Frank Mead, a supervisor/plant expert at Green Things inspects a Texas Ranger bush, a native plant that does well in the Sonoran Desert.  (Karen Schaffner/Staff)

Frank Mead, a supervisor/plant expert at Green Things inspects a Texas Ranger bush, a native plant that does well in the Sonoran Desert.  (Karen Schaffner/Staff)

It’s dry out there. No, not the humidity, we all know that’s fairly high, but according to drought.gov Tucson is experiencing its ninth driest year in more than a century. Like, in 128 years.

This might be a good time to consider switching to xeriscaping. What’s that?

For Frank Mead, a supervisor and plant expert at the nursery/gallery Green Things, it means using native plants or plants that are well adapted to this Sonoran Desert climate.

“You can plant things and design your yard so you can use as little water as possible,” Mead said. “I prefer going all native; that’s kind of a trend right now, because it’s not just the plants but the fauna, the wildlife they attract. There’s a lot of native species that rely on these native plants.”

Although concern over water usage is only growing, there is still a need for green spaces, which can be achieved using a minimum amount of water. In addition, because this is monsoon season, which Mead calls a second springtime, it’s time to plant. “Monsoon season in late, late August is really the perfect time to plant,” he said. 

Where does a novice xeriscaper begin? The first thing Mead will ask you is this:

“Is it full sun, part sun? So, the shade-sun situation,” he said.

Then he will want to know if you have drip irrigation in place. If not, are you willing to hand water the plants? Even native plants need a bit of extra water.

“We just cannot rely on rainfall alone,” Mead said. 

Some people do not want to fuss with their garden. In that case, Mead recommends planting cactus.

Next to consider is where the cacti will be planted.

“Is it on a berm, which is like on a hill?” Mead asked. “Or the opposite of that would be a swale, which is a basin where water rests. If it is at a low point, I might suggest that you plant it somewhere else because if we do get heavy rains, the water sits there, and it might rot out the cactus.”

There’s also how the cactus was oriented in relation to the sun when it was growing up. Some cacti are marked with that information, but you should also ask the person at the nursery, Mead said.

“The western part of the cactus that gets more intense sun actually develops thicker tissue to prevent it from burning,” he said. “Always check for orientation.”

Another element of xeriscaping is what you use to “bed” your plants. There are a variety of options, including rocks, mulch, wood chips. The benefits are many.

“It keeps weeds down,” Mead said. “It also helps prevent soil erosion. It brings the surface temperature down, too, so it prevents evaporation.”

Just to get you started, Mead has a couple of favorites he likes to recommend, beginning with a semi-evergreen native shade tree, called lysiloma watsonii or fern of the desert. It grows to about 20 to 25 feet and its leaves are tiny and soft. It’s only drawback, Mead says, is it drops seed pods.

“The benefit to planting trees in a xeriscape situation is that it provides shade, which also cuts back on evaporation,” he said.

For shrubbery, Mead suggests creosote bushes, which has a great aroma when it rains, or Apache plume, which has a showy flower with feathery plumes. Mead also recommends native grasses such as pink muhly grass.

Are you confused yet? Another plant expert at Green Things — and just about any nursery — will tell you to simply ask. They do have answers. Take Jonathan Wolfel; he wants to help. He said you don’t even have to start at the nursery.

“To start off, you could collect seeds from around your neighborhood,” he said. “You can plant your own plants from seeds that are grown here in town. It’s that easy.”

The main thing to remember is to consider native species.

“I want to put an emphasis on planting native because that will reduce the need for water, and it will promote native flora and fauna, like pollinators and native species that rely on these plants,” Mead said. “Water conservation is very important.”

Still, “Low water doesn’t mean no water,” he added. “Everything needs a little supplemental water to thrive.”

It’s a lot to keep in mind, but both Mead and Wolfel have an encouraging word.

“We all started off as novices,” Mead said.

“Starting is the first step,” Wolfel added.

The Tucson-area real estate market has slowed down this year because of the rise in interest rates. But it is continuing to thrive despite higher rates and an increase in home prices, market observers say.

Don’t stand over a cutting board when fresh salads are available at Salad and Go’s new Tucson location, opening August 7, 2022.