Desert landscaping is a popular way to create a landscape filled with color and beauty. Planting desert plants is easy to do, they are easy to maintain, and they provide an amazing look that makes your yard stand out from others in your community. Desert plants are the perfect accent to any yard. Below are some of the best desert landscape plants, you can choose to incorporate in your landscaping plan.
Foothills: There are several types of ferns you can include in your landscaping scheme. Most ferns are deciduous, which means they lose their leaves during the winter. This feature makes them ideal for the area where it gets cold and there isn’t a lot of sunlight, or if you want a greener lawn. There are several beautiful varieties you can use to design an attractive foyer or along a walkway of your garden.
Shrubs: One of the most common desert landscape plants you will find are shrubs. Many varieties exist, such as cacti, ocotillo, ramblers, rhododendrons, honeysuckle, buckeye, and ruffly thistle. Ramblers are the most visually appealing desert shrubs, with their drooping branches and colorful flowers. Ocotillo and cacti make good shrubs for shady areas while rhododendrons and honeysuckle are ideal for sunny spots.
Desert Trees And Ground Covers: The best desert landscape plants are evergreens and deciduous trees. They provide shade and add beauty to any yard. Evergreens are found in a wide variety of colors, such as gray, white, black, brown, silver, cream, cinnamon, blue, pink, green, or rust.
Deciduous shrubs are ideal for landscaping around a pool, hot tub, fountain, or any other area that receives direct sunlight all day long. Some varieties are more drought resistant than others. Some shrubs are less attractive than others, but all offer lush plant life that is aesthetically pleasing. You can plant these shrubs in almost any location, although you need to leave enough space for healthy growth.
Blue Flowered Blue Forests and Wildflowers: There are many blue foliage trees and shrubs available, from pines to yews to hollies. They are best planted as ground covers around pools, fountains, or anywhere you like a cool wind will blow. Some blue foliage trees and bushes, such as hollyhocks, red oak, Mexican cherry, black walnut, buckeye, blueberries, black currant, and the western red cabbage are known to deter aphids. The wildflower shrub blooms for the entire season.
Desert Plants With Ornamental Grasses: When planning your desert landscape, be sure to include ornamental grasses such as calendula, dune grasses, creeping susan, or ryegrass. These grasses do not have flowers but bloom during the wet season. If you like a riot of color in your garden, choose a species with purple flowers or blue flowers. Purple-flowering pansies or blue-flowering cosmos are popular choices. Other ornamental grasses, such as Arizona bluegrass, are drought tolerant and grow quite well in desert conditions.
When choosing plants for your desert landscape ideas, be sure to consider how much water they require. Most desert plants are very drought friendly and will need only moderate amounts of water each week. Some plants will need more water; it just depends on what type of plants you choose and how much sun they get. Make sure you have tiller available for digging and keep them trimmed low so that they don’t block your walkways or landscaping paths.
Shrubs: Full-sun plants and shrubs are the best choice for a shady location, so they won’t dry out and wither if the area has some sunshine. However, full-sun plants and shrubs also require much more water than their drought tolerant counterparts. You should water your full-sun plants every week during the summer and then fertilize them annually. For drought tolerant plants, you may mulch them to reduce heat and water loss. Sunflowers, evergreens, cactus and desert palms are excellent choices for shady areas.
Fruits and Flowers: Desert plants make great year-round plants, and they are just as beautiful in your garden as they are in the dessert. Drought tolerant plants are a great way to transition from summer to fall, and they will fill your yard with delightful fragrance throughout the year. If you are looking for an added touch of color, consider flowering perennials, such as California poppy, which will bloom all summer long.
Plants that are Desert-Friendly Landscaping Planting are not common, but some of the most drought tolerant plants are commonly found in desert landscapes. Cacti and succulents are two plants that are very popular for landscaping in desert settings because they are so adaptable to their environment. Other desert plants are desert herbs, which are very useful for keeping your yard smelling fresh and attracting birds and other wildlife. The most drought-tolerant plants are often those that have high shear levels, which allows them to climb the rocky sides of cliffs and tables to get to the sunlight. Some of the most beautiful Desert plants are the cactus and the rock cactus. Desert plants also provide some of the most colorful flowers and vegetables in landscaping, due to the bright sunlight and lack of soil erosion that make it easier for them to grow.