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Desert landscaping without plants is not really a landscape at all. Therefore, a basic understanding of what plants are, how they differ from one another, what their structural components are, and how they function is essential in order to properly care for them. Desert plants have many fascinating adaptations to their unique environment. These adaptations often confuse people who are not familiar with the way these plants sustain themselves. Once these concepts are understood, people can derive strategies for effective management of an overall desert landscaping situation.
Our desert soils are very different from soils of temperate regions of the United States. Understanding our soil is important because it is the home of the plant's essential, yet largely unnoticed roots. Because the roots and stems of plants are wholly dependent upon each other for survival, if you keep the roots healthy it follows that the above-ground stems will flourish. This workshop serves as an introduction to the complexities of our soil and the means of managing it so as to grow the healthiest plants possible.
To the experienced landscaper, planting and staking trees may seem like second nature; however, many may not be aware of the current standards for planting trees or fully understand the importance of proper staking for the sustained health and value of a tree. Many factors contribute to the success of a plant installation before the plant is placed in the ground. This workshop is critical as a basic foundation for wise plant management, because this is the point where most problems begin or are avoided.
The key to pest management is knowing your plants and knowing potential pests. With a little prevention most plant pests can be avoided. Unfortunately, despite best efforts, desert plants do encounter occasional problems. With proper knowledge, most pest problems can be solved without the use of toxic chemicals or expensive remedies! This workshop aids students in understanding plant problems and providing effective approaches to controlling them. Pesticide safety is also covered.
Pruning a plant properly requires knowledge of the anatomy of a plant, how it grows, how it creates its own food, how it reacts to stress, and how it heals itself. Students become familiar with these plant basics as well as basic pruning techniques both in the classroom, and as hands-on experiences. A student's ability to remove limbs properly will be refined using a "3-cut method" that involves removing the weight of a branch first, then making two finish cuts. After completing this simple operation, each tree will have a very clean, professional look and heal very quickly.
Upon mastery of this simple method, and a few other pruning basics, students will combine their new skills and the pruning principles they have learned, and apply them to pruning an entire tree. The goal of this class is to enhance students' understanding of proper pruning techniques and elevate their confidence to the point where they feel comfortable approaching new, challenging pruning situations.
The use of agaves in landscape is somewhat limited. One way to change that is to educate people on agaves and their landscape potential. In the landscape, agaves offer a structural, elegant, and graceful appearance that is unmatched by any other plant. Agaves are low water-use, low maintenance plants that are available in many sizes and colors to match many landscape needs.
Agaves and Yuccas are unique plants that are leaf succulents. They store large amounts of water in their leaves, making them very well adapted to our Sonoran Desert climate. When provided with the correct amount of shade, and the proper soil, Agaves require little water. Agaves can be placed on the same drip irrigation line as desert shrubs making watering and maintenance easy.
Do you ever drive by xeriscaped landscapes and think to yourself: "That's a pretty yard, but it looks like all the others"? Sure, everyone uses cacti and agaves, but there is a great variety of other succulents available that can add renewed interest to a landscape design by increasing the choices of textures and forms it will have. This class will show you some species suitable for use in low desert areas and demonstrate how they can fit into a xeriscape design.
Cacti are particularly useful and well adapted plants for desert landscaping. They are able to endure dry conditions for long periods of time; however, their drought tolerance depends on the species and size of the cacti. Cacti require less water than non-succulent plants of similar size; nevertheless, it is a myth that cacti need no water; in fact they may benefit from water being applied to nearby plantings.
Woody desert plants are the mainstay of any desert landscape because they are available in such a wide range of forms and colors. Desert trees provide much appreciated shade and shrubs give form to a landscape. Additionally, woody desert plants need less water to remain healthy and attractive than traditional exotic plants.
Desert wildflowers match the finest cultivated flowers in beauty. Unlike cultivated flowers, they have few problems with pests and diseases because they are well adapted to our harsh desert climate. Desert wildflowers thrive here despite conditions of poor soil, extreme heat and intense sunlight.
Despite the fact that desert plants do not require large amounts of water, all good landscape designs must include an efficient irrigation system. Irrigation systems require extra effort to install; however, they will reward their owners with less work and less water use over time. In this workshop we discuss the most efficient irrigation systems available, and learn which systems are the most appropriate for each landscape situation.
Becoming a professional landscape designer takes years of training and practice; however, people can learn the basic steps used to create a low maintenance desert landscape. This class emphasizes the importance of conducting an initial site analysis, interviewing clients, and finally selecting the plants to be placed within the landscape. As part of any desert landscape design, an efficient irrigation system is essential, along with mounding, boulder placement, and a final covering of the area with decomposed granite.
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