If you want to have a Southwestern landscape for your yard, you’ll need to consider a few elements, including minimalism, earth colors, and a focus on succulents. It’s also important to include water and rocks in the layout. The Southwestern look is a defined one, and it also follows the region’s culture that impacts the style. For some, it may look difficult to pull together, but if you are set on this design, we have some tips for you on how to landscape your yard in the Southwest.
Select Plants
When choosing plants for your yard, choose drought-tolerant ones like sedums, cacti, native grasses, evergreen shrubs, Echinacea, Agave, Bougainvillea, and others. These plants do not require too much watering, making maintenance simple.
There are also perennial plants that are highly tolerant of heat and can add more color to the area. Vines and shrubs are also other options to create more shade and shield other plants from sunlight.
Water Elements
Circulating water is the best option as compared to ponds or waterfalls. Southwestern landscaping focuses on sustainability, and small water elements are a popular choice. This design helps you save water—even if large water features are more appealing, they aren’t necessarily a good use of your resources.
Rocks and Stones as Accents
Boulders and crushed rocks vary in size. Both enhance a Southwestern landscape, though cobbles and pebble stones range in shape. Some of the rocks and stones you can add to your list include Red Lava, Gambler’s Gold, Baja Cresta boulders and rubble, and Gold Quartzite boulders. These options turn your yard into an amazing space and add the color that you need.
Use of Pavers
Pavers are low maintenance, and they can stop weeds from developing, which means less maintenance will be necessary in your yard. Pavers are highly attractive and provide a clear path going to your yard and separate one area from another. Red bricks or terracotta are often good choices for pavers in the Southwestern landscape.
Additional Items To Think About
Nothing is more alluring than a mesmerizing fire pit at twilight. The combination of color, the dip in temperature, and the beautiful sky add that much-needed charm to your yard.
If you are not keen on having a fire pit installed, you can opt for lights to surround the area to make it more enchanting.
Some other ways you can improve your yard without using plants and give it a more Southwest feel include adding accessories like pottery or metal garden sculptures.
These tips can help you answer the question of how to landscape your yard in the Southwest. The above details will provide you with a clearer vision of the look that you want for your yard and help you successfully create that look.
