Landscape Design Ideas for Hot, Dry Utah Areas

Those who reside in cool or humid areas of the country may be jealous of hot arid climates, but you know it presents real landscaping design challenges if you’re from a location like Utah. It would be best to have drought-tolerant vegetation and water-conserving elements in your landscape to create a unified design. Choices can include adding a small water feature that uses minimal water but can add maximum appeal in a dry and hot climate. If you are unsure of what features you should add to complete your landscape design, rest assured we have got you covered. Below we have provided some great recommendations fit for the dry and hot climates of Utah summers.

Utilize Shading Features

A strategically placed shade sail or a covered patio should be at the top of your landscape design list, giving you and your plants a place to hide from direct sunlight. Designated shade areas in your landscape design in Utah can also assist in transitioning container plants between the indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Strategically Plant Trees

Trees that can tolerate dry, hot climates provide an alternative source of shade. Some trees need minimal watering and can grow up to 25 feet tall such as Desert Museum palo verde, which also blooms small brightly colored yellow flowers in the spring. A word of caution to carefully select the tree you want to add to your yard as you don’t want roots to affect something like plumbing in your home.

Drought tolerant plants

Luckily there are droves of drought-tolerant plants to choose from for your particular climate, and there’s a wide selection of colors to liven up your landscape design. If you have a covered patio area, you can include mounts with low-growing plants such as Spanish lavender, hybrid lantana, or “Blue Glow” agave with attractive blue-green leaves.

Cactuses

For the areas that are a little bit more secluded or at least far from children and pets, cactuses of all variations give your landscape design character. Prickly Pear cactuses reach about 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide with wide paddles. You can also add contrasting shapes by including a few barrel cactus that also grow to 4 feet tall.

The list above is just a small percentage of ideas for landscaping design in dry, hot climates such as Utah, and the truth is that the possibilities are near endless. Just make sure to research which plants thrive in your specific area, and soon you’ll have a yard that all the neighbors are sure to talk about.

Affordable Dream Landscape provides landscaping design services in Utah. Contact them today to start building the yard of your dreams!