Arizona "native" back yard - Orchid Board

EdinAZ · #1 07-31-2008, 10:22 PM

Ross, I hope you see this thread. I too am a big fan of a “naturalized” yard. I used to live in Chicago, and for a time also had a home in Beverly Shores, Indiana (50 miles from Chicago, on Lake Michigan). Similar climates, and I recognize all the plants in your pictures. For decades now, I’ve been landscaping with native and “near-native” plants. If I had a house with grass, it got torn out immediately (sorry grass-lovers).

In Tucson AZ now, for the last 10 years, and here is how I “went native” with my yard there. Mostly Sonoran Desert native plants, with some from Chihuahuan desert. With cactus I ranged further afield, and in addition to many native varieties, there are many from around the world, and various hybrids also. Everything is at least desert vegetation, and very low (or NO) water demands outside of normal precipitation.

Here are pictures of the yard itself, and I’ll post some cactus bloom pictures in a separate post. The last 2 pictures . . . yes it sometimes snows in southern Arizona. The last one is taken from the front of my house. As you can see it is a pretty “average” neighborhood (well . . . the mountains are nice, otherwise nothing extraordinary), but I HAVE tried to make my back yard unique. By the way, this is a HEAVY snow for Tucson.

Ed

snow · #2 08-01-2008, 01:28 AM

i love you,re landscaping. also loke that blueish looking cactus in the fourth picture.
could you please sent me that round boulder to canada?
ups?

Lagoon · #3 08-01-2008, 05:29 AM

Man that white stuff just shows up everywhere eh?!

Really enjoyed your back yard Ed. Thanks for the view.
LOL Snow.

Chubidubi · #4 08-01-2008, 09:46 AM

What an amazingly beautiful place you have there Ed.

Royal · #5 08-01-2008, 10:36 AM

Very cool Ed. Looks like a special place. How do you keep it weeded?

Ross · #6 08-01-2008, 10:46 AM

Outstanding, Ed. I've been to Tucson in fall (great time to go) and I can recognize lots of the cacti from trips to the Desert Museum over the hill. Great job!

EdinAZ · #7 08-01-2008, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyalOrchids

Very cool Ed. Looks like a special place. How do you keep it weeded?

It's really not much effort. Whenever we are out there (often) we just pull what we see. ALWAYS try to catch them BEFORE they seed. They only come out aggressively during the summer monsoon season, and they are easy to pull then, the ground generally being wet. If we keep after it a little at a time, they never get out of control.

Ed

Ross · #8 08-01-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdinAZ

If we keep after it a little at a time, they never get out of control.

Ed

That's the same for northern wild gardens as well. 1 or 2 shots in spring for us pretty well does it. For you it's summer, right?

JennS · #9 08-04-2008, 04:41 PM

I must admit I am jealous...weeding is a constant task here. At least 6 times in summer to keep up a neat looking bed.

Do you miss not growing the same plants as your other homes in differnet growing areas? I know I would miss all my tropicals...

EdinAZ · #10 08-04-2008, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JennS

I must admit I am jealous...weeding is a constant task here. At least 6 times in summer to keep up a neat looking bed.

Do you miss not growing the same plants as your other homes in differnet growing areas? I know I would miss all my tropicals...

Yes I do miss many of the midwest/temperate zone plants that I used to grow. Ross' posting of his wild garden area was a nostalgia trip for me. I used to have almost all of the same plants.

I still have a home in Chicago, but it's a condo in the city, 8th floor and no balcony, so no gardening there. Nevertheless, I really enjoy seeing the midwest landscape whenever we visit there (often!) and I go to the wildflower gardens in Lincoln park, the Chicago Botanic Gardens, etc. to get my "fix".

Ed