Thanks for having me out, Shelly. Below is everything we went over, in the order we walked the property, with the details on each so you have it all in one place.
As a consult client, you're already in the Garden Nerd Club, so you have direct access to me there. If questions come up while you work through any of this, ask me there anytime.
Where to start
Filling in the gaps along the front walkway
The beds on both sides of the front walkway have gaps that need filling. This side of the house faces west, so it gets blasted by afternoon sun all summer, plus heat off the walkway and the house. Whatever goes in here needs to take full afternoon sun, stay low around 3 feet, and take shaping as a hedge.
The lantana that's there now is a good option. You can keep going with it and it'll work as a low hedge. Here are a few others that fit the same bill.
Lantana
Flowers spring through fall and a magnet for butterflies. Takes full afternoon sun and reflected heat. Mounding types hold a low hedge around 3 feet; trailing types make a ground cover. Frost can nip it; cut it back in late February and it flushes right back.
Dwarf Myrtle
Compact myrtle, 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, with small glossy leaves. Holds a tight, clean shape with little effort and drops very little, which makes it great by the pool. Plant about 3 feet apart.
Little Ollie (Dwarf Olive)
Dwarf, fruitless olive with dense silvery green leaves. Naturally 4 to 6 feet, but it shears easily to hold at 3 feet, or it can be trained as a small tree. No fruit, no pollen, very low litter.
Texas Sage
Silvery foliage with flushes of purple flowers after summer rains. Larger varieties like Green Cloud reach 6 to 8 feet; compact varieties stay 3 to 4 feet. Loves full west sun and hates being overwatered.
San Marcos Hibiscus
Native mounding shrub, 3 to 5 feet, with deep green leaves and lavender flowers most of the year. A lush look that takes full afternoon sun and heat.
Autumn Sage
Compact, 2 to 3 feet, with red, pink, or coral flowers fall through spring. Takes full sun and can be sheared into a tidy low border.
Cape Plumbago
Mounding, 3 to 4 feet, with sky blue flowers spring through fall. Holds a hedge shape well and takes full sun with regular water.
You can't fit all of these. Pick one or two and repeat them down both sides of the walkway so it looks intentional and matched. Space them 2 to 3 feet apart so they knit together into one low hedge.
Let the front hedges grow together
Right now these hedges are sheared into tight balls with gaps between them. If you stop pruning them that way and let them grow out, they'll fill in and grow together into one continuous hedge, which will look a lot better and shade the wall and windows behind it.
- Hold off on shearing for the next few months and let them grow toward each other.
- Once they've touched, shape them as one long hedge: flat or gently rounded on top, and slightly wider at the bottom than the top so the lower branches keep getting sun and stay full.
- From then on, a light shaping two or three times a year is plenty. Constant tight shearing is what keeps them thin and stressed.
- Feed them with compost and mulch right up close to the base. Details are in the Fertilizing section.
A shade tree in the front lawn
It looks like there used to be a tree in this spot in the lawn. This side of the house faces west and takes the full afternoon sun, so a shade tree here would make a real difference, both for the yard and for cooling the house. It needs to handle west sun and grow up big enough to throw real shade.
Chinese elm and red push pistache are my first picks. Both do well in a lawn. Here are a few other options too.
Chinese Elm
Fast growing, semi evergreen shade tree with a wide, graceful canopy, 40 to 50 feet. Handles full west sun and does well in a lawn. The bark gets a pretty mottled look as it matures.
Red Push Pistache
Medium shade tree, 25 to 40 feet, with red new growth in spring and great fall color. Handles full west sun and heat, does well in a lawn, and is low litter.
Tipu
Fast growing shade tree with a wide umbrella canopy and yellow flowers in late spring, 30 to 50 feet. Gives serious shade fast. It drops some leaves and pods, which is fine out in the lawn.
Willow Acacia
Evergreen with long, weeping leaves and a more upright shape, 20 to 30 feet. Handles full west sun, stays green all year, and takes less water than plants that aren't desert adapted.
Carob
Evergreen shade tree, 30 to 40 feet tall and wide, with a dense canopy of dark green leaves. Handles full west sun and heat, stays green all year, and takes less water than plants that aren't desert adapted. Female trees drop pods, so keep it out in the lawn away from the walkway.
- Placement: keep it at least 10 to 15 feet from the house and the walkway so the canopy and roots have room.
