19 Stunning Desert Landscaping Ideas Perfect for the Heat (2024)

Gardening

Landscaping

• 01 of 19

  Embrace Desert Palettes

  

  Design your desert garden with a desert color palette in mind. Desert gardens may not have the lush greens of cottage or woodland gardens, but they have intriguing shades unique to their climate. Desert sunrise and sunset light illuminate a garden with gorgeous muted colors.

  There are plenty of ways to integrate bright or subtle colors. Explore the many different colors of succulents available, and be sure to consider the colors of stones and containers in your designs.

  The classic desert landscape palette has earthy colors ranging from warm terra cotta and sandy tones, to cool blues, grays, greens, and purples found in succulents, cacti, and desert wildflowers. You can add bright touches of yellow or red to draw the eye, perhaps cobalt-blue glazed pots for a vivid spot of color.

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• 02 of 19

  Understand the Difference Between Cacti and Succulents

  

  Most people think of cacti and succulents as the plants most commonly found in desert climates. A cactus is a succulent, but a succulent is not necessarily a cactus.

  A succulent is a plant that can store water in its stems and leaves, and can therefore survive a long time without water. Cacti also store water but tend to be identifiable by the "hairs" growing from their areoles (cushiony growths), and they do not grow leaves.

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  See Also

  20 Best Desert Landscaping Ideas for Your Backyard - Happy DIY Home35 Desert Landscape Ideas: Unlocking the Beauty of Arid SpacesDesert landscaping ideas: 8 stunning ways to create a verdant oasis in your yard12 Beautiful Desert Landscaping Ideas to Try at Your Home

• 03 of 19

  Pick Drought-Tolerant Flowering Perennials

  

  Pick from many of the drought-tolerant plants that do well in desert gardens. These include Russian sage, sedums, agastache, fountain grass, Mediterranean herbs like rosemary and lavender, and many salvias.

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• 04 of 19

  Create Containers

  

  Decide to forgo traditional gardening for container gardening, especially if you have very sandy, dry, or rocky desert soil. This can be an excellent choice for desert landscaping and gives you a great deal of flexibility for creative designs.

  Terra cotta pots have warm tones that go well with the greens, grays, and blues of succulents for a natural look. Glazed ceramic pots provide more color possibilities and conserve water better than unglazed ones.

  Metal pots may hold too much heat in desert sun, or get too cold at night, so clay pots are recommended for keeping soil at a more consistent temperature. Water container plants in the late afternoon for maximum vitality and to conserve water.

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• 05 of 19

  Incorporate Dry Stream Beds

  

  Dig dry stream beds to help prevent runoff and conserve water. They can also work well for naturally occurring slopes or gullies. Dry steam beds are not only functional but also beautiful.

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• 06 of 19

  Plant Agaves

  

  Plant these fleshy blue-leaved succulents to make a dramatic statement with their large size and chunky leaves. Their pale blue and silvery hues are a classic choice for the desert garden. They're extremely heat and drought-tolerant.

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• 07 of 19

  Opt for Natural Mulch

  

  Though using gravel or stone is a very common replacement for traditional mulch in desert gardens, sometimes natural mulch is a better choice. This is true if your garden includes small trees whose root systems would benefit from the insulating qualities of natural cedar or pine mulch.
  

  Tip

  Mulch also preserves moisture in the soil for your plantings and is less expensive than stone.

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• 08 of 19

  Choose the Right Desert Soil

  

  Do some research and find plants that are happy in sandy soil and have shallow root systems. Desert soils are sandy and often dry. You can add amendments, but you still have to deal with the dry climate.

  The chartreuse and blue Euphorbia rigida, also known as gopher spurge, is a colorful sprawling ground cover that is drought and heat-tolerant.

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• 09 of 19

  Add Gravel and Stone

  

  Use gravel or stone for walking surfaces in place of mulch in beds; it makes more sense in the desert landscape.

