Dream Retreats: Arizona's Premier Landscape Contractor and Design

How important is it for your Landscape Contractor to be Registered?

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:36:43 +0000

Are you getting ready to tackle a large landscape design and installation project? If the type of work you need done requires a licensed landscape contractor, does the landscape contractor you are looking at have a license?

Not having a valid license is a BIG red flag. Many “contractors” refuse to get licensed because they do not want to operate a legitimate business, which requires hiring legal employees, paying workers compensation and other insurance, charging and paying sales taxes or reporting such income to the IRS. They operate under the table and may often make a deal with you if you pay them cash. This type of attitude and mentality is a reflection of their follow through with your job. Would you trust them to stand behind their work? How can you file a complaint if something goes wrong? (You can’t).

That is why Dream Retreats Landscape is a Licensed Arizona Landscape Contractor and is registered both with the BBB and with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.

You need to check to see if the license is in good standing for any landscape contractor that you are looking to hire. Do they have any complaints? If so, were they resolved? Check to verify that the person who gave you their license is the same as that indicated with the state records. We want to make sure all of our clients are protected, which is why we encourage all of our landscape design clients to contact the state agency that has our license on record.

Dream Retreats is your Arizona East Valley’s Premier Licensed Landscape Contractors. Give us a call today!

Outdoor Landscape Living

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:27:54 +0000

At Dream Retreats Landscape and Design Contractors we are ready to create a one-of-a-kind outdoor living space guaranteed to change your backyard landscape into an dream retreat tailored for recreation and relaxation.

Outdoor Kitchens – Design & Construction
Patios Design & Construction
Islands
BBQ’s
Outdoor Cabinets
Wet Bars
Cabana Design & Construction
Deck Builder
Pergola Design & Construction
Gazebo Design & Construction
Trellis Design & Construction
Outdoor Fireplace Design & Construction
Pool House Design & Construction
Outdoor Showers, Baths & Spas
Outdoor Living Rooms Design & Construction
Outdoor bathrooms/shower/tub areas
Outdoor Firepits
Outdoor Water Features
Water Fountains

Dream Retreats Landscaping is the East Valley’s Premier Landscape Contractor. Contact us today for a Free Quote for your backyard landscaping design needs.

Top 10 BBQ Grills

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:31:19 +0000

Hemi BBQ

Grilling Time is just around the corner here in Arizona. Take a look at some of these outragious BBQ for “Real Men”. When you ready to add one of these or any other outdoor landscape grill and kitchen, give the East Valleys premier landscape contractor a call for a free quote. Until then, enjoy the Top Ten BBQ Grills.

Outdoor Kitchens Arizona Style

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:24:04 +0000

Outdoor Kitchen

Who doesn’t love eating outside? And to make it even better, think about grilling outdoors without wheeling out your grill or imagine the possibility of having the convenience all of your cooking supplies available for you outdoors anytime you need. Dream Retreats, your Arizona landscape contractor, builds outdoor kitchens with the same care and skill as all of the backyard landscaping that we do. Pricing for an custom outdoor kitchen is typically less expensive then your home’s kitchen and depend on the amenities, mason work involved, and the brand and type of grill equipment you choose. But, to a grill pro; like most of us like to think we are, having an outdoor barbecue is priceless. If you are just starting to check out the permissibility of having a outdoor kitchen or are ready to start getting quotes for that new grilling space, make sure you use a reputable landscape contractor like Dream Retreats and give us a call.

Outdoor living areas are where families and friends spend time eating, drinking, and just enjoying each other. And here in Arizona, we can be outdoors almost all year. A current upward trend in landscaping is the outdoor kitchen, equipped with refrigerators, sinks, counters, and grills. With the amount of time that we can spend outdoors, create an outdoor living space that is the best it can be, even if you only have a small area to work with in your backyard. Dream Retreats landscape contractors, we design outdoor landscape space and apply our expertise to make a your outdoor kitchen ready for you to start entertaining your friends and family, or maybe even host the block party!

Much like your home’s indoor kitchen, your outdoor kitchen is an investment in your home, and your lifestyle. And because it is part of the home and an investment, the design should be done and implemented professionally by a licensed landscape contractor. Dream Retreats will guide you through the choices of what type of counters, material, location, and even the type of grill to use to ensure we are creating the most functional kitchen for you.

Our outdoor kitchens can include any of the following…and more:

* Custom Built Islands for Grilling
* Custom Build Wood, Gas or Coal Fireplaces & Fire Pits
* Outdoor Refrigerators
* Integrated Lighting Designs
* Extensive Space Planning & Designs

We offer free quotes and will meet with you to discuss all of your options. Give us a call and start planning your outdoor kitchen today.

Landscape Design Inspiration

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:55:35 +0000

I was looking around today and stumbled across some landscape design inspiration and wanted to share with you some of the ones I enjoyed the best. This will be an ongoing post as I collect extreme backyard landscape ideas from around the web. Be sure to check out our post on Luxury Pools.

The Best Deck Ever

Best Deck Ever

Best Reflection Pool

Best Backyard Pool

Mehan Water Park

How to Light Up your Landscape

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Landscape lighting can be both useful and ornamental. And from a safety standpoint, landscape lighting can illuminate paths, alert the homeowner of movement near the house and make it easier to see whatever might need to be seen in the dark.

Landscape Lighting

Backyard landscape lighting can also create a mood and ambiance to make your landscape a place to hang out in the evening. The right landscape lighting can make or break your nighttime garden. You’ll never be able to see those beautiful moonflowers you planted if you don’t have some good lighting.

