Desert Crest Press

Over the past couple of years, we’ve shared a lot of information about all facets of desert landscaping in Arizona. Several thousand people visit our blog every month and many of them are from the Scottsdale – Phoenix area, or own winter homes here. Everyone of our local visitors is searching for something that could enhance their Scottsdale or Phoenix landscaping.

From some residents around the area we socialize with, or meet as clients for landscape design, we get a lot of feedback about what they like (or don’t like) about their current Arizona landscaping. We thought it would be interesting to hear how a larger portion of people feel about their outdoor spaces.

We know people from around the world are drawn to our images of all sorts of landscaping features. Patios, shade and different types of drought tolerant or desert plants seem to be most important to the majority of our visitors. We’ve supplied tons of facts and a great deal of information about plants that thrive with low maintenance and low moisture. The first is desirable for every homeowner, and the second is just a natural part of the climate here.

Here’s your opportunity to sound off on what’s good and what’s bad – what you need or wish you had in the landscaping around your Arizona home. Feel free to ask questions, Desert Crest will respond to every one.  What we’re really looking forward to though, is hearing what people think of their Scottsdale landscaping and Phoenix landscaping and how they would like it improved.

Consider this a poll about what you really want Arizona landscape design without regimented check boxes and a set group of questions to answer. Go ahead – put in your two cents. We’re all ears.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Sustainable landscaping is a big buzz word in our industry right now. Not just around Phoenix and Scottsdale, or in Arizona, but across the country.

The assumption that sustainable Arizona landscaping is just about xeriscaping and drought tolerant plants isn’t quite right. Yes, concentrating on native plants and those that will deal well with our arid climate is wise and part of what this broad term encompasses. But, there is more to creating landscapes that are ‘sustainable’ than that.

First of all, landscape architecture is meant to create a connection between man and nature. Something many don’t consider when the start looking for Phoenix or Scottsdale landscape design. Is there a difference between landscape architecture and landscape design? In terms of education, yes. When it comes to translating the natural world into your yard, no. So long as the designer truly understands and utilizes the right plants for the right reasons.

Truly sustainable landscaping not only contains plants that are perfect for dealing with the area climate and conditions, the plant selection will also be a benefit and asset to the property and society… with the least amount of influence from man.

What plants in your Scottsdale or Phoenix landscaping meet these guidelines and criteria?

1) They will fit the space without mechanical control. This means that no plants in your landscape will outgrow their space naturally. Hedging and shearing  of shrubs is not ‘sustainable landscaping’. This requires the use of energy, whether it be electricity or fossil fuels. A little judicial hand-pruning to keep the form full and thick or do away with ‘unsightly’ growth is far removed from mechanical control.

2) They are an asset to both your home environment and the greater landscape of the wilds of Arizona. Beyond the boundaries of your property lies a world that Mother Nature controls and decides what fits and what doesn’t. Sustainable landscaping flows in harmony with the unmaintained areas beyond your property lines. Yes, you want a far more manicured look in your yard, but with the proper landscape design, it can fit with the flow and still be quite beautiful.

3) Plant selection, while presenting you with the optimum in water conservation options, should not be considered to require no moisture assistance at all. Not if you want to maintain the value of your property.  Most plants used in all forms of landscaping will perform better, grow faster and thicker, as well as flower more abundantly with a well controlled irrigation system. In Arizona landscape design for residential properties, sustainable landscaping reduces greatly the amount of maintenance labor, energy used and water requirements.

4) Plant placement should be done to lessen the effects of the environment on your interior rooms. Smart planning can lower household energy bills. Placing trees to shelter a home from climate extremes is proven to reduce energy consumption for both heating and cooling by up to 25%. Naturally, these savings and reductions depend on mature trees. Still, there is no time like the present to get going on creating the savings they will provide.

The best way to have sustainable landscaping around your home is to consult with a long time contractor with vast experience in plants that do well in our area. Not only should your yard and curb appeal be attractive to you and those who drive by, it should be an asset to the community. Promoting cleaner air naturally while it reduces your carbon footprint and demand for fresh water resources. Not just outdoors, but inside the home too.

Popularity: 2% [?]

We’ve been working in this backyard for weeks, beginning with the demolition and removal of a built-in swimming pool. Things were coming together nicely last week as you saw this somewhat controversial Phoenix pizza oven on top of an outdoor fireplace really starting to take shape.

You might wonder what is so controversial about such a project. Well, it seems that this is a first, a one-of-a-kind in the Phoenix – Scottsdale area , let alone the state of Arizona. If what we have discovered looking around the internet is true, then you might have to go as far as Japan to find such a patio design feature in place that allows a wood burning fire in both the pizza oven and the fireplace below.  We weren’t on a course to break records, do the undoable, or even to prove a point. Desert Crest simply did what was necessary to make out client’s dreams come true. Still, unless someone steps forward and corrects us, our latest design challenge is something remarkable indeed. Everyone else uses an insert or kit and gives you your choice of outdoor fireplaces or pizza ovens… never both in one unit.

Here you see the finished outdoor living space’s focal point. The Autumn Blend natural stone veneer and pizza oven door is in place. The pavers used in this Phoenix patio design are Native Blend which is a beautiful companion to the local stone colors on the outdoor fireplace’s structural face. The large planters are a great accent and are outfitted with rear drainage to keep water seepage from damaging the beauty of the flagstone capping.

