Landscaping Tip Of The Month: Add To Your Outdoor Living Space
One way to save water outdoors is by reducing the area of your backyard that needs watering – and adding to your outdoor living space can do just that. By creating or extending your outdoor living space (including your patio or deck), you cut back on the amount of water required. Adding attractive planters and container gardens in areas of your yard can add color and interest, and also allow you to use less water overall. And it’s a great way to make your backyard more enjoyable for you and [...]
Plant Of The Month: Pink Muhly (Muhlenbergia Capillaris)
Ornamental grasses are often overlooked elements in a lush, water-efficient landscape. This is a shame, because grasses add interest, texture and other unique features. They can soften the rigid outlines of cacti and succulents, and reinforce the arching, fountainlike theme offered by ocotillo or vase-shaped trees. Grasses also add color, depending on the species and season; some even have striking fall foliage. Others have persistent seedheads that rustle and sway in the wind like golden ornaments, adding the sense of sound and movement like no other plant form. […]
Help Us Celebrate National Engineers Week: February 19-25, 2023
Throughout time, engineers have turned imagination and fantasy into reality. The modern world we live in wouldn’t be possible without the marvels of engineering. For example, consider the invention of the wheel as one of the oldest examples of how engineering has transformed our lives. […]
Landscaping Tip of the Month: Keep Your Soil Healthy
Healthy soils cycle nutrients effectively, minimize runoff, retain water, and absorb excess nutrients, sediments, and pollutants. Have your soil tested for nutrient content, pH, soil composition, and organic matter content. Contact your local Cooperative Extension Office or state universities for a soil test kit or soil testing services. Very sandy soil, heavy clay, compacted soil, or extreme soil pH may impact which plants are right for your yard. In these cases, seek advice from a nursery, horticulturist, Cooperative Extension, or other expert. […]
Water Counts Academy 2023 is Coming! Apply by January 31
The Water Counts Academy is coming soon! The fun and informative online sessions are designed for current and emerging leaders in the Coachella Valley who want to learn more about water resources in the Coachella Valley. The comprehensive course covers the history, usage and management of water here in the Coachella Valley, giving academy graduates a better understanding the impact of water usage in the desert both past and present. […]
Plant of the Month: Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia Acanthorcarpa)
This multiple-branching cactus can take on a shrublike appearance with its Medusa-like branches. It grows to 4 feet high and 5 feet wide, with yellowish spines contrasting with its green branches. Its flowers are red or yellow, and they bloom in Spring. It is native to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Its canopy coverage is up to 20 square feet. […]
