The American Southwest is a land of extremes. Temperature is the most obvious intense element — there’s intense heat, particularly in the lower elevations, but with cool to cold nights and winter snow at higher elevations. The natural landscape is stark but striking, filled with bright blue skies, tan and brown sand, and also the dusty greens of the foliage. Water is rare, but where rivers pools or run form, they provide the welcome aid of an oasis of green.
Gardening in this climate demands adaptation. In some areas, the seasons are reversed — winter is your growing time, while summer is when you retreat indoors. The soil could be highly alkaline or saline. Water conservation is essential. The fantastic thing is that plants that perform well in this climate will flourish.
Here is the climate that gave us the 3 sisters: corn, beans and squash growing together. This is the house of chilies. This is also the home of several of the most amazing plants on earth: cacti.
Southwestern design is not for everybody or for each climate. Where it is appropriate, though, there are many alternatives for making the design your own.
Bess Jones Interiors
Pick Your Design
A natural or native garden is your obvious option. Not only will the plants thrive and survive, but the garden will fit in with the surrounding landscape. This design also works well with the predominant architectural styles, from adobe pueblos and Mission-inspired homes to Spanish-Mediterranean design to strictly contemporary.
Natural design includes elements like gravel trails, adobe and stone walls, wood beams and a range of desert plants. It blends with the surrounding landscape and is about as maintenance free as it is possible to get.
Here the gravel beamed with cacti, grasses and perennials is reminiscent of a dry streambed… that the notion of plain water encapsulated in a simple setting.
Gates & Croft Horticultural Layout
“Natural” doesn’t have to mean”barren,” nor does it have to be a manifestation of the landscape beyond. This garden has an almost cabin look, with masses of blossoms and perennials. The wagon wheels include an intriguing western touch and a few vertical height into the space. Even the stepping-stone path could be located in an English cottage garden.
Design tip: Look for grasses and perennials, like penstemons, that are adapted to the climate and also will provide some colour to an otherwise green and brownish-red landscape. Another option, particularly with eastern exposure, would be to plant hardy annuals. Group them together and maintain the planting area small — even a little pop of colour will go a long way.
Shannon Malone
Against the brightly colored adobe walls, this contemporary residence needs only the native plants to make an impression. In this case, even the plantings are minimal, functioning as accent pieces, while the architecture takes center stage. This landscape is also a fantastic reflection of the realities of living in the Southwest — water is rare and should be used wisely.
Exteriors From Chad Robert
The clean lines and interesting plants of contemporary style work well in this contemporary space. In keeping with the demand for water conservation, the water-thirsty lawn areas are minimal. The plantings, in place of the lawn, give a lush feeling into the space.
BOXHILL
Plan Your Hardscape
just like contemporary landscapes, the hardscape plays a massive role in the general design. Flagstone pavers in shades that suit the surrounding desert colours are a favorite choice; they make a seamless entry in the surrounding landscape into the house itself. The colour is the perfect foil for the foliage of these trees and shrubs.
Clemente style studio, llc
Adobe and tile are classic choices for paving. Combining them lets you break up the expanse of their adobe and include a pop of color. This planting space is modest but effective, and siting the seat opposite the fountain invites guests and residents to stop and relax somewhat.
Debora carl landscape layout
Another choice is gravel. In this small terrace, the soft grey of the stones is offset from the lush succulents and grasses that surround it. It’s almost like you’ve set your desk and chairs in the middle of a small, dry pond in the surrounding desert.
Design tip:Use stones and gravel within the landscape to mimic natural washes, curving them throughout the distance and then planting them. If the rains come, you’ll have a natural drainage channel.
vernardakis george – avantgarden athens
If traditional is not your style, then proceed completely modern. These bright circles of colour show the plants off in style.
Choose Plants Wisely
Native plants have evolved to survive in the desert extremes. As such, they are a natural choice for the garden. And as this garden proves, native and natural do not mean colorless. In reality, the bright colors of this desert are just one of its attractiveness.
Flea Market Sunday
This xeriscape garden might not have a large selection of plants, but the plants that are in place are so spectacular that the distance feels full. Setting each specimen in its own space instead of crowding them together allows the homeowner to enjoy the individual magnificence of each plant.
Debora carl landscape layout
If a lush appearance is more to your liking, though, it is still achievable. A cabin look is doable: simply use vibrant succulents, perennials and grasses that may still tolerate the warmth and low-water ailments.
Style tip: Look for Southwest favorites such as desert marigold, Mexican honeysuckle, native sunflowers, red-hot poker and yellow bells. More familiar favorites include cosmos, coneflowers, dahlias, gloriosa daisies, salvias and verbena. Or go , with bougainvillea, trumpet vine and trumpet creeper. You may even grow some types of roses.
