How to do desert landscaping

One of the most modern and popular forms of landscaping is called, "going green landscaping". Ironically, there is very little green in the actual landscape because it is a landscaping method that saves water.

To start our plan for a front or backyard landscaping plan, we will have to decide if we want to completely have a waterless yard with stone and small rocks, or a yard with a few plants.

Most yards need at least a few plants. Desert plants use such a small amount of water and can be watered with a drip system.

Let's design the yard by deciding where to put a water drip hose system. These drip systems are available at most hardware stores and they can be installed in just a few minutes.

The large poly tube carries the water to the garden where it is then reduced to the drip tubing which waters each tree and plant.

Before we put in the rocks and gravel, we need to plant the flowers, plants, and trees. There are many kinds of desert plants and trees that are beautiful, but if we don't live in a desert climate, most of these plants won't grow.

We can still use the desert landscaping mentality of water conservation with local plants and trees that will flourish with the water drip system.

For those that do live in a desert climate, there are some fun plants that require very little maintenance.

The Joshua tree is a favorite of the Mojave Desert. I wish they could grow everywhere but that would make them less special.

Palm trees are very popular and there are hundreds of species to choose from.

Plants and bushes add a touch of beauty and with the drip irrigation system, the plants get watered, not the weeds.

The part of desert landscaping that requires little to no maintenance is the rocks and stones. This also includes "pavers" which is pathway stones.

Rocks and stones can be used as ground coverings.

Or they can be used as a yard centerpiece.

Curbing can be a nice addition to a front yard landscaping project because it adds definition. It separates and gives a yard symmetry.

Sidewalks, steps and stairs add completion to a sloped area.
There are many desert landscaping ideas that conserve water.

How to make a Koi pond

This article covers the basics on making a Koi pond. You will be able to plan and build a Koi pond with a circulating pump. You will also learn about the kind of bacteria Koi need to survive and how to make a bacteria containment system. You will learn how to line the bottom of the pond with plastic to keep the water from seeping.

We'll just start out by digging out the Koi pond. Most people like to have small waterfalls to keep the water circulating for the fish. If that's the case, you may want to stack some of the dirt taken from the Koi pond and make a sloping hill for the waterfall.

Once we have the hole dug out, we will need to put in a pond liner which is a plastic membrane made for this purpose. You can get pond liner kits online or at hardware stores.

Part of the pond construction will include a bacteria tank used to keep koi alive. Koi create a certain type of necessary bacteria which keeps the water conditioned for them. These tanks help that bacteria thrive.


Many landscapers will use the bacteria tank as a waterfall to run over rocks and down into the Koi pond. All ponds and waterfalls need a circulating pump. These come in many different sizes according to how high you need to pump the water and how fast you want the flow rate. The pump will need to be placed in the pond, but it needs to be off the bottom of the pond floor by an inch or two. This keeps the pump from sucking up sediment.

Rocks can be a beautiful part of any landscape pond. If you need to make a waterfall from rocks, you can use a rock adhesive/sealant to hold the rocks together. This also fills in holes really well. Natural rocks work the best, but if you're concerned about weight, you can get faux (artificial) rock.

Next, we can fill the pond to test it out for leaks. Once we know the pond holds water we can put all the extras in place to make it look nice. Plants and lilies are a great addition.

Plants can take awhile before they start to take hold and look healthy. We will need to wait for a few weeks before we put the Koi in. It's important to let the water circulate and build up some sediment.

Koi are such a tranquil feature to a landscaping project. They have become so popular recently. I think it's because the Koi are so tranquil when they're swimming around. They remind us to take life easy.



Larry Angell