- Planting in grass: clear a circle of grass at least 4 to 6 feet across around the tree and keep it mulched. Grass right up against the trunk competes for water and food, and mower and trimmer damage on young bark is one of the most common ways young trees get hurt.
- Planting: backfill with native soil plus a tiny bit of compost in the hole, lay compost on top, then mulch over the compost, holding it a foot back from the trunk. Set the tree so the top of the root ball sits level with the ground, never buried deeper than it was in the pot.
- Water: the lawn watering alone won't get deep enough. Give the tree its own deep water, a slow soak once or twice a week the first year, then less often as it settles in.
A hedge along the driveway
Same situation here along the driveway. It's west facing and gets blasted by afternoon sun. There's not enough room for a tree, but a hedge fits and will shade the ground and the driveway edge.
Oleander, hopseed, Arizona rosewood, and orange jubilee all work here.
Oleander
The classic Valley screen: fast, evergreen, 10 to 15 feet tall with flowers most of the year, and it handles the hottest west sun there is. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart. Every part of the plant is toxic if eaten, so keep that in mind with pets and kids, and don't burn the trimmings.
Hopseed
Fast growing native evergreen that fills in to a dense 8 to 12 foot screen. Stays fairly narrow and upright, so it fits tighter spots. Takes less water than plants that aren't desert adapted and handles reflected heat off a block wall. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
Arizona Rosewood
Native evergreen with dark, glossy leaves that grows 10 to 15 feet tall. Dense, tidy, very low litter, and one of the best screens for full sun and reflected heat. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.
Orange Jubilee
Fast and lush, with big clusters of orange trumpet flowers spring through fall that hummingbirds love. Grows 10 to 12 feet tall. A hard freeze can nip it back, but it grows right back in spring. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
Here's a short video on orange jubilee.
You can't fit all of these. Pick your favorites and repeat them along the wall for a clean, continuous look.
Planting the hedge
- Backfill with the native soil plus a tiny bit of compost in the hole, lay compost on top of the soil, then mulch over the compost. Don't work it in, and keep the mulch a foot back from the trunks.
- Water new plants deeply two to three times a week for the first few weeks, then stretch it out. Make sure each plant has emitters, and add more as they grow.
- Let it grow up and fill in before you shape it. Light shaping once it's at height keeps it thick from top to bottom.
A tall hedge in a tight spot
Not a lot of room back here, but you want a hedge that grows as tall as possible. Hopseed, Arizona rosewood, oleander, and orange jubilee all work.
For a narrow spot like this, hopseed and Arizona rosewood are the best fits. Both grow tall and stay fairly upright, so they won't push out into the walkway as much.
Hopseed
Fast growing native evergreen that fills in to a dense 8 to 12 foot screen. Stays fairly narrow and upright, so it fits tighter spots. Takes less water than plants that aren't desert adapted and handles reflected heat off a block wall. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
Arizona Rosewood
Native evergreen with dark, glossy leaves that grows 10 to 15 feet tall. Dense, tidy, very low litter, and one of the best screens for full sun and reflected heat. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.
Oleander
The classic Valley screen: fast, evergreen, 10 to 15 feet tall with flowers most of the year, and it handles the hottest west sun there is. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart. Every part of the plant is toxic if eaten, so keep that in mind with pets and kids, and don't burn the trimmings.
Orange Jubilee
Fast and lush, with big clusters of orange trumpet flowers spring through fall that hummingbirds love. Grows 10 to 12 feet tall. A hard freeze can nip it back, but it grows right back in spring. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
- In a tight spot, plant them about 2 feet off the wall and space them a little closer, around 4 feet apart, so they grow up instead of out.
- Trim the walkway side lightly as they grow and let the tops go. That pushes the growth upward.
- Backfill with native soil plus a tiny bit of compost, compost on top, mulch over that, held a foot back from the trunks.
A vine for the wall under the citrus
Back here gets a decent amount of shade from the citrus trees, but you still want the wall covered. A hedge could work, but a vine is the better option. It goes straight up the wall, doesn't compete with the citrus for space, and handles the shade.
Tangerine crossvine is a great choice here. Star jasmine is another, with fragrant white flowers every spring. And since you like roses, a Lady Banks rose is another one.
Tangerine Crossvine
Evergreen vine with orange trumpet flowers in spring and on and off through the year. Self clinging and fast, and it handles part shade, which makes it a great fit under the citrus.
