plumes of bright green foliage. Tidy and easy in shade.
Covering the back walls
Same idea along these back walls. Arizona rosewood is the best alternative to ficus, and hopseed and orange jubilee are both great options too. Space them 4 to 5 feet apart.
Whichever you choose, especially the orange jubilee, don't prune them constantly. Let them grow freely into a full hedge. Constant shearing keeps them thin, cuts off the flowers, and slows down how fast they cover the wall.
Arizona Rosewood
The best alternative to ficus. Native, dense, and evergreen. Leave it to grow tall for full coverage and privacy.
Hopseed
Fast, dense, and handles full sun. The quickest way to cover a wall.
Orange Jubilee
Orange trumpet flowers spring through fall. Hummingbirds love it. Let it grow freely instead of shearing it so it fills in and keeps flowering.
Two ornamental trees between the seating area and kitchen
This is a good spot for two smaller ornamental trees to shade the seating area in the afternoon. Desert willow and Hong Kong orchid are both great here, and here are a few more. Using two of the same tree gives it a clean, planned look.
Underneath, plant shrubs and groundcover to fill in the space and cool the soil.
Pick two trees, then a shrub and a groundcover or two to go underneath.
Desert Willow
Orchid like flowers spring into fall. Loses its leaves in winter, which lets sun back in when you want it.
Hong Kong Orchid
Big pink and purple flowers in late winter. Protect it from frost the first couple of winters.
Texas Olive
White flowers on and off most of the year. Stays tidy and compact.
Vitex
Purple flower spikes all summer that bees swarm.
Cascalote
Bright yellow flower spikes through winter. Handles full sun and heat.
Ruellia
Dense and evergreen with purple flowers.
Firecracker Plant
Arching stems with red flowers.
Yellow Dot
Low and bright green with yellow daisies.
Lantana
Covers ground fast with flowers most of the year.
A tree near the pool for kitchen shade
Next to the pool you want a tree that stays a reasonable size, doesn't drop much, and still gives afternoon shade to the kitchen. These three all have fine or evergreen leaves and keep the pool much cleaner than most shade trees.
Fern of the Desert
Fine, feathery leaves that break down into the soil instead of piling up. Clean and fast.
Mulga Acacia
Evergreen with narrow silver leaves and very little litter. Upright and tidy.
Desert Ironwood
Native and evergreen with lavender flowers in spring. Slow, but one of the cleanest trees you can put near a pool.
A big shade tree for the pool and yard
This back area doesn't get much use, which makes it the perfect spot for a big shade tree. Planted here, it will shade the pool and most of the yard in the afternoon. Keep it far enough back that leaf drop stays out of the water.
Carob
Evergreen, dense, and rounded, with deep green leaves year round. Grows up and out into a big shade canopy and handles heat well. Pods drop in fall, so keep it off the pool deck.
Chinese Elm
Fast, wide shade and only bare for a short stretch in winter. Handles heat and reflected light well.
Tipu
The fastest of the group, with a wide umbrella canopy and yellow flowers in late spring. Drops more litter and has surface roots, so give it room.
Mesquite
Fast, wide, native shade. Plan on structural pruning each winter while it's young.
Tropical feel around the pool
Around the pool, these give you a tropical look and handle the heat off the deck. San Marcos hibiscus is a great start. Keep them a few feet back from the edge so they don't drop into the water.
San Marcos Hibiscus
Lavender hibiscus flowers most of the year. Lush and full.
Yellow Bells
Big clusters of yellow trumpet flowers spring through fall.
Red Bird of Paradise
Red and orange flowers all summer.
Firecracker Plant
Arching stems covered in red tubular flowers.
Pygmy Date Palm
A small palm that brings the tropical look without getting huge. Protect it on the coldest nights.
Let the orange jubilee grow
Keep the orange jubilee along this wall. Stop trimming them and plant one more in between each so they fill in quickly. Left to grow, they will fully cover the block wall and give you privacy.
Orange Jubilee
Plant new ones between the existing plants. A hard cut back once in late winter keeps them full.
Fruit trees, root flares, and raised beds
In this area, remove all of the rock and put down mulch. Then clean out the root flares on all of these trees so they're fully exposed. The video below shows how. Build a water well out to the drip line, which is the outer edge of the canopy. Lay about an inch of compost right on top of the soil, then an inch or two of mulch over that, and keep both about a foot back from the trunk. Deep water once a week by filling the well.
The citrus in front that was cut down is only rootstock now, so it won't produce the fruit you want. I'd replace it with a new grafted citrus tree. This area also has room for more fruit trees, and fig and peach would both do great here.
