Build Your Private Oasis Before it’s Too Late to Plant 

Hedges are one of the best ways to add value to your home and create a classic look to your landscape. With so many options to choose from, it gives you the opportunity to decide between a formal or informal look that could vary in height, size, color, and shape!

Some of the biggest reasons for a homeowner to want to add hedges into their landscape include:

• Making a sound and weather barrier
• Creating a dramatic entryway
• Adding a wall of color
• Forming a living border

The number one reason should be no surprise (hint: it’s in the title!) to anybody. The biggest reason most people decide to add hedges in their yard is for the amazing privacy it creates around their home. We have compiled some of our favorite hedges to plant for our current fall season. Keep reading and see which hedge is right for you and your yard!

Indian Laurel Columns (Ficus nitida columns)

One of the most ideal, and best, hedges you will find anywhere is our Indian Laurel Columns, sometimes known as the Ficus Nitida. We like to plant the Indian Laurel Columns to create a living wall of privacy- the ultimate Hollywood-Style Hedge. These evergreen trees can create an immediate privacy screen for your landscape and are the ideal choice to create a perfect yard with a classic look. They thrive in desert environments and are require little water, so they are well-suited for our Arizona weather and landscapes. As a bonus, we love them for the massive amount of shade that they can add! Relax, unwind, have fun, and do it in the shade, without nosy neighbors getting into your business. Plant these Indian Laurel Columns in your yard and take in the dense green foliage that adds some nice colors to our desert surroundings.

Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)

It is easy to see why these hedges are a common sight throughout the Valley. They can bloom showy bottlebrush-like flower spikes that can paint a landscape with bright red and blue-green colors. The Bottlebrush plant can easily add a splash of color to our arid environment, and attract hummingbirds and butterflies, too. These evergreen shrubs are a great way to create a colorful privacy screen when several are lined up along a property border. Another hedge option idea for the Bottlebrush shrub is to create small hedges around a backyard garden or a focal point in the yard. The Bottlebrush blooms in spring with some off-season blooms in the fall.  This shrub does fine in partial to full sun. We recommend fertilizing consistently from spring through fall to gain the darkest green foliage and reddest flowers from our Bottlebrush.

Oleander (Nerium oleander)

Hopseed (Dedonea)

The Hopseed bush is a perfect shrub to add to any Arizona yard. While not the most traditional looking plant to be considered hedge material, it does the job perfectly. At Moon Valley Nurseries, we offer both the Green Hopseed and the Purple Hopseed bush for you to choose from based on your landscaping needs. Both varieties are quite similar except for one major difference – their coloring. When creating a privacy hedge, the Purple Hopseed will create a unique wall of color that contrasts well with surrounding foliage. These fast-growing shrubs grow upright, which makes them easy to install in almost any location.

Feel free to stop by your local Moon Valley Nurseries, speak with our nursery professionals, and schedule a landscape design consultation. Let us do the work for you from planning, designing, delivering, and #freeplanting.

Get to Planting Now for Some Delicious Fruit Right in Your Yard

If you couldn’t tell, we love the fall season! Not only is it finally cool enough to enjoy the weather in Arizona, but it’s the best time of year to plant new trees and shrubs in your yard. Some of the best trees we love planting right now are fruit trees. These trees can grow beautiful fragrant flowers, create great summer shade, and bring you tasty fruit right in your yard!

Pomegranate

The first tree on this list is one of the best and easiest to grow in our Arizona climate. The deciduous Pomegranate tree is just as amazing once it is established due to how low maintenance it is compared to other trees. It only requires low to moderate water, is drought tolerant, and flourishes in full and partial sun. Since it only grows to be a small tree, the Pomegranate tree can be planted anywhere.

Plum

Fruit trees are a great choice for the Phoenix-area and Plum trees are a popular addition for local yards. Like other fruit trees, this one is easy to grow in our area too! It should be planted somewhere that gets full or partial sun and benefits from fertilizer right before the new growth starts in Spring. Another cool feature of this tree that shows up in the spring time is the abundance of white flowers that appear. On top of growing your own food, Plum trees can be used as a stunning focal point in a large yard or small garden.

Peach

Just the idea of having a Peach tree in your yard should cause you to start craving one. If you don’t, then maybe you don’t like peaches at all (and that’s okay- kind of weird, but totally okay, no judgement). This is an easy growing, deciduous tree that grows small with a wide-spread canopy of dense foliage. It also produces colorful showy flowers throughout the spring season creating an attractive landscape. The beauty of this tree makes it perfect for any sized yard!

Five Fall Tips for Tree Care

Now that we have an idea of what we are going to plant, it is time to prepare ourselves for what we should be doing to make sure we have the best tree. Tree care is especially important when it comes to fruit trees because you will literally be able to taste the work and effort you put in to it.

For specific questions or concerns, please reach out to our Tree Care team and one of our I.S.A. Certified Arborists will be ready to help!

