Desert Front Yard Landscape Ideas

One of the best desert front yard landscape ideas is to use rocks in your landscaping. Rocks are an integral part of desert landscaping, and are perhaps the most natural way to create a beautiful garden. Whether you use large boulders to add drama, or small rocks to cover dull sandy soil, the right rocks can bring your desert front yard design to life. Rocks also blend in beautifully with their natural surroundings. Good design is the key to creating an effective desert landscape.

Plants that bloom in harsh conditions

You can turn your yard into a lush oasis by using plants that thrive in desert climates. Native to the area, these plants are adapted to hot temperatures, poor soil, and little water. They add beauty to a desert landscape and are great for accentuating a rock garden design.

The color-changing blooms of some desert plants are striking. For example, bougainvillea, a native of Mexico and the Southern United States, is stunning and is highly drought tolerant. Agaves are another great plant choice for a desert garden. They can tolerate almost any soil, including poor soil, as long as it drains well. The Queen Victoria Agave is particularly beautiful, with its prism-shaped leaves and small, gorgeous rosettes. Both these desert plants are very low-maintenance and require little maintenance.

For more complex landscape designs, it may be best to hire a landscaping contractor to install certain features and watering systems. However, laying paths, installing artificial turf, and planting a garden are best left to professionals. Some tasks, however, can be easily done by the average person.

Plants that add color to a desert landscape

Colorful plants are a great way to bring some life to your desert landscape. Desert plants are easy to grow, low maintenance and will add a pop of color to your landscape. Some desert plants are perfect for a desert landscape and will thrive in very little water. Some of these plants are listed below.

Ocotillo: This beautiful desert plant grows 8 to 12 feet tall and produces orange flowers during the summer months when the humidity rises. Its foliage is rather stick-like most of the year, but when it blooms, it transforms into a majestic plant. Lady Slipper Plant: This plant resembles giant green beans and sprouts red flowers in the spring. This plant is perfect for containers and can attract butterflies.

Plants that are native to a desert landscape

When landscaping your front yard, you might want to include plants native to the desert. Some of these plants are low maintenance but still look great. Cacti, for instance, are popular in the desert and will add curb appeal and a focal point to your garden. Saguaro cacti are particularly attractive as they are very tall and will branch out from the base. They are also favored by hummingbirds and butterflies.

Most deserts are surprisingly biodiverse. They are home to hundreds of long-blooming plants that thrive in the arid climate. By landscaping your yard with these plants, you’ll be contributing to the healing of the environment and providing food for wildlife.