This is where emotional maturity when it comes to gardening and landscaping comes into play. Yes, we considered stuccoing the wall...but after we planted. I know, I know, it doesn't make any sense but having lived with a rotting, termite eaten fence and not being able to plant anything for the last year...I've been itching to get some plants started. But now that several posters have mentioned stuccoing the wall, I'll have to take a look into it to see if it will be more beneficial to hire out the job once we have funds to do so, or to attempt to do it ourselves. It seems easy enough to do it from the videos I've looked at online, but you never know until you try it yourself. David Feix has a stunning portfolio, deviant. Many thanks for the link. We relocated to SoCal from the Bay Area and I wish we'd known about him while we lived there. Truly, he paints a portrait with his landscaping talent - the textures, colors, and volume are breathtaking.

Shelzmike- I've learned tons of things just reading threads on this forum , often just opening threads on topics I think won't have anything to do with anything I'd ever need in my landscape only to discover some useful hint or tidbit. Try putting "retaining wall" in the search box on this forum. It'll get you 262 old threads. Some of it won't be relevant to your situation; but I think you will also come across general ideas and suggestions that will help. It may lead you to questions you haven't even thought about yet. I know IÂve read "retaining wall" threads on the specific issues of homes with slope toward the house. The one below is recent. The home is in the mountains, but with the slope descending toward the back of the home and away from the front, if that makes sense. I didn't re-read, but I think there is also conversation about different ways to disguise the RWs. Look forward to hearing more about your new adventure outside. Watch out though. the landscape design / gardening bug is very addictive. Here is a link that might be useful: Two Bland Retaining Walls

My main purpose is to keep the wall from being such a stark feature in the landscape. It is 8 ft tall and 100 feet long with curving flower beds along the front of it. I would like to use a mixture of plantings that will grow and become the focal point of the area instead of this obnoxious long wall. I love to have things blooming at various times of the year. The wall gets afternoon sun and since it is concrete I am imagining that this will only increase the temp of the area. On the positive side, this might allow me to plant some things that are kind of iffy for my zone but do well in the zone to the south of me. What do you think? THe main plants/shrubs I am looking for would be the background of these beds. They will sit directly in front of the wall and then I will plant other lower growing shrubs and flowers in front. I am definitely planning to do some type of water feature but it needs to be a self contained wall fountain of some type and is going to come later as funds allow. I haven't really researched sources for those types of fountains yet so I am not sure what it will cost or require. Thanks for the tips and help!

tinman, I am a Master Rosarian in north Phoenix. Perhaps I can help you. As you've guessed, bare root season in Phoenix ended in mid-February. Any bare root rose you purchased after that date had less than 50% chance of growing enough to protect it from hot temps, hot soil, hot water, etc. Bare roots purchased now will have 25% or less chance without some major work. First, no more ground planting until after Oct 1. The soil is so hot right now, that feeder roots will cook. Use the largest light-colored container, with excellent drainage, a rose-planting mix and plan to place the bush and container in the shade, preferably on the patio. You'll not only need to water the bush every day but you may need to erect shade cloth over it. My recommendation would be to create a little shade structure using part of your covered patio. You can purchase outside roller shades that produce the same effect and don't look quite so ugly. These are weighted shades that can resist some monsoon winds. Better to roll them up before the dust moves in, though. Don't feed those roses until after Oct 1. The planting mix will have enough nitrogen to give the roots a boost through the summer. Too much nitrogen will just cook them. Soak the bare roots for up to 24 hours in a 5-gallon bucket of water with several drops of SuperThrive. You can continue to use SuperThrive at least once a week throughout the summer. Unfortunately, you'll also need to mist these bare roots every day until they leaf out. There are several methods of erecting shade structures for established roses but all need to be weighted in order to withstand the monsoon winds. Trellises need to be galvanized, powder-coated or redwood for best results in heat and dry. The trellis should be attached to the wall with at least 4-6 inches of airflow between. You can accomplish this by using a 4x6 block between the trellis and wall and using masonry bolts to anchor. There are plastic polypropylene trellises but they don't last any longer than a lawn chair made of the same stuff. I start most of my bare root climbers in a large (20-24") container and use a tomato cage to hold up the canes. I do the same for David Austin English Roses that droop and OGRs that do the same. You can also use a large/giant tomato cage and shade cloth to create individual shade structures for these bare-roots. Attach the shade cloth with twist ties, shower curtain hooks, or some such. You'll need to weight the shade cloth down with bricks, pavers or similar. Leave some type of access to get water and mist inside the shade area. Next Phoenix Rose Society meeting is Tuesday, June 20, 6:30pm, at the Valley Garden Center, 1809 N 15th Ave, Phoenix (between Thomas and McDowell Roads). It's the potluck before we take a summer break in July and August. You can also find me at the public rose garden most Saturday mornings at about 9am. During the winter, I'm there for several hours a week but during the summer, I may only drop by for a couple hours, 1-2 times a month.