For raised garden beds, Olle Gardens has good ones you can order online. Fill them with raised bed mix from Arizona Worm Farm. For what to plant and when, use my Maricopa County planting guide.
Video not loading? Watch it on YouTube.
Citrus
Replace the cut down tree with a new grafted citrus.
Fig
One of the easiest fruit trees here. Handles heat and fruits in summer.
Peach, Florida Prince
Low chill variety that fruits early before the heat. Prune every winter.
Near the turf: a small tree and plants along the house
Closer to the turf, a smaller ornamental tree fits well. Texas olive or desert willow are both good choices. Along the house, run a line of flowering plants to soften the wall.
Texas Olive
White flowers on and off most of the year. Compact.
Desert Willow
Orchid like flowers spring into fall.
Ruellia
Dense and evergreen with purple flowers.
Chuparosa
Red flowers winter through spring. Hummingbird favorite.
Desert Milkweed
Monarch host plant with pale yellow flowers.
Pink muhly grass along the house
Since you like the idea of grasses, native pink muhly grass is a great fit along this wall of the house. It forms soft, full clumps and puts up clouds of pink plumes in fall. Space them about 3 feet apart and keep them a couple of feet off the wall so the clumps have room to fill out. Cut them back to a few inches in late winter.
Pink Muhly Grass
Native grass with pink fall plumes. Takes less water than plants that aren't desert adapted.
Lining the patio walkway
If you decide to line the patio, these work well together and stay a manageable size along a walkway. Mix two or three of them.
San Marcos Hibiscus
Lavender hibiscus flowers most of the year.
Pink Muhly Grass
Soft clumps with pink plumes in fall.
Chuparosa
Red flowers winter through spring.
Globe Mallow
Orange spring flowers and gray foliage.
Groundcover around the pool
Around the pool, groundcover will cover the rock and cool things down. Plant several of these at the spacing listed and let them run together.
You won't fit all of these. Pick your favorites and mix at least three or four so something is blooming in every season.
Lantana
Trailing lantana covers a lot of ground fast with purple, yellow, or white flowers most of the year.
Yellow Dot
Also called wedelia. Low, bright green, and covered in small yellow daisies.
Frogfruit
Native, very low, and handles foot traffic. Tiny white flowers that butterflies love.
Trailing Rosemary
Evergreen and fragrant, with blue flowers in winter and spring.
Trailing Indigo Bush
Silver gray native with purple spring flowers. Covers the most ground per plant.
Damianita
Fine green foliage and bright yellow flowers in spring and fall.
Emu Bush
Low growing varieties like Outback Sunrise make a thick carpet in full sun.
Let the sage grow into a hedge
Stop trimming these sage bushes, plant new ones in between them, and let them grow in fully. Left alone they make a nice, soft, informal hedge instead of a row of balls.
Texas Sage
Left untrimmed, it grows into a soft, rounded, silver hedge covered in purple flowers after summer rain.
The front yard plant list
The front yard needs a few more trees and shrubs. Here's the full list for the front yard: trees, shrubs, plants to line the house, and low groundcovers. Since you like agaves, I added Perry's agave to the list. A few scattered through the front yard, especially in small groups of three, give it great structure. Pick the ones you like and repeat them across the yard.
Pick one from each list, or a couple, and repeat them across the yard. Repeating a few plants reads as intentional.
Desert Museum Palo Verde
Fast, thornless, and covered in yellow flowers in spring. Green bark and filtered shade.
Mesquite
Native and fast, with wide shade. Structural prune each winter while it's young.
Desert Willow
Smaller, with orchid like flowers spring into fall.
Mulga Acacia
Evergreen with narrow silver leaves. Upright, tidy, and very little litter.
Texas Sage
Silver foliage with purple flowers that pop after summer rain. Let it grow natural rather than shearing it.
Red Bird of Paradise
Red and orange flowers all summer. Cut it back to about a foot tall in late winter.
Baja Fairy Duster
Red puffball flowers most of the year. A hummingbird magnet.
Pink Fairy Duster
Native, with soft pink puffball flowers in spring. Airy and low.
Orange Jubilee
Orange trumpet flowers spring through fall. Great along walls. Let it grow freely.
Ruellia
Dense and evergreen with purple flowers. Fills in fast along a wall.
Dwarf Myrtle
Tidy and dark green. Easy to keep as a clean low line.
Little Ollie
Compact dwarf olive with silver green leaves. No fruit and very low maintenance.
Perry's Agave
Tight blue gray rosettes with dark spines. Holds its shape year round and takes less water than plants that aren't desert adapted. Great as an accent near boulders or in small groups.
Trailing Indigo Bush
Silver gray native with purple spring flowers.
Damianita
Bright yellow flowers in spring and fall.
