Bulbs Flower Basics Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens Flower Garden Garden Furniture Garden Gnomes Garden Seeds Garden Sheds Garden Statues Garden Tools & Supplies Gardening Basics Green & Organic Groundcovers & Vines Growing Annuals Growing Basil Growing Beans Growing Berries Growing Blueberries Growing Cactus Growing Corn Growing Cotton Growing Edibles Growing Flowers Growing Garlic Growing Grapes Growing Grass Growing Herbs Growing Jasmine Growing Mint Growing Mushrooms Orchids Growing Peanuts Growing Perennials Growing Plants Growing Rosemary Growing Roses Growing Strawberries Growing Sunflowers Growing Thyme Growing Tomatoes Growing Tulips Growing Vegetables Herb Basics Herb Garden Indoor Growing Landscaping Basics Landscaping Patios Landscaping Plants Landscaping Shrubs Landscaping Trees Landscaping Walks & Pathways Lawn Basics Lawn Maintenance Lawn Mowers Lawn Ornaments Lawn Planting Lawn Tools Outdoor Growing Overall Landscape Planning Pests, Weeds & Problems Plant Basics Rock Garden Rose Garden Shrubs Soil Specialty Gardens Trees Vegetable Garden Yard Maintenance

DIY Desert Landscaping

How to Start Lemon Seeds Indoors - watch on youtube
DIY Desert Landscaping

DIY Desert Landscaping. Desert landscaping is an easy way to renovate a yard without a lot of continued maintenance, and offers a simple way to make your landscaping more eco-friendly, by drastically reducing water consumption. Best of all, the lack of complicated drip systems or large-scale plantings means that most of your new desert landscaping...

Desert landscaping is an easy way to renovate a yard without a lot of continued maintenance, and offers a simple way to make your landscaping more eco-friendly, by drastically reducing water consumption. Best of all, the lack of complicated drip systems or large-scale plantings means that most of your new desert landscaping can be done yourself, without the need to hire costly labor or landscape workers. In arid climates, where desert plants thrive, a desert landscape can even help blend your home into the environment, providing a natural, beautiful look.
Things You'll Need
Shovel
Potting mix
Landscape plastic
Scissors
Gravel
Desert plants
Other decor (optional)
Plan your design carefully, before any ground is broken. Consider multiple layout options and how they will work in your yard. Research potential designs on-line or at the library, and consider your plan of attack in detail. Sketch a few possibilities out to help solidify the idea, before purchases are made on plants or materials. Working out possible kinks now will save time and energy later.
Remove any unwanted plants that will not fit into your new desert landscape theme. Any trees or shrubs that consume large amounts of water should be dug out, as should any grass present in the yard. If desired, now is a great time to make alterations to the terrain by adding small hills and elevation changes to the dirt.
Group plants together based on how much water they require to make the occasional watering process easier, and plant with a mixture of half native soil and half well-draining potting mix.
Cut landscape plastic to fit the remainder of the yard, leaving holes for the plants to come through.
Spread landscape gravel in the color of your choice around the yard at a depth of one to three inches, covering the plastic and tucking it in beneath the plants.
Add boulders, rocks and other decor to the yard to complete your DIY desert landscape.
Tips & Warnings
Select plants that require minimal water, such as agave, salvia, bougainvillea, lantana and various cacti. Be sure to consider the full size of the plants in their placement, so that they do not become too large and obscure windows or pathways. It is also wise to keep cacti away from sidewalks and drives, to avoid potentially painful run-ins.

Check out these related posts