Plant New Trees

We’re quite lucky to be living in Phoenix as we have two amazing planting seasons. Even though the spring season is a good time to plant, the fall season creates the perfect growing environment to plant new trees and shrubs. In the colder months, newly planted trees and shrubs convert their energy to root growth. Planting in the fall allows up to five months of root development.

Once spring arrives, the tree or shrub that was planted in the fall will have a very established root system and be better prepared for the incoming heat. With the root system established, the tree or shrub will focus its energy on top growth to bring back healthy foliage. Trees and shrubs planted now in Phoenix will have plenty of time to grow a shade canopy before the summer high temps arrives next year. 

Add Fall Annual Colors

While the rest of the country is not looking forward to the cold winter days, residents in Phoenix are spending more time outside working hard on their landscape. Fall annuals are a fantastic and easy way to add striking color to accent areas, garden beds, and eye-catching borders. For more abundant bloom cycles this fall, pick up a bag of our Moon Dust Organic Blend which creates great results because it was developed especially for our tough, compact, and alkaline soils. 

Check Watering Systems

Whenever the seasons change, you need to check your watering system and most likely, readjust some or all the settings. At this time of the year, the biggest change will probably need to be how often you water certain areas of your yard. Make sure that you check each sprinkler head and any emitters you have installed are still working properly and replace any that are not. Now that the temperatures are cooler, less water is needed but make sure you adjust properly for each individual plant. Your Peach tree and shrubs probably won’t survive on the same schedule!

Trim Your Trees

Now that the monsoon season is over, it’s time to check on the status and health of the trees in your landscape. Staking your trees after the strong winds and heavy rain during the monsoon season is extremely important as the adverse weather conditions may have damaged the foundation of your tree. After planting, the single stake will be enough for three to six months of growth. We recommend switching to double stake harness for the next year. If your tree was planted in the spring, we highly recommend double staking this fall. 

You can safely prune a tree in the fall, and you’re going to want to do it before the winter cold sets in. If the temperature shows early indications of cold weather, be careful when pruning your tree. You do not want to hack your tree as this will affect the health of your tree, and it will leave it exposed and susceptible to any potential frost damage. 

Reach out to our Tree Care team for any questions or assistance!

Fertilize, Fertilize, Fertilize

The best and most ideal time to fertilize your landscape is in the fall because trees and shrubs are still growing underneath the soil. Colder temperatures are a signal to trees that they should stop top growth and focus on root development. Fertilizing with Moon Valley Nurseries’ Super Charged Moon Juice and Moon Dust Organic Blend allows organic enzymes and amino acids to stimulate new root system growth and stronger cell development while helping the tree grow faster and recover quicker from stressful events (such as an Arizona summer).

These essential nutrients will be absorbed by the root system of your tree. Your tree will then use these nutrients to grow its root system and ward off any disease in the fall. Excess nutrients are then stored in the roots and will be available for vital top growth once spring arrives.

For questions about watering, trimming, and fertilizing, feel free to ask any of Nursery Professionals! Call your nearest Nursery today!

Fall is here and it's time to plant some trees! 

The fall season is here, school is back in session, football is back on Sundays, and your excuses for working out in the yard are quickly fading away! It's getting cooler and nature is slowly but surely turning bright and in a variety of colors! Many of our trees at Moon Valley Nurseries have the outstanding fall reds, purples, yellows, and oranges that we have come to expect and love this time of year. Not only is this the best time to add some fall color to your yard but the cooler weather is an excellent time to plant new trees and plants (for you and your plants!)

A popular choice when landscaping your yard in the Arizona desert is the Raywood Ash Tree. It is known for its extraordinary display of dark red to deep reddish-purple foliage in the fall that gives any landscape a unique look for the season. The leaves of the Raywood Ash drop off soon after the fall season, allowing for an easy clean up just once a year. During the summer, the Raywood Ash offers a much-needed service with the shade that it brings to a yard! When the leaves come back, it becomes a perfect shade tree that grows upright more than it grows wide. It has dark green foliage that provides a sharp distinction to any landscape and looks great when it is planted as a single specimen, such as a focal point for a yard, where it's brilliant beauty and color can be admired.

Arizona Ash (Fraxinus velutina)

The Arizona Ash is a deciduous tree that has striking, smooth bright green leaves and can cover a lot of area in your yard with shade in the summer. Once winter shows up, the leaves drop and lets in the warmth of the sun! Native to Arizona and other southwestern states, this tree loves the sun. It is cold hardy and heat resistant, so they are ideal for planting in our desert climate. If you’re looking for a fast-growing shade tree, you’ll love the Arizona Ash Tree. We find the Arizona Ash to be very adaptable for all uses such as being planted for shade, which keeps your house cool in the summer. Because it is a deciduous tree and the leaves drop by late fall, it will also help keep your house warm in the winter!

Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)

Another awesome fall choice to include in your landscape for ultimate shade is the Shumard Oak Tree. This oak tree is a medium to large sized tree and grows into a canopy with a wide spreading reach, which creates a large area of shade all around it. This tree is a fast-growing species of oak that is very tough and long-living, so it will be part of the family for generations! This tree is known for its antique look with large dark green leaves that can grow up to eight inches long. Another benefit of having the Shumard Oak is the beautiful vibrant red orange colors that take over tree during the fall season that will get you into the holiday festivities!

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)

Adding some splash of color to their landscapes is a common reason our customers start looking for new plants and trees. With so many choices of plants and varieties of each plant to choose from, preparation can be difficult! One of the best choices for striking bursts of color throughout your yard is the Crape Myrtle Tree. These trees bloom from the spring through the fall months and are the perfect addition to any front or back yard. In the fall season, the Crape Myrtle Tree produces exquisite flowers that come out in many colors such as pink, purple, red, and white. The colorful flowers contrast with the fall foliage. Because the Crape Myrtle stays small to medium in size, they can be planted almost anywhere. They will look lovely if they are planted in clusters or in an accent location in your yard. For ultimate blooming potential, we recommend pruning in the winter while the tree is dormant.  

What do you think of our favorite trees of fall? Share your favorite with us below!

Find a Moon Valley Nurseries location near you and come check these trees out soon and you will see the colors in full vibrant action! Our trees come with #freeplanting, so you don't have to do all the hard work! So, check out these fall favorites and one of our experts will help you get the perfect plants in your yard!

The growing season is upon us! We are finally starting to come out of the hot summer and into cooler fall. We will greatly appreciate the cooler weather and our landscapes will, too. Fall is the time when our trees and plants can effectively establish themselves into their environment. With the changing of the season, there are a few things we need to remember so that our landscapes and gardens can thrive.

Watering: With the cooler nights and days, it’s important to change our watering routine. For fall, we need to water less often than we do during the hot summer. Typically, once our daytime temperatures reach 85-100 degrees, we move away from our summer watering schedule. There are factors that play into how much you need to water; those factors are the type of tree or plant, and the planting location. Check out our watering guide to see what we recommend. If you would like more help, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our nursery pros at your nearest Moon Valley Nursery location. Now’s a great time to help cut the amount of water we use by reducing the frequency that we water our lawns. With cooler weather, our lawns will retain more moisture longer, cutting back on our usage. So, we need to cut back on the frequency of watering, not the actual amount used when watering.

Fertilizing: It’s time to fertilize! Fertilizing will help your trees, palms, and other plants grow to their full potential. Now is the perfect time for giving additional help with the growing process, fertilizers allow trees and plants to intake more nutrients and water along with making nutrients more readily available. Moon Valley Nurseries has a line of custom developed fertilizers that can be used on a variety of landscape materials – turf, grass, palms, desert trees, shade trees, and so much more. Click here to see our fertilizers.

Tree Care: Make way for new growth! That’s right. Trim off the dead or damaged branches so that new growth has room to bloom. Proper tree care is vital for strong growth in this fall season. Were the monsoons rough on your landscape? No need to worry. Our professional tree care team is here to help. They can remove any dead, damaged, or overgrown branches. Let us clean up your landscape!

What to Plant

Crape Myrtle – If you want color, this is the tree for you! Blooming large clusters of flowers throughout all seasons, the Crape Myrtle will deliver year-round interest. We custom grow our Crape Myrtles to be mildew resistant, making them the strongest Crape Myrtle you can find. With low maintenance needs, low water use, and the variety of colors of flowers, it is easy to see why the Crape Myrtle is one of the most popular flowering trees for any yard. This drought tolerant tree grows in a vase shape, with vibrant flowers popping against shiny, bright green leaves. The multi-trunk looks impressive with nighttime lighting, adding even more interest to a landscape.

Tipu – This fast-growing shade tree is the solution for adding shade and beauty to any yard. Its large canopy is created with feathery, bright bluish-green foliage. The Tipu tree features a fissured bark texture and, in late spring, lovely golden blooms appear. Tipus are water-wise, drought tolerant, and grows well in many soil conditions. These trees require little maintenance. And, as a bonus, the nectar of the Tipu attracts butterflies and other pollinators to your yard or garden.

Chinese Elm – The Chinese Elm is also known as the “Evergreen Elm”. In very mild winters, Chinese Elms can retain their leaves throughout the season. The foliage is dark green and creates an umbrella-shaped canopy that produces mass amounts of shade. The Chinese Elm is ideal for use as a picnic spot, for climbing, or for attaching a tire swing for the kids to enjoy. This tree thrives in full sun and is very tolerant of poor soil and poor weather. Moon Valley Nurseries carries the ‘True Green’ strain which does not weep.