Star Jasmine
Evergreen vine with glossy dark leaves and fragrant white flowers in spring. Handles part shade well, so it does great under the citrus. Give it a few wire anchors or a trellis to climb.
Lady Banks Rose
Thornless climbing rose covered in small yellow flowers in spring. Vigorous and one of the toughest roses in the Valley. It needs a few wire anchors or a trellis to guide it up the wall.
- Plant about a foot off the wall and lean the vine in toward it.
- Crossvine clings on its own. Star jasmine and Lady Banks need a few wire anchors or a trellis to get started; tie the stems loosely and they'll take off from there.
- Keep them a few feet from the citrus trunks so they're not fighting for the same root space.
A hedge along this wall
This wall needs a hedge too. All the same options work here: Arizona rosewood, hopseed, orange jubilee, oleander, and twisted myrtle.
Arizona Rosewood
Native evergreen with dark, glossy leaves that grows 10 to 15 feet tall. Dense, tidy, very low litter, and one of the best screens for full sun and reflected heat. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.
Hopseed
Fast growing native evergreen that fills in to a dense 8 to 12 foot screen. Stays fairly narrow and upright, so it fits tighter spots. Takes less water than plants that aren't desert adapted and handles reflected heat off a block wall. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
Orange Jubilee
Fast and lush, with big clusters of orange trumpet flowers spring through fall that hummingbirds love. Grows 10 to 12 feet tall. A hard freeze can nip it back, but it grows right back in spring. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
Oleander
The classic Valley screen: fast, evergreen, 10 to 15 feet tall with flowers most of the year, and it handles the hottest west sun there is. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart. Every part of the plant is toxic if eaten, so keep that in mind with pets and kids, and don't burn the trimmings.
Twisted Myrtle
Dense, fine textured evergreen with small glossy leaves and a light fragrance, 6 to 8 feet tall. Shears into a clean formal hedge or can be left natural. Handles full sun and part shade, and drops very little. Plant about 4 feet apart.
You can't fit all of these. Pick your favorites and repeat them along the wall for a clean, continuous look.
Planting the hedge
- Plant 3 to 4 feet off the wall when there's room, so the back of the hedge gets light and air and doesn't rub on the block.
- Backfill with the native soil plus a tiny bit of compost in the hole, lay compost on top of the soil, then mulch over the compost. Don't work it in, and keep the mulch a foot back from the trunks.
- Water new plants deeply two to three times a week for the first few weeks, then stretch it out. Make sure each plant has emitters, and add more as they grow.
- Let it grow up and fill in before you shape it. Light shaping once it's at height keeps it thick from top to bottom.
Covering the back wall
Along this back wall, oleander, Arizona rosewood, orange jubilee, or yellow bells would all work. I've added a few more options too, like twisted myrtle.
Oleander
The classic Valley screen: fast, evergreen, 10 to 15 feet tall with flowers most of the year, and it handles the hottest west sun there is. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart. Every part of the plant is toxic if eaten, so keep that in mind with pets and kids, and don't burn the trimmings.
Arizona Rosewood
Native evergreen with dark, glossy leaves that grows 10 to 15 feet tall. Dense, tidy, very low litter, and one of the best screens for full sun and reflected heat. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.
Orange Jubilee
Fast and lush, with big clusters of orange trumpet flowers spring through fall that hummingbirds love. Grows 10 to 12 feet tall. A hard freeze can nip it back, but it grows right back in spring. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
Yellow Bells
Bright yellow trumpet flowers spring through fall on lush green foliage, 8 to 12 feet tall. Takes full sun and heat and handles some shade. A hard freeze can nip it back. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.
Twisted Myrtle
Dense, fine textured evergreen with small glossy leaves and a light fragrance, 6 to 8 feet tall. Shears into a clean formal hedge or can be left natural. Handles full sun and part shade, and drops very little. Plant about 4 feet apart.
Hopseed
Fast growing native evergreen that fills in to a dense 8 to 12 foot screen. Stays fairly narrow and upright, so it fits tighter spots. Takes less water than plants that aren't desert adapted and handles reflected heat off a block wall. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
You can't fit all of these. Pick your favorites and repeat them along the wall for a clean, continuous look.
Planting the hedge
- Plant 3 to 4 feet off the wall when there's room, so the back of the hedge gets light and air and doesn't rub on the block.
- Backfill with the native soil plus a tiny bit of compost in the hole, lay compost on top of the soil, then mulch over the compost. Don't work it in, and keep the mulch a foot back from the trunks.