Angelita Daisy
Tight mounds of yellow daisies nearly all year.
Lining the front of the house
Here, add a line of plants along the front of the house. Little Ollie is the best option for this spot. It stays compact, holds a clean shape without much work, and the silver green leaves look great against the house. Ruellia and dwarf myrtle are good alternatives, and Texas sage or red bird of paradise work where you have a little more room.
Little Ollie is my top pick. Use one plant for the whole line so it reads clean.
Little Ollie
Compact dwarf olive with silver green leaves. No fruit and very low maintenance.
Ruellia
Dense and evergreen with purple flowers. Fills in fast along a wall.
Dwarf Myrtle
Tidy and dark green. Easy to keep as a clean low line.
Texas Sage
Silver foliage with purple flowers that pop after summer rain. Let it grow natural rather than shearing it.
Red Bird of Paradise
Red and orange flowers all summer. Cut it back to about a foot tall in late winter.
More orange jubilee and a tree on the mound
Line this wall with more orange jubilee to match the one already there, spaced about 5 feet apart. Up on the mound, plant one of the front yard trees below.
Orange jubilee along the wall, and pick one tree for the mound.
Orange Jubilee
Orange trumpet flowers spring through fall. Great along walls. Let it grow freely.
Desert Museum Palo Verde
Fast, thornless, and covered in yellow flowers in spring. Green bark and filtered shade.
Mesquite
Native and fast, with wide shade. Structural prune each winter while it's young.
Desert Willow
Smaller, with orchid like flowers spring into fall.
Mulga Acacia
Evergreen with narrow silver leaves. Upright, tidy, and very little litter.
Another tree spot
This is another good spot for one of the front yard trees.
Desert Museum Palo Verde
Fast, thornless, and covered in yellow flowers in spring. Green bark and filtered shade.
Mesquite
Native and fast, with wide shade. Structural prune each winter while it's young.
Desert Willow
Smaller, with orchid like flowers spring into fall.
Mulga Acacia
Evergreen with narrow silver leaves. Upright, tidy, and very little litter.
Let these sage bushes grow
Same with these sage bushes. Plant another one in between them and let them grow free instead of trimming.
Texas Sage
Left untrimmed, it grows into a soft, rounded, silver hedge covered in purple flowers after summer rain.
Color and a lush, full look
For the courtyard, a Hercules agave makes a great centerpiece, and a giant bird of paradise close to the door, where it gets a bit more shade, adds height and a tropical feel. Around those, these give you color and a full, lush look on both sides. Pick three to five and use the same plants on each side so the courtyard feels tied together. The ferns do best in the shadier spots.
To cover the wall behind the shrubs, ficus benjamina or creeping fig are the two options. Ficus benjamina grows up as a shrub and covers the wall, and it doesn't have the invasive roots of the ficus nitida hedges you see all over town. Creeping fig clings right to the wall itself.
Hercules Agave
A big, upright agave with long gray green leaves and a strong, sculptural shape. Makes a great centerpiece for the courtyard.
Giant Bird of Paradise
Big, banana like leaves that bring a lush tropical look. Plant it close to the door where it gets a little more shade, which keeps the leaves from burning.
San Marcos Hibiscus
Lavender hibiscus flowers most of the year on a lush, full shrub. Native to the Southwest.
Ruellia
Dense, evergreen, and purple flowers most of the warm season. Fills in fast.
Autumn Sage
Blooms spring and fall in red, pink, or coral.
Canna Lily
Big tropical leaves and bright flowers through the warm months. Cut back to the ground if it looks tired in winter.
Dwarf Myrtle
Dense, dark green, and evergreen. Stays compact and fills in full along the wall.
Blue Cape Plumbago
Soft, powder blue flowers most of the year. Handles part shade well and gives the courtyard a relaxed, full look.
Iceberg Rose
Clean white blooms spring and fall. One of the most reliable roses in our heat.
Asparagus Fern
Soft, airy, and fern like. Great in the shadier corners of the courtyard.
Foxtail Fern
Upright plumes of bright green foliage. Tidy and easy in shade.
Ficus Benjamina
Grows up and covers the wall in glossy green leaves. Unlike the ficus nitida hedges you see all over town, it doesn't have invasive roots, so it's a good fit close to the house.
Creeping Fig
Clings directly to the wall and covers it in small green leaves. Keep it trimmed back from windows and the roofline.
Next steps
You can plant any of this yourself using the notes above. As a consult client, you're already in the Garden Nerd Club, so you have direct access to me there if questions come up along the way.
If you'd rather have us do the planting, let me know which areas you want to start with and I'll put together a proposal. For anything with irrigation or turf, call Garrett at 480-678-9121.