The Basics of Southwestern Landscaping

Southwestern landscaping is a very popular landscaping design not only in the Southwestern areas but as well as those who wants a touch of Southwestern art in their own homes and locations anywhere in the world. This type of designing has been formulated due to the weather conditions prevalent in the Southwestern areas n the United States.

Southwest Landscaping is basically land designing with native plants that do not need too much water and have low level of pollen to keep allergies away when in the peak of summer. Grass is therefore a no-no in this type of landscaping as it can consume so much water and very expensive to grow, and will be replaced with either stones or rocks. Native flowering plants will have to be started right away before the gravel landscaping begins.

Southwestern landscaping, particularly the one called xeriscaping is basically using native plants and flowers in the dry areas to be able to adapt in the sparse water supply in these areas. Native plants like cactuses, yucca, ornamental grasses (not the species that needs so much maintenance), hibiscus, succulent plants, or other varieties of flowering plants that can grow with limited supply of water and abundant sunlight and heat are best in this type of landscaping design.

It is also becoming more and more popular because of the lesser need of maintaining the landscape. Because there is less need of watering the entire lawn everyday, every homeowner becomes a Southwestern landscaping prospect. This is also the same reason why it is being adapted all over the world, and most especially to countries with more dry seasons.

Aside from the native plants, succulent plants that belong to the crassula family like crasulla portulacea, crasulla capitella, and crasulla tetragona are also very important in the Southwestern landscaping task. These species of plants are usually considered as flowering plants in many months because of its beautiful and healthy green leaves. Other succulent plants like aloe vera, and haworthia correcta are also basic in this dry landscaping type.

These plants grow even more beautiful and healthy with less water; therefore owners get to save a lot of precious water in maintaining the landscape. Also, they get to save a lot of effort and labor fees because there is little need in hiring laborers or doing the task every so often. So it is really best that native plants are used in landscaping than getting exotic ones that aren’t sure to thrive in a different weather and maintaining conditions.

Mexican feather grass, yellow pampas grass, blue oat grass, or purple fountain grass are just some examples of ornamental grasses. Such grasses can live and thrive in extremely arid, dry climates so it is also another good addition to the native plants in designing the Southwestern landscaping. It will be very useful in growing garden beds or walkways.

Aside from that, it will also minimize dust formation that is basically out of the extreme dry weather conditions in the Southwest of America as well as in the same weather conditioned areas around the world. These types of ornamental grasses will also need less water and maintenance; although, you have to cut overgrown ones in a periodic manner to keep the grand and elegant beauty it exudes.

All in all, Southwestern landscaping is far more useful in areas with the same climate conditions as the Southwest of America.

Editor
Peter Charalambos