Desert Life - In my own frontyard

You may think the only elements of desert living are cactus, dirt, and tumbleweeds. Alas . . . it is surprising to see what the desert truly has to offer, even what can be planted in your own yard.

Mom and me in front of our grapefruit tree planted Sept. 12, 2005 (TJ's Bday), as a gift from a dear friend, It's called the "TJ" tree. The tallest, fastest growing tree in the backyard - just like my brother.

Thanks to Steve, my stepdad, the yard has some of the fanciest foliage you will see in our Scottsdale neighborhood. (Here's the plug-in for his Naturally Green Soil Treatment - the mystery product he sells that makes your garden grow better then the Jones's and decreases water usage - contact Exhibit A shown below for more info).

Exhibit A: Mr. Paul Bunyan himself - a.k.a. Steve - neighborhood house watcher, tree chopper, gardener, and new found sod layer. The neighbors love what he's done to the neighborhood just by redoing our frontyard:-)

Yes, the frontyard was classified as a barren wasteland, with fancy flowers and shrubs for over a year - for which Exhibit A could be blamed or praised. Nothing but dirt. No sign of desert rocks, grass, weeds, or even lawn furniture (refer to Exhibit B below).

Exhibit B: Fancy looking dirt:-)

Exhibit C: Here are some of the distractions planted throughout the year to defer the neighbors and onlookers from the realization that the frontyard is just brown dirt.
These petunias surely became the talk of the neighborhood! Joggers and dog walkers alike loved them, including the dogs;-)




Bring Hawaii to the desert!
Who knew tropical flowers flourish in Arizona. Red hibiscus and a purple orchid tree brought more awe and bewilderment as onlookers stared in disbelief!


Exhibit D: Sod Saturday finally arrived. 5am - I meandered out at 6:30am - let the guys do the work. The barren wasteland came to an end. Soon people will start using the frontyard for picnics; slip n' slides; stop, drop, and roll demos; and king of the hill. Finally, we can say GO GREEN!