Ficus Columns – Indian Laurel Columns are an excellent choice for creating a living wall. Need privacy? Look no further. These Ficus Columns have dense evergreen foliage that works well for blocking unwanted sights and noises. They even create shady areas. Once established, Indian Laurel Columns are drought tolerant and water-wise. They are easy to prune, so you can keep them small and topiary or tall and majestic – whichever fits your style. Grown to thrive in desert environments, Ficus Nitida Columns are sure to add greenery to our arid Arizona landscapes.

Piru Queen Palm – Our Piru Queen Palms feature thicker and harder trunks, denser and greener fronds, and fuller crowns.  These evergreen palms thrive in full sun and can handle heat or cold exposure. Very low water requirements make this a perfect palm for desert landscapes. Our Piru Queen palms will bring the feel of the tropics and resort living straight to your yard. These beautiful palms can grow up to heights of 35 feet and can have 10-15-foot fronds. Plant in your front yard for a focal point and use nighttime lighting to bring the wow factor!

Pygmy Date Palm – It can be grown in shade, is slow growing, and its roots are non-invasive. This allows the pygmy Date palm to be a fantastic option for planting under larger palms or trees, in between palms, or in a cluster. Its versatility and dwarf growth pattern allow the Pygmy Date palm to be planted in tight spaces; perfect around pools, patios, courtyards, and in pots. This stunning palm features multiple trunks of varying height or it can be grown with just a single trunk; depending on your need. Moon Valley Nurseries has custom grown our Pygmy Date Palms at our farms to ensure that the palms generate thicker trunks and fuller crowns.

This summer has been a hot one and your plants need some help recovering and getting ready for fall! After many 100+ days and monsoons, our landscapes needs a little loving. How can we help our yards recover? We have asked our nursery professionals and have compiled the top three ways to help our trees and plants while also getting ready for fall.

1. Moon Juice and Soil & Water Conditioner

Are your plants looking a bit yellow? Has the heat gotten the better of your landscape materials? That is what happens here in Arizona. The best way to help combat the heat stressors and help your trees and plants grow healthy is to use fertilizers. Fertilizers help trees, palms, and other plants grow to their full potential and to grow healthy – healthy trees and plants will handle the changing weather much better than those still weak from heat stress. In Arizona, the soil is higher in salt, by using Moon Valley Nursery’s Soil & Water Conditioner, you can help prime your soil to provide more water to your plants. This conditioner is a great help in making sure your trees and plants get as much nutrients possible. Our Super Charged Moon Juice is specially formulated with Furst liquid technology including a blend of organic enzymes and amino acids that help stimulate the growth of trees and plants, along with new root hair growth which helps plants increase moisture intake. Create a thriving, healthy landscape – fertilize your trees, palms, and plants.

2. Watering

Watering is one of the most important aspects of keeping trees and plants healthy. You want to make sure you are watering the proper amount. As we transition from summer to fall, the weather will change. Soon, we will have shorter days and cooler nights; so, we want to be careful that we are not over-watering. We will want to also transition our water systems from summer to fall settings as it starts to cool down. While it is still hot, early mornings or late evenings are the best times for watering. How much you should water and how often depends on the size and age of the tree, palm, or plant. Click here to see our watering chart for mature trees (2+ years since planting); or, click here for our watering chart for newly planted trees. Don’t forget that proper watering is the deep and thorough saturation of the entire root system and allowing it to dry between waterings.

3. Tree Care

Monsoon season can be a rough time on our trees, palms, and plants. Now that monsoon season is almost to a close, it’s a perfect time to clean up the damaged trees and make way for new growth. Our Tree Care team of professionals is ready to help you! Our team is staffed with ISA Certified Arborists and Certified Nursery Professionals. They guarantee the highest quality of services for your trees and landscapes. Whether you need safe tree or stump removal, trimming, or other tree care, we can do it. Let us do all the work of cleaning up the monsoon mess and clearing space for the new growth of the fall season. For an removal estimate, click here.

Even though we still have warm weather, it’s time to get ready for fall. By applying fertilizer and watering correctly, your trees and plants will recover from our tough Arizona summer – they will regain their greenness. Our Tree Care team is ready to help you clean up from the summer; you can remove any fallen or damage trees from the monsoon season, you can clear the way for new growth. Now is the time to plan for fall – bring some more color to your landscape. At Moon Valley Nurseries, we offer a variety of trees and plants that will bring a lovely variety of colors and textures to your home, perfect for fall. Take advantage of our current Labor Day deal and get your yard looking great again.

No matter how hard your landscape was affected by the hot Arizona summer, Moon Valley Nurseries is here to help. Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nursery location and see what we have to offer for yourself!

The perfect yard starts with the perfect plan. Let’s think about this for a second. No one wants to have an ugly or inadequate landscape. It makes your home, your most valued possession, look bad; it certainly won’t help you with home value and forget about curb appeal! So, let’s go back to that first statement again – the perfect yard starts with the perfect plan!

