Here at moon valley nurseries, one of the most popular designs we get asked to create is a tropical backyard. Whether you just put a pool in or love palm trees, we love to do them. Let's face it, we live in the desert, and we want to feel like we are on the beach.

The best way to ensure the success of the plants, as well as a tropical look, is to create a small micro climate by layering taller plants in the back and go lower in front. Taller ones will shade the smaller, more fragile plants.

Palms for Your Tropical Yard

One of the best tropical/ sub-tropical plants we use in these designs would start with our Moon Valley Exclusive Piru Queen palm. Grown in a very similar climate like Arizona, the Piru Queen palm is grown to withstand the heat, wind, and sun of Arizona.

We love to pair the Piru Queen palms with our Pygmy palms. Our Pygmy Palms are grown to be acclimated to the Arizona heat as well give you a very tropical look without taking up much room.

Sago palms (pictured) can also be used as a small accent palm when strategically placed. Even though they are small, they make a statement.

If we have some room to work with, we love to add our Canary Island Date palm. They are drought-tolerant palms that really add a "wow" factor to any design.

Tropical Plants

We surround all the palms with plants such as hibiscus, coral fountain grass, tropical birds of paradise, making it feel like Hawaii even when its 120 degrees.

We finish it off with some lush ground cover such as lantana, wedelia or myroporum.

Complete the Tropical Design

You cap that off with some up-lighting, and you are on your way to an island oasis all created with your vision. Moon Valley Nurseries also gives you fundamental watering and fertilizing instructions to help ensure the success of those palms.

We are here from start to finish, and even after, to make the process is simple and easy for you. Moon Valley Nurseries sets you up for success with how we have grown our palms in the desert. When it comes to bringing the tropics to your backyard, go to the Moon!

Transform your Landscape

With all the varieties of trees and plants available from Moon Valley Nurseries and our knowledgeable landscape design experts, there are infinite ways to put together an entire yard design just for your home.

Our favorite designs are the ones that completely transform our customer's yards overnight. Keep reading to find out how you could renew your yard with only a few trees. No matter what type of design style you are looking for, our design experts can create your perfect yard.

Add a Tropical Background Around Your Pool

Benefits of Planting Palms by the Pool

If you have a pool in your yard, then you are already halfway to having the ultimate tropical landscape. Good job! To finish off the look and bring the tropical island vibes to your home, you want to add some palms around your pool or yard.

Our nursery professionals recommend two ways to add palms to your yard and pool. The first way we might design around your pool is to plant palms close together to create a dense backdrop focused on your pool.

Another favorite design concept is planting palms more spread out throughout the yard to cover the landscape with palms and bring the resort-feel throughout your property.

Three of our ideal palms to add to this type of design are our Piru Queen, Date, and Mediterranean Fan palm varieties.

Palm Variety Suggestions for Arizona

Date Palm

Date palms are the ultimate pool palm! You can find Date palms at most resorts and shopping centers. Around pools, Date palms provide excellent shade due to their full fronds and they have practically no litter, keeping your pool cleaner!

The Date palm looks excellent when planted in clusters of 3 to 5 and is hardy to cold and heat, and drought-tolerant.

Mediterranean Fan Palm

The Mediterranean Fan palm is a great palm that grows in multiple trunks and is considered slow-growing compared to other palm varieties.

These work great in areas where you do not need a ton of height and need something that will not outgrow its planting location. These palms are incredibly tolerant of numerous elements.

Piru Queen Palm

The Piru Queen palm is an exclusive tree from Moon Valley Nurseries. We specially designed our Piru Queen palms for our desert climate. They are custom grown at our farms to be extra hardy in heat and cold.

These palms have distinctive appearances compared to other palms that you will see, and their thicker trunks and fuller crowns make these stand out when compared to the rest. These palms are excellent when planted in groups to add shade and are fantastic in tight planting locations.

Create a Privacy Hedge Around Your Home

Benefits of Planting Hedges to Maximize Privacy

If you feel like you do not have the privacy you want in your home, hedges are one of the best design options that will solve your problem. They even add more benefits to your property as a greener yard, higher property value, and increased curb appeal.

