"Donna, we want to let you know how delighted we are with the landscape design that you created for our front yard. Each time I drive up to our home, or look out through the front window, I am pleased by the view, and reminded of how much better it looks now than it did a couple of months ago. Your design took advantage of the larger trees already on site, and blended them with new planting in a way that we could not have imagined. We believe the end product is visually interesting yet tasteful and restrained. Thank you for your excellent design work." - Mary G., Scottsdale AZ

The type of naturalistic and easy to care for landscapes that I design for California residents can easily be adapted using plants and materials available in Arizona landscapes. It is a design style that focuses on providing areas for outdoor living and incorporating fruit-bearing trees and edible plants. Plant palette design focuses on providing year 'round color and interest as well as food and nectar sources for butterflies, hummingbirds and beneficial insects. Water features or water harvesting earth works can also be factored into the design. Having spent 10 years working in design/build in the metropolitan Phoenix area, I have had first-hand experience designing and installing landscapes in that geographic region.

Through my Online Landscape Design service, I am able to create custom landscape designs using plants for desert areas. Below, a front yard design has been rendered using plants that are commonly found in Phoenix area landscapes. As with my California landscape design work, I have used specific plant palettes based on area of origin for the three views.

The rendered views below depict a low maintenance, front yard landscape that does not depend upon a lawn in order to create visual interest. They incorporate a paver driveway and main walkways, flagstone stepping stones, boulders, mounds, gravel and in the top two views a rain garden feature where roof run off is directed from the gutter downspout to the basin. The plants are carefully chosen to be culturally compatible and the mature size of the plants was considered when determining quantities.

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                                                                                                                                                                            Below is a rendering of a back yard landscape concept. The design includes a pergola, paver patio and walkway, Citrus trees along the back, Fig trees and Pineapple Guava in the side yard, Bougainvillea, flowering perennials, gravel ground cover, and seasonal flowers, herbs and vegetables in pots.

A 3D view of an Arizona backyard that includes a pool, paving, plants,  arbors, fireplace and barbeque island (not shown).