VOL. 11, NO. 10 The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension OCTOBER 2000 8XVW^]cWT4TbTac Cochise County Master Gardener >Tfb[TccTa The University of Arizona and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. The Delightful Daleas L. frutescens x laevigatum - Big Shades of Dalea bicolor var. bicolor Green Hybrid Ranger 'Verde Dalea bicolor var. orcuttiana - Grande' Blues & Purple Baja Dalea Leucophyllum laevigatum - Dalea bicolor var. bicolor Chihuahuan Sage Plants 'Monterrey Blue' Leucophyllum langmaniae - 'Rio Dalea frutescens 'Sierra Nigra' - Bravo' for the Garden Black Dalea Leucophyllum pruinosum - 'Sierra This month we wrap up the color- Dalea greggii - Trailing Indigo Bouquet' wheel series “Plants for the Gar- Bush Leucophyllum revolutum - 'Sierra den” with the mellow blues and pur- Dalea pulchra - Bush Dalea Magic Mix' ples. These are the cool colors of Dalea versicolor var. sessilis Leucophyllum zygophllum - Blue the color-wheel spectrum which 'Mountain Delight' - Weeping Sage blend and fade into the garden. If Dalea Leucophyllum zygophllum - you want a restful garden, plant 'Cimmaron' with whites, greens, greys, blues, The Texas Rangers and purples. Luckily purple is one Leucophyllum candidum - 'Silver The Spectacular Salvias of my favorite colors—here’s a list Cloud' Salvia chamaedryoides - Blue Sage of plants that do well in my garden. Leucophyllum candidum - 'Thunder Salvia clevelandii - Chaparral Sage Happy fall gardening! Cloud' Salvia dorrii var. dorrii - Desert Leucophyllum frutescens - Texas Sage Wildflowers & Perennial Flowers Ranger Salvia farinacea - Native Mealy Evolvulus arizonicus - Arizona Leucophyllum frutescens - 'Green Cup Sage Blue Eyes Cloud' Salvia greggii - Autumn Sage Lavandula species - Lavender Leucophyllum frutescens - Salvia leucantha - Mexican Bush Mirabilis multiflora - Desert Four 'Compacta' Sage O'Clock Leucophyllum frutescens - 'Rain Salvia parryi Penstemon amphorellae Cloud' Sphaeralcea species - Globemallow Leucophyllum frutescens - Trees Trichostema arizonicum - Arizona 'Mountain Cloud' Chilopsis linearis - Desert Willow Blue Curls Leucophyllum frutescens - Ungnadia speciosa - Mexican Verbena goodingii - Gooding’s 'Heavenly Cloud' Buckeye Verbena Cheri Melton Master Gardener Cochise County Cooperative Extension www.ag.arizona.edu/cochise/mg/ 1140 N. Colombo, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 450 Haskell, Willcox, AZ 85643 (520) 458-8278, Ext. 2141 (520) 384-3594 “It’s not nice to If you are new to the area, it depression, on an exposed plain, might be wise to call on the etc., etc.? How is your home fool Mother services of someone who has been oriented? That is to say where is in the area for some time to help south, north, west, east in Nature” you identify the various micro- relationship to your landscape? climates and suggest plants that Simplistically, folks, from Sierra or will compliment them well. Keep Vista, Mexico is south, Bisbee is Understanding an open mind! You simply will not east, I-10 is north, and the fort is be able to make your piece of turf west. If you still don’t have a clue, Microclimates look like Duluth or Nashville, or ask someone; hopefully one of your Kansas City etc., etc. But then who new neighbors will know. (If all Growing plants successfully in would want to; we live in the else fails, buy a compass.) This is the high desert is not always an Southwest and should celebrate our critical as many plants are quite easy process. It requires careful unique environment. This advice particular as to where they are planning and forethought. If your could come from a reputable sited in the landscape. Don’t be idea of gardening is just to grab the landscaper (preferably one who has fooled; even the tough as nails first pretty little flower that strikes been in Arizona more than a few your fancy, slap it in the ground, weeks and do more than just spell walk away and let nature take its the word—ask for references!!!) or course—well, I have got news for you can avail yourself of a free you; you can’t! That is unless you service to city and county residents want to invest in plastic or silk by calling the Cooperative flowers. And not to burst your Extension and ask for a WaterWise bubble, but even they have to be audit. WaterWises’ Cado Daily dusted and you must be sure they will arrange to come to your home are UV resistant. and walk through your landscape with you and identify the various I personally believe that you can microclimates, provide plant lists grow practically anything here in of recommended plants, and make cactus will fail if not properly the high desert; the key is to work suggestions to help you design a sited. with the desert environment. If you water wise landscape that will not fight with Mother Nature, you will suck the aquifer and your Next, determine the air flow lose! Key to success in plant- pocketbook