LANDSCAPING TIPS brought to you by the Arizona Landscape Contractors’ Association, the Sustainable Landscape Management (SLM) and the Arizona Certified Landscape Professional (ACLP) programs www.ALCA.org

Dream Big! - Your Landscaping Wish List

As the winter holidays are upon us and cooler weather leads us to spend more time indoors, it is a great time to create your own wish list - for your landscape!  2019 is a wink away and before we know it some of the best months of the year for enjoying the landscape will return. Your landscape contractor can help you plan your dream landscape and turn it into reality.

Wish:  A beautiful outdoor space for relaxation and entertaining

Make it a reality: Hardscapes are the bones of a functional and beautiful outdoor space, and can be the biggest expense. Now is a great time to meet with your landscape contractor who can help you visualize your dream space and establish a budget even if that entails planning the hardscape installation in stages.

Wish:  Year-round, easy to maintain, lush greenery and color

Make it a reality: Besides fall, one of the best times for planting trees and shrubs is in the early spring. Be ready and plan now. Meet with your SLM certified landscape contractor to determine the right plants for the right places, and understand the natural growth, flowering and dormancy of our unique desert plant material.   Planting the right plant in the right place will mean less pruning, so less waste in our landfills.

Planting a tree involves more than digging a hole and sticking the tree in so to avoid problems, you should plan accordingly and position the trees you plant far enough from utility lines, walkways, patios and your house.  To make certain you'll be digging in a spot that's free of hidden dangers, call Arizona 811 by dialing 811 within the state of Arizona, or creating a ticket online at http://www.arizona811.com/  They will send somebody to locate and mark the underground utility lines, including electric, water, sewage and gas so you and your landscaper can steer clear.

Wish:  Enjoy your landscape while knowing you are using resources responsibly

Make it a reality: Sometimes a great landscape just needs a few improvements to become more sustainable.

• Ask your landscape contractor for an irrigation system audit and use the information to improve water management on your property. Once the system is as efficient as possible, adding a smart controller can save even more water.
• Plants that have failed or that are outgrowing the space were likely the wrong plant for the space. Your landscape contractor can help you choose a more appropriate plant for the space based on the growth potential and the water, soil and sunlight needs of the plants.
• Ask your landscape contractor about getting on a renovation pruning schedule for your shrubs. By leaving the monthly trimming behind, this practice creates healthier plants and less waste in our landfills.