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Arizona Gardening

az newbie,, ornamental grasses?

17 years ago

First of all I want to let you know I absolutly love your state and gardening here is going to be a new and differnt world for sure. I'm not a full timer here in Az and won't be for 2 more years, but I'm planting a few things as my time here allows.

1st Question..What zone am I? Mesa. I have my sunset gardening book but of course its up in Washington State where I'm from.

I planted a section along the driveway, near the road and mailbox, with a bush variety of Bourgainvillea, a San Perdro Cactus and a Barrel Cactus. Now comes the problem,,,, I bought 3 ornamental grasses. I dont know there name but they grow to 4' and have red lacy plumes. I dont have an irrigation system yet and I have a feeling that if I plant them near the mailbox, which I was planning, they would fry and die. My father-in-law lives down the street and does water stuff that is already here. Do you think the grasses would make it? How big around to they get? Thanks so much for any comments!

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Comments (8)

murmanator
17 years ago
Well, first, welcome to our state! You are in USDA zone 9 (Im not sure if it's 9a or 9b where you are) and Sunset zone 13. I recommend using the Sunset book only as a general guide, not the final word. Most of the culture tips in there are spotty in our harsh climate. You want to get a book called 'Landscape Plants for Dry Regions' by Jones and Sacamano. Good, AZ specific care and culture tips. Also see the Desert Tropicals website. Dont let the name throw you, it has everything.

As far as the grass you are asking about, we need the plant's name to give proper advice on that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Desert Tropicals
aztreelvr
17 years ago
It sounds like the grasses you have are Pink Muhly or Muhlenbergia capillaris. Its a native bunching grass that grows into about a 3 foot clump. Each fall they bloom with tall pink airy plumes that turn golden in winter. All the plants you've chosen will need some supplemental irrigation for the first year because you just can't rely on our rains. The Muhly grass will need more water than the bougainvillea or cactus.

I'd recommend you call the City of Mesa and request the FREE booklet, Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert. 480-644-3306, or you can request it on on line at www.cityofmesa.org/utilities/conservation

Also, Desert Landscaping for Beginners will help you adjust to our very different way of landscaping and gardening here in the Sonoran Desert. It's available on line or at major bookstores.

Here is a link that might be useful: Desert Landscaping for Beginners
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lulu2
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for all your book recomendations ect. I'll need all the help I can get. The kind of ornamental grass I discribed ealier blooms twice a year, once in the sping and again in the fall. Well, I'll plant them anyway and with the help of my watering, pruning crazy father-in-law (lol)down the street they might make it. I broke my own Washington rule, Don't buy anything that you havent already dug a hole for! Speaking of holes,,,,there alot easier to dig here that in rocky washington,lol. Gee, don't even need a pick, wooppeee!
murmanator
17 years ago
Wait, you can dig easily in your yard?!? Wow, consider yourself lucky, most places here have a lot of caliche and it is nearly impossible to dig. Good for you!
port_a_bella
17 years ago
you're so lucky!!! i grew up on lake michigan (sandy soil) where the only garden tool we needed was a small had shovel... so that's all i bought when i first moved here. boy that didn't work... my hubby and i rented an auger and couldn't get through the caliche... i'm jelouse. if only i could train my tortoised to dig where i want them to... welcome to arizona!!! good luck w/ your garden.
kim
crista
17 years ago
Also consider getting Mary Irish's book. It's an excellent guide because she's from Arizona.

Crista
jimdaz
17 years ago
Welcome to AZ, the Muhlenbergias are wonderful grasses here. Like aztreelvr, the pink "Regal Mist" is so pretty when the sun lights it up. "El Toro" is another nice Muhley.

Port_a - where did you grow up? I was raised in Michigan, and lived in Traverse City for awhile. Those sandy soils sure grew the best produce!
port_a_bella
17 years ago
jim- i actually grew up in northwest indiana. i town called michigan city, it's just a few miles south of michigan. michigan city is home of mt. baldy, it's 123 feet tall and is the largest "living" dune that marram grass and cottonwood trees cannot hold in place. the sandy soils sure do have great drainage, they allow my mom to grow such a great varity of things... if only it weren't so cold there. but then again north michigan is FREEZING.

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