  Gravel and stone allow rainwater to absorb into the soil, instead of creating runoff. Larger stones makes for an attractive look next to the pointed and spiky shapes of succulents; the rounded river rock in this bed provides an attractive textural contrast.

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• 10 of 19

  Lay Out Some Artificial Turf

  

  Opting for artificial turf over traditional lawns helps keep maintenance low and water conservation on top of mind.

  Traditional lawns are very hard to maintain in the desert climate, mainly because they need so much water. If you want a lush green lawn, consider artificial turf, a popular landscaping choice in desert climates. Many Southwest landscaping companies specialize in this feature.

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• 11 of 19

  Add Color With Native Wildflowers

  

  Buy wildflowers to plant in your garden; there are plenty of varieties that can grow happily in the desert. The coral plant, also known as fountainbush or firecracker plant, puts out bright red lacy sprays of flowers for weeks.

  Other brightly-colored Southwest natives include Mexican gold poppies, desert mallow, and desert rose. These all grow from seeds that are available from vendors who specialize in heirloom and native plants.

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• 12 of 19

  Embellish With Dramatic Yet Simple Shapes

  

  Remember that drama can arise from even the most simplistic designs as well. The unusual shapes of cacti and succulents, the colors and angles of desert light, and the presence of stone and sand are all inspiring design elements.

  This minimalist design utilizes only three kinds of plants with varying shapes and textures, and a harmonious blend of smooth river rock and small boulders to create a gorgeous landscape at this home in Palm Springs, California.

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• 13 of 19

  Plant Closely to Save Water

  

  Design your desert garden in a way that conserves water, since desert heat makes water evaporate quickly, and sandy desert soils don't retain moisture very well.

  Choosing native plants is wise, as these tend to thrive with available rainfall. But another good trick is to plant things close together so that plants shade each other and help prevent the evaporation of moisture from the soil.

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• 14 of 19

  Plant Mediterranean Flowers

  

  Design the garden of your dreams with Meditteranean flowers. Many Mediterranean plants do well in desert gardens and can offer a wide variety of colors.

  A mix of warm and cool tones works well in desert gardens, which have such dramatic light at dawn and dusk, and which often seem somewhat monochromatic to gardeners used to colorful temperate zone gardens.

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• 15 of 19

  Build Raised Beds for Veggies

  

  Vegetable gardening in the desert? Raised beds make it possible.

  You can simply water as needed by hand and not bother with irrigation. These raised beds provide a lush array of delicious greens and provide a verdant oasis within this enclosed, somewhat shady garden mostly made with gravel and stone.

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• 16 of 19

  Adorn With a Pergola

  

  A pergola is an attractive way to have some shade in your garden. Most pergolas are built of lumber but can also be constructed of metal, bamboo, deadfall wood, or driftwood.

  A pergola makes for a pleasant outdoor seating area and also gives structure to a patio or other open space. For desert climates, you will want to choose drought-tolerant vines such as crossvine, Carolina jessamine, pink trumpet vine, or a Lady Banks' rose.

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• 17 of 19

  Add a Firepit

  

  Having a firepit or fire dish will be nice when the temperatures dip on a cool evening in the desert. A firepit is a fair bit of work and a more permanent fixture, but there are many options for portable fire dishes as well. Some require wood, while others like this stone fire bowl use propane, which some prefer for a cleaner heat source.

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• 18 of 19

  Plant Yucca

  

  Though they only flower every few years, yucca has striking spiky foliage and comes in a variety of sizes and colors, making them a good choice for desert landscaping. Variegated varieties like the gold and green 'Color Guard' will add plenty of pizzazz to the desert garden.

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• 19 of 19

  Work With the Landscape

  

  Work with the natural landscape, not against it. If your desert landscape includes large boulders or sloping hills, use them in your design. Often the most dynamic desert garden designs arise from the land and are inspired by the immediate surroundings. Use found objects like rocks and desert driftwood for edging or sculptural accents.