Desert Landscaping Suggestions

People are changing traditional ideas of planting and maintaining home landscapes throughout drought areas, emphasizing native landscaping. A unique idea and native landscaping allows for residents to coexist peacefully with nature.

Dry areas, urban and agricultural development, growing population are placing increased demand on available water, and with increased demand and cost of water, desert landscaping become more and more popular.

At first glance it may not seem a very good idea at the time of technological progress to have cactus featured instead of bluegrass, common areas scattered with sagebrush and juniper, to have rocky arroyos left in their natural condition. Would you live in a house that looks like it just landed on an untouched piece of desert land?

It's quite common that many people think that desert landscaping is associated with sand, gravel, cactus, meagre plants and tremendous heat. It's nothing of the like. The design of these landscapes could be limited only by your imagination - the main rule is to maintain the beauty without being thirsty.

There are several terms which describe the landscape in dry areas: "xeriscaping", "low water use", "desert" and "waterwise". Xeriscaping from the Greek "xeros", meaning dry. A backyard garden with desert landscape is a well balanced garden - one that uses water efficiently and balances the lawn, shrubs and flowers with landscape - things that doesn't grow - fences, benches, decks, patio, sidewalks, etc.

Mainly, desert landscape consists of three primary zones:

In dry areas of your backyard, to be particular in "very low water-use zones", the idea is taken literary as desert landscaping. In such zones people it is preferred to have a traditional desert landscape, the one that needs no external irrigation aside from the precious little natural rainfall, rather than common irrigation and landscaping techniques. Drought tolerant plants may be a way out - the ability of the plant to survive on limited water, although plants of that kind usually look better as water is increased. These plants include palo verde and mesquite trees, ocotillo, creosote, and cholla shrubs, agave and the armed saguaro cactus. Not all of the desert dreamscape plants may be native to the desert but the majority have the appearance of desert survivors.

The second type of the zone which is visually important to the landscape - "low water-use zone" - this zone require additional water than natural rainfall. This zone rarely come into human contact or activity with accents made at flower borders, bulb gardens, shrub beds and other plants abla to survive with little water supply.

And the third type is principal hydrozone - "moderate water-use zone", the area of the greatest human activity and interaction with the landscape. This zone is mainly exposed areas with high water requirements - vegetable gardens, turf and other plants wth high water consumption. Sometimes referred to as an "oasis" in desert landscape design, this high-traffic area is both functionally and visually important as the place where people walk, play, relax, sit and recreate.

In order to establish a desert landscape follow this landscaping guidelines:

make plan and design;
think of practical turf areas;
irrigate efficiently;
amend soil;
attend to mulches;
pay attention to appropriate desert landscaping plants selection;
install windscreens;
don't forget about the maintenance;
pay attention to details.

Examples of some desert landscaping plants:

Joshua Tree

Bottle Brush

Jumping Cholla Cactus

Calico Cactus (Hedgehog Cactus)