Lighting Structures

Landscape lighting basically encompasses two things: lighting on the home or other structures and lighting in the garden itself. We don’t often think of buildings, walls, and other solid structures like storage sheds as part of the landscape, but when it comes to lighting they can play a valuable role.

Lights mounted on the house usually serve the purpose of illuminating a door or letting the homeowner know if an intruder might be nearby, but those same high-powered halogen and incandescent security lights can be pointed at the garden to give a glow to anything you want to highlight. The advantage of mounting your landscape lighting on the house is that you can tap into the home’s power without having to install a long extension cord or some other means of getting power to the garden.

Use a lamp mounted on the corner of your home to show off a tree that looks great in all seasons, or mount a light on the wall behind your rose bushes so your friends can admire them, even when they come over after dark.

Traditional Lighting

The more traditional form of landscape lighting involves decorative lights that are often shaped like lanterns and used to light a path or highlight the best parts of the garden. Because of the problems (both logistical and in terms of safety) involved in running electricity to the garden, the best choice for this sort of landscape lighting is solar or battery-powered lights.

Solar Power

Solar-powered lights are getting a lot better, both in terms of their looks and the amount of light they emit. Some of these look as good as other lamps with less sustainable power sources, and they often have highly efficient batteries and solar panels to help soak up as much sun as possible.

Many now used LED lights that are very bright, and there are no bulbs to burn out. These are ideal for landscape lighting, especially along a path that gets a lot of sun during the day. If your sun situation is less than ideal, battery powered lights could be an option. There are not as many models that are strictly battery powered, because solar LEDs have become so popular. A cool option in battery powered landscape lighting is the firefly light, which is sort of like a battery powered Christmas light. These little lights sparkle like fireflies and are fun accent lighting for a party, but not very practical for everyday use.

Spotlights

Spotlights, which can be individual lights on pedestals or spotlights buried in the ground or mounted to a wall, can be an excellent addition to your landscape lighting. These lights can highlight your favorite plant or flowerbed, showing off the great work you have done on your yard even when the sun isn’t out. In-ground lights can be wired right into your existing electrical.

If you aren’t comfortable doing the work yourself, an electrician can help, or you can consult your local landscape contractor such as Dream Retreats. We have electricians that can take care of all of your landscape lighting.

A light shining up on a beautiful tree like a Japanese maple, redbud or dogwood, can make a huge impression on anyone who visits the yard after dark. When choosing where to put your landscape lighting, consider the plants that you like the most and might want to accent. Look at any paths (or places where you might build paths) that could use some illumination. What parts of your yard of you use when it’s dark? A little bit of added landscape lighting can make a big difference in terms of the look of your yard and can make it safer for you and your family as well.

Give us a call and we can talk about the different options that will create the backyard retreat that you and your family are looking for. We are you local East Valley landscape lighting experts, proudly serving the Gilbert and surrounding areas. Dream Retreats offers free quotes. Make this holiday season a bright one.

Courtesy of: Outdoor Landscape Lighting

Arizona Desert Landscaping

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:24:10 +0000

If you live in a dry and arid climate, like we have here in Gilbert Arizona, then your landscaping is going to take a little more planning than some other parts of the country. Desert landscaping will have to work with a plan that includes only plants and trees that can survive with much less water than some other plants. Take some time with your desert landscaping plan and make sure that you have done everything suited to our climate. A professional landscape contractor and designer, like Dream Retreats, can help.

In the hot and dry Arizona desert, landscaping takes on an entirely different significance than in other regions. As water is so precious here in the East Valley, conservation is a major concern of both home owners and city officials. But desert home owners don’t have to sacrifice beauty because of water conservation. Dry landscaping is an excellent way to make a landscape unusual and eye-catching, while reducing and using minimum water resources.

To start with you will need to do some planning. Because the land is not the best and the climate may be difficult, (try 115 degrees in the summer) it does need a little bit of thought. You need to have some idea on what look you want to achieve too and then see if it is at all possible to achieve this. Check out our online landscape gallery to get some ideas.

Cacti are the most popular and versatile plant in desert landscaping. When shopping for cacti for your desert landscaping you will find a large variety, both in size, shapes and colors. You will be surprised when you learn that there are cacti several feet tall and others small as a couple of inches. Flowers are not uncommon in cacti, and the variety is also large, though they don’t bloom for a long time. One exception is the prickly pear, named after its fruit. This cactus produces a beautiful yellow flower in summertime.

Cacti grow in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Its flowers are large, similar to branches and spines that arise from areoles. Most of the varieties are night bloomers. This is since they are generally pollinated by nocturnal small animals or insects like bats and moths. Their varieties range from tall and columnar to small and globular. Cacti often grow as shrubs, trees or a type of ground cover.

The following is a list of some other desert landscape plants that can add color and fragrance to your backyard landscape design.

In Mexico and Central America the Agave Americana (century plant) is used as fencing on farms. Because of their sharp spines and margins they keep cattle in and people and predators out. The plant, used as an ornamental, makes a beautiful addition to any rock or cactus garden. The century plant can be grown in a container, however it’s size will be much smaller than if it were grown in the ground.

Longwood Blue (bluebeard) is a shrub, it is deciduous and it will grow back each and every spring. It will always come back healthy and happy and this makes it perfect for desert landscaping. It is not a tiny shrub, it will grow to be anywhere between 3 and 4 feet high with a width of about 2 feet, perfect along a back fence. This is a lovely plant to use in your desert landscaping as it is not only beautiful with its pretty blue flower clusters and silver foliage, it is also very fragrant.

