Front Yard Landscaping Ideas
Southwest Front Yard Landscaping Ideas
Living in the Southwest of the United States assures us of hours of outdoor entertainment, even while the rest of the United States is hunkered down during the depths of Winter. So, wouldn’t it make sense that your landscaping design should provide as much comfort and utility as possible? When it comes to landscaping in the desert most homeowners think of hardscaping elements such as decorative rock and drought-resistant cacti. Well, there are many other landscaping elements that work just as well as these, and some are uniquely beautiful while others provide nearly maintenance-free benefits.
If you have an area that runs adjacent to your front sidewalk, rather than planting and watering grass in that area you might want to consider a nearly maintenance-free design option. One idea that is both beautiful and requires very little maintenance is to cover the area with landscaping gravel and then plant a row of Aloe Vera plants. Aloe Vera plants require very little watering and stand up great in your desert landscaping design. To add a splash of color to your desert landscaping you might want to plant brightly colored plants between your Aloe Vera plants or even consider adding larger rocks as a centerpiece.
Beautiful Front Yard Landscaping Ideas
When you live in an area with reduced annual rainfall you quickly come to the conclusion that your landscaping choices are not the same as what you might see on those do-it-yourself television programs. While some trees that are indigenous to this part of the desert do grow to 30 feet or more, they do so slowly and are sparsely scattered across the valley. If you’re looking for a beautiful front yard landscape in the desert, you’ve come to the right place. On this page, we’ll answer your questions and provide valuable input for your next landscaping project.
How do you do landscaping in a desert environment?
Dry Creek Beds
A simple way to create contrast and attract attention to a specific area of your front yard is to incorporate a dry creek bed into your landscaping. Even if you don’t have moving water, the appeal of a dry creek bed can provide the illusion and calming nature of water.
Water Features
The look and sound of water in your landscaping are naturally soothing as water has always been regarded as a life-giving resource. If you have an area of your front yard that you would like to showcase, incorporating a beautiful water feature into your landscaping is ideal.
Shrubs and Cactuses
Cactuses and shrubs are two great additions to any desert landscaping as they are among the toughest, most drought-tolerant plants in the world. As a stand-alone element cacti and shrubs aren’t so desirable but as a component to separate areas of your yard, they’re ideal.
Pergolas For Shade
Although it’s a dry heat, relaxing in the desert is next to impossible without a little shade. Incorporating a pergola or other types of shade-producing elements into your landscaping is a great way to enjoy the outside regardless of the excessive desert temperatures.
From Landscaping Rock to Excavating Services, We’ve Got You Covered.
If you’re ready to design your landscaping around your home into a low-maintenance outside area that can be enjoyed year-round, then you’ve come to the right place. Art Barber Excavating can help all your hardscaping dreams come true with decorative gravel delivery.
How can I make my front yard low maintenance?
Everyone wants a beautiful and enjoyable landscape design for their property. Not only does it increase the curb appeal of your property but awesome landscaping is great when it comes time to entertain. Of course, the problem remains that most landscaping projects require frequent maintenance after the job has been completed. But, going minimalist by throwing down some decorative rock and only planting a few shrubs, and maybe a lonesome cactus isn’t everyone’s idea of quality landscaping. What most homeowners are looking for, when it comes to landscaping their yards, is that perfect balance between aesthetically pleasing and low-maintenance. The good news is there’s a lot you can do to decrease the amount of time you spend working on your yard while increasing its utility and usefulness.
Fire Pit Area
While planting cactuses in your front yard is a good way to decrease the amount of maintenance you’ll need to do, consider installing a fire pit area to offset the elements of your landscaping design. The temperatures in the desert reach scorching highs during the daytime hours, but at night they can dip into the 30s making a fire pit very enjoyable.
Use Similar Plants
One way to decrease the amount of time and resources maintaining your front yard’s landscaping is to use only plants that have similar watering requirements. Rather than mixing plants with various watering needs, try incorporating plants that love full and partial sun and are adapted to the desert as these require little attention throughout the year.
Various Succulents
Using various succulents that require little watering is a way to mix up your landscaping design. Rather you prefer tall and willowy or short and plump succulents can provide an ornamental look not that much different than ornamental grass but don’t require the trimming and watering that grasses do. Succulents break up the monotony and look beautiful.
Can you have a lush green lawn in the desert?
So far we’ve focused our discussion on the aesthetics of traditional desert landscaping and on creating a low-maintenance front yard. Now, we’re going to delve into what many homeowners in the desert still want, and that’s a lush green lawn. Many people who live in the Phoenix metro area are transplants from other parts of the country where green grass is in abundance during the Spring and Summer months. Unfortunately, green grass in the desert is not as readily abundant. In fact, there’s quite a lot of work that goes into acquiring and maintaining a lush green lawn in such arid conditions.
If you’re looking to grow grass in the desert, the first two things you’ll want to take into consideration are the quality of your soil and using the right kind of seed. Not all grasses flourish in the desert, so you’ll want to use the same type of turfgrass that those in the golf course maintenance industry use. The reason that turf grasses work so well is that they reduce water runoff, thereby conserving water and increasing the grass’s longevity. Tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass are great turf grasses and are beautiful even during the hottest days of the year. But others prefer Bermuda grass, buffalo grass, and blue grama.
Regardless of the type of landscaping you choose, just know that Art Barber Excavating is available to deliver all types of decorative gravel in bulk to locations all across the Phoenix Metro area. Contact us for all your landscaping and excavating needs.