- Water new plants deeply two to three times a week for the first few weeks, then stretch it out. Make sure each plant has emitters, and add more as they grow.
- Let it grow up and fill in before you shape it. Light shaping once it's at height keeps it thick from top to bottom.
Raised garden beds
This is a good spot for raised garden beds. It's open and gets good sun.
- The beds: Olle Gardens makes great raised beds. They're metal, last for years, and are easy to put together. Going 2 feet tall or more saves your back and gives the roots plenty of depth.
- Filling them: Arizona Worm Farm has a raised bed mix that's full of life and ready to plant. They can tell you how much you need based on the size of your beds.
- Water: put the beds on their own drip line or valve. Vegetables need more frequent water than the rest of the yard, especially in summer.
- What to plant and when: use my Maricopa County planting guide. Right now, in fall, is one of the best times to start a garden here.
- Topping them up: add a couple inches of compost each season before you plant. The soil settles and gets used up as things grow.
Professional pruning on the trees
This tree, along with a lot of the other trees on the property, could use a professional pruning from a certified arborist. Now is a great time of year to do it.
I recommend King's Tree Service. Have them look at all of the trees while they're out.
- What good pruning looks like: thinning out crowded and crossing branches, removing dead wood, and lifting the canopy where it needs it, while keeping the tree's natural shape.
- What to avoid: topping, or stripping out all the inside branches so only tufts are left at the ends. Both weaken the tree.
- How much: a good arborist won't take more than about a quarter of the canopy at once.
Replacing the dead tree
This tree by the patio is dead and should be replaced. A Hong Kong orchid would be a good fit here, and I've added a few other smaller, more ornamental trees that work well near a patio.
Hong Kong Orchid
Showy ornamental tree with large orchid like flowers in pink and purple through fall and winter. Grows 20 to 25 feet with a rounded canopy. Cover it on frosty nights for the first couple of winters.
Desert Willow
Native, 15 to 25 feet, with orchid like trumpet flowers in pink, purple, or white all summer. Light, airy canopy that loses its leaves in winter. A great small accent tree.
Vitex
Small tree, 15 to 20 feet, covered in purple flower spikes through summer that bees love. Takes full sun and heat and loses its leaves in winter. Looks best grown multi trunk.
Fern of the Desert
Native, 15 to 20 feet, with fine, fernlike evergreen leaves and creamy flower spikes in late spring. Soft and graceful, and it never gets too big for a spot by the patio.
Texas Olive
Small evergreen tree, 15 to 20 feet, with clusters of white flowers spring through fall. Very tough in full sun. Flowers and small fruit do drop, so it's better here than near the pool.
- Take the dead tree out and grind the stump, then plant the new tree a couple of feet off from the old spot so the roots go into fresh soil.
- Plant it as far from the house as you can so the canopy has room to spread.
- Backfill with native soil plus a tiny bit of compost, lay compost on top, then mulch over it, held a foot back from the trunk. Set it so the top of the root ball is level with the ground, never deeper.
Covering the shaded wall
Right here under the neighbor's ficus, the honeysuckle get a lot of shade, so they're not growing great. They're also competing with the ficus roots for water. You want to cover this whole wall with something continuous, extending all the way down through the pool area.
Twisted myrtle and yellow bells are my suggestions. Twisted myrtle handles the shade well and makes a dense, clean hedge. Yellow bells will be fuller in the sunnier stretches toward the pool. Dwarf myrtle works too if you'd rather keep it lower.
Twisted Myrtle
Dense, fine textured evergreen with small glossy leaves and a light fragrance, 6 to 8 feet tall. Shears into a clean formal hedge or can be left natural. Handles full sun and part shade, and drops very little. Plant about 4 feet apart.
Yellow Bells
Bright yellow trumpet flowers spring through fall on lush green foliage, 8 to 12 feet tall. Takes full sun and heat and handles some shade. A hard freeze can nip it back. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.
Dwarf Myrtle
Compact myrtle, 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, with small glossy leaves. Holds a tight, clean shape with little effort and drops very little, which makes it great by the pool. Plant about 3 feet apart.
- Using the same plant all the way down this wall and into the pool area ties it all together into one clean line.
- Under the ficus, give the new plants a little extra water and a generous layer of compost and mulch. The ficus roots will be pulling from the same soil.