Privacy is one of the most important things to us, and that we get to come home to a place that feels safe and away from the world. Not only does that apply to your home, but also your yard. Some of our favorite plant materials to use for privacy are our Carolina Cherry, Italian Cypress, and Indian Laurel Columns.

Hedge Material Suggestions for Arizona

Indian Laurel Columns

Indian Laurel Columns are our most popular choice for use as a formal landscape hedge. These massive evergreens provide ample shade and perform great when planted along property lines for blocking the sun, noise, wind, and unwanted views.

The Indian Laurel Columns have lush, dense foliage and strong softwood branches. They can be pruned into almost any shape and handle the warmer summer months very well.

Carolina Cherry

Native to the Southeastern United States, the Carolina Cherry has become a popular choice for its minimal maintenance, natural upright conical shape, and ability to tolerate heat, drought, and wind.

The Carolina Cherry is a small to medium-sized evergreen with dark green, lustrous wavy-edged foliage on brown thornless stems. The foliage can handle regular trimming and be sheared into a tall screen or sound barrier which make them a near-perfect option for many homes.

Italian Cypress

Used for formal entrances, borders, and backdrops, the Italian Cypress is unmistakable with its lush green foliage and tall narrow upright form. Italian Cypress thrive in sunny climates with minimal water, making them a popular choice for just about any landscape.

This hedge material brings immediate formal appeal to your home with a bit of aesthetic from the European countryside.

Start Your Personal Orchard in Your Yard

Benefits of Growing Your own Fruit

The benefits of growing your own fruit include being able to produce fruit that tastes better, knowing that your fruit is pesticide-free, and having multiple varieties of citrus and fruit right in your yard!

Besides the harvest that they bring you annually (sometimes more often!), our citrus and fruit trees grow large enough to create shade in your yard and cool down your yard to grow shrubs and groundcover near your fruit trees. Three varieties that love the Arizona region are lemons, oranges, and apple trees.

Fruit Tree Suggestions for Arizona

Lemon Tree

Meyer lemons are a favorite due to their many culinary uses and their thin peel that makes squeezing the freshest lemon juice a breeze!

A pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade is coming right up to make the summer even better.

Orange Tree

You don’t have to live in the Valley too long before you realize how popular Orange trees are around here. From the East Valley to the West, orange groves can be found all over the Phoenix area, from Mesa to Glendale.

Our Naval variety is considered an early fruit producer and typically ready for harvest in late fall through winter.

Apple Tree

Low-chill apple varieties that grow best in our area include Anna, Fuji, and Dorsett (Golden). When it’s hot and bright outside, these trees can also provide shade coverage.

These are excellent landscape trees that can add beautiful color to any yard.

Start Designing with the Moon Valley Nurseries Team

Click here to learn more about our landscape design consultations and schedule a consult today.

Visit us at the location nearest to you and let us help you get your project started!

More from Moon Valley Nurseries

Click here to learn about our FREE in-store landscape consultations. Our design consultations are easy as 1-2-3.

Click here to learn more about growing and harvesting fruit trees in the Arizona desert.

Click here to learn more about the official tree of Arizona, the Palo Verde. Our Nursery Expert shows you why the Palo Verde is perfect for our desert region.

Watering in the desert can be tricky 

It is essential to know when to water, how often, and even more important, how deep to water. These factors are crucial for the success of any landscape type. Here we will discuss these topics and help ensure adequate irrigation throughout the hottest months in the Phoenix area.

The best time of the day to water your trees and plants is in the early morning. The ideal time to turn your drip system on and give your plants a good drink for the day is between 4 am and 6 am. As temperatures rise in the summertime, the trees and plants in your yard will need to maintain adequate moisture to ensure proper growth and root establishment. It also helps to prevent any wilting, burning, or stress associated with higher summertime temperatures. 

Stay away from watering during mid-day, evening, or night time. Midday irrigations are often too late and can cause thirsty trees to stress more. Watering in the evening time, especially during moist or humid nights will promote mold and fungal growth that can affect your plant or your trees overall health.

