Tag Archive for: Landscape Boulders

Colorful Container, Before and After, and Valentines

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February is what I like to call a ‘bridge’ month.  In regards to work, it is a transition month for me.  It is the month between January, when work slows down as it’s cold with not much is growing and March, when the weather is delightfully warm and everybody seemingly wants to redo their landscape.  If I could choose the perfect month in terms of work load, it would be February.

Landscape Dilemma: Colorful Container Before and After Landscape

Landscape Dilemma ,Colorful Container Before and After Landscape

Last week, I was visiting one of my favorite clients whose landscape has been a work in progress.  The backyard was finished last year and now, it was time to pay attention to the front.  Of course, I took a few minutes to see how things were doing in the back and my attention was immediately drawn to this colorful container filled with colorful succulents.  The orange stems of ‘Sticks on Fire’ Euphorbia adds welcome color to the garden throughout the year while elephant’s food (Portulacaria afra) trails down the side of the pot.  

I am a strong proponent of using colorful pots filled with low-maintenance succulents in the garden.  Why mess with flowering annuals if you can enjoy vibrant color without the high maintenance?  

Full disclosure: I do have a couple of pots filled with petunias, but the vast majority are filled with succulents 😉

Landscape Dilemma: Colorful Container Before and After Landscape

Landscape Dilemma

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is assisting my clients with their landscape dilemma.  Often, the solution is much simpler than the client imagined.  Last fall, I visited this home which had a large, shallow depression that was filled with dying agave.  The interesting thing was that there was no obvious reason for its presence as no water drained into it.  It definitely wasn’t what the client wanted in this high-profile area.

Landscape Dilemma: Colorful Container Before and After Landscape

So what would be a good solution for this area?   The client wanted to plant a large saguaro cactus in this area, but didn’t want to add a lot of plants.  My recommendation was to get rid of the dying agave and turn the depression into an attractive feature of the garden. 

Landscape Dilemma: Colorful Container Before and After Landscape

This is what it looks like now.  Filling the area with rip-rap rock, adds both a texture and color contrasting element to the landscape. Well-placed boulders with a century plant (Agave americana), Mexican fence post (Stenocereus marginatus), and golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) help to break up the large expanse of the shallow depression with their spiky and globular shapes.  Finally, a saguaro cactus was added, which stands sentinel over this renovated area.  

One would never imagine that this part of landcape hadn’t been planned this way when it was first planted years ago.

Valentine's Day

Lastly, February is all about Valentine’s Day.  I sent my granddaughter a care package filled with goodies for Valentine’s Day.  Dinosaur cards for her classmates, a little craft, a hanging mobile, stickers, and of course chocolates – all with a Valentine theme.  

For me, Valentine’s day comes with mostly great memories.  As a child, I looked forward to handing out Valentines to my classmates and getting them in return.  During teenage years, there was one particularly memorable one when I was 17 years old.  My boyfriend didn’t get me anything, however, another boy gave me a card and a flower, which was some consulation.  And to finish off that infamous Valentine’s Day, I came down the chicken pox that very day.  Guess who also got the chicken pox?  The boyfriend who forgot Valentine’s Day.  Now, I look forward spending the 14th with the main man in my life, who after 31 years, still makes me feel special.

*What do you do to celebrate Valentine’s Day?  

Cactus Flowers Color the Desert Landscape

‘Boss’ For a Day…

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Last week, I had one of my best days at work.  I had to do some work out in the field, which entailed placing 3 large boulders in a high profile landscape design of a golf course.

high profile landcape area of a golf course

While placing boulders may seem rather boring to some, I must say that I always enjoy this job.

large boulders

Why you may ask?

Well first of all, it can be quite exciting.  Moving very large boulders isn’t without its risks.  There is always danger of damaging nearby structures.  You can also get a sense of how heavy a particular boulder is when the back tires of the backhoe comes off the ground.

landscape design

But, the reason that I most enjoy placing boulders is that I have several people listening and following my directions as to where to place each boulder.

Now, lest you think that I may get carried away with my power – there is no chance of that.  After a busy day in the field, I came home and tried my best to get my 3 teenagers to listen and do what I asked.  Needless to say, the ‘power’ I had earlier in the day, mysteriously disappeared  😉

landscape design

landscape design

But at the end of the day, I did have three nice-sized boulders to anchor my landscape design.  Plants were ready to go in a couple of days later.

A Snapshot of My Crazy, But Happy Life…

Rocks in the Garden

landscape boulders

 When I say rocks in the garden, I mean large rocks….boulders to be exact.

landscape boulders

Boulders enhance the beauty of the plants surrounding them.

Lantana

I love how they look as they gradually become surrounded by a flowering groundcover such as Lantana or Verbena.

