Xeriscaping Ideas for the Southwestern Regions

Every home remodel, new home, or new building needs Landscaping to finalize the project and make it beautiful.  It's what makes the building, the exterior, and the overall project beautiful.  Xeriscaping & Landscaping design is done to complement the architectural style of the home.  Landscape Designers and Landscape Architects often provide excellent ideas in residential and small commercial landscaping - such as landscape design, exterior environments, backyards, and residential landscapes.  A good landscape designer should be extremely considerate of upfront installation costs, yearly maintenance costs, and long term sustainability. 

My speciality stems from many years in Phoenix, where upfront costs were negligible, and the yearly maintenance costs (i.e. water bills, landscape maintenance, etc.) were slim to none.  Hence came the important aspects of water-friendly, low-maintenance and xeriscaped landscapes for the Southwestern regions.  The term Xeriscape was one of the most popular and most landscape friendly styles for the dry desert climate where water was scare.  Many new and existing homes are not allowed to have grass; in fact, in some cities, cash rebates are offered to convert high-water consuming turf to desert landscaping or xeriscaping.  Xeriscaping has been a very popular method of landscaping, and landscape designers have adapted this style for many of their clients.

As a Phoenix landscaping company, our expert designers in landscaping can provide many techniques and ideas of xeriscaping.  From Sonoran landscapes, which may include cacti, saguaros, and ocotillos to SW Xeriscapes that may include many mid-level desert landscapes that can't quite bear the hot AZ summers.  Desert landscaping & Xeriscaping often include many of these following types of plant species:

1. Traditional Color Plants - These xeriscaping plants are standard, normal xeriscaping plants that require standard water useage.  These plants often have long bloom seasons, lots of flowers, and attract hummingbirds.  Some common species that landscapers love are the cherry and russian sages, Echinacea, gaillardia, gayfeather, iris, lamb's ears, yarrows, asters, columbines, or coreopsis.
2. Arizona Desert Plants - Many of the species above would not sustain an Arizona summer, which is the reason for a secondary list of Arizona xeriscaping plants.  Red Bird of Paradise, Arizona Yellow Bells, Orange Jubilee, Texas Sage, Baja Fairy Duster are all popular favorites amond the Phoenix landscape contractors.  Other standard species you will find in hot xeriscape regions may be the creosote, bursage, mexican hopseed, feathery cassia, ruellia katie, or bougainvillea species.
3. Xeriscape Grasses - Landscape planners use grasses for accents or to fill in oversized areas.Large accent grasses such as pampas grass or fountain grass can grow fast and provide a visual center feature.  Muhly grass is an excellent choice for accents too.  Some groundcover grasses can actually fill in large spaces and provide a great xeriscaping environment (blue fescue, blue grama, and other ornamental grasses).
4. Agaves - There are many unique species of agaves, that range from the little agave parryi to the large 62" tall agave americana.  The southwest xeriscape plant of choice is ofter an Agave because of it's minimal water use and little to no maintenance.
5. Cacti -  Arizona landscape designers have the great selection of many varieties of cacti - but most commonly, the Saguaro cactus (native to Arizona).  The best statement for any desert landscape in Arizona is the accent that a Saguaro provides.  Cacti in xeriscaping will drastically reduce the need for water useage, and some gorgeous cacti considerations are:  Hedge Hog, Golden Barrel, Mexican Fence Post and Cholla.
6. Desert Trees - Desert climate trees also require less water and less maintenance.  A natural wind break and some shade can be provided by properly placing trees and large shrubs in your xeriscaping project.  Landscape Designers love the Palo Verde, mesquite, and desert willow for some of their professional projects.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR LANDSCAPING PROJECT:

• Review the city requirements for xeriscaping species, plant locations and restricted plants.  Check for turf restrictions, since some areas do not allow installation of high water useage plants like turf.
• Research landscaping & xeriscaping plants that are good for your specific location.  Some plants will do poorly if not planted in the proper region.
• Research rainfall for your region and this can help you select plants and setup & plan for a proper drip irrigation system.
• Use groupings of different species of shrubs in large mounds.  A good idea is to use big species of trees or plants for focal features, and under plant with smaller, colorful plants.
• Water early in the morning - this is a cool part of the morning that can help your plants use more of the water and avoid evaporation.
• By watering less, and longer durations, you are actually helping your desert plants develop a better root system, and they will require less water.
• Snip wilted flowers & foliage to improve blooms & blooming lengths.
• If you have sod or turf in your xeriscape, then make sure you irrigate properly and reduce runoff.
• The use of a professional landscape designer is a superb investment