Add a little drama to your winter landscape with a Pencil Milkbush, Euphorbia mauritanica! This succulent is drought tolerant, perfect for your desert landscape and adds a pop of color when it blooms. We love Euphorbias in the winter! The Pencil Milkbush (sometimes called Pencil Cactus) is known for its pencil-sized stems and little yellow flowers that bloom during our …
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Remove the water from a section of the CAP canal and you’d see what looks like a foundation for an amphitheater. If you were to stand on the canal bottom, gaze from the narrow base to the gradually widening sides, and imagine a water line on the surface, you’d probably notice the four-sided shape of a trapezoid. This canal shape, …
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Local Xeriscape Gardens Demonstrate What You Can Do Grab some snacks and get inspired! If you’re planning on revamping your landscape this winter, one of the best design resources is your local xeriscape demonstration garden. They provide practical, first-hand examples of plants and plant combinations. Many of the gardens also have shady places to enjoy a picnic lunch, so …
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SIX QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED ABOUT SAGUAROS Nothing says you’re in Arizona better than those silhouettes of saguaros set against a red sky at sunset. After all, the National Park Service says, saguaros mostly grow in the Sonoran Desert. That means that almost all the wild ones grow in Arizona and some smaller areas of Mexico and California. Often on “Rosie …
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As the weather changes in November, Arizonans get out and enjoy the cooler temperatures. Why not take advantage of the weather and give container gardening a try this season? We have some great suggestions about how to select a plant, choose a pot, get the best soil, and water your plants appropriately. The plant you choose is an important part …
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Spring wildflower season is one of the desert’s most colorful periods. But planning for those multicolored displays in the spring requires planning in the Fall. It’s prime time for fall planting! From late September through early December is the perfect time to sow spring seeds in the Arizona desert. Most spring-blooming wildflowers benefit from the cold temperatures of winter and …
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Calliandra, commonly known as Fairy Duster, refers to the beautiful stamens which make the tufted or ball-like flowers on these loosely branched shrubs. Their beautiful and vibrant colors range from pale pink to deep red. These small to medium-sized shrubs produce their flowers against a backdrop of finely divided, lacy-looking foliage. Fairy Dusters can be used in a wide variety …
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Indoor plants are all the rage right now, and we get why. Houseplants are a great way to bring nature indoors and caring for them can be therapeutic, too. For some urban dwellers, their plants even take on the role similar to domestic pets (have you named your plants?). They provide many benefits, but like outdoor plants, some require more …
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We at Water – Use It Wisely often find ourselves rambling to family and friends about the importance of water conservation in Arizona. It occurred to us that we should share these facts and tips with everyone. After all, knowledge is power, right? Now you can share Arizona water trivia, facts, and tips with your own family and friends and …
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Wayne Drop, Water – Use It Wisely’s mascot for 20+ years, likes to be the center of attention when it comes to teaching kids and adults of all ages about ways to save water. You can find Wayne Drop at community events, schools, and libraries across the greater Phoenix region. Phoenix Water Services decided it was time Wayne Drop had …
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When it comes to finding worthwhile material for keeping the young ones occupied during these long weeks of sheltering in place, the need remains great even as the stack of interesting, educational options dwindles. We have found two online Arizona-centric sources that offer kid-level insight into the nature of the State’s water supplies, as well as some breathtaking depictions of …
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One method of saving water is by changing our behavior. For instance, some of us (me included) had to retrain ourselves to wash the dishes without leaving the water running. But, wouldn’t it be great to save water without thinking about it? Imagine saving this precious resource with everyday activities, like showering, or even the activities you do multiple times …
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