Another desert plant is Autumn Joy. It is a wonderful perennial that you can plant for your desert landscaping. With this choice you will have great leaves in pretty whorls. These leaves can be any number of different colors and will go with any desert landscaping design. This plant is the ultimate for desert landscaping because it can grow in rock gardens with ease. This desert landscaping plant also has a unique and interesting flower. These small flowers grow in clusters and they can be a few different colors and shades. The most common are yellow, orange and red and pink. Having these flowers in your garden will provide a haven for butterflies.

Of course, you also plant other type of desert plants such as aloes, periwinkles and several types of heathers. We can help you decide which plants to add to your desert landscaping project.

Drought-resistant plants compliment dry rock landscaping extremely well. These native southwestern plants are generally sun-loving and water-wise. Careful research will reveal low maintenance and low water use plants perfect for this type of landscape. Many of the cactus varieties are good choices, as are juniper, lamb’s ear, and other perennial plants that can withstand year after year with little water.

So, if you have a desert landscape that needs something done with it, give your local Gilbert landscape contractor a call and let us help you unleash your own creativity to make a backyard landscape that beats the heat and looks beautiful at the same time.

Article from: Desert Landscaping

List of Fruit Trees for Arizona Landscaping

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:24:21 +0000

List of Fruit trees for Arizona Landscaping

Looking for a fruit tree to plant in your backyard garden? Need that fruit tree to actually grow and produce fruit in the Arizona heat? Of course do you. Below is a list of fruit trees to use in your Arizona backyard landscape

