Designing a Southwest themed landscape

Southwest themed landscape (Baker Residence)

Designing a landscape with a Southwestern theme is the most natural style possible for this part of the country. Not only are there several ways you can create your designs, but they look comfortable and are easy to maintain in this part of the world where the Old West was once a reality. The plants and materials you use should thrive here and the style and degree of décor will give you plenty of room for personal expression. Here are some tips on designing a Southwest landscape.

Like all good landscape designs, start out sketching your ideas on paper or on a computer program to organize your thoughts. Also, take some time to explore the various ways of expressing Southwest garden design to find what appeals most to you and what would work best on your property. Check out photos and other themed gardens for ideas.

A Southwest theme can be well expressed with a rustic cowboy look. This approach is perfect for using drought tolerant plants and natives. Structures can be built of weathered wood and formed without a lot of ornamentation. To really accentuate the theme you can build facades on sheds, enclosures or other structures that play up the Old West theme with a the décor of an old saloon, dance hall or jailhouse. Old rusted buckboards, plows or water wagons will become handsome sculptures and the traditional ranch fencing will fit right into the theme naturally.

Another feel for a Southwest look can follow the Spanish theme of the adobe architecture that was once dominant in this area. Stepped stucco walls, Mexican tile and tiered fountains are some forms that will help express this style successfully.  Or perhaps a contemporary Southwestern theme will blend better with your home and your tastes. Look for wagon wheels, big boulders and maybe some large, metal sculptures of horses to create a design that will transform you property into the landscape you will love.

Plant material for the Southwest design will literally be right at home here. Cactus and succulent gardens blend into the design perfectly. Build trees into your landscape for cool shade and height variation. Choose trees like the Palo Verde, Mesquite, Acacias, Desert Willow or look for tall-growing, sculptural plants like Ocotillos, Cordylines or Yuccas. All these plants should be low maintenance and decorative. If you have the space you can add shade structures or substitute a ramada, arbor or pergola for some trees. Style these shade covers to accentuate your Southwest theme.

Plant with plenty of space between gardens. The gardens themselves can be sparse or planted with well-spaced, thick clumps of plants. Then adding a mulch of gravel – try a colored g ravel or maybe two different colors in complimentary patterns – to punch up the theme. Stands of drought tolerant ornamental grasses set near big rocks or spaced naturally throughout the Southwestern styled garden will look comfortable and cozy.

These are just some ways you can design a Southwestern theme into your garden. It will work well in big spaces and small. And the best thing about the Southwestern theme is that it will not only create a splendid-looking landscape, but it will be easy to maintain, use little water and can easily be built out of inexpensive, sustainable materials.