Planting the hedge
- Plant 3 to 4 feet off the wall when there's room, so the back of the hedge gets light and air and doesn't rub on the block.
- Backfill with the native soil plus a tiny bit of compost in the hole, lay compost on top of the soil, then mulch over the compost. Don't work it in, and keep the mulch a foot back from the trunks.
- Water new plants deeply two to three times a week for the first few weeks, then stretch it out. Make sure each plant has emitters, and add more as they grow.
- Let it grow up and fill in before you shape it. Light shaping once it's at height keeps it thick from top to bottom.
Planting the pool area
The pool area gets blasted by afternoon sun, and with all the rock and concrete there's a lot of heat to plan around. What this area needs is a mix: some low growing shrubs, some ground cover, and a few things with height for dimension.
You like lantana, and it's a great fit. Trailing emu bush, San Marcos hibiscus, and a few canna lilies toward the back would all work too. I've added more options that look lush and green and can take that afternoon sun.
Low shrubs
Lantana
Flowers spring through fall and a magnet for butterflies. Takes full afternoon sun and reflected heat. Mounding types hold a low hedge around 3 feet; trailing types make a ground cover. Frost can nip it; cut it back in late February and it flushes right back.
San Marcos Hibiscus
Native mounding shrub, 3 to 5 feet, with deep green leaves and lavender flowers most of the year. A lush look that takes full afternoon sun and heat.
Dwarf Myrtle
Compact myrtle, 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, with small glossy leaves. Holds a tight, clean shape with little effort and drops very little, which makes it great by the pool. Plant about 3 feet apart.
Little Ollie (Dwarf Olive)
Dwarf, fruitless olive with dense silvery green leaves. Naturally 4 to 6 feet, but it shears easily to hold at 3 feet, or it can be trained as a small tree. No fruit, no pollen, very low litter.
Cape Plumbago
Mounding, 3 to 4 feet, with sky blue flowers spring through fall. Holds a hedge shape well and takes full sun with regular water.
Ground covers
Trailing Emu Bush (Outback Sunrise)
Low and spreading, under a foot tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Gray green leaves with orange red flowers winter through spring that hummingbirds love. Takes full sun and reflected heat and drops very little.
Myoporum
Dense, lush green mat that spreads 6 to 9 feet wide with small white flowers. Fastest way to cover a lot of ground with fewer plants. Space them 5 to 6 feet apart.
Trailing Rosemary
Spills and spreads 4 to 6 feet with blue flowers bees love in winter and spring. Takes full sun and reflected heat, and you can cook with it.
Yellow Dot
Low, spreading ground cover under a foot tall with bright yellow daisy flowers most of the year. Fills in fast and stays lush in the heat with regular water. A frost can nip it back, and it flushes right back in spring.
Height and dimension
Canna Lily
Big tropical leaves and tall flower spikes in red, orange, or yellow, 3 to 6 feet tall. Adds height and a lush look. Likes consistent water and handles hot sun with it. Cut spent stalks to the ground.
Red Bird of Paradise
Ferny foliage with fiery red and orange flowers all summer, 6 to 8 feet. Thrives in the hottest, most reflected spots. Cut it back hard in late winter. The seed pods are toxic, so trim them off if kids or pets are around.
Pygmy Date Palm
Small, slow palm with soft fronds, 6 to 10 feet. Adds tropical height with almost no litter, and it matches the palms already by the pool.
You can't fit all of these. Pick a few favorites from each group and repeat them so the pool area feels like one planting.
Pulling back the rock where you plant and putting mulch down in its place will make a big difference here. Rock holds the heat and radiates it back onto the plants into the night. Mulch keeps the roots cool and feeds the soil.
Covering this wall
Same thing on this wall. You want something covering it instead of the honeysuckle, like in the last section. Twisted myrtle would be a good fit here, and maybe yellow bells.
Twisted Myrtle
Dense, fine textured evergreen with small glossy leaves and a light fragrance, 6 to 8 feet tall. Shears into a clean formal hedge or can be left natural. Handles full sun and part shade, and drops very little. Plant about 4 feet apart.
Yellow Bells
Bright yellow trumpet flowers spring through fall on lush green foliage, 8 to 12 feet tall. Takes full sun and heat and handles some shade. A hard freeze can nip it back. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.
Planting the hedge
- Plant 3 to 4 feet off the wall when there's room, so the back of the hedge gets light and air and doesn't rub on the block.