Exteriors From Chad Robert
If you want some lawn to earn your landscape feel complete, use grassy areas as beams rather than as massive expanses. Group other high-water plants near them, preferably close to the home and where they could get some colour in the hottest days of the year, to cut down on your general watering.
Design tip: Consider using artifical grass. Not only will you save water, but you’ll also save on lawn maintenance, which may be tough in a desert climate where turf grass is anything but natural.
Tom Meaney Architect, AIA
Create a Position to Be Outdoors
The days might be sexy, but evenings and mornings are generally cool. That is the time to be outside.
In the Southwest, this exterior space is often in the guise of a courtyard. Here, a replica of a California hacienda stipulates the significant components: enclosure on four sides, deeply shaded patios, plantings along the edges, with a fountain in the middle of everything. Any or all of these thoughts are suitable, even in the event that you have to implement them on a smaller scale.
Layout tip: developing a sense of enclosure is not only traditional, but it allows you to make a microclimate within your larger landscape. Following is a fantastic spot to put your thirstier plants.
www.KarlGercens.com
In a landscape extending for kilometers, an enclosed space also provides a human-size sense of scale as well as a feeling of security. Inside this space, the walls are large enough to provide a feeling of enclosure but low enough to allow you to take in the view.
Carson Poetzl, Inc..
An adobe wall along with a easy patio set might be all you want. The bright green stars on the corner in addition to the greens and blues of the roofline may seem modern, but bright colors are a frequent touch in traditional gardens. Notice the centerpiece of succulents and the cactus as an accent piece from the door. (make sure you place cacti far enough in the passageway that unwary guests won’t get assaulted.)
Duxbury Architects
If you have only a lot of space, then a simple wall can suffice. It also serves as an accent for the plantings it backs.
BOXHILL
Add Water
In a hot climate, water is obviously welcome, both for splashing in and also to get ambient cooling in the surrounding space. Near this house, the pool is more formal, with room for entertaining and relaxing. On the other side, the surrounding space gently blends into the landscape.
House + House Architects
A lap pool in the entry courtyard does double duty, providing a”splash” of colour to lead one to the door and a fantastic spot for cooling off or exercising. The high walls will keep heat, warming the distance in the mornings and evenings, but will shade the pool out of some of the intense afternoon sun.
BOXHILL
At first glancethis looks more like a tiny native pond as opposed to an artificial pool, with the sterile gravel streambed leading to the water beyond.
Arterra Landscape Architects
Even a little water can be sufficient. Even a recirculating fountain, particularly when it’s working, is the perfect solution for a more compact space.
Nunley Custom Homes
Fine-Tune the Details
This fireplace, according to a traditional kiva design, is both traditionally suitable and functional. As the weather cools in the evening, a bit of warmth out of a fire is a welcome addition.
Carson Poetzl, Inc..
A more formal appearance, but the exact same idea. The whitewash sides maintain the appearance traditional.
A simple fire pit will work. Add some lighting and you have the perfect spot for relaxing in the evening, particularly with the built-in seats.
Carson Poetzl, Inc..
Patio outlay with thick wooden beams might be traditional, but if you want some colour (and who doesn’t in this climate?) And do not want to add a permanent overhead construction, a simple shade sail could be magnificent.
Style tip:Plant trees around the home. It will help cool the adjacent areas as well as the home itself.
Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture
Sometimes the details can be easy. The profound terra-cotta steps turn what would be a plain flagstone terrace into something special.
BOXHILL
Of course, if you’re going to get sunsets like this, then you ought to make the most of them. This iron sculpture enhances the view. It’s intriguing through the day and magnificent with all the sky on fire because the sun goes down.
Sandy Koepke
Finish With Color
The American Southwest is not the location for light pastels and mild clogs. The bold landscape calls for equally bold colours for both walls and accessories. This is the location for bright turquoises and chili-pepper reds, whether on pots or on doors.
Elad Gonen
Pale blue won’t cut it when the sky is a deep azure. Because blues are cool tones, they are relaxing and relaxing even when the hues are this intense.
Nunley Custom Homes
If you’re not prepared to paint an whole wall, consider simply painting the gate along with the overhead.
Greg Logsdon
Navajo-inspired blankets are another fantastic option, particularly when paired with a faux-plastered wall.
Prideaux Design
Turquoise water, blue and orange walls and a bright red kettle highlight the pool area. With tan and sand outstanding in the home and the hardscape, these accents include a sense of fun and whimsy into the space.