Landscape in Transition Garden Tour

A Garden Tour hosted by the American Society of Landscape Architects is scheduled for May 1, 2010.

" A Landscape in Transition" is a guided Bus Tour of private residential gardens and public projects designed by professional Landscape Architects. The tour will highlight the professional work of Landscape Architects and will showcase ways to make existing landscapes drought tolerant. The tour includes a residential landscape installed by and currently maintained by Steven Smith Landscape, Inc.  Please visit the residential installation and maintenance galleries on our website for photos for this and other projects.

Palm Removal and Installation

Steven Smith Landscape was contacted recently by an Association that had a sick Phoenix canariensis palm tree.  We determined that the tree died from a Fusarium infection. Fusarium 'wilt' is caused by a soil fungus Fusarium oxysporum and is the most common infection affecting palm trees.This causes older, lower fronds to turn yellow, wilt and die followed by the upper leaves. The die off of fronds is very rapid and eventually the entire plant dies. There is no cure for this disease and trees must be removed.  It can be spread by contaminated pruning tools.  New tools or disinfected tools need to be used to curb the spread of the disease.

   We removed the tree and replaced it with a

36" box Chamaerops humilis which is resistant to infection.
Chris Cutler, Maintenance Superintendent - Steven Smith Landscape, Inc.

Plant of the Month: April 2010

Calliandra eriophylla known commonly as Fairy Duster, is a low spreading shrub which is native to deserts and arid grasslands in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas and Mexico. Pink Flower clusters bloom February through May, with deep pink to red stamens and bipinnate leaves. 3 ft. tall, 4-5 ft. wide. Highly drought resistant.


To see more suggestions for drought resistant landscape plants, visit stevensmithlandscape.com