Landscape design is something that can be tailored to particular areas and climates, like the desert Southwest. This article from About.COM lists some plants that do very well in Arizona.
Desert Plants and Landscape Design
These desert plants are great choices for people who don’t want to spend lots of time working in the yard, but want a nice, colorful look in their desert garden.Keep in mind that all of these plants will thrive in the Phoenix area, but not in other parts of Arizona, where we have everything from low desert to high desert and even sub-alpine conditions.
Bougainvillea (at left)
Oleander
Texas Sage / Purple Sage
Lantana
Pampas Grass
Fairy Duster
To read more about using desert plants in your landscape design, please visit http://phoenix.about.com/od/desertplantsandflowers/a/desertplants.htm
Landscape Design in Arizona
Arizona is a diverse environment for landscape design. The plants that grow here reflect this bio-diversity. A bougainvillea would do well down here, but not as well in the White Mountains or the northern end of the state. Another thing to consider is placement with a bougainvillea. They do well where they can get a lot of sunshine. They are also very drought tolerant, but will grow quickly when watered. While there are several varieties of bougainvillea , the variety with the magenta colored leaves does the best as it is incredibly hardy. In addition to their hardiness, they are also surprisingly versatile. You can let them grow into a bush, let them be vines, or even be ground cover to keep weeds out. Be warned however, that if you let them grow wild, you will need to trim them.
Principles of Landscape Design
Landscaping design operates under various principles, and one of them is how adaptable a plant is to a desert environment. A professional company would be capable of guiding you on plant selection, placement and many other tips to improve your home’s yard.
Green ServPro is a landscape design company based in Arizona.
Landscape Design Part 1: Desert Landscaping
Landscape Design Part 2: Tropical and Sub-Tropical Landscaping
Landscape Design Part 3: Rock Gardens
Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com