- Backfill with the native soil plus a tiny bit of compost in the hole, lay compost on top of the soil, then mulch over the compost. Don't work it in, and keep the mulch a foot back from the trunks.
- Water new plants deeply two to three times a week for the first few weeks, then stretch it out. Make sure each plant has emitters, and add more as they grow.
- Let it grow up and fill in before you shape it. Light shaping once it's at height keeps it thick from top to bottom.
Height at the pillars and ground cover
In the bed between the patio and the pool deck, I'd put a smaller tree or a larger shrub at each pillar to add some height and dimension. Then fill in around them with ground cover. Skyflower (duranta) is my first choice for the pillars.
For each pillar
Skyflower (Duranta)
My first choice for the pillars. Evergreen, 6 to 10 feet, with clusters of purple blue flowers most of the warm season that butterflies love. Easy to train into a small single or multi trunk tree. Takes full sun and heat. Small golden berries follow the flowers, so expect a little cleanup.
Little Ollie (Dwarf Olive)
Dwarf, fruitless olive with dense silvery green leaves. Naturally 4 to 6 feet, but it shears easily to hold at 3 feet, or it can be trained as a small tree. No fruit, no pollen, very low litter.
Pygmy Date Palm
Small, slow palm with soft fronds, 6 to 10 feet. Adds tropical height with almost no litter, and it matches the palms already by the pool.
Twisted Myrtle
Dense, fine textured evergreen with small glossy leaves and a light fragrance, 6 to 8 feet tall. Shears into a clean formal hedge or can be left natural. Handles full sun and part shade, and drops very little. Plant about 4 feet apart.
Red Bird of Paradise
Ferny foliage with fiery red and orange flowers all summer, 6 to 8 feet. Thrives in the hottest, most reflected spots. Cut it back hard in late winter. The seed pods are toxic, so trim them off if kids or pets are around.
Skyflower can be trained into a small tree that sits nicely at each pillar and flowers most of the year. Little Ollie can also be trained as a small single or multi trunk tree, and twisted myrtle can be limbed up into a small tree form as it grows. Those two are the lowest litter options if you want the cleanest look by the pool.
Ground cover
Trailing Emu Bush (Outback Sunrise)
Low and spreading, under a foot tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Gray green leaves with orange red flowers winter through spring that hummingbirds love. Takes full sun and reflected heat and drops very little.
Trailing Rosemary
Spills and spreads 4 to 6 feet with blue flowers bees love in winter and spring. Takes full sun and reflected heat, and you can cook with it.
Myoporum
Dense, lush green mat that spreads 6 to 9 feet wide with small white flowers. Fastest way to cover a lot of ground with fewer plants. Space them 5 to 6 feet apart.
Lantana
Flowers spring through fall and a magnet for butterflies. Takes full afternoon sun and reflected heat. Mounding types hold a low hedge around 3 feet; trailing types make a ground cover. Frost can nip it; cut it back in late February and it flushes right back.
Trailing Indigo Bush
Native groundcover with silvery foliage that hugs the ground and small purple flowers in spring. Very low water and handles reflected heat off concrete really well.
You can't fit all of these. Pick one for the pillars and one or two ground covers so it reads clean.
Options if the ruellia comes out
You may not want to keep the ruellia here. If not, canna lily and San Marcos hibiscus are both good options. Red hibiscus would work too. Since this is right next to the pool, I've also added a few lower litter options.
Canna Lily
Big tropical leaves and tall flower spikes in red, orange, or yellow, 3 to 6 feet tall. Adds height and a lush look. Likes consistent water and handles hot sun with it. Cut spent stalks to the ground.
San Marcos Hibiscus
Native mounding shrub, 3 to 5 feet, with deep green leaves and lavender flowers most of the year. A lush look that takes full afternoon sun and heat.
Red Hibiscus
Big red tropical flowers spring through fall on glossy green leaves. Red varieties do best here. The flowers drop daily, so expect a little cleanup if it's right at the water's edge. Cover it on frosty nights.
Little Ollie (Dwarf Olive)
Dwarf, fruitless olive with dense silvery green leaves. Naturally 4 to 6 feet, but it shears easily to hold at 3 feet, or it can be trained as a small tree. No fruit, no pollen, very low litter.
Trailing Emu Bush (Outback Sunrise)
Low and spreading, under a foot tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Gray green leaves with orange red flowers winter through spring that hummingbirds love. Takes full sun and reflected heat and drops very little.
