...probably this coming late spring/early summer. We'll likely rent a house for the first little while, buy an acre or two in Chino Valley, and build a house.
Anybody from around there? I can't wait to learn some new plants. This will be our 17th move in 21 years, so I've met lots of dirts. :~D
(And does this mean I have to change my handle to Arizona Dollie?)
Moving to Chino Valley area of Arizona
My brother lives in Chino Valley, so I have a passing familiarity with the plants of the area. Chino Valley is experiencing a drought so watered plants have to compete rather at a disadvantage with natives, as they know how to keep the water to themselves. My brother's veggie bed was invaded with juniper roots and had to be torn down, so gardening has its problems there. If you want to grow junipers, you're going to the right place. ;-) Otherwise, you have to contend with wind, late spring frosts, hot summer dry-spells, aforementioned drought generally, rocky saline soil, everything you've always wanted in a garden. Specialize in the natives and enjoy your gardening!
Thanks Judy! I kinda figured on the drought--I wonder if that means they're getting less than the 12" mentioned on weather/site stats for the area? At any rate, I'm looking forward to the lower humidity, and don't plan to grow anything that needs pampering. Hubs and I love the natives (he's from Phoenix) and will be happy to not have mowing and weeding chores as often as we do here.
Cheers!
Hi Soon to be AzDollie!
I think you'll find Arizona gardening way different, in so many ways! The Prescott/Chino Valley area has cold winters, so all the tender cactus and succulents that do well in the low desert won't grow up here. (I try to buy plants that are hardy to minus 10 degrees, after losing some of the 0 degree plants.) Also the 12" of rain is an average over VERY many years, none recent. What we do get seems to arrive in a few downpours with a lot of dry days in between. Even the natives do better with some water and shade. So if you actually get much to grow, it's a real victory! My current favorite is the autumn sage--they bloom all summer. My neighbor works hard to have a very productive vegetable garden--all raised bed, fenced against burrowing, climbing, and flying critters, drip irrigated, soil analyzed and fine-tuned--it's a lifestyle. There are many very nice things about living here, but the gardening is a challenge. Welcome to Arizona!
Thank you!
I'm glad the hubs gets to come back to his beloved desert--he loves AZ and misses the mountains. I am also looking forward to the challenge of the gardening. We too want to grow veggies, have chickens and rabbits, and we'll let the rest of the yard consist of natives with some shade trees and large shrubs as the "bones" of the landscape. Of course, I'll have some beds of iris...not wise, but I have to try.
We lived in Las Cruces NM for a while...almost the same, regarding rain, temps, wind, etc., so I know the iris will live there. It's more a matter of keeping the rabbits and burrowing critters out of them!
Iris actually do pretty well here with a little bit of attention. There's even a group of enthusiasts, I'm not a member but have bought corms at their annual sale, and tried to follow their locally-adapted instructions for care. http://prescottirissociety.org/
The shade tree that grows well here is Siberian Elm, but it's also considered an undesirable invasive that will come up everyplace you water, and crowd out the better trees. It is very hardy and well adapted, some people like them.
Sounds like you've moved enough, time to put down roots!
That is such good news! I'm excited to learn about the iris society...although it's not likely I'll join. I tend to suffer from "insufficient reluctance" and volunteer for all the poo-jobs nobody else will take. :~D But the climate does seem tailor made for iris, which really don't like humidity!
So it looks like the iris--plus a few of the "wedding cannas" we've dragged around for twenty years--will be my only exceptions to the Natives and Water-Wise Rule for the rest of the place. Definitely no Siberian Elms for us. Although if I can get a Burr Oak to grow there, they have a great huge tap root that eventually allows the tree to fend for itself.
Way too early to think of landscaping, since we'll have to rent for a while first. But it's nice to dream!
I don't know about Burr Oak, but there are Arizona White Oak in the area. Ground water is over 200 feet below the surface, but trees with widespread roots can gather up the rainwater. I think cannas might take some pampering, the only ones I tried never came back after the first winter. It was 20 degrees here this morning, plants are now all resting, time to hibernate for me! Good luck with the plans and dreams!