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Hi! And Welcome to Arizona Home Grown!
I live in Mesa, AZ and I've spent years searching for and finding great plants to grow in my yard, problem is a lot of those are not readily available here in Arizona. So now I'm learning to propagate a lot of my plants, some of these will be more common plants, others not so common even for the most seasoned gardener. Nearly everything will be ornamental in nature, although I do hope to venture out into veggies at a later date. Please use the links to the left to see what I have available!
Plants that I am propagating and selling are all plants that will thrive here under the right conditions, that's not to say they're desert plants, because I'm not really into desert plants. What that means is most non-desert plants require some thought before planting. Some plants require soil amendments to improve nutrient content or drainage. All plants require attention to get established! One thing I see most is that people throw their plants in a hole and forget about them or water so shallowly (even if it's frequently) that the plant will never actually thrive. I don't grow many annuals, most of my plants are perennials or bushes that need a good strong root system in order to grow to full size and thrive. You get that by watering increasingly deeper and less frequent.
Some plants are not tolerant of reflective heat, but remember that reflective heat from an eastern exposure is not the same as reflective heat from a western exposure which you can compare to hot cook surface! Sun is another consideration, there really are plants that can take afternoon and all day sun, but many leafy plants will burn up in all day and afternoon sun, especially if there is also reflective heat. If you take all these things into consideration, the average yard in Arizona can provide a wide range of conditions, from scorched to (dare I say it!) balmy.
If you're one of the lucky (yes, lucky....if you plan on staying in that house) souls out there with a blank slate, I suggest you think long and hard about what you want from your yard. Think about permanent amenities like trees, bird baths, fountains, ponds, gazebos, benches, private sitting nooks, pathways, all these things add interest to a yard. Think about what sort of flow you want. My husband used to think he wanted to see everything from everywhere else in the yard....he's since been reformed and now sees things differently. It really helps to get out and see others folks' yards and see how wonderful a backyard can be, it's very inspiring. Our yard is far from finished, we have some large projects still to finish (need $$$!) but we love it just the same. It's full of nooks and crannies and I think I can vouch for the birds and butterflies and lizards that they all love it as well.
I love the variety of plants that I've found and are thriving in my yard and I've had a lot fun helping others to see the possibilities, too, and I hope you find something you need as well. You should feel free to ask me questions but I want you to know I am not a Master Gardener and have no intention of becoming one. I certainly don't know everything there is to know about gardening, believe me, far from it, and anything I do know comes mostly from my own experiences and most of it I've already spelled out here. So that means I'm not an expert, but that also means you don't have to be one either!
Arizona Home Grown
For plants grown for Arizona right here in Arizona