Image Credit: San Francisco State Universy

Just this week, there were two more studies out of the UK and France showing that the mystery of the disappearing bees, known as Colony Collapse Disorder, can be linked to a relatively new class of insecticides called neonicotinoids.  This is important because bees are critical to pollinating not only flowers, but many food crops as well.  Fewer bees means fewer yields.

So what’s the best way to attract bees to your Phoenix desert garden?

• Limit your use of (or don’t use) insectides in the landscape.  Identify the plant and the problem and then do a little research to figure out how to manage diseases and pests without resorting to pesticides.  The solution is often a lot simpler than you think!
• Plant a wide variety of plants.  Bees and other pollinators love flowers, so plant a variety of flowering plants to ensure near year-round blooming.
• Plant native xeriscape plants.  Native species are four times more likely to attract bees and other pollinators than non-natives or exotics.  I noticed this in my own garden when we removed the grass and planted a few native shrubs.  Nearly overnight we had more birds, bees, and butterflies in our garden!
• Create a habitat that’s friendly to bees.  Bees like shallow pools of water, but if you’re really ambitious, you can build a nesting area for them.  Invite them in to stay awhile!

In my last post, I talked about how plants in the desert fare compared to our watered xeriscape plants in our Greater Phoenix landscapes.  With adequate water, our desert landscape plants thrive while the same plants living in our drought-stricken desert become vulnerable to diseases and pests.

Mistletoe is one of those infestations that often attack trees and shrubs living in the desert.  Spread primarily by birds, mistletoe attaches itself to a host plant and begins drawing the nutrients from the host.  Very quickly it will spread and begin growing out of the host plant, and eventually destroy it.

If you see the beginnings of a mistletoe infestation in any of your xeriscape plants, some judicious pruning of the affected areas can remove it.  But it’s also a signal that your plant probably needs water.

Oh, and this is the same mistletoe (from the same family) that we rush to kiss under at Christmas time.  I don’t think of that tradition in the same way anymore…

I was talking the other day with someone who wanted to buy a cactus.  ”Do I have to water it?”  When I told him yes, he asked why.  I mean, the plants in the desert don’t get watered unless it rains…why do I have to water it?

Great question!  True, the plants in the desert don’t rely on us to water them.  They’ve been well-adapted to our desert climate, and take what rain they get.  But what happens in a drought?

Drought-stressed plants not only lack adequate water, they become vulnerable to diseases and pests.  And they sometimes die as a result, like this Ocotillo.  That’s why, in many Phoenix landscapes, we even supplement our native and desert-adapted xeriscape plants with water.

So when you’re planning your landscape, consider whether you want to take your chances (and a few rain dances) on a “natural” desert landscape…you’ll want to consider neighborhood and zoning restrictions, too.  Or whether you want to provide enough water to ensure a healthy desert garden.