5 Tips for Landscaping in Hot Climates

Living in a hot climate doesn’t mean you have to abandon your dream of having a rich, green home landscape. Several landscaping design solutions address problems inherent to hot areas. Boasting a yard full of vibrant color and interesting texture isn’t out of your reach if you keep in mind the following five tips.

1. Use Water Wisely

One of the most important landscaping tips for hot climates is to make sure that you have efficient irrigation. Gardening experts recommend using a combination of a drip irrigation system and well-placed soaker hoses. These watering methods deliver moisture over a long period of time without losing much water to runoff or evaporation. Also, consider adding a small water feature to your landscape design. Putting in a fountain, a small pond or a water garden will give you a little oasis from the heat as well as attract helpful birds and insects to your garden.

2. Choose Native Plants

Native plants have already adapted to your climate, so they can handle the heat with very little maintenance. Native plant varieties also won’t need any added fertilizers or costly topsoil to achieve their optimal beauty. Select a variety of low-maintenance plants, including wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, vines, trees and cacti, to achieve a home landscape that looks both lush and texturally interesting.

3. Group Plants Together

Group together plants with similar water needs to make your landscape more water efficient. You can group plants in defined areas around landscaped paths or in areas where water naturally flows and collects. Grouping plants together also gives your landscape a more professionally designed look. For example, grouping native grasses and wildflowers near your house gives you a charming little meadow-like area right in your own backyard.

4. Think Shade

Even plants native to hot regions need a little break from the heat and the sun once in a while. Use small trees or tall shrubs to shield low-lying plants and flowers. Plant shade trees strategically around your house to help lower your cooling costs in the summer. North facing walls provide a shady area, so use this spot for the flowers that require partial shade.

5. Don’t Forget the Groundcovers

A wide variety of easy-growing, low maintenance groundcover plants grow well in hot climate zones. Groundcovers are great for unifying the various specimens in your landscape design while providing even more fullness and texture. Groundcovers also help cool the ground, which means the soil won’t be as hot on the roots of your other landscaping plants.

Josh works with PlumberSurplus.com which has thousands of home & garden and Landscape products.

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