Phoenix is primed for outdoor living, and landscape designs in Phoenix jump at this opportunity by bringing traditionally indoor activities outside. Outdoor kitchens, pizza ovens, and other cooking amenities are very popular, taking the fun of cooking and dining outside. Pergolas create shaded outdoor rooms and an opportunity to enjoy cooling breezes. Pools are wildly popular to help beat the heat. Surprisingly, so are fire pits, which provide a great outdoor activity to enjoy with family and friends in the cool of the evening.

Landscape designs in Phoenix range from modern to traditional, but almost uniformly embrace the regional desert landscape identity, in both planting and hardscape choices. Sandstone and other paving materials in warm, neutral colors feature heavily, echoing the adjacent mountain ranges. Planting calls upon native and climate-adapted species, from desert shrubs and grasses to succulents, big and small. Lawns were historically popular, but due to their high water demand, they are increasingly being replaced by more water-wise landscape choices (we love this!). Artificial turf is an increasingly popular lawn replacement, though take care to shade turf where you can – it gets hot in the sun. Yards are built for outdoor living, with a variety of amenities for spending time outdoors, from kitchens and dining areas, to pools and sport courts, to lounge and entertainment areas. Shade is a vital resource, be it from trees or structures, and designs pay close attention to creating comfortable, shaded environments.

Phoenix’s desert climate calls for plants that can tolerate hot, dry conditions. Because they evolved to thrive in this climate, plants native to the Phoenix region are a great choice, and are most likely to thrive with minimal extra water or maintenance. Not only do native plants perform well, they offer vastly superior habitat benefits to local wildlife. Native plants are much more than cactus! The Sonoran Desert that Phoenix sits within is home to a broad range of beautiful plants that perform well in landscape designs. Sculptural succulents like saguaro cactus are a part of this plant community, but so are gorgeous sun-bleached shrubs like desert holly, bold wildflowers like skyrocket and desert marigold, and the gorgeous desert willow, one of our favorite small specimen trees.

Landscape designs – both planting and hardscape – must consider climate first and foremost. Any elements in a Phoenix landscape design should be able to endure the desert’s heat and aridity. This means avoiding wood features while leaning on sturdy materials like stone, and choosing plants adapted to thrive in desert conditions. With the region in the grips of an epic drought, choosing low water, drought tolerant plants is a must. Monsoon rains also pose a flash flood risk, making permeability critical – maintaining a high percentage of planted or permeable surfaces in a yard not only mitigates flooding, but also reduces heat absorption, leading to cooler evening conditions.

Now! Any time of year is great to begin work on a landscape project. When possible, we suggest utilizing the winter to work through the design phase – this sets you up to get on contractors’ books early in the build season, so you can have your design installed and ready to enjoy in time for summer. If winter has passed, don’t worry, it’s never too late in the year to begin work on a landscape design project.