Agave

Succulents such as Agave always look great when placed next to a boulder.

newly planted landscape

Boulders are strategically placed in this newly planted landscape.  Note the agave and Angelita Daisy planted by the two large boulders.

Boulders actually look great when placed together and I often place them together when designing a landscape.

landscape boulders

I visited this landscape installation with a friend of mine that was in progress a few years ago.  I really like how the designer placed boulders around and in the swimming pool.

landscape

Some useful to keep in mind when using boulders in your landscape:

– Bury them so that the bottom third is in the ground.  This helps to make their placement appear more natural.  DO NOT just place a boulder on top of the soil and leave it.

– For larger plants such as shrubs or trees, be sure to select larger boulders – 2′ x 3′ x3′ at the very least.  If you- Don’t worry if the boulders look too large at first before you install them.  I remember receiving a call from my mother-in-law the day the boulders were delivered for the landscape that I had designed for them.  She said that they were way too large.  But, you need to take into account that you will be burying 1/3 of the total height of the boulder and they will look just the right size once in the ground.

– Boulders look great when incorporated in mounding (contouring).  I usually place the boulder just inside of the edge of a mound, making sure that you fill in the area around it.

– Boulders can also be placed in brick or concrete boulders, which adds interest.

– You can select your own boulders, which I recommend before buying.  Don’t be tempted to purchase smaller boulders…they can get lost in the landscape.

– Don’t worry if the boulders look too large at first before you install them.  I remember receiving a call from my mother-in-law the day the boulders were delivered for the landscape that I had designed for them.  She said that they were way too large.  But, you need to take into account that you will be burying 1/3 of the total height of the boulder and they will look just the right size once in the ground.

landscape boulders

I love the boulders in this newly installed landscape.  There is a variety of shapes and sizes that add texture.  The plants are quite small in comparison, but they will grow larger.

If you are going to include boulders in your landscape, please plant something next to them.  Plants make the boulders look great and vice-versa.  Some of my favorite plants to include next to boulders include:

Penstemon

Lantana

Angelita Daisy 

Blackfoot Daisy

Gaura

Salvia species

Dalea species

Agave

Dasylirion species

Barrel Cactus

Mammillaria species

Lastly, boulders look wonderful in the landscape and guess what my favorite part is?   They don’t need any pruning or water to look great…the ultimate in having a beautiful low-maintenance garden.

Red Globe Mallow Seeds

Christmas In The Desert….Tumbleweed, Cactus, Boulders And Washes

Christmas in the desert is much the same as it is around the world.  Christmas lights adorn homes and trees, with a few notable exceptions.  This is the desert after all….we sometimes do things a little differently.

Christmas in desert

First of all, we have a town Christmas tree made entirely out of tumbleweed.  It is painted white and really looks quite beautiful at night when lit up.  We have a huge celebration each year when the  lights are lit for the first time.

Christmas in desert

See…. I told you it was made out of tumbleweed.  For those of you who do not know what tumbleweed is, it is the light brown, prickly, round shrub that you see rolling through the town when you watch old Western movies. *Disclaimer – contrary to popular belief, it is rare to see tumbleweed rolling through the desert.

Christmas in desert

We desert dwellers also decorate our cactus whenever we get a chance.  Saguaro cactus is relatively easy to decorate.  There was a home we used to drive by that had 3 saguaro cacti and every year they would decorate them as the 3 wise men – they looked just great.

Christmas in desert

Water is a much celebrated natural resource and some landscapes have fake desert washes running through their front yard.  During Christmas, some decorate their washes with blue lights to signify water.

*Fake desert washes were extremely trendy, but are thankfully, on the decline.  I admit that I did design some for homeowners who insisted on having them, but I would use large boulders and embed them along the sides to imitate a natural creek bed.

Christmas in desert

Ocotillo make a great stand-in as a Christmas tree.  Just hang some ornaments and string the lights.  I may have to try this on my Ocotillo next year.

Christmas in desert

You know those nets of Christmas lights that you can spread over shrubs?  Look carefully, this homeowner spread his lights over his boulder.  I’m not sure where I stand on this one….

Christmas in desert

Agave Americana all lit up.  I love how this looks.

Christmas in desert

Some people feel that they have to throw lights on everything in their front yard.  They just do not know when to stop.  I’m not sure the lights make this Prickly Pear cactus look any better.

Christmas in desert

The majority of homes in the desert are beautifully lit and look like many of the homes where you live.  This is one of my favorites.  The arborist in me just loves how the lights define the beautiful tree trunks of the Palo Verde and Mesquite trees.

*None of these pictures are from my home.  My husband is somewhat of a minimalist when it comes to decorating the outside of our home for Christmas…a string of lights around the house is as fancy as he gets.  But, I get to go crazy with decorations indoors.

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse of what Christmas in the desert looks like.   

What does Christmas look like where you live?