In a previous post, I mentioned how long it took me to figure out how to grow grass here in Phoenix.  Seems it’s a lot different than growing grass in Minnesota!

It took me a while, but I finally posted a guide to growing good, healthy grass–even in our hot Phoenix desert!  Turf’s Up: Growing Healthy Lawns in Phoenix Desert Landscapes includes a maintenance schedule, by month, so you know exactly what to do and when.  Even if you thought you knew everything about how to maintain your lawn, check out this guide and see if there’s a new takeaway that can simplify your lawn maintenance regimen.

One note of caution:  this guide only applies to Bermudagrass lawns that are not overseeded with winter Ryegrass.  For information on how to maintain overseeded lawns, or for more specific information about other grasses or detailed information about lawn maintenance, check out Desert Landscaping for Beginners published by the Arizona Master Gardener Press.

Hey, check out the beets I just harvested from our garden!  I grew these from seed (I planted back in late October, when the nights turn cool here in the Phoenix desert) and am now pulling up these colorful beets.  See the deep purple and red and orange and pink colors?  I got the seeds from Seeds of Change, and I think they’re called “Colorful Beet Mix”…which seems pretty appropriate!

I’ve got a great salad recipe for these beets and beet greens that I’m gonna try.  Now, back out to the garden…I’m putting in a little corn, artichoke, grapes, more tomatoes, and something else I can’t remember.  Lucky for us here in Phoenix:  year-round gardening even in the desert!

Sorry so long between posts…I’ve been tied up in the garden.  Sigh…it makes me want to hire a landscape professional!

Knowing more about desert gardening means that I want to do more and more.  But if you’re strapped for time or less than knowledgeable about desert landscape maintenance, you might want to hire the appropriate professional.  Trouble is…where do you find them?

Well, Phoenix has a boatload of people who do what we call “blow ‘n go.”  These are the guys who sweep in with jet packs on their backs and tote chainsaws for a Texas-sized massacre of your plant life.  From what I can tell, they’re either paid by how much noise they make, how much dust they blow around, or how many shapes they can form from your shrubs.  Or all three.

Wouldn’t it be nice if they focused instead on testing and fixing your irrigation system?  Or on cleaning up your trees a bit, and doing some selective pruning on your xeriscape plants?   How about if they came in and did their work without disturbing the peace…or provoking an allergic reaction?

Lucky for us, these landscape professionals DO exist here in Phoenix.  Smartscape Certified Landscapers receive training in design, renovation and maintenance of desert-adapted xeriscape plants, drip irrigation design and installation, water management and irrigation controllers, and solutions to plant problems.

You can also contact the Desert Botanical Garden for a list of Certified Desert Landscape Professionals.  These Desert Landscape School graduates have completed a minimum of seven months of intensive training in landscaping with desert-adapted plants.

With a little digging, you’re sure to find someone who cares more about helping you manage your desert landscape than about operating a power tool!