Completing a landscaping project can be overwhelming without doubt, especially doing it by yourself. Where to start? What to do first? Who to call? These are the most common questions nursery pros get in the landscape industry. We’ll break these down for you and get you started on that perfect yard.

The first thing you should do to get started with your perfect yard is to take some photos and general measurements of the area you are needing to have landscaped. If this is the backyard, front yard, side yard, around a patio or a pool, or anywhere else, you need to have a starting point for the plans; measurements and photos are crucial for this. Once you have done some homework, now it is time to contact a nursery pro.

Using a reputable nursery pro like those found at Moon Valley Nurseries is a great place to start. All our nursery pros have gone through extensive training to be able to provide our customers with the best service and trees available. Using a nursery pro that understands proper placement and who works with you to accomplish your goals is the first step to success.

The next step is to start thinking of what you want the finished product to look like and, more importantly, how you want your landscape to function. Are you trying to create privacy from a nosey neighbor, creating a tropical backyard for resort-style staycations, do you need to reduce the cooling cost of your home in the summer, or are you just trying to add some pop and curb appeal?

Once this is figured out, speak with your nursery pro and they will begin to get your dreams working into a reality. Nursery pros at Moon Valley Nurseries are trained experts in design and are extremely capable of taking your landscape to the next level. They will help with choosing the perfect trees and shrubs for your landscape and putting the correct tree in the correct space. Once your nursery pro has gotten everything figured out for you with creating a design and selected the perfect trees for their new homes in your landscape, the next step is to schedule a time to have expert planters come out and install everything perfectly.

Our expertly trained staff of nursery pros and installation experts will give you the exclusive Moon Valley Nurseries VIP experience. From the moment you step into the store or make that first call, you’ll notice the Moon Valley Difference.

The Best Plants for Pool Landscaping

We all know the importance of landscaping around our homes; it increases property value and brings a personal touch to each home. But what about landscaping around your pool? It is just as beneficial.  Not only does it add more property value, it can also cool down the water within a pool by shade provided by trees. Refreshing!

Summer is the perfect time to update your pool area and relish the relief from the summer sun. By planting in the summer, your new landscape will be established before the colder winter weather. Don’t want to dig and plant in the summer? No problem, we have you covered! Moon Valley Nurseries has seasoned planting crews that work year-round and will make sure your new pool paradise is perfect.

No matter the style or design you have in mind, we can do it. Our nursery pros can help you select all the right palms, trees, and plants for your dream look. Moon Valley Nurseries custom-grows all our inventory from our own local grow farms, to ensure that your perfect palm, tree, or plant will thrive in the Arizona area. So, why not have yourself a stay-cation and enjoy your own personal oasis! Keep on reading to see what our pros suggest for landscaping around a pool.

Palm Trees

Want the look of a resort or tropical oasis? Palm trees it is! Palm trees are great choices for around a pool since they are very clean, there is very little to no litter. Another aspect worth mentioning is that palms have small fibrous root systems, so the roots won’t crack concrete surrounding the pool. Piru Queen Palms have the go-to tropical look that we all love! This durable evergreen palm has classic feathery, glossy, bright green palm fronds that provide much needed shade. Pygmy Date Palms are ideal for tight spaces or as a container palm. We love to use these to fill in under taller palms and trees. Mexican Fan Palms have large, fan-shaped, bright green fronds with shorter leafstalks that feature a red streak on the underside, adding interest to any landscape. These are perfect palms for tropical or resort style landscapes. Sago Palms are smaller in size and have a slow growth rate, make it an ideal choice for any landscape around your pool. We like to use them under bigger palms and trees as well as planted in pots.

Shade Trees

Shade is a welcome addition to any pool retreat, especially in 100+ degree weather we so often get in Arizona. By planting a shade tree or two around a pool, you can naturally cool down the water; making it even more refreshing! One of our absolute favorites is the Ficus due to its versatility and ample amounts of shade. This evergreen, single or multi-trunk tree features white bark and lush green foliage that goes well with variety of landscape styles, so feel free to plant with palms.  Evergreen Ash, or Shamel Ash, is a large, fast-growing shade tree that is easy to grow and maintain. It has classic, large-leaved, green foliage that creates ample shade and is a staple in any landscape. Fruitless Olive trees will bring the look of the Mediterranean to any home. This drought tolerant evergreen tree is a great focal point around a pool and will provide plenty of shade to enjoy.

Picture-Perfect Additions

There is more to landscapes than just trees and palms. Want to add color and texture? Moon Valley Nurseries has what you need. Birds of Paradise are great for pops of color around a pool. This large, tropical, ornamental plant produces eye-catching bright orange and blue flowers that add a tropical splash to any landscape. We also have Tecoma shrub species that are great for adding color and for planting in the summer. These shrubs bloom trumpet-shaped flowers that are sure to bring the right touch of character to your landscape – we carry Bells of Fire and Orange Jubilee. Another option for color are our varieties of Ruellia. Ruellia is a very easy-to-grow shrub with flowers that constantly bloom. Depending on the variety, bloom colors range from purple, white, and pink. Add a few succulents to create the ideal Arizona look! Succulents are great additions to poolside landscapes due to their low maintenance needs and low water use. And, with varieties of colors and textures, what’s not to love? We carry a large selection of aloes, agaves, and so many more types of succulents.  