Now that we know the right time of day to water, it’s necessary to understand how deep, and how often, to water. Most new trees or plants will benefit from being watered every day for the first week.

Watering Depths

For ground covers or smaller shrubs, ensure that your water is getting into the soil at least 12 inches deep.

For medium-to-large shrubs, your water should reach 12 to 18 inches deep.

For trees, the water should reach 2 to 3 feet deep.

To check the depth of the water and make sure it drenches the soil, you can use a piece of rebar, a dowel rod, or one of the two-foot planting flags that we have here at the nursery. You will want to probe the soil and several different areas around the initial planting area and ensure that the water is getting to the depths recommended.

If you are probing the soil and the rods only going down one foot into the ground, probe other areas, and if you’re still reaching a depth of one foot, then you know you are not watering long enough. You can now adjust your system to run longer and then probe again to ensure the proper depth.

Watering Schedule

Tropical varieties should be watered in the summertime when the temperatures above 100° 4 to 5 times a week.

Subtropical varieties should be watered 3 to 4 times a week.

Desert varieties can be watered about two times a week or every third or fourth day.

Making sure that the water is getting down 2 to 3 feet on the trees and saturating the entire root ball is important and will eliminate how often you need to run your system if you’re watering to the proper depth. You can also check the top of the soil. When the soil is dry to the extent of an inch or two, it’s typically time to water again. 

Lastly, you should water at the drip line (the canopies edge or tips of the canopy), which is where the feeder roots exist. As the tree or plant establishes, move the drip lines to the side of the canopy. This will ensure that your roots continue to grow in the right direction.

For more tips or any questions on watering your trees, call your closest location today or visit us at moonvalleynurseries.com!

Preventing Insects on your Agave

One of the common questions we get from customers is how to treat agave that have grubs and mature agave weevils taking over. The easiest way to handle it is with prevention, which means to keep them healthy all year.

This is easily done with agave by not watering them and not applying any type of potent fertilizer to them. Using a product like our Desert Juice helps keep them healthy without putting too much nitrogen on them. We recommend placing water lines away from new agave species. Established plants should not be getting any additional water other than what they are receiving by nature.

Quick Design Tip - Agave that is planted in low spots of a landscape should not be getting any type of irrigation at all.

Signs of Insects on Your Plants

If you see any of these signs, you need to try to treat your plant as early as you can with a systemic insecticide. Multiple brands get the job done, but they all have the same active ingredient, imidacloprid. Make sure that this ingredient is listed on any product you choose to purchase.Indications that you may have an issue with insects include new plant growth coming out with deformities or rotten-like appearance. Sometimes the center growth can even fall over or turn to a mushy texture.

Treating Your Insect Issues

Systemic insecticide, like Hi-Yield Insecticide, comes in a bagged granular form, as well as a shaker-type bottle. If you have a large yard (up to 5000 square feet), you can purchase larger bags to be sure to cover all problem areas adequately.

Additionally, you can use a liquid form, such as the Fertilome Insecticide, that just needs to be mixed in with water and poured around the plant so that you drench the area around the plant. Treat the problem areas as soon as you spot them.

More often than not, you can get rid of the insects before they have matured. If you found the issue too late and the insects have evolved, you are going to have to replace the infected agave.

No matter how early or late you identified the issue, you will have to treat the soil around the troubled agave and any other plants in the area to make sure that you reduce the problem and decrease the change of other nearby plants being affected.

Growing Stone Fruit Trees

A really common question we get with customers is how to grow fruit trees in our desert region. When we say fruit trees, we mean stone fruits such as peaches, plums, nectarines, and more. Our customers are always shocked when they learn how many fruit trees grow well in the arid desert climates.

We carry a large amount of fruit trees that only need low chill hours in the winter to produce a plentiful harvest. Typically, the chill hours are how much time the tree needs in cold temperatures so trees with low chill hours do best in Arizona. On average, Arizona gets less than 300 chill hours, so we only carry fruit tree varieties in that range. It is best to plant trees with the lowest chill hours in case of warm winters.

