Gardening Styles : The Desert Garden

The desert is a mysterious beauty. At first glance, one might encounter harsh temperatures and extreme aridity; quite inhabitable to many. Yet, the desert teems with life. With an abundance of more that 400 plant species, the desert blooms in a variety of colors; thus, making the desert an inspiration for landscape designers and gardeners.

The desert garden gained in popularity due to its low level of maintenance, eye-catching appeal and hardiness. In addition to flora, landscapers traditionally include water features, gates, benches and arches. Plants may be planted in a variety of ornamental containers or in layered beds to achieve multi-level dimensions. In the garden, paths are constructed from various materials including slate, limestone, flagstone, and pebbles to provide natural walkways.

Water is an intricate feature of the desert garden. Gardeners should be weary when watering; plants may require varying amounts of water. Soaker or drip hoses work best when watering desert flora as they maintain a constant controllable water source.

Gardeners should use a combination of desert plants, as well as native plants to achieve a well-rounded landscape. Planting trees, shrubs, cacti, grasses, perennials and annuals will depict the entire spectrum of desert flora. Trees and shrubs have particular importance in the garden, as they provide shelter for wildlife and shade for seating areas. While cacti are traditionally seen as the plain plants of the desert, gardeners should not overlook many varieties’ showy blooms. Perennial and annual blooms couple nicely to lend an artistry to the desert garden.

The following plants are commonly used by gardeners when designing desert gardens:

Trees – Silk Cotton, Sonoran Kidney Wood, Mexican Orchid, Cotton Wood, Acacia Catclaw, Date Palm
Shrubs – Mexican Firecracker, Orange Jubilee, Chihuahuan Sage, Bougainvillea
Cacti – Blue Barrel, Prickly Pear, Agave, Golden Hedgehog, Teddy Bear Cholla, Saguaro
Grasses – Muhlygras, Rabbitfoot, Buffel, Fountain
Perennials – Desert Marigold, Coreopsis, Pensteman, Sage, Mallow, Moss Verbena, Desert Zinnia, Arizona Grapes, Fairy Duster
Annuals – Southwestern Cosmos, Mexican Gold Poppy, Red Flax, Desert Bluebell, Owl’s Clover, Cherry Red Sage