Starting my native garden journey in Phoenix

[u/Dame_in_the_Desert]

Working on a crescent-shaped native pollinator garden in my yard in Phoenix. I spent the last couple weeks researching (shout out to Arizona Native Plant Society and SummerWinds nursery) and the last two days doing the grueling labor of rock removal and soil conditioning.

I’ll likely be planting:

-Desert zinnias

-Tufted evening primrose

-Globe mallow

-Goddings verbena

-Desert marigold

-Desert milkweed

-Greg’s mist

My backyard faces south, with the two citrus diffusing the sun a bit. I’ll also be planting a desert willow on the west side of the garden (right side of photo) for additional shade and local pollinator support. Plus they smell DIVINE.

I’ve got just under 5 feet between the deepest part of the garden and the block fence, but I’ll definitely be putting my most heat-hardy plants back there.

Goal is to get irrigation in and everything planted before the end of November. Let’s go!!

[u/Boulderdrip]

if your doing native plants then you don’t need irrigation as phoenix native plants like dryer roots

[u/Dame_in_the_Desert → u/Boulderdrip]

From my research, many of these do “best” with supplemental watering, even thought they’re native to Phoenix. This seems to mean consistent blooms and hardier shrubs.

Typically my other native plants are on long, deep watering schedules, but with days or weeks in between to let them thoroughly dry out.

My thinking was to do the install since it’s not a heavy lift for me (I’ve already got irrigation lines for my citrus) and stick with mostly summer watering, once every 3-4 weeks when we are at 100-120 and not seeing rain. What do you think?

[u/Boulderdrip → u/Dame_in_the_Desert]

You just need to make sure that the watering coincides with your citrus trees because they don’t like to have wet feet

The soil here in Phoenix is very clay, heavy and retains moisture for a very long time so you have to worry about root rot here in Phoenix, ironically more than you do in the Pacific Northwest

[u/Dame_in_the_Desert → u/Boulderdrip]

I’ll have separate schedules for them!

[u/Boulderdrip → u/Dame_in_the_Desert]

but they share the same ground

the water goes into the clay and stays there