Harvesting and Protecting Stone Fruit Trees

Another question that comes up often is, “how do you even harvest fruit trees?”. We recommend two ways of harvesting the fruit from your trees. These are also helpful ways to protect your harvest from the birds in our region. There are not many fruit trees in the Southwest, and the birds are not as heavily attracted to citrus trees, so they tend to target other fruit trees instead.

The first recommendation is pulling the fruit off your trees as soon as you think it is close to being ripe. You can let them finish ripening in your home, whether you place them in the refrigerator or leave them on the counter in a brown paper bag (old-school tricks). You might notice that grocery stores do this often.

A second option for protecting your fruit from being eaten by birds is to cover the canopy of your trees with bird netting. The netting will keep the birds from invading the trees and ruining the fruit before you can harvest it all. This will save a lot more of your fruit than without the protection from the net.

Fertilizing Stone Fruit Trees

To keep your fruit trees in optimal health to grow to their full potential in our climate, you need to do two things.

1. Buy your trees from Moon Valley Nurseries

All fruit trees at Moon Valley Nurseries are custom-grown for the Arizona weather and required low chill hours for our area. When you purchase any of our fruit trees, you are getting the most durable, acclimated, and healthy tree from day one.

2. Fertilize your trees with custom-blended products

Super Charged Moon Juice  helps stimulate growth which allows the tree to increase its moisture and fertilizer intake. It also supplies the tree with a boost of the three most important nutrients for trees - Iron, Magnesium, and Zinc.

Moon Valley Nurseries custom-made, organic Moon Dust is an all-purpose tree and plant fertilizer. It carries the perfect ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium for more abundant and tastier crops.

Stone Fruit Tree Trunk Wrapping

For younger fruit trees, it is vital to cover the tree trunk from getting sun damage. Once the tree grows larger and the canopy provides shade to the trunk, you no longer need to worry about sunburn. Until then, the most popular options to protect your tree trunk is to paint it with a product made specifically for plant material or to use a tree wrapping material. One of our favorite options is the white tree wrap that stretches and grows with the tree.

Watering your Stone Fruit Trees

Last, but definitely not least, watering your tree is going to be the most vital component of taking care of your tree and producing the best fruit! Especially during the hotter months, you want to check your tree for signs of underwatering and supplement accordingly. Deep watering is also going to help fruit trees grow sweeter, juicier fruit.

Talk to a Nursery Professional Today!

If you have more questions about stone fruit trees, visit us at the location nearest to you and our nursery pros will provide you with all the information you need.

Ready to get started on designing your yard and growing your own food? Schedule a consultation today.

Battling Mosquitoes in Arizona

A common concern our customers bring up this time of year is the number of mosquitoes that are taking over their yard. It becomes a bigger problem during the monsoon season because of all the extra rain we receive and the humidity.

While the problem can be very annoying, and sometimes downright frustrating, it is almost always an easy problem to fix. The most likely culprit is standing water somewhere around your home.

Look for Standing Water Around Your Home

The standing water could come from anywhere so inspect your home for even tiny amounts of water collecting somewhere. Even the smallest amount of water will make the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Some common places to check are areas in your lawn that might have soil issues, therefore not letting the water absorb into the ground quickly enough or your irrigation system for potential leaks allowing water to build up and collect.

After the rainstorms, make sure to check any buckets that were left outside or any trash cans that may have collected water. Those will need to be emptied out once the rain is over.

If Mosquitoes are Laying Eggs

Areas that are often overlooked when thinking of what might be causing the issue are water features in your landscape. A pool will be less of a concern since most pool owners apply chemicals regularly to maintain a clean environment, but many people do not use any type of chemicals for their fountains or other water features. There are chemicals, with organic options, that get the job done.

On using chemical products –

“They work very well and will help kill and get rid of larva.” - Sal Bracale, VP of Arizona Operations and Nursery Expert

Treating areas with the proper chemical products will make a big difference because you are destroying the eggs before they can hatch. Every time a mosquito lays eggs, it can lay between 100-200 eggs, also called a “clutch”. They can lay up to five clutches in a lifetime (about five weeks), which means you could potentially have 1000 mosquitoes hatching on your property in a month. The best solution is to target any areas that a mosquito would even THINK about laying eggs.