Kind	Variety	Zones (Sunset)	Season	Maturity Zone 13	Remarks	Self-fruitful
Almond	All-in-One (semi-dwarfing)	8-10,12-16,19-21		August	Medium to large. Soft shelled with good quality sweet kernels. Classified semi-dwarf to 15 feet. Chilling requirement of 500 hours (may not be suited for Salt River Valley). Number 1 almond for home orchards.	x
Almond	Garden Prince Genetic Dwarf	8-10,12-16,19-21		August	Compact, lushly foliated 10-12 foot tree. Soft shell, kernels especially sweet and tasty. Bears young and heavy. Chilling requirement of 250 hours.	x
Almond	Neplus Ultra	8-10,12-16,19-21		August	Large soft-shelled nut, long broad flat kernel. Chilling requirement of 250 hours. Needs pollenizer. Best pollenizer: Nonpareil.
Almond	Nonpareil Almond:	8-10,12-16,19-21		August	No. 1 commercial almond, the standard of quality. Inter-fruitful with All-In-One and Neplus. Chilling requirement 400 hours. Pollenizer required
Apple	Anna	24-Jul		June	Excellent flavor when ripe. Breaks down rapidly. Needs fruit thinning. Remarkable fruit for mild-winter climates in Southern Arizona. Heavy crops of sweet, crisp, flavorful apples even in low desert. Fresh or cooked. Keeps 2 months in refrigerator. Chilling requirement 200 hours. Self-fruitful or pollinated by Dorsett Golden or Ein shemer	x
Apple	Arkansas Black	1-3,10-11	L		Deep red colored fruit. Flesh is hard and crisp – needs pollenizer.
Apple	Beverly Hills	12,13,18-24		June	Produces a pale yellow medium sized fruit. Chilling requirement 300 hours.	x
Apple	Braeburn	1-10,14-16	L		Medium to large size fruit with crisp firm flesh. Fruit set better with pollenizer
Apple	Dorsett Golden	12,13,17-24	E	June	Yellow, flavorful, firm. Outstanding sweet apple for warm winter areas. Firm, very flavorful, sweet like Golden Delicious. Productive throughout the low desert. Good early season sweet apple. Chilling requirement of 100 hours.	x
Apple	Ein shemer	12,13,17-24		June	Heavy-bearing, very low chilling requirement of 100 hours. Sweet yellow apples. Excellent pollenizer for Anna.	x
Apple	Empire	2,3,6,7,10,14-16	M		Medium dark red fruit with white creamy flesh.
Apple	Firm Gold	2,10	L		Yellow large fruited type of golden delicious.
Apple	Fuji	7-10,14-16	L	August	Dull red, medium sized fruit. Very sweet with excellent aroma and cream colored flesh. Recently introduced from Japan, has quickly become California’s favorite apple. Sweet, very crisp and flavorful, excellent keeper. Dull reddish-orange skin, sometimes russeted. Chilling requirement listed as 600 hours, but preliminary testing in the low desert indicate that it may be less.	x
Apple	Gala	4-10,14-16	M	August	Medium size fruit. Red blush over yellow color with aromatic flavor. Wonderful dessert apple from New Zealand. Crisp, nice blend of sweetness and tartness, rich flavor. Skin reddish-orange over yellow. Chilling requirement listed as 500-600 hours, preliminary testings suggest it maybe less.	x
Apple	Golden Delicious	1-3,7-11,14-24	L		Yellow large fruit. Excellent pollenizer.
Apple	Gordon	2,10,12,18-24		June	Produces a reddish-green fruit for fresh use and cooking. Chilling requirement, 400 hours.	x
Apple	Granny Smith	6-11,14-16	L		Large green fruit with tart flavor. Fruit set better with pollenizer.
Apple	Gravenstein	4-11,14-24	E		Medium to large fruit. Needs cross pollenation.
Apple	Jerseymac	2,10	E		Fruit has semi-solid red blush; creamy. White flesh – needs thinning.
Apple	Jonagold	2-10,14-16	M		Large golden apple with red stripes. Stores well. Need cross pollenation.
Apple	Jonathon	2-10,14-16	M		Red and pale yellow medium size fruit. Firm, tart, crisp flavor.
Apple	Lodi	2,10	E		Large fruit with tart flavor. Needs cross pollenation.
Apple	Red Delicious	2,10	M		Large red fruit with sweet taste. Need cross pollenation.
Apple	Summered	2-10,15-16	E		Medium to large fruit with red blush
Apricots	Castlebrite	12,13	E	May	Freestone, excellent flavor. Firm and juicy. Good flavor when fully ripe, otherwise somewhat tart. Good size. Bright orange with red blush. 450 chill hours.	x
Apricots	Gold Kist	12,13	E	5/15-6/15	Freestone, excellent quality. Excellent backyard apricot for warm winter climates. Freestone, very good quality. Heavy bearing. Early harvest, late May to early June. Requires 300 chill hours.	x
Apricots	Katy	12,13	E	5/15-6/15	Excellent size and fruit quality. Freestone. Large, all purpose flavorful freestone. tree ripe fruit is subacid (not tart). A favorite apricot for warm-winter climates. Early harvest, late May to early June. Requires 400 chill hours.	x
Apricots	Modesto	2,10		5/15-6/15	Commercially grown for shipping. 300-400 hours chilling.	x
Apricots	Moorpark	2,3,6-11,14-16	L		Large fruit and great flavor. Fruit may ripen unevenly.
Apricots	Patterson	2,10,12,13		June	A vigorous tree. Fruit are medium to large in size with good firm, modestly flavorful flesh. Good for freezing, drying, and canning. Requires 500 chill hours.	x
Apricots	Royal (Blenheim)	2,3,6-23	M		Medium size fruit with excellent flavor and sweetness
Apricots	Royal Rosa	2,10	E	May	Extremely vigorous, more disease tolerant than other apricots. Bears young and heavy. Especially nice fruit: sweet, low acid, fine flavor. Very early harvest (early-to-mid May). Excellent backyard apricot. Requires 500 chill hours.	x
Apricots	Tilton	1-8,10,11,18,20	M		Medium size fruit with excellent flavor.
Apricots	Wenatchee	2,3,6,10	M		Large size with yellow skin and flesh.
Blackberry	Brazos			4/15-5/15	Very vigorous, thorny, erect plant which produces an abundance of large high quality berries. Berries are large, attractive appearance and heavy yields, tart acid flavor.
