Sachin

Living in a desert climate doesn’t mean that your garden and yard need to be boring, dry or ugly. In fact, the desert terrain comes with its own beautiful features that can be highlighted with just a few simple landscaping techniques. While the style of the area is much different compared more standard yards, there are some things you can do to your desert area to make it thrive and look at its best.

1. Since the desert is a dry climate, it is used to living off very little water. While it might be easy to assume that all plants in this kind of climate need a lot of water, it is actually the opposite. If you live in a dry area or own any plants like a cactus from the desert, be sure never to over water it.

2. Instead of having an empty dirt lot, it is a good idea to cover the area with tiny pebbles or rocks to give the yard a more organized look. Rocks are very natural to the desert environment, so they would definitely look right underneath a cactus or large agave plant. To further decorate the desert landscape, it can be a good idea to place larger rocks in a circular fashion around certain plants to emphasize them on your property.

3. Another tip for maintaining a good-looking desert landscape is to buy the plants that are appropriate for that terrain. Not only would a tree or plant from a lush area not have a good chance for survival, but also if it did it would suck up all the water around it before any other plants get a chance to. That is because plants that are from an area with lots of moisture tend to require more, so a smart and economic decision would be to buy plants and trees that are durable during droughts.

4. Even though a grass lawn might sound appealing, it could end up being very frustrating. Grass is not tolerant of living on very low amounts of water, so being able to it keep healthy and green will require lots of watering and a much higher bill. In addition to that, it isn’t a good idea to have plants in the ground that need a lot of water right next to ones that don’t because you can really only tend to the needs of one or the other.

5. Place the biggest desert plants where you know they will be seen. Since the desert area is pretty barren with the exception for the plants and cactus, it might be a good idea to showcase the ones you like best in the front of your home. A large agave plant can be several feet tall and even if there isn’t much around it, it can make the front yard look gorgeous.

6. The Southwestern part of the United States is known for its beautiful sunsets and cactus silhouettes, which is why another good idea for improving your desert landscape is to place plants in a position where they can be back-lit by the sun at the end of the day. Organizing your property in this fashion is sure to be a crowd pleaser, and it can help bring on that calming feeling at the end of the day while you sit outdoors.

7. Adding some large rocks or boulders to the front or back area of the yard is one of the best ways to give the area that natural desert look and feel. In order to avoid the boulders looking like they were placed there on purpose, try burying a couple inches at the base with some pebbles or small rocks.


Written by Clark Jones, owner of Tree Frog Complete Grounds Maintenance. Tree Frog is the best company for landscaping in Columbia, MO has to offer.