Once you start limiting the number of mosquitoes, your outdoor spaces will become a more enjoyable living space.

If your problem has gotten too out of control to handle on your own, there are professional services that can help take care of the infestation. Professional pest control companies offer services specifically for mosquito control such as powerful formulas that are sprayed, fogged, or distributed through a mist system.

There are many options to choose from based on your needs. One option we recommend is using a product named 'Mosquito Dunks'. (pictured above).

How to Deter Mosquitoes from Your Yard

No matter what you do, you probably can’t avoid having a few mosquitoes pop into your yard (possibly coming from your neighbor’s home). There a few natural mosquito repellent ideas we recommend to our customers that you can do to make sure your patio and other social areas around your yard are mosquito-free.

Using mosquito candles are one line of defense to keep the insects away from you while you are outside. The candle burns off oils that repel the bugs away but works in a very limited range. It is nice to have two to three candles placed around seating areas for more protection.

Another great way to defend against them is to add mosquito repellent plants around your yard and especially around areas where you and your family spend the most time outside, such as the patio or around the pool. Two great choices to add are live citronella plants and lemongrass. They are easy to plant, grow well, smell great, and keep those big mosquitoes away. If you want to add more of a variety of plants, also consider lavender (pictured), rosemary, garlic, and peppermint. You will also find all these plants in most natural insect repellent products!

Questions? Visit Moon Valley Nurseries Today!

For more questions or concerns about mosquitoes in your yard, best plants to get rid of them, or how to design your yard to be mosquito-free, visit us at the location nearest to you or schedule a consultation today.

Taking the Stress Out of Choosing a Tree

Have you ever walked into a store and quickly became overwhelmed with everything you are seeing, the options in front of you, or interactions you were not expecting to have or prepped for? Most of us have probably had this happen a few times in our lives!

Customer service is our top priority, and we want to make sure you get the best service from start to finish when you work with us. We often see customers come in, unsure about what to focus on or trying to do too many things and getting swamped in the process.

When you come to Moon Valley Nurseries, we want to do as much as we can for our customers so they can take a breath and let us handle the project in any way they need!

Keep reading to find out what to expect when you come to the nursery and how we can help you every step of the way from getting your project started and protecting your trees, even long after we plant them!

1) Questions, Questions and more Questions

When you come to the nursery, you will notice plenty of knowledgeable nursery professionals ready to help you figure out what you need and get your project started.

Our top priority is to help our customers whether they need to finish an incomplete yard, design a completely new landscape, solve issues with your plant material, and everything else in the nursery world!

Our nursery professionals will walk you around the nursery to give you an idea of the type of trees we carry and our large inventory of HUGE trees (you can only find trees this big at Moon Valley Nurseries!) and get to know you and what brought you to our nursery. 

We like to ask questions on our walk to find out more about your goals and individual preferences. This information is vital in being able to narrow down the choices of selecting the right trees.

Do you need or want shade? Privacy? Maintenance? Location? HOA requirements? These questions are absolutely essential to getting started. It can be very easy to get confused or overwhelmed if you see every tree in our nursery, which is why we want to narrow down the options and show you the right trees. This process saves time and gets your new trees to your yard sooner!

2) Specimen and Exclusive Trees

Once you and our experts narrow down the selection, they will walk you over to our biggest beautiful trees so that you can see what you will have in your yard soon.

The reason we show our customers the largest trees is because it makes a perfect visual aid for them. This will show them the future canopy, the size, and color of the leaves, the trunk, the shape, and ultimately what their choice will look like in their yard.

After each tree that fits their needs has been evaluated, the customer can now easily decide not only on which tree they want to purchase, but also the size and age of the tree. Moon Valley has trees in almost every size and certainly for every budget!

Moon Valley Nurseries has many varieties of specimen and exclusive trees at our nurseries such as palms, flowering, desert, and fruit trees. You can essentially fill your entire property with trees that only Moon Valley Nurseries grows and carries! 

