Dream Landscapes

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By Erin Hayes Burt

As the sweltering summer heat abates residents are once again returning to the outdoors. For many people this means taking stock of their heat-scorched yards like a triage nurse assessing a new arrival. Flowers, groundcover, shade trees on the west side. STAT!

If only it was that simple. For transplants and natives alike — people, not fauna or flora — attaining your dream yard is a never-ending war against the desert elements: the unforgiving sun; winter freezes that are too much for some plants to handle; the drought-prone environment. However, despite these hurdles, it’s still possible to create a beautiful, unique yard that will not just survive but thrive. It just takes a little help from the pros.

Three factors play a key role in determining your landscaping needs, says Mike Scheetz, vice president of operations for Creative Environments. “When you get ready to landscape your yard, you need to consider lifestyle, architecture and investment. There is a different outdoor environment that would be created if someone has a traditional exterior as opposed to contemporary as opposed to country.”

First and foremost, consider how you are going to use your yard. A second living area? A playground? A garden? Different uses call for different approaches.

Next, find plants and materials that compliment your tastes. This will make the yard your own and give it a distinct flavor. Customizable options include pavers, hardscape, and features like, fire pits or water falls.

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But don’t get carried away just to try and set your yard apart from the neighbors. Consider your home’s value and how much is worth doing, says John Waters, executive partner at Creative Environments. “We have heard or read [about spending] anywhere from 5 to 25 percent, but most often we see 10 to 15 percent. It really depends on your lifestyle and how much you have to spend, to determine the highest and best use of that money. Maybe it’s just that you do a small courtyard. Maybe it’s that you do a master plan, but do it in phases.” Even if you want to do your yard in phases, you can still work with a landscaping company, or go it on your own and pay someone to create a custom plan for your yard and tackle the labor yourself.

It can be tempting for transplants and snowbirds to want to bring a little bit of home to Tucson with non-native plants. But that isn’t necessarily a wise idea. Even though you see a species at the store, it doesn’t mean they’ll grow well here, says Jennifer Everett of Rillito Nursery. “Big-box stores don’t take into account whether something will grow here or not. They may order the same thing for the entire Western region. A few hundred feet in elevation can mean the difference between growing or dying.”

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Luckily, there are numerous resources to help the amateur gardener figure out which plants will do best in Tucson’s unique environs. Web sites like TucsonBotanical.org or CreativeEnvironments.com give gobs of information and tips about what and when to plant. Or just head to the local library. Everett recommends her favorite read, “Plants for Dry Climates: How to Select, Grow & Enjoy,” by Mary Rose Duffield and Warren Jones ($30, Da Capo Press). “It’s our bible!” she says. And of course, when you don’t know where else to turn, ask an expert. “The best advice I can give is to go to a place that knows the climate here and knows the plants that will work. We have people who come to us and say, ‘I want the same yard I had in California.’ It’s just not possible.” But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a drop-dead design. Just don’t expect it to materialize overnight. STAT is for the hospital, not the yard.

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