If you live in a dry, hot climate, or if you live in a very sunny, but moderate climate, finding the top five plants to use in desert landscaping might be one of your best options. You might not be able to grow temperamental hybrid tea roses where you live, but there are many succulents, cacti and ornamental grasses that will allow you to create a stunning environment no matter how restrictive the growing conditions may be.
Watering restrictions and high maintenance costs are driving the trend towards low-water, low-maintenance gardens. In fact, many people are either doing away with lawns and flowerbeds or keeping these water guzzlers to a minimum. Succulents are a great choice for drought-resistant gardens because they can withstand infrequent watering and extended dry spells. There’s also no shortage of design possibilities since these plants come in all sorts of interesting forms, colors, and textures.
Sample Succulent Garden Plan
Succulents can be incorporated into any sunny garden as long as it is kept on the dry side, but designing the landscape around a desert theme brings out the best in these plants and provides a long lasting, plant-it-and-forget-it garden. Consider this sample succulent garden plan, which you can easily adapt to fit your available space.
Before Installing Your Succulent Landscape
Before you begin creating your garden, there are a few things to consider.
Soil
Most succulents will do well in the same soil that other garden plants grow in as long as it drains well. Soil depth depends a lot on the size of the succulents you intend to plant, but a depth of 12 to 18 inches should be sufficient since these plants tend to have shallow root systems.
If your soil is compacted or full of clay, it is imperative to add plenty of organic material such as compost. If you aren’t sure how well your soil drains, you can check by digging a one-foot deep hole and filling it with water. If the water drains in thirty minutes or less, your soil is porous enough for growing succulents. If it’s not, you will need to add organic material and check for drainage using the same method in another spot.
Read more: https://www.landscapingnetwork.com/plants/succulents.html