3) Moon Valley Nurseries One-Year Extended Warranty Program

While all our trees come with a short-term warranty, we recommend adding our one-year extended warranty program. This program become a popular service that our customers add on to each tree because of the excellent benefits that come with it.

Moon Valley Nurseries offers an unprecedented extended warranty for our trees. This means that when a customer invests in our products, we will not only safeguard your investment from weather or uncontrollable situations, we also shield you from the anxiety of regret.

Our extended warranty allows customers to change their mind. If homeowners find themselves in this particular scenario, it is as simple as picking up the telephone and calling your design specialist to change out the tree for another, no questions asked.

For full terms and conditions of our one-year extended warranty program, click here.

Visit Moon Valley Nurseries Today!

In conclusion, when you decide to come in to see the nursery, do not fear the task of purchasing trees. We are all trained design specialists and nursery professionals that want to make this not only an enjoyable experience for you but also one that will eliminate any undue stress of getting your project started and completed with Moon Valley Nurseries!

Now that you know what to expect when you come to the nursery, all that is left is to come visit us at the location nearest to you or schedule a consultation today. We can’t wait to help you get your dream yard started.

More Moon Valley Nurseries

Click here to learn about our FREE in-store landscape consultations. Our design consultations are easy as 1-2-3.

Click here to find out if a xeriscape design is perfect for your home or property and find out which desert plants are best for Arizona.

Click here to learn more about the official tree of Arizona, The Palo Verde. Our Nursery Expert shows you why the Palo Verde is perfect for Surprise to San Tan Valley and everywhere else in Arizona.

Plumerias grow very easy here with very little effort or care. Just follow these simple steps and you will be rewarded with beautiful tropical plants with flowers you will love that smell wonderful and are super pleasing in any landscape.  

Planting Plumerias

For planting location morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. However, they can easily adapt to full sun. Planting in early spring or the fall is a perfect time if you are planning to go full sun. Otherwise, plant anytime other than during frosts.  

When planting, dig the hole a couple of inches wider than the bucket and use a cactus mix to back fill most of the hole and then create a well with the leftover soil.  

When planting Plumerias in pots, always use a cactus mix. I prefer the Black Gold brand. Good drainage is key when planting these beauties. If planting in pots mix 1/3 per liter into the cactus mix. 

 

Watering Plumerias

The full sun planting will get the higher number per week and the shade will get less. You don’t need full shade as they will bloom more for you if they get more light. As fall comes you will decrease water back to every 7-10-days. Once they start to lose their leaves; and, eventually will lose them all as the cold comes usually towards Thanksgiving, you will stop watering completely. No water through the winter.  

 Watering is easy! When Plumerias come to life in the spring, start watering and stick to once every 7-10 days, depending on sun exposure and whether you planted in a pot or the ground. The ones in the ground usually need a bit less water. Once our weather gets into the high 90’s and hotter water 1-2 times per week. During extreme heat, you will want to water 2-3 times per week depending on the length of time in the ground and again on sun exposure.

Fertilizing Plumerias

Fertilizing is simple! You want to use all-purpose granular fertilizer such as Moon Dust beginning in March as they are all waking up and again in May and September. Keep it simple, no need for bloom boosters as it doesn’t help with Plumerias.

They bloom when they want and there's no forcing the issue. Plumerias usually must be at least 3 years old to flower. Some will not bloom every year, so I always recommend planting multiple to enjoy. Hey, you might get lucky and have all your Plumerias bloom at the same time!

Weather Protection for Plumerias

Plumerias love the heat. If planted in full sun you can use tree wrap around the trunk to protect the bark from sunburn when they are young. For smaller Plumerias, paper towel rolls are handy for this purpose.

One of the most important rules with Plumerias is protecting them from extreme cold. They must be covered or stored inside during frosts. The old school C-9 Christmas lights are a great thing to apply under the frost cloth for added warmth. Make sure to use lights that actually produce heat, as not all do. Putting them in a garage or inside is no problem. Again, don’t water during this time.

Pests and Plumerias

Plumerias are fairly pest-free. The only thing to keep an eye out for is spider mites. Spraying the plants down with water to wash off the leaves is an easy solution. Plumerias appreciate this foliar watering since spider mites hate water, so it helps deter them from sticking around. For preventative measures, you can add systemic granules in spring and fall to get ahead of them.