Also included in this particular Phoenix landscape design are some great desert living plants and an old world style outdoor fountain. Plant material used in this backyard are pigmy date palm, plumbago, little johns shrub, and elephant food. Newly installed trees used are green elm and fantex ash tree.

Radical, as backyard makeovers go, this landscape remodeling job has completely changed the view from the windows for this homeowner. It’s also put a whole new twist on outdoor living space uses for them. Rather than having a swimming pool as the total focal point, they now have plantings that will mature into highly attractive spaces. The water feature adds layers of sound and ambiance without taking over the area. The pizza oven over outdoor fireplace combination though is an asset no matter which way you look at it.

All they need now is the right patio furniture to fit this new patio design’s outdoor living spaces. For this homeowner, its a whole new world in backyard living, custom designed to their needs by Desert Crest.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Everyone has priorities when it comes to the most valued features in their outdoor living spaces. In small backyards, like many people around Scottsdale and Phoenix, patios and pools can argue with each other for square footage. Naturally it depends on the homeowner and the family who lives there. Pools aren’t on the top of everyone’s most desired lists.  Whether the home was purchased with the pool and its hardly ever used or the kids have grown up and moved away, there are times when drastic backyard recreation become the option for getting the features we really need.

And so it was on this job. Without tearing out the landscaping plants, there’s no room for a decent sized patio here for entertaining without the guests being strung all around the poolside. Where do you put an outdoor fireplace on this layout and get space for a group to enjoy it, let alone the wood fired pizza oven you want to be part of the structure. The pool has to go.

Having wood fired Phoenix pizza ovens on the  patio will no doubt get truly gourmet outdoor cooks in the area excited over the possibilities. Its something not that many people have, but hearing about someone getting one nearby will no doubt get those old world bread and pizza taste buds stirring. By the way, the best firewood for baking bread and pizza is pecan or apple, or citrus. You can mix some mequite in with either, but for best flavor in wood fired breads and pizzaz is recommended. The rest will burn too dirty or ruin the flavor of the baking dough. Apple is kind of sweet, so it sounds like pecan or sour citrus would be the first choice for pizza baking.

A standard outdoor pizza oven gives you just that feature, and nothing else. Inside outdoor kitchens, this setup makes perfect sense. As a focal point of outdoor living spaces though, a different approach is needed. As on this project, where the homeowner wanted both fireplace and pizza oven in one unit. Rather than buy a kit or slip in, Desert Crest decided this would greatly compromise the quality of overall design and ornamental appeal. This method of combining outdoor fireplaces below a pizza oven isn’t something you’ll find anywhere else around Scottsdale or Phoenix. That’s the great thing about truly custom design.

We’ve built lots of Scottsdale and Phoenix outdoor fireplaces. Its one of our specialties, but this project is our first pizza oven design request. It was a challenge in engineering, but our masonry experience and skills have really made it all come together. Here’s the finished outdoor fireplace pizza oven combo completed, with just the door left to be installed.

In case you’re wondering, this isn’t a stucco unit with stone trim coins. In next week’s post you’ll see what looks like corner accents of Autumn Blend flagstone veneer take over the structure. We’ve used the same natural stone flagging for the hearth. Tune in next week and you’ll see the total finished patio design installed to set off this traditional Old World style meets modern day Phoenix pizza oven’s final persona as the architectural feature it was designed to be. Another dramatic backyard makeover comes to life.

Popularity: 3% [?]

The interest in using native plants like Bursage, Brittlebush and cactus leads one to assume that since these plants thrive in the wilds of the Sonoran desert, the present us with the perfect no water plants for xericape. Glendale landscaping and the wilderness are two completely opposite things.

No one expects the open desert to have curb appeal. Everyone expects residential property to accrue in value rather than see their market price range drop. Landscaping was never meant to be without maintenance. This includes xeriscaping landscaping, Glendale. Even though native plants don’t die in the desert, they certainly aren’t lush and at their best in appearance.

What every homeowner concerned about curb appeal and market value in the greater Phoenix area needs to understand is that even xeriscape plants require some assistance with moisture. The alternative isn’t landscaping, it is an unkempt yard, which does very little for making a home highly marketable at top dollar for what the structure and interior or amenities are worth.

While it is important to conserve water, it is also very important to maintain your property value. The truth is that drip irrigation is very water conservative. Unlike hand watering with the hose or sprinklers this gives your xeriscaping landscaping plants deep root water at a rate that they use every drop. When the zones are properly set up and scheduled, you are using very little water and gaining so much more from rugged native plants.

Fast growth is always of a concern for those with newly installed Glendale landscaping. We can’t say as we don’t blame you, nursery shrubs and cacti are always immature. This leaves lots of vacant space in newly planted yards, not to mention lack of height. Xeriscape Glendale landscaping grows faster and with a much fuller shape when it is under the right amount of water and fertilization schedule.

The other thing that is commonly done with any type of landscaping here in the Phoenix – Scottsdale area, as well as across the country, is to put shrubs that are too large for the space in and whack them into submission when they start overgrowing the allotted area. Choosing a shrub in the nursery container that is ready to fill the space is never a wise choice, as it will be massive in a few years. If you pick out xeriscape plants according to the expected mature size, not only will your landscaping look better as it grows, your annual maintenance chores will be far fewer.

This is true of all xeriscape plants, including native desert plants. This is one more reason why having a professional Glendale landscape design will give you a much more attractive yard.

Popularity: 3% [?]