Blackberry	Rosborough			4/15-5/15	Vigorous moderately upright canes which produces well in a wide variety of soil and climatic conditions. Fruit are large, attractive in appearance and have a sweeter flavor than Brazos.
Cherry, sour	Montmorency	1-10,14-17	M		Large bright red fruit which is tart (pie use).
Cherry, sour	North Star	1-10,14-17	M		Red fruit, tart, genetic dwarf.
Cherry, sweet	Bing	2,6,7,10,14,15	M		Large black fruit. Excellent quality. Needs pollenizer. Use Van, Stella, or Hedelfingen
Cherry, sweet	Lambert	2,6,7,10,14,15	L		Fruit dark red, heart shaped; smaller than Bing. Pollenize with Rainier or Van.
Cherry, sweet	Rainier	2,6,7,10,14,15	M		Fruit has light yellow skin. Needs pollenizer. Use Van, Stella or Bing.
Cherry, sweet	Stella	2,6,7,10,14,15	L		Black, heart shaped fruit. Self fertile. Good pollenizer.
Cherry, sweet	Van	2,6,7,10,14,15	M		Dark fruit, good quality. Excellent pollenizer. Use Bing or Rainier
Fig	Black Mission	4-10,12-24	E	August-October	Best all around fig. Two crops. Black skin and strawberry pulp. Popular and flavorful for eating fresh or dried. Medium to large pear-shaped fruit has skin which is black-purple and strawberry-colored flesh. tree is large and long lived. Well adapted to elevations below 2,000 feet.
Fig	Brown Turkey	4-10,12-24		August-October	Sweet tasting and best eaten fresh. Bell shaped medium to large fruit has browish- purple skin with pink flesh. tree is large and best adapted to 2,000 – 3,000 feet. Not as prolific as Mission.
Fig	Conadria	4-10,12-24		August-October	Mild and sweet with whitish-pink flesh. Large fruit with cream to light green colored skin. Good, eaten fresh or dried. Tolerates heat well.
Fig	Kadota	4-10,12-24	M	August-October	Yellow skin and amber pulp. Good, fresh or dried, suitable for canning. Fruit is medium sized with yellow skin. Flesh is amber with few seeds. Hot weather aids in ripening
Grapefruit, White	Duncan	8,9,12-24		December-May
Grapefruit, White	Marsh	8,9,12-24		Mid-Nov to May
Grapefruit, Pink	Flame	8,9,12-24		Mid-Nov to May
Grapefruit, Pink	Red Blush	8,9,12-24		Mid-Nov to May
Grapefruit, Pink	Texas Star Ruby	8,9,12-24		Jan-April
Grapefuit x Pummelo	Melogold	8,9,12-24		Dec-January
Grapefuit x Pummelo	Oro Blanco	8,9,12-24		Nov-January
Grapes	Cardinal	8,9,11-16,18-21		6/15-7/15	Clusters large to medium in size. Very large, seeded, cherry red berries become reddish black with maturity. Use for arbor or summer house. Spur pruned.
Grapes	Exotic			6/15-7/15	Berries are black, large, seeded, crisp and sweet. Berry irregular to oval in shape and has large clusters. Ripen in July. Spur pruned.
Grapes	Fantasty			July	Large, black, seedless berry used for table or raisin. Excellent flavor. Ripens in July. Cane pruned.
Grapes	Flame seedless	6-9,12-21		June	Light red, seedless, crisp, sweet berry. Cool nights are required for full color development. Ripens June – July. Spur pruned.
Grapes	Perlette	3,7-16,18-21		5/15-6/15	Pale green, round, crisp, juicy seedless medium sized berry. Larger than Thompson, unique flavor – mild aromatic in flavor. Spur pruned, ripens in June.
Grapes	Ruby seedless	8,9,12-16,18-20		6/15-7/15	Dark red, sweet, crisp, excellent fresh or raisin. Ripens after Thompson seedless. Chilling requirement of 100 hours, self-fruitful. Ripens in June. Spur pruned.
Grapes	Thompson seedless	8,9,11-14,18,19		6/15-7/15	Most popular grape. Green, seedless berry, fresh or raisin. Very sweet. Self-fruitful. Chilling requirement of 100 hours. Ripens mid June – July. Cane pruned.
Jujube
Kiwi	Tomuri Male	4-9,12,14-24		November	Pollenizer for Vincent Female. Does not bear fruit. One male can pollinate up to eight Vincent females.
Kiwi	Vincent Female	4-9,12,14-24		November	Low chilling required, which is adapted to Southern California. Tasty, well-regarded fuzzy skinned fruit. Pollinated by Tomuri male.
Lemon	Eureka	8,9,12-24		August-Feb
Lemon	Lisbon	8,9,12-24		August-Feb
Lemon	Ponderosa	8,9,12-24		Year around	A citron-lemon hybrid, this ponderous choice is a novelty. Fragrant blooms produce gigantic lemons with many seeds. tree tends to be rangy and open; needs pruning to control shape.
Lime	Mexican	13,21-23		Year around	(Key Lime) the small bar lime(1.5 inches in diameter), sometime seedy but extremely juicy and a genuine tropical flavor when ripe. Produces year round, but more abundantly in the fall. Very thorny. Very frost sensitive.
Lime	Tahiti	8,9,12-24		August-Jan	(Bearss, Persian) green lemon size fruit. Thorny branches.
Lime	Kaffir	13,21-23		August	(Thai lime) The fruit is bumpy. The leaves, fruit juice and zest are used in tropical Asian cuisine. Similar frost resistance as the key lime.
Lime	Palestine Sweet	13,21-23			Low acidity and sugar. Many people find the taste bland at first, but the taste of the juice grows on you.
Limequat	Tavares	8,9,12-24		Nov-March
Kumquat	Fukushu	8,9,12-24		Oct-March
Kumquat	Meiwa	8,9,12-24		Oct-March
Kumquat	Nagami	8,9,12-24		Oct-March
Nectarines	Red Gold	2,10	M		Large, yellow flesh fruit. Self-fruitful, freestone.
Nectarines	Sun Glo	2,10	M		Large, deep yellow flesh, freestone.
Olives	Manzanillo	12,13	L		Major processing variety. Medium size fruit.
Olives	Sevillano	12,13	L		Very large fruit. Good pollenizer for Manzanillo
Orange, Navel	Cara Cara	12,13		Dec-January	Pigmented navel orange with a crimson flesh similar to red grapefruit. The flavor and peel color of the ‘Cara Cara’ is similar to other navel orange varieties. Fruit segments are attractive in salads due to its crimson color.
Orange, Navel	Fukumoto	12,13		10/15-12/31
Orange, Navel	Lane Late	12,13		January-March
Orange, Navel	Parent Washington	12,13		Nov-January
Orange, Sweet	Diller	8,9,12-24		Dec-February
Orange, Sweet	Hamlin	8,9,12-24		Nov-January
Orange, Sweet	Marrs	8,9,12-24		10/15-2/15
Orange, Sweet	Pineapple	8,9,12-24		Dec-February
