Desert Garden Design: Cacti, Succulents & Ideas
Desert garden design is a drought-tolerant landscape style, often called xeriscape, that uses cacti, agaves, succulents, ornamental grasses and desert trees set in gravel or decomposed granite with natural boulders. Plants are spaced as sculptural specimens, colors follow sand, rust and terracotta earth tones, and irrigation is minimal or limited to targeted drip lines.
What is Desert Garden style?
Desert gardens grew from the native landscapes of the American Southwest, northern Mexico, the Middle East and North Africa. The term xeriscape was coined in Denver in 1981 by the city water department to promote water-wise landscaping. Botanical gardens such as the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix showed how dramatic these plants can be. The style is popular now because of drought, water restrictions and rising bills, and because established plantings need little care.
Desert Garden color palette
- Desert sand#D8C3A0
- Rust#A0522D
- Terracotta#C46A43
- Agave blue-green#7E9C93
- Sage grey#A7B09A
- Golden barrel yellow#D6B43A
Key features of Desert Garden design
- 1
Agaves, cacti and aloes spaced as individual sculptures with gravel between them.
- 2
A continuous ground plane of decomposed granite or gravel instead of lawn.
- 3
Partly buried boulders grouped to look like natural outcrops.
- 4
Desert trees such as palo verde, mesquite or acacia for light, filtered shade.
- 5
Clean hardscape lines using Corten steel edging, rendered walls and flagstone.
- 6
Drip irrigation to each plant instead of spray sprinklers.
Materials
- Decomposed granite for paths and ground cover
- Crushed gravel in sand, gold or rust tones
- Natural boulders
- Corten (weathering) steel edging and planters
- Rammed earth or smooth-rendered walls
- Terracotta and concrete pots
- Flagstone stepping stones
Furniture
- Low concrete or rendered seating wall
- Corten steel raised planters
- Shade structure with timber slats or a tension sail
- Fire pit set in a gravel circle
- Simple metal or teak lounge chairs
- Built-in bench with ceramic tile detailing
Desert Garden style room by room
Desert Garden garden
Replace lawn with decomposed granite, plant a group of three Agave americana or Agave parryi with golden barrel cacti, and set two partly buried boulders beside them.
Try it on your gardenDesert Garden exterior
Frame the entrance with Corten steel planters holding a columnar cactus or a yucca and line the front path with flagstone set in gravel.
Try it on your exteriorDesert Garden balcony
Group terracotta pots of aloe, echeveria and a small agave in a gritty cactus mix, and top each pot with gravel.
Try it on your balcony
Mistakes to avoid
- Planting spiny cacti and agaves beside paths or play areas; keep them at least 1 m back from walkways.
- Overwatering, the most common way to kill cacti; let soil dry out completely between waterings.
- Placing gravel on heavy clay without drainage; improve the soil with grit or use raised mounds.
- Using only small pots and scattered plants; anchor the design with a few large specimens and boulders.
Get the Desert Garden look on a budget
- Propagate agave pups, aloe offsets and echeveria leaves instead of buying mature plants.
- Buy gravel and decomposed granite in bulk by the tonne from a landscape yard, not in bags.
- Check your local water authority for turf-removal rebates that pay part of the cost of replacing lawn.
Desert Garden vs similar styles
Desert Garden vs SouthwesternSouthwestern is the interior style with adobe, terracotta and woven textiles that pairs with a Desert Garden outdoors.
Desert Garden vs MediterraneanMediterranean uses olives, lavender and terracotta in a softer dry climate, while Desert Garden uses cacti and agaves for harsher heat.
Desert Garden vs Japanese GardenJapanese Garden also uses gravel and rocks but pairs them with moss, maples and pines.
Desert Garden vs Wild GardenWild Garden uses dense meadow planting, while Desert Garden spaces sculptural plants widely on bare gravel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a desert garden?
A desert garden is a drought-tolerant landscape that uses cacti, agaves, succulents, grasses and desert trees planted in gravel or decomposed granite with natural boulders. Plants are spaced as individual sculptures, lawn is removed and watering is limited to drip irrigation, so the garden uses far less water than a traditional one.
What plants are best for a desert garden?
The best desert garden plants include Agave americana, Agave parryi, golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii), prickly pear (Opuntia), aloe vera, yucca, red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora), desert spoon (Dasylirion), palo verde trees and blue fescue grass. Choose plants rated for your winter low temperature and give all of them fast-draining soil.
What is the difference between a desert garden and xeriscaping?
Xeriscaping is any landscape designed to use little water, while a desert garden is one look within xeriscaping that uses cacti, agaves and gravel. A xeriscape can also use Mediterranean herbs, native grasses or drought-tolerant shrubs. Both rely on suitable plants, mulch and efficient drip irrigation.
How often should you water a desert garden?
Water new desert plants every one to two weeks during their first summer, then reduce watering once they are established. Mature cacti and agaves usually need water only every three to four weeks in summer and little or none in winter. Always let the soil dry completely between waterings.
What ground cover goes with a desert garden?
Decomposed granite and crushed gravel are the most common ground covers for desert gardens because they drain fast, reflect heat evenly and suppress weeds. Use 5โ8 cm depth over landscape fabric or compacted soil. Low plants such as trailing ice plant or creeping thyme can soften the edges.
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