Want to see more? Visit your local Moon Valley Nurseries to see even more options for landscaping around your pool. Our nursery pros can help you select trees, palms, and plants and design your perfect poolside getaway. Let us help make your stay-cation dreams come true!

Landscaping in August may seem challenging. After all, going outside can feel like you’ve just stepped inside an oven. However, this is a great time to enjoy your trees and plants that attract birds and butterflies to your yard. After all, they don’t seem to mind the heat! How about your trees and plants? The extreme Arizona heat can be tough on some of our landscape material. There is some good news on the horizon. Yes, cooler days will be here before we know it! However, until those better weather days arrive, we still need to pay close attention to our landscape.

Moon Valley Nurseries is a local Phoenix tree nursery that has been around for over 20 years, so we know how to handle the heat better. Our nursery pros live and work here, too, and have the perfect tips and suggestions for a healthy landscape during the grueling month of August. Read our tips, and most importantly, hang in there!

Tips for a Healthy Landscape

Watering: We have probably noticed the Monsoon clouds building and the humidity soaring. The climate in the Phoenix area can change in minutes. The temperatures are going to be high, so we will want to apply water to our landscape. Read about our Best Watering Practices by clicking on this link – it can answer some of the most common questions, such as “how much water do I use” and “how often do I water.”

Trunk Protection: With so much sunlight in the summer, getting sunburnt is more prevalent this time of the year. We can prevent sunburn by applying sunscreen on our bodies, and recover with some Aloe Vera. What about the trees in our landscape? Young trees, particularly citrus, need some protection. We can provide protection and prevent sunburn to our trees with a Protective Tree Wrap. We also recommend staking any age tree to provide stability when the high winds arrive.

Fertilize: The material in our landscape is dealing with the stressors of August. All those higher temperatures are causing the trees and shrubs in our landscape to show stress. Moon Juice can help with the heat stress, and when applying it, can also prime the roots for fall feeding.

Lawn Care: This is the right time to raise the mowing height to 2.5 to 3-inches. For our Bermuda lawns, we will want to water 1-inch per week. We can also give our lawns a boost with our fast-acting Moon Royale turf fertilizer. For our palms showing stress, we will want to apply our Super Palm Juice.

Mulch: Make sure to check the mulch around your plants. If you notice there is little or no mulch, be sure to put in a 3 to 4-inch layer, which can conserve moisture. Mulch any area that is receiving direct sunlight on the dirt. Mulching allows the roots to keep moist and cool.

Garden: This is the time to start your fall vegetable garden. Plant vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, carrots, collards, lettuce, and other cool-season vegetables. We will also want to remove any old vegetable plants that have stopped producing; doing this will help to eliminate pests and diseases from your garden. Make sure to stay on top of weeds, remove them, and do not let them go to seed.

Recommended Trees for the Month of August

We can plant trees that can liven up our Arizona landscape. Besides beautifying our yards, these trees can also provide lots of shade that can bring some relief during these long and hot, sun-filled days!

Indian Laurel (Ficus): It’s summertime, and Indian Laurel trees can come to the rescue in more ways than one. This Ficus tree is valued by many for its capability to provide shade. These evergreen trees thrive in a location with plenty of full sun exposure. People throughout Phoenix appreciate the wide-spreading canopy and lush green foliage that adds color and plenty of shade to landscapes. Buy a few mature specimens and have them properly placed around your home so that they can help reduce the temperatures inside your home. Do you want to make your yard much more private? Our Indian Laurel Columns are ideal evergreens for creating privacy. Line them up along a fence line and get ready to enjoy a yard without nosy neighbors getting into your business. And, those with homes near busy streets are sure to appreciate the way that these trees create a natural sound barrier. These beauties can handle the summer heat, too!     

Tipu (Tipuana tipu): If you are looking for one of the best shade trees you can find, look no further than the Tipu tree. These are colorful flowering trees, and mature specimens can provide lots of shade. These tropical-looking trees grow fast, feature feathery, bright bluish-green foliage, and have a high canopy that offers a beautiful resting spot to escape the sun. They also put on a show when the golden blooms arrive, covering the tree in vibrant hues that transform the look of any environment. These are ideal trees for our environment as they thrive in intense desert heat. We can plant Tipuana tipu trees as street trees, near the patio, and in any place where a beautiful shade tree is desired!

