Swwwweet bones, JimHardy! My favorite explanation for the cloaking device is that fairies shrouded this place to keep it safe and happy for, as you say, believers. At your place, you will convert disbelief season by season as people watch your garden survive and thrive. It's good for everybody to stretch disbelievers' concepts of what is possible, making them drop their old confined ways of thinking and open up to a bigger vista of reality. Maybe eventually, with enough stretching, they'll consider the possibility of fairies and their significance to our planet. Here is a link that might be useful: Fairies

I'd agree with the general advice given, but I do disagree about Eastern Redbud(Cercis canadensis) not being drought tolerant. It grows wild well into Central Kansas where many other Eastern species of tree don't make it out to because of heat and drought(average precipitation in this area is as low as 25"(6350mm) and summer highs can be as high as 115F(46.1°C)). It also grows in full sun and nearly full sun in this area. In fact in the beginnings of creeks and erosion channels in the upper 1/3(elevation) of hills in the largely treeless Flint Hills it is one of the tallest trees, forming in some parts somewhat of a canopy growing over the top of Chinquapin Oak(Quercus muhlenbergii) among others. So, it is quite drought and heat tolerant. Although Phoenix, AZ is even hotter and drier than Central Kansas, at least for a much much longer period of time during the year. So, it would most likely do best in full shade and definitely need regular watering, but not excessively like many other Eastern trees would need in your climate. There are other Redbud species which would look very similar and be even more heat and drought tolerant than Eastern Redbud. 'Oklahoma' and 'Texas' are both popular cultivars of Oklahoma Redbud(Cercis reniformis), which was first described from Southern Oklahoma's Arbuckle Mountains. It has a smaller thicker glossy leaf, with generally darker flowers(except the cultivar 'Texas' which has white flowers), and grows a bit smaller than Eastern Redbud. Western Redbud, or California Redbud(C. occidentalis) is native to Arizona, even not too far from Phoenix. It grows all around the Grand Canyon also and I've seen it in full sun surrounded by baking hot exposed rock there(i.e. it was growing out in the open with no other plants around). It has smaller, duller, more blue-green, thicker leaves than Eastern Redbud and grows smaller with multiple trunks. It's leaves are also often notched at the tip giving them a kidney shape to them, but otherwise rounded at the tip and not pointed like Eastern Redbud. It should do well for you in Phoenix. Lastly, Mexican Redbud(C. mexicana) is native from South Central and SW Texas(starting around San Antonio) down through much of Eastern Mexico. It's leaves are even smaller(1"-1.5"(2.5cm-3.8cm) long and wide) than C. reniformis with an undulating leaf edge and very thick and glossy even more so than Oklahoma Redbud. It's also very closely related to and probably should be lumped with Texas Redbud(C. texensis) which has slightly larger leaves, which are less glossy, and doesn't have an undulating leaf edge. Both will grow smaller than Eastern Redbud. Some also try to lump C. reniformis with C. texensis also(putting them all under the name of C. reniformis and calling them all "Texas Redbud"). Historical treatments of these different Redbuds have lumped most all into the same species or just mere varieties, but based on current information I think they are well justified as their own species. But, if a plant tag says something like Cercis canadensis reniformis or Cercis canadensis var. mexicana, etc. you can just delete the canadensis part to get to the scientific names I used. Mexican Redbud, Western Redbud, and Oklahoma Redbud are all in the nursery trade, with Western Redbud being the most difficult to find, at least in my experiences(only found it offered in a couple of nurseries in California). Mexican Redbud is the next most difficult to find, but I've seen it at nurseries in Texas and Arizona. Sorry, but I can't remember which nursery in Arizona, but it was in Tempe or Scottsdale.

I love planting my grasses with rudebekias, coneflowers (echinacea) and sedums. This adds different textures and heights and there's a lot out there for color variety. I also have liked planting some of my larger blue stemmed grasses such as bluestem or Heavy Metal with roses. Yup. roses. I use some of the David Austin shrub roses, and the place I just bought here has some of the low growing knock out varieties. Also, one of the species roses is a creeper with red new growth. Rosa glauca I believe is the old name for it.... Yarrow is another compliment....as well as pearly everlasting. Watch the variety of yarrow, I've found that some of the new cultivars are not as invaisive as the others. Pearly everlasting is a leaper and bounder, so beware. Asters: frikarti as well as the New England asters. These have a variety of colors as well as heights. The shortest is about 18". St. Johns wort....lots of new colors here, Aubrey's purple has a dusky purplish leaf/stem, I saw another this year which has three different color blotches on one leaf, as well as the golden variety and the plain jane ones. spurge (Euphorbia): again, a variety of leaf colors and habits. A mounding purple one is "Chameleon". It seeds in all over the place but is easy to rip out. Another tall one which has a bluish color and is stiff is Boltonia Asteroides...covered with white baby's breath type flowers in the fall. Centaureas (Mountain bluet or Perennial Batchelor's button): a variety of leaf colors here too....Keep them deadheaded and they will bloom longer for you. Gold Bullion is a new one with yellow leaves. For larger leaves put in some rhubarb. Yup. Rhubarb. You can use the regular garden variety (and thus be able to eat it....) or you can use some of the ornamentals....Brave Heart I believe is one...lovely cut leaves. I've got a couple, but off the top of my head I can't remember WHICH names are which. Anyway, moundy and lower growing..... Heleniums: various heights and colors. Coreopsis. same as a above. Siberian or German iris. The blue thicker leaves are a wonderful compliment and gives you some spring color. Peonies. Again, spring color, but the wonderful structure and mass of peonies when they aren't in bloom give great substance when you use it with grasses. You'll notice that many of my suggestions are natives, or have native varieties.....I've got to go eat breakfast, but I'll come back with some more suggestions later....'cause I use it all! :)

Bossy, wonder what the problem is that you can't grow Mock orange. I got my start from a friend in Seguin who has deep acid sandy soil and her's flourishes. Here it grows in an alkaline environment with very little soil. Bostedo, thank you for reminding me of Rusty Blackhaw viburnum. Mara, the two trees you mention sound interesting too, although I don't know where I'd find room to plant any of them.