Today’s post is the fifth installment of the Wednesday Phoenix Tree and Shade Masterplan Series.  Today’s installment is about the second step outlined to implement the Masterplan – Preserve, Protect and Increase.  As you might recall, Raising Awareness was the first step which I discussed two weeks ago.  The final step is Sustainable and Maintainable [...]

This is the third installment of a month-long Wednesday series on The Phoenix Tree and Shade Master Plan.  Part I was all about what an urban forest is and Part II, last Wednesday, was about the multiple benefits of a healthy urban forest.  Today I’m going to talk about the first step that the Master [...]

Yesterday, I posted this quote on the Blooming Rock Facebook Fan Page: ‎“One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.” – Clarence Darrow and I learned from Jo Marie McDonald, vice president of the Phoenix Community Alliance, that there is actually a Tree and Shade Master Plan in place for the City of Phoenix.  [...]

“Beginning in the early 1930′s, Chicago architects Fred and William Keck began a decade-long investigation of south-facing windows in residences that became the first to be called ‘solar houses’.  During this same period, two internationally reknowned modern architects, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breur, both applied climatic analysis as major design determinants, as evidenced by generous [...]

In yesterday’s post, I explained the basics of building orientation and the appropriate types of shade for the east, west and south sides of a building.  Today I’m going to show you some examples of how shading is used brilliantly in some of Central Phoenix’s mid-century modern buildings. This mid-century modern beauty on Osborn and [...]

The most important and fundamental energy-saving strategy you need to know about in Phoenix is shading your home from direct sun and heat gain.  Well-positioned shade around your house can save you up to 40% in your cooling bills. We explored creating shade from a planting perspective on the Blooming Rock blog on the week [...]

Today, guest blogger Doreen Pollack talks about something we rarely think about and that’s shading our rocks and paved areas.  She tells us why this is important and how it contributes to reducing our city-wide heat-island problem and how it can keep your own house cool. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Doreen Pollack is the Garden Goddess and owner [...]

Today, guest blogger Doreen Pollack teaches us about the many green benefits of growing a vine at home.  What I love about Doreen’s strategies is that they not only offer shade to your home, which is so important here in the desert, but they have many other benefits as well.  This makes sense because that’s [...]

This week on the Blooming Rock Blog, I’m excited to have guest blogger Doreen Pollack teach us about passive cooling strategies with planting. With our brutal Phoenix summer sneaking up on us, this information is a must know to guard against unnecessary heat gain inside our homes, whether it be for this summer or for [...]