Author: csDevTeam

When planning your residential or commercial landscape design, anything is possible. For the best results, work with a landscape expert to develop a custom, beautiful outdoor space.

To give your planning more direction and focus, use the following basic landscape design principles. These design parameters can help you come up with ideas for new plantings or outdoor features:

Texture

Texture is built from the shape and thickness of leaves, the relative dullness or glossiness of plants, and other patterns created by the elements in your landscaping. Different textures influence the overall look and feel of your outdoor space. To create interesting textural settings, designers may vary plants so there is a change in foliage density, light and shadow, and overall feeling across certain areas.

Color

In addition to texture, it is important to add pops of color to your space. Color is one of the most exciting elements of landscape design because it helps move the eye and even impacts the viewer’s mood. It is best to choose between either a warm (orange, red, yellow) or cool (purple, blue, green) color scheme for most of your plants. Warmer tones will give your outdoor space energy while cooler colors will instill a sense of calm and relaxation.

Line
Landscape designers use line to direct the eye and communicate movement. This is very similar to the way visual artists use lines in drawings and paintings. Paths, decorative rocks, edging, and certain plant arrangements can all create lines of sight. The lines help to move viewers and visitors through your design and create a sense of order or overall cohesion.

Are you planning a landscape design overhaul? Speak to the experts at Santa Rita Landscaping in Tucson by calling  (520) 623-0421. We help Southern Arizona homeowners and businesses transform their outdoor spaces.

Arizona receives an average of 12 and half inches of rain annually, although amounts vary widely across the state. Many areas throughout Arizona receive about half of their total rainfall during monsoon season alone.

Monsoon season begins in mid-June and runs throughout the month of September. Contrary to popular belief, the word monsoon does not refer to a single rainstorm. Monsoon describes the overall weather pattern that visits the Arizona desert over the course of several weeks.

Many homeowners welcome the monsoon rains, which will help their plants to thrive and bloom. There is nothing quite like the fragrance of creosote after a good storm. However, monsoons can also contribute to the growth of unwanted, pesky weeds. To prevent weeds from taking over your landscaping during summer, follow these tips:

Pull Weeds When They Are Young

Manually removing weeds when they are young is easier because the weeds are tender and have less established root systems. If you wait until weeds are mature, they will be difficult to pull up and may already be crowding and damaging nearby plants.

Weed Before the Rains Arrive

It is vital to begin removing invasive weeds before the monsoon rains arrive. Weeding in April and May will prevent unwanted plants from growing rapidly during the rainy season. If you wait to weed until after the rains begin, then you may need to enlist the help of a landscape professional to help remove more mature, stubborn growth.

Use Herbicides Sparingly and with Caution

There are pre-emergent herbicides, which you can spray to stop weeds before they germinate. Pre-emergents should be sprayed the 1st part of July and in December. Post-emergent herbicides are a similar solution for killing existing unwanted plants. If not used carefully, these products may harm surrounding plants and negatively impact the soil in your garden, so be sure to follow the directions or contact a professional.

To get your business or home landscaping ready for monsoon season, contact Santa Rita Landscaping at (520) 623-042. We have 28 years of experience working with clients throughout Southern Arizona.

Invasive plants are non-native species that enter a new environment and threaten the local ecosystem. There are several common invasive plants in Southern Arizona that propagate quickly and take space, sun, water, and nutrients away from local specimens.

How Do Invasive Plants Arrive?

Humans may transplant non-native plants unknowingly. We can transport seeds on our clothing while travelling or seeds can attach to our cars and then spread hundreds of miles away. Birds and wind can also spread seeds. When land is developed and landscaped using outside plants, this can also lead to the spread of an invasive species.

Why Are Invasive Plants Bad?

Invasive plants can take over a garden or open land and kill the native plants, which local wildlife feed on. This change in the plant population can have devastating effects on the entire ecosystem in deserts, grasslands, forests, and riparian areas. In Southern Arizona, many invasive weeds and grasses also increase the risk of wild fires by providing dry fuel for fires to spread.

Below we’ll take a look at two of the most common and threatening invasive plants in Arizona:

Buffelgrass: This grass spreads rapidly and grows in dense thickets, crowding out other important species like the saguaro cactus. When local plants get displaced by bufflegrass, nearby wildlife lose some of their important food sources. Dry, dense bufflegrass also fuels wildfires and helps fires spread into delicate ecosystems. Find out more about this plant from the local not-for-profit organization dedicated to eradicating buffelgrass.

Tamarisk: This tree may look pretty, with its wispy green leaves and pink flowers, but it is a threat to the local environment. Tamarisk, or salt cedar, requires a lot of water and threatens the water supply for native plants. Moreover, Tamarisk does not provide nourishment to any native animals. The only saving grace of this invasive species is its appeal to the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher as a place for nesting.

For more Southern Arizona gardening expertise, stay tuned to the Santa Rita Landscaping blog. We specialize in custom residential and commercial landscaping design. Call us today at (520) 623-0421 to begin transforming your outdoor space.

If you’re looking to make your Tucson landscape a little more interesting, you might consider plants that climb rather than expand. Planting a few climbing plants now will give your property an elegant, old-world look in a few years. Here are a few beautiful climbing plants that can thrive on your Tucson-area walls or trellises:

Baja Passion Vine

For a more magnificent bloom, consider adding Baja passion vine to your garden. These white and purple flowers bloom in the summer, and have an amazing symmetrical structure that can help turn your yard into a paradise. If you’re lucky, your Baja passion flowers may attract the elegant orange and black gulf fritillary butterfly.

Trumpet Vine

If you can’t wait for your trellis or wall to become covered in foliage, consider having a landscape expert plant some trumpet vine. This plant grows very quickly, and can reach up to 40 feet. Trumpet vine gets its name from the trumpet-like blooms, which are red, orange, or yellow in color. If you’re worried about trumpet vine taking over, you can slow its growth by giving it less water.

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is a popular plant in warm climates, and are noted for their beautiful white, pink, orange, purple, and burgundy bracts. Bougainvilleas grow best in areas with dry soil and full sun, and benefit from from frequent fertilization. However, over-watering may harm the plant and prevent it from reaching its maximum potential.

Star Jasmine

Jasmine originated in Asia and is beloved by millions for the perfumes made from its flowers. However, Star Jasmine is also a wonderful decorative climbing plant. It flourishes well and flowers in full sun, partial shade, or total shade. Your family will love the wonderful fragrant smell of this plant.

The landscaping experts at Santa Rita Landscaping are well acquainted with all kinds of climbing plants. To find out how we can turn your Tucson property into a glorious oasis, visit our website or call us at (520) 623-0421. We have over 25 years of experience providing landscape design and maintenance throughout the Tucson area.