Desert landscape as an alternative? (house, landscaping, neighborhoods)

[sunluv]

I'm pondering it vs. just reseeding with grass...I like the desert look but what about considerations such as:

-Extra heat generated around the house?
-Maintenance
-Other?

Thanks

[observer53]

I've had desert landscaping for the last almost thirty years. I don't think that the heat is a big issue... You can still have shade, even with "desert" landscaping, which helps any heat issues.

I'd rather deal with preemergents and weed killers occasionally than regularly be out mowing and edging (and watering) a lawn. Desert landscaping doesn't get fungus or other "bugs" that kill the grass, dead spots from dogs, etc. You can have a lot of color, and quite a bit of green, even with "desert" or xeriscape landsaping.

[AZgarden]

The reason I don't like the rocks and gravel is because it seems hard to pick up the fallen leaves and debris, unless you blow it all to a pile and then pick it up. I have desert in the back and big pine trees outside the wall (HOA) and they drop their needles all the time making it hard to keep clean. I also have some grass in back which just needs cutting and trimming occasionally and I like the look alot more.

[sunluv]

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

The reason I don't like the rocks and gravel is because it seems hard to pick up the fallen leaves and debris, unless you blow it all to a pile and then pick it up. I have desert in the back and big pine trees outside the wall (HOA) and they drop their needles all the time making it hard to keep clean. I also have some grass in back which just needs cutting and trimming occasionally and I like the look alot more.

Good point; for that and other reasons I've decided to use plants and trees that don't have create much debris, and maybe a leaf blower would do if needed.

As far as heat, I'm just wondering if uncovered areas that are in the sun create a lot more heat around the house than grass areas would.

On using gravel, some say to choose 1/2" or larger rocks, in terms of spraying, while others say it doesn't matter-not sure on this yet. Also, some believe in using an underlying liner beneath gravel; others don't.

[pbenjamin]

I remember reading a study a year or two ago that concluded that the historic neighborhoods were a bit cooler than most areas in the Valley because there was so much grass.

[stevek64]

Besides the ideas of planting "clean" trees that are evergreen to shade an area(great idea), we also put a bunch of shrubs around an area to cover the crushed stone on our property. Plants like low growing lantana, wild petunia(Ruellia brittoniana), purple sage, etc. are very easy to grow spread out nicely. We also have a purple snail vine that grows up a trellis we setup. It grows like a weed so what I did was let it trail off the sides of the trellis onto the ground, creating a nice groud-cover that you can pretty much make as wide/long as you want. I'm not exaggerating when I say it grew 20'+ from the main trellis in both directions on the ground creating a nice carpet of green. And that growth happens in a just a few months. Very easy to grow vine, lush, with real nice purple flowers on it in the warm weather.

Snail Vine (Vigna caracalla)

We also grow some hop-seed shrubs(evergreen, native to AZ) along our block fence to block the reflected south-west late day sun. Nice lush looking evergreen shrubs that grow fast/require low water.

Bottom line, I think it's very easy, based on my experience, to cool your yard with hardy/easy to take care of/great looking plants without any grass. Having had a lawn for decades and having to deal with all the maintenance, you couldn't pay me to have one again.

Good luck!

[Grannysroost]

We moved into our house a year ago, which was empty for at least a year or two...rocks, sand...We moved in and the rocks in our backyard have sprouted grass that we couldn't grow if we tried and the dogs are out there doing their thing. We cut it down with the weed whip and give to the chickens and ducks, but with monsoon it needs to be done weekly...I am thinking about removing the rocks and let the guys have grass....and this is coming up through the plastic under the rocks/stones.