A Guide to Desert Landscaping

Desert landscaping presents unique challenges.   When most people think of the desert they only think of high temperatures and a sun that will bake even the heartiest plants.  The fact of the matter is that the desert can get really hot during the day but then fall to very low temperatures at night.   The wild swings in temperatures often makes desert landscaping a real challenge. 

Desert Landscaping: The Hot And Cold 

Desert landscaping can only take place with those plants that are hearty enough to survive the wide range of temperatures that can be experienced in any given 24 hour period. Evergreen shrubs and trees survive well in high terrain deserts, because they withstand the heat and tolerate cold. Many cactus plants are also cold hardy. Most people aren’t aware that cacti can survive in the heat and the cold! 

When you are interested in desert landscaping and you don’t know much about the desert plants the best thing you can do is visit your local nursery. Often big box garden retailers have their plants ordered by someone in their regional office.

This person often doesn’t understand the complexities of desert weather and orders plants that might not do well in your yard. Working closely with your nursery will help ensure that you have plants that can stand the temperature fluctuations. 

Desert Landscaping: Water With Care 

Choosing plants that are native to the area will ensure that watering is a breeze.  If you want to grow flowers or fruits and vegetables you are going to have to consider how you will water your non-native desert landscaping as the natural environment will not produce enough moisture for the plants to thrive.

Before you design your desert yard, check with your local authorities to make sure that there are no watering restrictions in your city or county. Once you have established how much water you want to spare on your yard each month, come up with a watering plan.  

When considering this non-native desert landscaping you will have to consider how you will water as well as figuring out how much water is needed.  Do you want to water by hand? The easiest way to water your lawn and garden is with a timed sprinkler system.

If you plant grass set your timer to go off in the early morning hours, so that the water can seep into your ground before the sun rises and causes it to evaporate. Choose a drip irrigation system to water your shrubs and ground covers and you will waste as little water as is possible. 

Filling your yard with gravel or rocks will help to cut back on the amount of watering you are currently doing, if this is a desire.  This low maintenance alternative to grass looks attractive in a desert setting.

One caveat to rocks is that light colored gravel will reflect the sun’s heat, causing your yard to seem even hotter each afternoon, which is a deterrent for many who are trying to escape the heat.