Orange, Sweet	trovita	8,9,12-24		Dec-February
Orange, Valencia	Campbell	8,9,12-24		Feb-May
Orange, Valencia	Delta	8,9,12-24		Feb-May
Orange, Valencia	Midknight	8,9,12-24		Feb-May
Orange, Valencia	Olinda	8,9,12-24		Feb-May
Orange, Blood	Moro	8,9,12-24		11/5-3/1
Orange, Blood	Ruby	8,9,12-24		Jan-February
Orange, Blood	Salustiana	8,9,12-24		Jan-February
Orange, Blood	Sanguinelli	8,9,12-24		Jan-March
Orange, Blood	Tarroco	8,9,12-24		Jan-February
Peach	August Pride	12,13	E	July	Large, sweet, aromatic, rich flavor. Large, all-purpose yellow freestone for mild-winter climates. Sweet, aromatic, rich flavor, one of the best. Chilling requirement less than 300 hours.
Peach	Babcock	12,13,15,16,19-24	E	June	White fleshed freestone. Sweet, juicy and aromatic. Low in acid. Long-time favorite white-fleshed freestone. Sweet and juicy, aromatic, low in acid. Very high-scoring in taste test. Chilling requirement of 250-300 hours.	x
Peach	Belle of Georgia	2,10	M		White flesh, soft and juicy. Very productive.
Peach	Bonanza Miniature	12,13		5/15-6/15	Popular yellow freestone – large fruit is sweet, low in acid, with a mild, refreshing flavor. Mid-to-late May in low desert climates. Five- to six-foot tree. Chilling requirement very low, 250 hours or less.	x
Peach	Cresthaven	2,10	M		Yellow, juicy freestone. Firm and flavorful.
Peach	Desert Gold	8,9,12,13,23		5/15-6/15	Very early ripening: mid-May in Arizona. tree-ripened fruit has good flavor and sweetness for such an early variety. Yellow Clingstone. Heavy bearing. Chilling requirement of 250 hours.	x
Peach	Desert Red	12,13		4/15-5/15	An excellent quality, firm cling peach that has good color. Produces large fruit when thinned and girdled. Chilling requirement of 200-300 hours.	x
Peach	Earligrande	12,13	E	May	Large yellow fruit with a distinctive point. Excellent flavor. Medium size, low-chill peach from Gulf Coast Texas. Yellow semi-freestone. Very early (May). Successful in Arizona and similar climates. Chilling requirement of 275 hours.	x
Peach	Eva’s Pride	12,13		May	Delicious, fine-flavored peach with very low-chilling requirement. Medium- to large-sized yellow freestone. Ripens early-to-late May. Chilling requirement of 100-200 hours.	x
Peach	Fay Elberta	2,3,6-11,14,15,18,19	M-L	Mid-Late	Large size, good flavor, little red blush, good producer.
Peach	Flordagrande	12,13,18-24		4/15-5/15	Excellent yellow-fleshed semi-freestone peach. Flesh will have some red coloration at maturity. Requires less than 100 chill hours.
Peach	Flordaking	12,13,18-24		4/15-5/15	High quality early season peach. Large, firm, flavorful semi-freestone, very sweet when fully ripe. Mid-May in warm winter climates. Chilling requirement 450 hours or less.	x
Peach	Flordaprince	12,13,18-24	E	4/15-5/15	Large to medium size red blush fruit. Semi-clingstone. Needs thinning to make size. From Florida, successfully grown in Arizona. Yellow, semi-cling, larger fruit than Desert Gold, more tolerant of desert heat. Ripens late April to early May in Arizona. Very good quality when tree-ripe. Chilling requirement of 150 hours.	x
Peach	Midpride	12,13	M	June	Yellow freestone. Excellent quality. Best yellow freestone for warm winter climates. Mid-season peach. Chilling requirement of 250 hours.	x
Peach	Ranger	3,5,9,14-16,18	M		Large yellow fruit. Freestone wither excellent flavor.
Peach	Red Globe	3,6-11,14-16	M		Large yellow fruit with red markings. Freestone
Peach	Redhaven	3,5,12,14-16	M		Medium size fruit. Sets heavy crops and requires heavy thinning.
Peach	Redskin	1,3,6-12,14-16	M		Yellow flesh with red blush. Heavy producer. Freestone
Peach	Reliance	9-Apr	L	late Season	Winter hardy. Flesh is soft, juicy and yellow. Freestone.
Peach	Rio Oso Gem	3,7-9,14,15	M		Large fruit with red skin. Freestone.
Peach	tropic Beauty	12,13		5/15-6/15	Excellent quality yellow flesh, firm freestone peach. Produces a large fruit when thinned and girdled properly. Chilling requirement of 100-200 hours. Good for the low desert. Ripens early May.	x
Peach	tropic Snow	12,13	E	May	Skin is white with red blush. White sweet flesh. Freestone. Medium-sized fruit. Skin is white with red blush. White sweet flesh. Good flavor. Freestone. Ripens early May. Chilling requirement 175-200 hours.	x
Peach	tropic Sweet	12,13	E	5/15-6/15	Yellow fleshed large freestone. Good quality freestone, yellow-fleshed peach. Fruit are very large when thinned and girdled properly. Ripens just after tropic Beauty. Chilling requirement of 100-200 hours. Ripens mid-May.	x
Peach	Vallagrande	12,13		5/15-6/15
Pear, Asian	20th Century	2,3-23	M		Medium to large fruit with greenish yellow skin.
Pear, Asian	Shinseiki	2,3-23	M	June	Medium to large fruit with yellow skin. Flesh is creamy white and firm. Juicy, sweet, refreshing, crisp like an apple. Easy to grow. Keeps well. Harvest June in the desert. Bright yellow skin. Vigorous, heavy bearing. Chilling requirement of 350-400 hours.	x
Pear, Asian	Yakumo	2,3-23		June	Early harvest, before Shinseiki. Slight tapered neck, instead of round shape of other Japanese pears. Very nice quality – sweet, juicy, refreshing. Crisp like apple when ripe. Chilling requirement of 450 hours. Pollenizer required.
Pears	Bartlett	1-11,14-18	M		Large fruit with golden yellow color. Green at picking. Needs pollenizer for bet production.
Pears	Bosc	1-11,14-18	M		Medium to large fruit – long tapering neck, darkly russeted. Stores well.
Pears	Floridahome	2,3-23	E	6/15-7/15	Medium size fruit with thin green skin. Flesh is white and juicy. Harvest fruit green. Needs pollenizer. Hood is best pollenizer. Very nice quality, sweet, smooth-textured, juicy, flavorful. Early bloom. Chilling requirement less than 400 hours.