dry. The Cooperative pattern in your yard. Some plants ing/growing anything here is to Extension also has extensive simply will not tolerate being match the appropriate plant to the brochures that can provide subjected to hot dry winds that can appropriate microclimate. Unless invaluable information to assure suck the moisture right out of their you just arrived on the “Good Ship gardening success. tender foliage. A good example is Lollipop” you should be keenly the Tanyosho Pine. Another thing aware that there are distinct To begin identifying micro- to consider is breakage. Some temperature and sunlight exposure climates, you must know where trees/ shrubs are more susceptible differences throughout your yard. your home is located and its to breakage than others. Windmill It is these differences that we call orientation. Is your home on the Palm fronds will look tattered and microclimates. Plant a tender side of a mountain, in a natural ugly after a particularly nasty gardenia near a west facing wall spring wind storm if they are sited and you will be given a sample of in savage wind prone areas. how microclimates can affect Magnolia branches will snap or the planting success as Mother Nature entire plant break apart if exposed in her wrath at your folly will turn to prevailing harsh winds (speaking your “foo-foo” gardenia to toast Robert E. Call from experience here). Also, be and an addition to your compost Extension Agent, Horticulture aware that wind flow across your pile! Carolyn Gruenhagen Editor landscape can affect temperatures. Cold air tends to pool in recessed Page 2 areas or where air flow is blocked. Cuttings This is why one USED to see 2FWREH5 (continued on next page) ‘N’ orange groves in Southern 5(0,1'(56 California on the hillsides and Clippings never in the valleys (now all you see is asphalt and condos). Cochise County Master Be ready for the first frost Gardeners Association will meet Sun exposure is the next variable October 4 at 4:45 pm at Ramsey to consider. Watch how the sun Canyon Preserve. Thin the seedlings moves across the landscape. Some plants will tolerate a few hours of A big “thank you” to all of the Overseed lawns our harsh summer sun but will fry vendors, volunteers, and the public if exposed to unrelenting blasts all for making the High Desert Garden Plant spring bulbs day long. Take into consideration Fair successful! Hats off to Jan reflected heat! Many plants will Groth, De Lewis, and Gwin Garcia Divide perennials take continual exposure to direct for all their hard work! sun but cannot handle the double Don’t let weeds go to seed whammy of full sun and reflected Also, a “thank you” to the heat off a wall or house. Roses love homeowners who opened their the sun but the delicate buds will gardens to the public for the Fall fry with reflected heat off a west or Xeriscape Garden Tour! south wall. Watch for shade patterns in your landscape. How Check this out! John Begeman, much shade will be provided by the Pima County Extension Agent has house, other structures, or nearby a new television show Desert plants and shrubs will often dictate Gardening which airs on Channel what can be safely planted there. 9, KGUN Tucson Sunday after- Many plants appreciate a little noons at 4:30 pm. Cool Season shade in the harsh summer months. Others want full sun and some need Crops continual shade. Ask anyone who has planted sun-loving Bermuda House Plant Many of the cool-season crops, grass under the dense foliage of a those that can withstand freezing, fruitless mulberry and you will Symptoms do very well in Cochise County become keenly aware of how during the fall. In fact, the fall in Cochise County is better generally expensive and frustrating this lapse ? Spindly “leggy” plants (plants than the spring to raise cool-season in judgement/knowledge can be. may be leaning toward a window crops. These vegetables include the or light source): cabbage family, i.e. broccoli, This has been a very very Cause: insufficient light cauliflower, kale, and cabbage simplistic overview of micro- Remedy: provide better light or among others. Also, spinach, small climates. The library will be a good select low-light tolerant plants source for further research. Hope beets, peas-both snap and edible pod, turnips, radishes, lettuce, this information helps your garden- ? New foliage is yellow: mustard greens, and other greens. ing success. Cause: alkaline soil The onion family does best when inadequate light John Phillips planted in the fall and then poor root activity Master Gardener overwintered and harvested in early Remedy: apply chelated iron summer. Members include garlic, move plant to brighter onions, and chives. light location repot plant into larger Robert E. Call container Extension Agent, Horticulture Page 3 Call’s Classic decreasing their viability. Young Plant Now to Be small hoppers are easier to control Comments than adults.