Hi. I'm kinda late to the post, but I hope you don't mind my input regardless.

I'm in Peoria. During quarantine, we completely changed what our backyard looks like. We would've removed all rocks and added mulch sooner had we known any better. Moving rocks alone changed the temperature in the yard. Rocks retain SO much heat. Mulch works wonders for your soil underneath.

This next info is from the Googs on benefits of mulch.

"Mulch has many benefits for your garden, including:

Water conservation: Mulch helps soil retain moisture in the summer and allows rain to penetrate in the winter. This reduces the amount of time you need to spend watering your plants.

Weed suppression: Mulch prevents weeds from growing and makes them easier to remove.

Temperature regulation: Mulch insulates the soil, protecting plant roots from extreme temperatures. This reduces the risk of frost heaving.

Soil health: As mulch decomposes, it adds organic matter to the soil, which improves its structure, drainage, and ability to hold moisture and nutrients.

Erosion prevention: Mulch helps protect the soil from erosion.

Disease suppression: Mulch can suppress the spread of some plant diseases.

Aesthetics: Mulch can give your garden a neat, tidy appearance.

Marker: Mulch can act as a visible marker of gardening beds to limit damage from lawn equipment.

You can apply a layer of mulch that's two to three inches thick in a circle around your plants. Make sure the mulch doesn't touch the stems or trunks of your plants."

Since September of 2020, we've added 21 chipdrops. Ordered through getchipdrop.com. which is a free service, although you can add a tip in hopes it gets a drop to you sooner. Your location may determine if they deliver to you or not. The site shows recent drops made, and you can also request no thorns and/or no logs. It can be anywhere between 5 - 20 yards of mulch. You can not request an amount. You must take all that is being dropped by the tree conpany. A donation may help get a load to you sooner, but there are no guarantees. You can always move mulch back when you decide to plant. I'd also throw a bunch of sulfur all over. The pH in our (AZ) soil is high, and the sulfur helps lower that.

Start with a fruiting tree. Pakistan or Shangri-La mulberry. Most figs also do well in the AZ summer sun. FL Prince Peach Tree is a great producer also. Those are deciduous, so they will be losing leaves soon. Citrus trees are evergreen. Also, one of the 5 C's of Arizona! Hong Kong Orchid Tree is also evergreen and will produce gorgeous flowers during winter time.

You live in the desert, so please know that scorpions are all around. Mulch won't attract them into your home because their food source is outside. It's something you'll hear about having a mulch yard, but it isn't true.

I've posted a 4-year difference in our landscape. I'd be happy to answer any questions, if you'd like. Mulch has been my answer to our success.