A more organic way of dealing with them if the issue arises is spraying them with neem oil, for which I personally use Triple Action. With that product, it is super important that it not be sprayed during broad daylight. Early morning or evening is best. If it gets bad, just cut off the leaves and they will regrow without issue.  

Add Plumerias to Your Yard Today

Visit Jenny at our Phoenix location today and find out more about how to add Plumerias into your yard.

Visit any Moon Valley Nurseries and check out the Plumeria varieties available near you. Ready for a FREE in-store design consultation? Learn more here. 

What is Xeriscape Landscaping?

Xeriscaping is a style of landscaping where little to no irrigation is required. In some cases, this even includes maintenance. In Phoenix, this would include trees and plants that are native to our climates or other similar climates.

A misconception we often hear when customers are considering a xeriscape design is that they will not have any color or flowering shrubs and trees, but this is not the case. There are many varieties of plants and trees at Moon Valley Nurseries that can bring your yard color, flowers, and a natural desert look.

Benefits of a Xeriscape Landscape

There are many benefits to designing a xeriscape yard or property. For our region, it incorporates the natural beauty around us into our own yards so well! Two huge reasons to consider xeriscaping your yard is its minimal upkeep and water usage.

Conserving Water

Xeriscaping your yard with the right plants and trees will drastically change how much water you use annually. A typical yard uses about 20,000 gallons of water a year, and xeriscaping can potentially cut that down to half the water usage.

Minimal Maintenance

Xeriscape plants and trees love the sun and do not need much water. All you have to do is watch for weeds once in a while to be sure they aren’t damaging the existing landscape. Minimal pruning may be needed throughout the year, depending on your preference for a manicured or natural look.

Xeriscape Plants

At Moon Valley Nurseries, we recognize that offering waterwise plant material is good for our environment, and that has made xeriscaping a design that has been growing quickly in popularity. We make sure that every Moon Valley Nursery offers a whole pallet of xeriscape options so that every customer can find what fits their needs.

Golden Barrel Cactus – This slow-growing cactus brings a bright golden hue to your landscape and grows perfectly round. (pictured)

Desert Spoon – This drought-tolerant plant produces silver-grey foliage that can grow up to six feet high and wide and is perfect for an accent piece in the landscape. 

Gopher Plant – Sometimes also called ‘Silver Sponge’, this upright-growing small shrub adds a unique look to a xeriscape design.

Red Yucca – If you want to make sure your yard has color that pops from down the street, this is an excellent choice. They bring texture to your yard as well as vibrant red flowers shaped like spikes at the end of the foliage. (pictured)

Xeriscape Trees

Desert Willow

Named for its resemblance to willows, the Desert Willow is a perfect xeriscape tree. This drought-tolerant water-wise tree performs well in any landscape in our region. The hardy Desert Willow handles extreme temperature ranges and produces exotic-looking blooms from May until September.

This fast grower requires little maintenance and does best with just enough water to keep it green and blooming throughout the warm summer months. The foliage can also offer light shade to plant material under or near the canopy.

Museum Palo Verde

The Museum Palo Verde tree is a popular choice for customers looking to decrease their water usage. This low-maintenance tree is easy to grow with full sun and minimal water. The Museum Palo Verde’s layered shade makes the tree allow light in your yard while providing very cooling shade for your home.

Another awesome feature is that this tree produces colorful, vibrant yellow flowers that cover the entire tree during the summer until fall. As this hybrid Palo Verde grows, the canopy will offer more shade, so you can plant ground covers or grass around the trunk.

Chilean Mesquite

This hybrid Chilean Mesquite brings the classic desert/xeriscape look with a few beneficial surprises. For starters, this is a thornless variety of mesquite! No need to worry about hurting your hands when around this tree. The Chilean Mesquite has a wide canopy of soft, bright green, fern-like foliage covering its dark twisting branches.

