Thanks, all, for your input. I'm not really sure how I feel about this business of restating old stuff -- I guess it is not inherently a bad thing, because if nothing else, modes of expression change over the years, and old books often read "old". Also, focus changes. A new book on flora should certainly identify plants that are threatened or endangered, while a few years ago that would not have been an issue. I have to admit also to my biases. Having done a research career I am most comfortable writing about plants I have unique knowledge of, yet I cannot expect that of a writer who is essentially a reporter, not a contributor, of factual information. And I do admire the gifts of a good reporter who can quickly and accurately grasp the essentials of a new topic he/she decides to write about. You can probably make a case that "warming over" is itself a valuable contribution, keeping us all employed, and helping readers to stay up-to-date. As long as it is done well and honestly.

Fall is here, and its a great time to replace lost plants or install a new landscape. Soils are still warm, which encourages root establishment, but water needs are not as demanding, allowing for greater success. In fact, water needs for plants are about half as much as they were in June. Recommendations below are for plants that are established in the landscape (in the ground about 2 years). Lawn watering: Summer grass (Bermuda) - once every 6 days Overseeded cool season grass (rye) 4x per day for first 7-10 days to germinate, then once every 3 days If trees and shrubs are on the same valve: Desert Adapted - once every 21 days High Water Use - once every 10 days Tree watering: Desert Adapted - once every 24 days High Water Use - once every 12 days Shrub watering: Desert Adapted - once every 18 days High Water Use - once every 9 days Groundcover and vine watering: Desert Adapted - once every 18 days High Water Use - once every 8 days Cacti and succulent watering - once every 28 days Annuals watering - once every 4-5 days Wildflower watering once every 1-2 days to germinate, then once every 3-5 days Bonus tip: New plantings need more frequent watering. After planting, water every 3-4 days weeks 1 & 2, every 6-7 days weeks 3 & 4, every 7-10 days weeks 5 & 6, and then gradually extend time between irrigations until plants are established. Note: These recommendations are a general guideline only and may need to be modified for your specific site conditions. Tips provided by the City of Mesa Utilities Department. Check their website CityofMesa.org to find the link if you would like to receive them via email. (sorry- can't post a link here) Another important thing to consider once you know when to water is how long to water. Trees need to be watered long enough so that the water penetrates at least 3 feet. Shrubs 2 feet. Groundcover 1-2 feet. Using a drip system and the correct amount of emitters, each foot would require about an hour of watering. For example, to water a tree to a depth of three feet would require approximately 3 hours of drip watering. As it has been said repeatedly before in this forum: Better to water infrequently and deep than frequently and shallow. Also make sure that you are watering trees near the radius of the branches and not near the trunk. For example, if your tree has branches that extend 6 feet from the trunk your emitters should be placed at least 4 feet from the base of the trunk. Thanks to AZTREELVR and Desert_Owl for their expert advice!

I don't know, I haven't had that happen to me. The Helpful Gardener site said something about if you don't post more than once that they will delete your account for being inactive, which seems extreme to me. I just logged into my account there (same name: tanya117), I didn't have any problems so far. The way that they treated you seems very wrong. You might try emailing them at: admin@helpfulgardener.com to see if you can get them to restore your account.

Nice to see - thanks! I always miss going when I am unable to, so I love seeing photos of the exhibits.