I'm Debra Lee Baldwin and I'm on the Phoenix garden tour in spring of every year I highly
recommend it you see gorgeous homes in some of the finest neighborhoods of Phoenix you
get to see wonderful plants that will work in a dry hot climate whether you
live in the desert or you're closer to the coast lots of succulents all kinds
of plants in bloom that are very heat tolerant vignettes and garden ideas and landscape and
hardscape behind the closed gates of upscale Phoenix area mostly Scottsdale and Paradise
Valley so we'll see how the upper end of the upper temperature range lives
I also include tips and ideas from another must to see Phoenix destination the world
renowned 140 acre Desert Botanical Garden keep in mind that what grows effortlessly
in Arizona probably will do well in dry hot areas of Southern California except of course saguaros
choose the right plants rather than those you grew back home desert landscapes have a limited
palette of ornamental plants stick to it and you're on your way to a beautiful regionally
appropriate garden embrace cacti well not literally there are three main forms columnar
paddle and spherical Discerning homeowners and designers consider them living sculptures
learn to prize opuntia there are hundreds of varieties of paddle cactus ranging in color
from pink through shades of green to purple with every warm flower color the pads alone have a
singular beauty they face different directions to maximize the plant's ability to photosynthesize
plant columnar cacti slender ceroids celebrate simplicity
through interesting shadows and are supremely low maintenance
bring in boulders they add color texture and a sense of permanence boulders also create
microclimates that benefit plants that add pleasing variations to the terrain
plant trees ASAP trees provide shade for people and understory plants add height
texture and greenery enrich soil with fallen leaves and many bloom beautifully favorites
include Palo Verde Mesquite, Texas Ebony, Desert Willow and Cesalpenia but there are many others
use low litter trees near pools palms are a good choice fronds glitter in the sun
produce intriguing sprays of flowers and sound wonderful in the wind fronds are either pinnate
meaning shaped like a feather or a palmate meaning fan shaped like the palm of your hand.
cover bare ground with gravel it adds a finished look keeps weeds down and holds
moisture in the soil. go with light colored rock it doesn't heat the soil like dark colors do
plant Portulacaria afra elephants food in pots and terraces, it's one of the best plants for carbon
sequestration and can handle desert climate extremes grow the pendant solid green variety
and give it half a day's shade Appreciate nice snakes I saw this king snake and two others like
it at the Desert Botanical Garden. like most snakes they eat mice rats and gophers but the
best thing about having a resident king snake is it'll keep rattlesnakes out of your garden
have fun with hardscape notice all the different stone here and how it blends because of its beigey
bronze tones included are natural boulders, pavers, ornamental spheres, a rock wall and
a dry creek bed. the only thing I'd add is gravel in the gap on the right or more plants.
I saw this fabulous etched concrete sidewalk with swirls in downtown Scottsdale. install artificial
turf Lawns need too much water and maintenance yet who doesn't love the look a swath of emerald
green? It's soothing and refreshing, plus this one doubles as a putting green
Turquoise for your pool a dark bottom absorbs the sun's heat and increases
the water temperature which is okay near the coast but uncomfortably warm
where temperatures rise into the 90s and when you need your pool the most.
moreover turquoise tiles match the sky and resemble blue ocean water near a white sand beach.
discover dasylirions also known as desert spoon or sotol these slender leaved natives are fountain
shaped and grow to five or six feet in diameter over time they're hearty to zero degrees and are
considered succulents because they store moisture in their cores. Dasylirions are easy to overlook
but they're great gap fillers and need very little maintenance. grow ornamental grasses their
feathery textures contrast beautifully with walls and large hefty plants. ornamental grasses have a
similar shape as dasylirions but need more water and have to be cut nearly to the ground in winter.
Pink muhly grass is a favorite of Phoenix landscape consultant and author Noel Johnson.
Know how big an agave will get before planting it. Most species offset producing pups where
you don't want them. Big bold Agave americana the century plant gets six to eight feet tall
and as wide. Agave parryi thrives in dappled shade and stays manageable. A variegated agave,
striped agaves look amazing when grouped and planted in multiples. these are Agave desmetiana
with ferocactus in the foreground. use planters to define sitting areas. steel trough planters
that develop a rust patina come in a variety of sizes in these are Russelia equisetiformis
or firecracker plants that attract hummingbirds a top-dressing a river rock echoes the silvery gray
of a nearby table and chairs. Palo verde trees add bright fluffy color and provide a privacy screen.
Add a fountain splashing water sparkles lends motion and provides wild birds a place to drink
and bathe. in urban areas the sound of dripping water helps drown out neighborhood noise and
muffles conversations. Choose large pots for focal points rather than a lot of small pots which can
cause clutter go with a large one a pot with a right scale and proportion is a good investment.
enjoy aloes aloe vera and others in this genus of Old World succulents have showy flower spikes
most will need afternoon shade. in his Paradise Valley Garden succulent collector Rich Zeh
has Aloe brevifolia which has a mounding spreading growth habit Aloe vaombe a tree
aloe from Madagascar with an unbranched trunk Aloe cryptopoda shown here with
seed pods on its flower stems an Aloe striata maculata cross at left with red Aloe dorotheae
and aloe porphyrostachys from Saudi Arabia an excellent aloe for the desert.
Rich also recommends dyckias which he says are good spreaders and can take full sun if watered.
here he's with Agave 'Sharkskin' which has leaves that feel like fine sandpaper.
Rich also grows Agave guiengola which to me suggests fat fallen stars. he cultivates hundreds
of different cacti including one that deserves to be in more gardens Astrophytum myriostigma
it does great here Rich says it loves thin poor soil and direct all day sun.
grow golden barrels these spiny yellow spheres make any garden look more upscale
and sophisticated. the globes contrast well with large succulents perennials walls and hardscape.
plant barrels and multiples and cluster them in big pots
Add color with hesperaloes commonly known as brake lights. these thin leaved succulents native to
the desert Southwest do fine in full sun they're often planted in Arizona street medians and look
best when massed. Plant bougainvillea anyone who thinks desert gardens aren't colorful needs to see
all the Bougainvillea in Phoenix yet white is one of my favorites isn't it lovely against this wall?
enjoy shadows tucked inside this screened vegetable garden is a table and chairs
made of wire fashioned into circles. as the sun slowly moves soothing shadows shift and overlap.
collect totem poles Lophocereus shottii are non-spiny columnar cacti with intriguing lumps
and bumps like most succulents they start readily from cuttings install misters One highly rated
cooling system that costs a paltry 15 dollars on Amazon attaches to a standard hose bib and
cools the surrounding air temperature by as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit plus it looks dreamy
include work by local artists the finishing touch for your garden is artwork that withstands the
elements and delights you not to mention it's fun to explain to visitors how and why you chose it.
plant Yucca species. These tough succulents native to the desert Southwest store moisture
in their trunks they make good garden accents and produce large sprays of cream-colored flowers.
my favorite is lovely blue Yucca rostrata. do go on garden tours to get more great
ideas check the website of Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine for information and tickets.
editor John Rourke graciously comped me on the tour shown in this video
Be sure to see my other videos of outstanding residential gardens in Arizona find this
video's tips, ideas suggestions and more on the corresponding page of my site Debra Lee
baldwin.com my goal is to inspire you to enjoy using succulents in fun and creative ways in your
own garden and outdoor living spaces please know I appreciate your comments and do subscribe and hit
the like button I'm garden photojournalist Debra Lee Baldwin thank you for joining me