No two Chilean Mesquite trees are the same as the branches always have a different growth pattern. The branches on this mesquite create a fun display of shadows through the night with landscape lighting. Available with single or multiple trunks, our drought-tolerant hybrids can fill many landscape needs with the versatility of being able to grow in the open desert, transitional areas and fits perfectly with the needs of a xeriscape-designed yard.

Get Your Free Xeriscape Design Consultation at Moon Valley Nurseries

There are many ways to be smart and xeriscape your landscape. Come see a design specialist to get started! Click here to get started.

Keep Your Landscape Healthy

Time is flying this year and the summer season is already coming to an end. Now that people are coming home from vacation, kids are going back to school, and everybody is falling back into their regular routine, it’s time to check on your yard! Follow the tips below and make sure your yard is looking great and ready for any last-minute pool parties or a family get-together.

Watering Tips

Arizona, especially Central Arizona, is now officially in the middle of monsoon season. We have had enough rainstorms come through southern Arizona and the Phoenix area that every day feels a bit more humid than we are accustomed to for this area.

The extra rain over the last few weeks has helped our landscapes through some hot temperatures. It may have also severely thrown off your watering schedule for your yard.

If you have turned off, or paused, your sprinkler system, be sure to examine your lawn, trees, and plant material. Resume your watering schedule as you have been throughout the summer months. During more rainfall, monitor your landscape in case of potential instances of overwatering of any plant material.

For more watering information and instructions for new and mature trees, click here.

Fertilizing Tips

Between the hot days and the tough storms, your lawn and landscapes could use some extra pampering and attention. This is exactly why we created, and love to use, our Super Charged Moon Juice.

Super Charged Moon Juice is a custom blend that contains a one-of-a-kind liquid technology. Moon Juice works great for all trees and plants in your landscape by boosting growth from the root system and helping plant material recover quickly from seasonal stress.

If your landscape consists mostly of palms, ask about our Super Palm Juice that was made specifically for the needs of palm tree varieties. It contains the same custom liquid technology as our Moon Juice. Palm Juice also contains a full nutrient profile perfect for all palms and other tropical varieties. This fast-acting liquid gets nutrients to the palms quickly for immediate optimization.

Tree Trunk Protection

Young trees, especially citrus, need protection from the sun during the summer months, when the sun is hotter and out longer! You can protect the trunk of a new tree from sunburn with a coat of paint or with specific protective tree wrap.

Click here to watch a Moon Valley Nurseries expert demonstrate both options properly.

Mulching Tips

Adding mulch to your trees and plants is perhaps the easiest thing you can do right now to give them a little help through the heat. If done right, a layer of mulch can even add to the curb appeal of your yard. Adding a few inches of mulch can help keep your soil cool during the warmer summer months and warm during the cooler days. Mulch is available at any Moon Valley Nurseries location. 

August Landscape Design Tips

Crape Myrtle Tree

At Moon Valley Nurseries, we offer many varieties of Crape Myrtle trees that come in a single-trunk or multi-trunk form. The Crape Myrtle trees grown at Moon Valley Nurseries are superior thanks to mildew resistance, which you will not find anywhere else outside of our nursery.

In addition, the Crape Myrtle's foliage will turn a showy bright orange during the fall season. The flowers bloom throughout the entire summer with color options from red, white, purple, and pink ready to fill your yard.

Tipu Tree

The Tipu tree is one of the most popular trees we offer at Moon Valley Nurseries, and it is everywhere around the Phoenix Valley, from Chandler/Queen Creek to Glendale/Peoria. Tipus are fast-growing trees that have an upright growth pattern creating a large shaded area to the surrounding landscape or home.

These trees are also drought-tolerant, once established. They can handle even the hottest summer days. It produces a unique show of golden blooms from late spring and into early summer that contrasts beautifully with its feathery green foliage. If you are looking for shade, color, and a tree that needs minimal assistance to flourish, the Tipu is your tree!

More Moon Valley Nurseries…

Click here to learn more about some of our favorite desert trees to plant and which ones are exclusive to Moon Valley Nurseries.

Click here to find out which hedges might be perfect for your home for ultimate privacy.

Click here to find out how Moon Valley Nurseries can help with any Monsoon damage.