Pears	Hood	2,3-23	E		Good pollenizer for Floridahome.
Pears	Keiffer	2,3-23	E	6/15-7/15	Fair quality, hard fruit containing grit cells. Needs pollenizer. Medium to large late season fruit. Canning/cooking. Sprightly flavor, coarse texture. Resists fireblight, tolerates hot climates. Dependable crops. 350 hours.	x
Pears	LeConte	2,3-23	E		High quality, low chill pear. Needs cross pollination.
Pears	Orient	2,3-23	E		Very large fruit with white flesh.
Pears	Red Sensation	1-11,14-18	M		Red Bartlett.
Pears	Seckel	1-11,14-18	M		Small reddish brown fruit. Dessert quality.
Pears	Surecrop	1-11,14-18	M		Small reddish brown fruit. Dessert quality.
Pecan	Cheyenne	4-10,12-16,18-23		10/15-11/15	Bears heavy and early. Nuts are medium size, soft shell, with excellent kernel quality. tree is somewhat susceptible to limb breakage; slow growing tree.
Pecan	Choctaw	4-10,12-16,18-23		10/15-11/15	tree is vigorous and is an excellent producer. Moderately precocious. Produces pecans of outstanding quality. Shells are thin and cracks into half kernels very easily.
Pecan	Comanche	4-10,12-16,18-23		10/15-11/15	Medium to large sized nuts, nearly round, thin shelled. Good producer, nut quality is excellent. Nuts tend to sprout.
Pecan	Sioux	4-10,12-16,18-23		10/15-11/15	Good producer with small to medium sized nuts with outstanding kernel quality. A little slow to begin producing, moderately precocious.
Pecan	Western Schley	4-10,12-16,18-23		10/15-11/15	Easy to grow, nut long, tapered, medium sized, thin-shelled, good kernel quality. Self-fruitful. Early bearing 4 to 5 years. Recommended for single tree planting in home garden. Less affected by zinc deficiency than other cultivars. Precocious and prolific. Tendency for nuts to sprout (pregerm) in the low desert.
Pecan	Wichita	4-10,12-16,18-23		10/15-11/15	Highly flavored, medium to large sized nuts are well-filled, soft shell. Plump, rich, distinctively flavored kernel. Bears heavy at young age. Pollinators are Cheyenne or Western Schley. Prone to zinc deficiency. Strong tendency for nuts to sprout(pregerm) in the low desert.
Persimmon	Fuyu (Jiro)	7-16,18-23		September	(“Apple Persimmon”): Medium size, flat shape, still hard when ripe, non-astringent. Cool or hot climate. Hardy, attractive tree, practically pest free. Chilling requirement 200 hours.	x
Persimmon	Giant Fuyu	7-16,18-23		September	Larger, not so flat as Fuyu. Crunchy when ripe like Fuyu. Sweet, flavorful, non-astringent. Easy to grow, cool or hot climates. Chilling requirement of 200 hours.	x
Persimmon	Hachiya	7-10,14-16,18-23	M		Astringent until soft.
Persimmon	Hosui	4-10,14-16,18-23	M		Fruit has golden rusted skin. Flesh is firm, juicy and mild.
Persimmon	Izu	1-11,14-18		September	Very sweet, tasty, non-astringent. Fruit ripen about three weeks before Fuyu. Medium to large size, round shape. Relatively small tree, good choice for backyard persimmon. Sometimes difficult to start from bareroot. Chilling requirement of 100 hours.	x
Plum	Beauty	23-Jul		5/15-6/15	Sweet, flavorful plum. Red over yellow skin, amber flesh streaked red. Chilling requirement of 250 hours.	x
Plum	Fuyer	10	M		Nonastringent and sweet.
Plum	Green Gage	2-10,14-22	M		Medium size greenish fruit. Practically self-fruitful. Greater yields with cross pollination
Plum	Gulf Gold	12,13		6/15-7/15	Green-skinned plum which turns yellowish when ripe. Juicy, sweet, yellow flesh. Chilling requirement of 250 hours.	x
Plum	Gulf Ruby	12,13		6/15-7/15	Sweet, juicy plum, with reddish-purple skin and amber flesh.Chilling requirement of 250 hours.	x
Plum	Methley			5/15-6/15	Juicy, sweet, red flesh, mild flavor. Reddish purple skin. Attractive tree, heavy bearing and vigorous. Chilling requirement of 250 hours.	x
Plum	Santa Rosa	2,3,7-23	E	June	Large purple fruit. Yellow flesh. Self-fruitful.	x
Plum	Satsuma	2,3-22	M		Medium dark red, juicy, tart fruit. Most popular plum in California and Arizona. Juicy, tangy, flavorful. Reddish-purple skin, amber flesh tinged red. Chilling requirement of 300 hours.	x
Plum	Stanley	2-10,14-22	L		Large, purple fruit that is juicy and sweet. Self fruitful.	x
Pomegranate	Ozark Premier	2,10	M		Very large red fruit. Self-fruitful.	x
Pomegranate	Wonderful	5,6-24			Bright orange flowers, purplish red fruit.	x
Quince	Champion	2-10,14-24	L		Cold hardy.
Quince	Orange	3,4-24	M	August	Tart, good quality. Large, round, bright yellow fruits often exceed 1 lb. Flavorful, aromatic, used for cooking. Early harvest. Old variety. Cold hardy, yet low chilling requirement of 300 hours.	x
Quince	Pineapple	3,4-24	M	August	Tart, good quality. Heavy crops of large, tart fruit used in baking, jams, and jellies. Profuse, ornamental bloom. Cold hardy, yet low chilling requirement of 300 hours.	x
Quince	Smyrna	3,4-24	L		Large fruit.
Quince	Wonderful	3,4-24	L		Red skin color. Self-fruitful.
Strawberry	Camerosa			March-July	Plants are large and vigorous. Fruit are large, firm wedge shaped berries of good quality.
Strawberry	Chandler			March-July	Plant is large and vigorous. Produces nice berries which are smaller than Camerosa, but tend to be sweeter.
Strawberry	Sequoia			March-July	Produces a big vigorous plant. Fruit are large, wedge shaped of high quality, but soft when ripe.
Strawberry	Tioga			March-July	This plant is very large and vigorous with big, dark green glossy leaves. Fruit are very large, firm wedge shaped berries of medium quality.
Tangelo	Minneola	8,9,12-24		12/15-3/1
Tangelo	Orlando	8,9,12-24		11/1-1/15
Tangerine	Clementine	8,9,12-24		Nov-December	(Algerian tangerine) comes from North Africa
Tangerine	Daisy	8,9,12-24		Dec-January
Tangerine	Dancy	8,9,12-24		Dec-January
Tangerine	Fairchild	8,9,12-24		Nov-December
Tangerine	Kinnow	8,9,12-24		Dec-February