Hibiscus flowers drop daily, so expect a little cleanup if it's right at the water's edge. Little Ollie and emu bush are the cleanest options for right by the pool.
Covering the pool equipment wall
The wall that hides the pool equipment should get covered too. If you go with twisted myrtle along the other walls, carrying it through here ties everything together. Dwarf myrtle is the other option if you want something lower that stays tidy around the equipment. A Lady Banks rose is another way to go, as a vine that climbs up and grows over the top of the wall.
Twisted Myrtle
Dense, fine textured evergreen with small glossy leaves and a light fragrance, 6 to 8 feet tall. Shears into a clean formal hedge or can be left natural. Handles full sun and part shade, and drops very little. Plant about 4 feet apart.
Dwarf Myrtle
Compact myrtle, 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, with small glossy leaves. Holds a tight, clean shape with little effort and drops very little, which makes it great by the pool. Plant about 3 feet apart.
Lady Banks Rose
Thornless climbing rose covered in small yellow flowers in spring. Vigorous and one of the toughest roses in the Valley. Plant it at the base and let it climb up and spill over the top of the wall, softening the whole thing. A few wire anchors get it started.
- Leave a few feet of clear access to the equipment and the gate so service is easy.
- Plant 2 to 3 feet off the wall so there's room to get behind them.
The honeysuckle by the house, or roses
If you want to keep the honeysuckle here, stop trimming them for the next six months and see how they grow out and grow together. They'll fill in much better once they're not being cut back constantly.
Another option is roses, if you like the look of them here. Roses would work really well. Iceberg roses are your best bet, but colorful roses would work too.
Iceberg Rose
White blooms almost nonstop spring through fall, and one of the most disease resistant, heat tough roses for the Valley. Grows 3 to 5 feet.
Colorful Roses
If you'd rather have color, floribundas, shrub roses, and hybrid teas in pinks, reds, and yellows all do well here with good soil, mulch, and deep watering. Look for varieties sold by local Valley growers.
If you go with roses, remove the rock in this area and put down mulch instead. Rock heats up the root zone, and roses need cool, living soil to do well.
Roses are heavy feeders. Follow the steps in the Fertilizing section below to keep them blooming.
Covering the back corner wall
Same options for covering the wall in this back corner. Oleander, hopseed, Arizona rosewood, yellow bells, orange jubilee, and twisted myrtle would all work here.
Oleander
The classic Valley screen: fast, evergreen, 10 to 15 feet tall with flowers most of the year, and it handles the hottest west sun there is. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart. Every part of the plant is toxic if eaten, so keep that in mind with pets and kids, and don't burn the trimmings.
Hopseed
Fast growing native evergreen that fills in to a dense 8 to 12 foot screen. Stays fairly narrow and upright, so it fits tighter spots. Takes less water than plants that aren't desert adapted and handles reflected heat off a block wall. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
Arizona Rosewood
Native evergreen with dark, glossy leaves that grows 10 to 15 feet tall. Dense, tidy, very low litter, and one of the best screens for full sun and reflected heat. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.
Yellow Bells
Bright yellow trumpet flowers spring through fall on lush green foliage, 8 to 12 feet tall. Takes full sun and heat and handles some shade. A hard freeze can nip it back. Plant 5 to 6 feet apart.
Orange Jubilee
Fast and lush, with big clusters of orange trumpet flowers spring through fall that hummingbirds love. Grows 10 to 12 feet tall. A hard freeze can nip it back, but it grows right back in spring. Plant 4 to 5 feet apart.
Twisted Myrtle
Dense, fine textured evergreen with small glossy leaves and a light fragrance, 6 to 8 feet tall. Shears into a clean formal hedge or can be left natural. Handles full sun and part shade, and drops very little. Plant about 4 feet apart.
You can't fit all of these. Pick your favorites and repeat them along the wall for a clean, continuous look.
Planting the hedge
- Plant 3 to 4 feet off the wall when there's room, so the back of the hedge gets light and air and doesn't rub on the block.
- Backfill with the native soil plus a tiny bit of compost in the hole, lay compost on top of the soil, then mulch over the compost. Don't work it in, and keep the mulch a foot back from the trunks.
- Water new plants deeply two to three times a week for the first few weeks, then stretch it out. Make sure each plant has emitters, and add more as they grow.
- Let it grow up and fill in before you shape it. Light shaping once it's at height keeps it thick from top to bottom.
