Liz and Greg’s Desert Retreat
Moving into a new build is always exciting, because you have a total blank slate! This backyard transformation had it all: patios, artificial turf, trees, a firepit, and vegetable gardening! This was installed in winter 2024, and has already matured over year. The trees are filling in, and someday will cast a lovely shade of green throughout the backyard.
Before…a blank slate
As you can see, this new build had a sea of gravel. Liz and Greg were clear in their ideas, and we just had to transfer that to an HOA approved design. Elements included a covered patio for dining and lounging, a vegetable garden, trees, a firepit, and a strip of artificial turf for lawn games. A perfect backyard to host family, and especially, the grandkids!
Raised beds are a great way to control your soil and create a comfortable working area. Bigger is better in a desert climate. With a large soil mass, it is difficult for the raised beds to fluctuate temperatures in our extreme heat. These 4’x8’ beds have a lot of growing space, and with drip irrigation, they are foolproof. Liz has a lot of garden experience, so she was excited to take this format and go wild with her creativity. I love the glass lanterns hanging from the sturdy rose arch trellis.
Vegetable gardens
Adding large pavers as a base and a wooden ramada allows for a cozy patio for outdoor dining. This newer development gets a lot of high winds so the patio has to be strong and high quality. Adding drip irrigation to the containers also helps ensure watering is consistent throughout the seasons.
Covered Patio
A small paver area was added for the firepit, and along the block walls receiving all day sun are Lady Banks Roses. These thrive in a lot of heat, even reflected heat, which is one of our trickier microclimates to grow plants. Over time, these roses will cover the block wall and also cool down the patio by shading the block wall. The vines are evergreen, and bloom heavily for 2-3 weeks in springtime.