Courtesy of Gardening Arizona

How to Grow Orange Trees in a Arizona Landscape

admin — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:04:03 +0000

Healthy trees and a sweet, delicious harvest are the goal as you tend your oranges throughout the year. Follow these few steps to help grow healthy orange trees.

Instructions

Orange Tree

Things You’ll Need:

Compost Makers

Fertilizers

Garden Hoses

Mulch

Orange Trees

Shovels

Purchase an orange variety adapted to your area. For example, Washington navels grow well in California, while Valencia oranges are adapted to Arizona, Texas and Florida, as well as California.

Plant the tree in a warm, sunny area where the soil drains well.

Mulch to conserve water.

Water the tree deeply once every 7 to 10 days in midsummer. Water less often if it rains or if the weather is cool.

Fertilize every four to six weeks from February to August.

Protect trees from frost if temperatures are forecast to drop below 28 degrees F.

Harvest oranges when they taste sweet. Timing will vary by variety and growing area.

Article provided by: eHow Contributing Writer

How to Grow Peach Trees in Arizona

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:55:30 +0000

The warm Arizona sunshine and arid desert climate creates the ideal conditions for growing luscious plump peaches that can be enjoyed all year round. Growing a peach tree requires just a little work to get it properly planted, followed by a vigorous yearly feeding and maintenance schedule to keep it healthy. Providing the time and care that peach trees require is well worth the effort as the results will produce sweet and juicy peaches.

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Peach trees (bare-root, container)

Nutrient rich tree food

Compost

Mulch

Insect and fungus repellent

Select trees that are bred to be grown in the desert climate native to Arizona. Choosing a tree that requires colder temperatures for extended periods of time than can be provided in Arizona will result in a nonproductive tree. The Florida Prince and Earli Grande varieties are good choices for planting, as they do not require as many cold hours as most peach tree varieties.

Planting of bare-rooted trees should take place in early winter in January or February when the trees are dormant. Container grown trees should be planted earlier in the fall months. Feed and prune newly planted trees which will allow several months of growth time for the root system. When choosing a location for the peach tree, select an area that will provide plenty of sun. While a peach tree likes a lot of sun, it is also a good idea to plant the tree in a location that will also provide a certain amount of shade during the day. A layer of mulch can be placed around the tree base to help hold in moisture during hot and dormant times of the year.

Plant the tree in a hole that is deep enough for the roots to have plenty of room to expand and grow. When placing the tree inside the prepared hole, refill the hole with a moist mixture of soil and compost. When the hole is completely filled, create a moat or basin around the perimeter of the tree base for watering purposes. Peach trees need to be watered weekly and deeply so the roots get plenty of moisture and will grow a strong and sturdy root system. During the winter dormant months, the trees do not require as much water. Feed the newly planted trees with quality food that is heavy in nutrients. These vital nutrients will promote growth and budding in the spring when the second pruning of newly planted trees should take place. By encouraging additional growth, the second year should produce a very strong fruit producing tree at harvest time. Begin fertilizing in the second year after harvesting to replenish the tree. After the second year, the tree should be well established and will be need to be pruned only during the winter months when the trees are dormant. Pruning is essential to the health of the tree. Tree branches need to be cut back to promote new branch growth for foliage and blossoms. If not trimmed, the branches will continue to grow longer and longer with the blossoms sprouting further away from the tree trunk, causing the branches to become weighted down and strained.

Maintain the trees with a year-round feeding schedule. The trees are usually fed every three months with the first feeding beginning in January or February when the tree is first planted, again at the beginning of spring and the last feeding at the end of the season. All feedings play an important role in preparing the tree for the winter, strengthening the tree during the blossoming period and at the end of the season to replenish the tree and promote essential growth prior to the tree going into the dormant season.

Add to the yearly feeding, fertilizing and pruning regimen a program to address pest and fungus issues that can plague and ultimately destroy your tree if not treated. Maintaining a yearly spraying schedule will help to control the onset of pests and disease. Along with spraying, visually inspect your trees throughout the year to be sure the treatment is working and to address any problems.

Harvesting of the fruit can range from 2 to 3 months. Keep in mind, once the peaches are picked, they will last for a short period of time. Ripened peaches left on the tree have a longer span of time but will also deteriorate after several weeks. Be prepared to use the fruit in cooking, canning or freezing once the peaches have been harvested.

Article provided by Vickie Ferguson an eHow Contributing Writer