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia): Bring a splash of vibrant color to your landscape – plant Crape Myrtle trees! We custom-grow the best-quality Lagerstroemia trees with flower colors that range from dark purple, dark pink, white, and red! They bloom from late spring through the summer, creating a happier landscape that can help us during the summer. They please the eyes year-round thanks to its attractive bark and fall color. These stylish, smaller trees are the perfect size for any landscape. Crape Myrtle trees love fun sun exposure, and they are drought-tolerant once established. We are the grower that only grows the best Lagerstroemia for our area – ours are mildew resistant varieties!

Piru Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana): Every backyard oasis needs a Piru Queen Palm. Our Queen Palm is used to create a tropical paradise, complete with shade! These palms are heat tolerant and feature dark green palm fronds that add a calming vibe to any environment. These are low-maintenance trees that can fit into any landscape style. They are also prized for having a look that complements all types of architectural homes and buildings. Add curb appeal by planting them in the front yard. Our Piru Queen Palms are grown from superior seedlings with better genetic traits, so you get the hardiest palm you will find.

Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus): Summertime is the right time for Vitex. Get ready for the butterflies. During the summer months, it puts on a show as the purple blooms arrive at every growth tip. This purple delight is the perfect size for any landscape. It features turning, twisting trunks and a statuesque appearance that makes it an excellent choice to light up with nighttime landscape lighting. In addition to its bright flowers are its long, dark grayish-green leaves that make them a favorite for yards in Arizona. We like to plant them as a single lawn specimen, in rows along a border or driveway, and as a small patio tree. Easy to grow and maintain. Plus, it is very drought-tolerant once established.

Allow the Moon Valley Nurseries planting crew to do all the work! We offer free planting on mature specimen trees and larger so that it cannot be any easier to have the yard you have always wanted, no matter what season we are in.

It’s summer, and this can be a stressful time for trees and plants. After all, the days are longer and the sun is stronger. Here in Arizona, it’s well over 100 degrees outside. In fact, it seems like a hot air blow-dryer is on full force for three months straight. No doubt that this time of the year can be tough on the material in our landscape. Heat stress is no joke for humans, as well as trees and plants in our landscape.

So, what is the best time to fertilize in the summer? Just like watering, we will want to fertilize the trees and plants that need it early in the morning. Fertilizing early in the morning can reduce the possibility of burning plants. Be sure to read the label and apply it correctly.

All hope is not lost. Before we know it, we’ll have that beautiful weather once again. But, let’s talk about the weather we are having right now and its effect on our landscape. If your trees and plants are showing the signs of stress, we have a solution – Super Charged Moon Juice! Our Moon Juice fertilizer is easy to use and does wonders for trees and plants.

Use Moon Juice Immediately After:

• New Transplanting
• Heat Stress
• Freeze or Wind Damage
• Any other stressful event

Why Moon Juice is Beneficial to Plants and Trees in the Summer and All Year Long!

Using a fertilizer such as our Super Charged Moon Juice can ensure that your trees and plants stay healthy and protected from heat stress all summer long. In warm weather soils, the earth is deficient in the three most important micronutrients that every tree and plant needs – Iron, Manganese, and Zinc. Here’s where the Moon Juice benefits kick in. This fertilizer contains these three most important micronutrients, with the added nutrient of thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B1), which has beneficial effects on new plantings.

Moon Juice is formulated with our proprietary Furst liquid technology, which helps to maximize the potential of the trees in your landscape. This proprietary formula includes a blend of organic enzymes and amino acids which can stimulate the growth signals within the plant. It can also help with nutrient uptake and it enhances the plant’s ability to ward off disease. And, one of the most important things for this time of the year – it helps trees and plants recover from the stresses that are caused by extreme heat!

What makes Moon Juice even better is that it is so easy to use. Simply mix with water and apply it to the root area. Make sure to read the easy-to-follow instructions as application rates vary by the size and type of plant. Remember to always water your trees and plants thoroughly after applying any fertilizer and nutrients.

Fertilizer for Lawns

Summer can be the toughest time for our lawns. Besides the heat taking its toll on our beautiful lawn, we also need to deal with insects. We can protect our lawns from the summertime heat and insects in so that we can continue entertaining our guests in the backyard. Encourage new growth when you apply fertilizer. Do not over-fertilize and be sure to apply the fertilizer to the grass in the evening or early in the morning.

Don’t Forget to Add Mulch

People tend to overlook the benefits of mulch. Mulching is an excellent way to care for your trees and plants in the summer. First, it can help keep the soil cool and reduce surface evaporation. Reducing surface evaporation increases the soils ability to retain moisture; doing this can cut down on the amount of watering you need to do. Eventually, mulch breaks down, which will then provide nutrients to the soil. Last, but not least, mulch can keep weeds to a minimum. Less weeds in the landscape is always going to be good news. After all, no one likes to pull weeds in the summer!