Bringing the hibiscus back
This hibiscus is struggling a lot, but it looks like it still has some life in it. Here's how I'd give it a shot at coming back.
- Cut it down to about 3 feet. Use clean, sharp pruners and cut just above a leaf node or bud. Scratch the bark with your thumbnail as you go. Green underneath means that stem is alive.
- Feed it really well. Follow the steps in the Fertilizing section below.
- Deep soak it. Put the hose on a slow drip at the base for 24 hours and let it really soak in.
- Protect it this winter. The new growth will be tender, so cover it with frost cloth on any night that's forecast to drop near freezing.
Bottlebrush or ruellia: pick one
In this area you'll have to pick one, the bottlebrush or the ruellia. They're competing for the same space. I'd go with the bottlebrush, since it's uniform and it's on both sides.
The main thing with bottlebrush is that it hates to be pruned. Leave it be and let it grow into its natural shape, and it should do fine.
Bottlebrush
Evergreen with bright red, bottlebrush shaped flowers in spring that hummingbirds love. Grows into a full, natural shape on its own and does not like heavy pruning. Takes full sun and heat.
Ruellia
Mounding, about 3 feet, with purple flowers spring through fall. Tough and fast, but it reseeds and spreads more than most people want.
- Pull the ruellia out, roots and all, and keep an eye out for seedlings for a while. It reseeds.
- If something has to be trimmed off the bottlebrush, take the whole branch back to where it meets another one, rather than shearing the outside.
Fertilizing
Everything in this write-up comes back to the soil. Feeding is really about feeding the soil life. Fungi, bacteria, and worms break down organic matter and hand nutrients to the roots, which is what helps new plantings establish, keeps the hedges thick, keeps the roses blooming, and helps struggling plants like the hibiscus bounce back, all without synthetic fertilizers. Here's the exact approach I use, so you can do it yourself.
- Compost, and be generous. On trees, spread it in a wide ring around the drip line, the outer edge of the canopy where most of the feeder roots are, from about halfway in to a couple feet past the edge. On shrubs, hedges, and roses, put it closer in, from a few inches off the stems out about a foot past the edge of the plant. Go 1 to 2 inches deep, and if you're unsure, go thicker rather than thinner. You really can't overdo quality compost. Do this three times a year: late winter (February), early summer (May), and fall (October).
- Worm castings every quarter. Every three months, scatter worm castings over the same areas: a few cups around each shrub and a couple pounds around the drip line of each tree. Castings are loaded with beneficial microbes that bring the soil to life. When it lines up with a compost round, put the castings down first and the compost right over them.
- A good organic fertilizer. These are the three products we use and recommend, all from Catalyst. Apply them at the label rate on the schedule each one gives.
Jenner 8
Liquid organic feed for the whole landscape.
Organic Nitro Jen
Organic nitrogen to push healthy green growth.
Kelp Fertilizer
Kelp based feed that supports roots and overall plant health.
You can find all three on the Catalyst website. Click Products, then Home and Garden.
- Water it all in. Give everything a deep watering right after you put it down so it soaks into the root zone.
- Mulch over the top. Mulch goes over the compost to keep it moist and cool so the soil life can do its work. Hold it a foot back from trunks and stems. No need to work any of it into the soil.
Compost, worm castings, and mulch are all at Arizona Worm Farm.
If you'd rather we handle it
Our monthly landscape fertilizing program feeds the whole property for you.
- Covers every tree, plant, and shrub on the property, plus the grass
- Monthly compost based liquid feeding across the full landscape
- Compost applications three times a year
- A recap video sent to you after each visit
Quick reference
Compost, mulch, worm castings, raised bed mix
Arizona Worm FarmOrganic fertilizer
Catalyst (Products, then Home and Garden)Raised garden beds
Olle GardensWhat to plant and when
Maricopa County planting guideArborist pruning
King's Tree ServiceIrrigation
Garrett: 480-678-9121Orange jubilee video
Watch on YouTubeQuestions
Ask me anytime in the Garden Nerd ClubNext steps
You can take this list and do it yourself, and I'm right there in the Garden Nerd Club if you want a second set of eyes along the way. If you'd rather have us handle the planting, like the hedges, the new trees, and the pool area, I can put together a planting proposal for you.
Before any new planting, it's worth having the irrigation checked so every new plant gets the water it needs. For anything irrigation related, call Garrett at 480-678-9121.
You can see more of what we do on our planting services page.