For dune bashing, yes. For camel safaris, yes. But for much of everything else, the desert is a much-maligned piece of land. And it’s almost a nightmare for a gardener owing to the harsh and green-unfriendly land characteristics.
But is the desert actually just an unending expanse of lifeless terrain?
Or does it have its own array of plant life?
Is it a place to be admired from a distance?
Or can you make it a kind of landscape?
And that too right in the heart of the city?
This might spring a surprise. But desert theme landscaping is an attractive proposition to many.
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What Attracts Many to Desert Landscaping?
For some, it brings back the memories of where they belong to. For others, it is simply the visual imagery of the desert that is appealing. And then, desert-themed landscaping can do with a lot less water consumption. In water-shortage areas, it’s tough for traditional landscapes to survive. Desert landscaping is more than up to it.
Create a space that is eye-catching and easy to maintain. A space that’s not a strain on the precious water resources. Achieve a minimalistic yet attractive landscape. And you can achieve this all with faux plants too. Those fake cactus plants will give the real ones a run for their money.
So you have decided to recreate a thumbnail view of the Mojave Desert right in the backyard of your workplace? Go ahead. But read on to know more about some essentials to have for that perfect desert landscaping.
Create a Wholesome Ambiance
It’s not just about placing some random desert plants here and there. It’s about getting the right feel.
So, along with placing the fake green plants, also scatter some white desert stones around the pathway to the entrance. You may also place some aromatic yucca plants.
Round this off by installing some golden lights in the pathway. It would perfectly recreate the color tones of the desert.
Add a Waterbody
Does this sound contradictory?
Well, consider it as an oasis in your recreated desert. You would need to shell out a handful of dollars to install the water features.
They won’t cost much in terms of maintenance. It will add a nice touch of irony to the desert landscape.
Yet, it would up the attraction quotient. It would also serve the purpose of caring for the real plants, should you have any.
Make Use of Pebbles
You can create different patterns with pebbles. They don’t cost much. But they can beautify a landscape in large measures. Pebbles come in various colors.
You can choose pebbles whose colors contrast with the sand. Fake green plants on pebbles in the sands would create a very good visual impact.
Build Raised Plant Beds
A raised plant bed would be a nice addition to the central part of the landscape.
Outline the border of the bed with bricks. Fill this bed with sand and place faux desert plants here of various kinds.
This plant bed would become the center of attraction of your desert landscape.
Keep it Simple
Your workplace reflects modern décor and a lot of class. Counterbalance the designs of the structure with minimalist landscaping. And a desert theme allows you this.
Place a few desert plants in a planned but scattered manner across the area. The minimalist landscape would be a nice contrast to the intricately designed office building.
Introduce Lighting
The correct lighting can create the right mood in more ways than one.
Don’t deprive your workplace of desert-themed landscaping of this.
Select warm lights like golden or yellow.
They will create a distinct Middle Eastern desert-type ambiance. Take a break from work from time to time in the evenings and go for a walk outside.
Spending long evenings at the workplace won’t be that exhausting anymore.
Try Creating Slopes
If your workplace location supports it, then go for a hill-like topography outside your workplace.
A desert-themed landscape on this topography would resemble sand dunes in an actual desert. Place some rocks here and bushy artificial desert plants. And it’s a scene straight out of a Western movie!
Create Various Patterns
You have various fake desert plants at your disposal.
Create multiple patterns, both symmetric and asymmetric. Let your creative juices flow as you arrange the plants in different designs.
For added impact, place multiple colored pebbles on the sand. Contrast the plant color with that of the pebble.
Make it Colorful
Deserts are not just about thorny plants or dry bushes.
The succulent desert plants come in various shades of color. For example, you get bright yellow flowers from the creosote bush. Other types, like Burro’s Tail, Peddle Plant, etc. also come in stunning colors.
So, enliven your desert landscape with a blast of colors.
Ornamentation is Great
Go contemporary. Install some modern or post-modernist sculptures in the landscape. They make statements by themselves.
In a desert-themed landscape, metallic structures, especially rusty-looking ones, would look attractive. You can also place some marble structures to add a dash of elegance.
Keep a Tab On the Scale
You don’t need to go for plants that are exactly of the same shape. Then again, there shouldn’t be too much of a variation in their sizes. That would be distracting.
Maintain a balance between big and small when installing them. Alternate the larger plants with the mid-sized ones. That would create the perfect imagery.
Mix and Match
It’s your garden. And you have the freedom to design it the way you want. So, mix up several types of plants within the desert landscaping.
And faux trees make the job much easier for you. Go for artificial bamboo plants to create a striking visual impact. Do the deserts of the Middle East attract you?
There are various types of artificial palm trees for sale that you can get hold of. Place them in the landscape to get a contrasting, yet captivating look.
So…
So, there are lots that you can do to make your desert-themed landscape look beautiful.
In Plantscape Commercial Silk, you have landscaping products and the consultancy you need. Call us, ask for samples of desert landscapes we’ve done for clients, and tell us how we can help you.