Don’t let the heat of the summer keep you from enjoying a thriving landscape. Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nurseries location and pick up some Super Charged Moon Juice! Also, be sure to check out our entire line of beneficial fertilizers for summer, fall, winter, and spring. We have got you covered for all your landscape beautification needs.

You can sense it when it feels like you’re on display in your personal outdoor space. It’s a feeling that can make it a little harder to relax and enjoy your front yard. With the right evergreens, you can create a fortress that feels peaceful, and most of all, private. Planting for privacy is a breeze with evergreen trees.

Using trees to create privacy in your front yard means that you can add color, texture, form, and you can incorporate them into your landscape’s design. It’s a natural privacy solution that provides plenty of peaceful solitude.

Yes, you could install an expensive fence or build a wall made from brick, stone, or some other solid material. The thing is, those tall fences and walls can make us feel confined in our space. Not to mention that there could be restrictions based on height, placement, and style. Plus, many man-made fences and walls can become an unsightly eyesore over time.

Some Benefits that Evergreen Trees Bring to the Front Yard

• Instead of, or in addition to, fences or walls, they can create a natural yard boundary.
• They can block viewpoints from neighbors or street traffic and unwanted views.
• They can create a natural windbreak to protect your property from high winds.
• Can create a natural sound barrier – ideal for properties near busy streets.
• Enhances the architectural design of your landscape design.

Five Best Evergreens for Your Yard in Arizona

Evergreen trees hold onto their leaves all year long so that their foliage can add wall-to-wall privacy year-round. As they mature, evergreens create a consistent look that makes them an ideal privacy screen. They do much more than create a private yard. Evergreen trees help absorb ambient noise, too. Privacy never looked so good! Here are five of the best front yard landscape trees for front yards in Arizona – all available at your nearest Moon Valley Nurseries location.

Indian Laurel (Ficus nitida): One of the best evergreens you can find is also one of the best trees for making a privacy hedge. Yes, our Indian Laurel Columns are a favorite throughout Arizona. We use them to block out unwanted views, road noise, and create a private front yard. They are super green, so we like to plant them along a fence where they create instant privacy with a lush green background. These evergreens are water-wise trees that love the heat and thrive in our desert environment. There is no doubt that Indian Laurel Columns are perfect for creating a living wall. They are also ideal for providing shade. Ask us about how proper placement around the home can create privacy and help lower your utility bill.

Carolina Cherry (Prunus caroliniana): These evergreen trees love the heat and thrive with full sun exposure, so they are perfect for yards in Arizona. We offer the ‘Compacta’ strain, which is more densely branched and easily tamed so that it is an ideal tree for creating a living privacy screen. Its dark green foliage forms a lush background. Many people feel that its bright green foliage has a scent reminiscent of maraschino cherries. Plus, beautiful white flowers bloom in spring, with a fragrance that is pleasing to the senses. Plant them along a border as a solid privacy barrier that is also a superb windbreak.

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana): Live Oak is another of our beautiful evergreen trees to consider for privacy. These are long-lived trees with dense, gray/green foliage that can block unwanted views. Besides creating privacy, these evergreens feature a wide-spreading crown that can provide lots of shade. These trees are also noted for being very drought tolerant once established, and for the minimal care required to keep their good looks intact. Plant one in your front yard and let your children explore the sturdy limbs without nosy neighbors getting into your business.

Olive Tree (Olive europaea): Fruitless olive trees are ideal evergreens for Arizona landscaping projects, especially if the job is to create privacy. These trees have been cultivated for over 6,000 years and can bring the look of the Mediterranean to your home. We like to plant them in rows along a fence to create a beautiful living wall. Their gray-green and silver colored foliage is visually exciting and can provide shade, too. You can create drama highlighting their multi-trunk structure with landscape lighting. At Moon Valley Nurseries, we only grow guaranteed disease-free olive trees.

Oleander (Nerium oleander): Plant Oleander in your front yard and create a beautiful privacy hedge. This evergreen can make your yard feel cozy and look beautiful! Its dense, upright growth habit makes it an excellent screening plant. Plant them as a tidy hedge or privacy wall. Its narrow leaves are dark green, leathery, and semi-glossy. From late spring to fall, it blooms fragrant flowers, clustered at the twig or branch ends. The flowers range in color from pink to red, white and salmon, so they are a colorful addition to any yard in Arizona. Plant them along property lines, lining walkways, or driveways. Oleander creates a private front yard no matter where you choose to plant them. 

We Do the Work – Come Home to a Private and Beautiful New Yard!

It’s hot outside, let our Moon Valley Nurseries planting crew do all the work! Speak with our nursery pros and allow us to help you select the perfect evergreens to make your yard private. Plus, many of the evergreen trees and plants we grow can provide lots of shade, too. We have what you need to create a natural privacy solution, whether you have a big or small yard. Relax on your front porch and enjoy the sight of your children playing in a private yard. Plant evergreen trees for privacy and spend more quality time in your front yard.