Landscaping in the desert offers many challenges. Unlike other regions of the United States. There are many unique factors involved in the design of a landscape in states like Arizona. Even in the state of Arizona. There are many different climate regions. When designing landscape in Phoenix, Arizona. You are usually doing what is considered a desert landscape. So even though we are in a desert in Phoenix, Arizona not all people put in a desert landscape. Some people even install a tropical landscape including things like a desert pond with water plants and fish. We will discuss the different types of landscape used a place like Phoenix, Arizona and the needs of each different type.

First let's take a look at a desert landscape, typical of Phoenix, Arizona. Some desert landscapes are strictly cactus, natural desert plants and trees and use little to no watering system. In a landscape that is consisting only of cactus and natural desert plants, many times you can do with not having any watering system whatsoever because the plants are acclimated to the climate. Other people choose to include in their desert landscape things such as sod and other plants that are not indigenous to the Sonoran Desert. These types of yards will require a watering system in order to keep the plants alive and thriving. We will discuss watering systems later in the article.

Many people in the Valley of the Sun come from different regions of the United States and are not all that fond of having a rock yard with a bunch of cactus in it. For these people whether they live in Phoenix or in a higher-end gated Community Scottsdale, Arizona. They prefer to use a tropical landscape. Tropical landscapes can do well in the desert, but they require a lot of water. One of the key elements in a nice tropical landscape is having a desert pond, Koi fish and water plants to give the feeling of being in a different area of the United States. Depending on how the house sits on the lot there are many options regarding what plants can be used. A lot depends on the sun they get and what time of the day the sun shines on their yard. Many lush plants and a lot of annual flowers can be used in pots to enhance the look of your landscape and give you the resort feel you're looking for. I lot of the Scotsdale landscaping carries this theme in the yards of the owners. It gives them the feel of being at a resort.

Arizona landscapers use irrigation systems unique to the desert climate. Almost all trees and plants are watered with a drip system. The drip system puts water to the plants at a very slow rate over a longer period of time, which allows the water to penetrate the earth. If you were to use a larger volume of water over a shorter period of time most of the water would just run off due to the hard soils in the desert. In planter areas, some people choose to use bubblers which will flood the planter at a quicker rate. These planters are usually filled with a potting soil mix, which is more able to absorb the water than the common desert ground. For grass areas, a common pop-up sprinkler head is used to water the lawns. In order to assure proper watering of the plants, trees and lawns most systems are set with a timer to control the valves to regulate the watering.

One of the advantages of living in Arizona is that you can use your yard in the wintertime when the weather is nice and people in other parts of the country are shoveling snow. A very popular addition to many yards is to add a outdoor kitchen or barbecue. Even though it is a desert many people also choose to add a fireplace for the ombiance and they like the look of it in their yard. There are many different options regarding building barbecues and fireplaces. A popular trend these days is going with a Tuscan style fireplace. Some people still choose though to use a Southwest style type fireplace. Both are good options depending on the design of the yard.

Because many people live in track homes in Phoenix, they like to change the look of their outdoor environment to give it a more custom feel. Many people replace their driveways, walkways and patios with pavers. They work especially well when designing a Tuscan style landscape. When designing a Phoenix landscape or a Scottsdale landscape for a owner, who is looking for a more Southwest feel to his yard flagstone is a popular option.

There are many competent Arizona landscapers and there are also many incompetent landscapers. Usually if you find someone with rock-bottom prices for their work, the lack of quality will show. Whether you are doing Phoenix landscaping or Scots still landscaping, make sure you deal with a landscape designer that has a lot of good ideas, and is willing to work with you.