Planning your landscape
Planning a landscape can be an overwhelming but rewarding process. Before you can draw a landscape plan, however, you'll want to review your current landscape and decide what you want to change or create in your yard. Review the design tips and landscape inspiration below to ensure you get everything you want out of your landscape.
💵Get cash for grass: Swapping out water-thirsty grass for a lush drought-tolerant landscape? Apply for our Water Smart Landscapes Rebate before you get started!
Landscape design tips
Use these tips to ensure the design process of your landscape goes smoothly:
- Check with your Homeowners Association for requirements or restrictions.
- Decide in advance how much you can afford to spend.
- Create a timeline to make the most of each season during the planting and installation process.
- Know your landscape zones (areas of your property that may require different levels of maintenance or care due to foot traffic, sun exposure, etc.).
- Take photos of eye-catching plants or plant groupings you may want to use in your landscape.
- Consider blooming seasons when planning your landscape.
- Create a focal point for each part of your property. Use lines throughout your landscape to define the space and direct the eye to those focal points.
- Use repeating shapes, colors and textures to pull your landscape design together.
- Account for plant growth and future water needs by planning your irrigation system for several years in advance.
- Buy smaller plants to save money.
- Place trees first as an anchor and work your way outward. Be sure to allow enough room for root growth.
Evolution of a landscape plan
Once you've figured out what you want from your landscape, the time has come to draw a landscape plan. This is an important step even if you have decided to use a landscape professional. You don't have to be an artist or landscape architect to create a landscape plan—this is just another opportunity to visualize the end result.
- Plot plan
A plot plan provides a bird's-eye view of your lot, using a scale to place all existing features. Accuracy is important in drawing the plot plan so that you have identified the space available for planting.
- Functional plan
A functional plan uses "bubbles" to lay out different areas and their potential uses — a patio, outdoor grill, garden or plant beds. Draw bubbles on the plan to roughly define areas and to approximate the size and shape of different features to determine how your space will be divided and used.
- Final concept plan
A final concept plan provides the complete picture of your landscape design, including plant selections. You've already separated your spaces into bubbles, now you'll begin strategically placing your plant selections.
Choosing plants
With a large selection of plants and trees to choose from, you'll want to do your homework and make sure you pick ones that will work best for your needs and our desert climate.
Free classes
Learn from the experts at one of several free SNWA-sponsored landscaping classes covering the basics of water smart landscaping and assembling and installing drip irrigation.
🏠 Landscape inspiration for residential homeowners
Check out these photo galleries for examples of beautiful, water-smart landscaping at local residences.
Looking for plants? Our interactive plant list can help you choose trees, ground cover, shrubs, and plants with the specific characteristics you're looking for. Enter your desired color, shape, canopy size, height, growth rate or type of foliage and get multiple examples of beautiful native or drought-tolerant plants for your property.
🏢 Inspiration for businesses, multifamily properties and HOAs
Are you a business owner, HOA board member or property manager looking for landscape design inspiration as you get ready to replace turf grass with desert-friendly trees and plants?
Check out these photo galleries for examples of water-smart landscaping that local properties have installed at community entrances, in common areas, along streets, and on slopes and medians.
Our interactive plant list can help you choose trees, ground cover, shrubs, and plants with the specific characteristics you’re looking for. Enter your desired color, shape, canopy size, height, growth rate or type of foliage and get multiple examples of beautiful native or drought-tolerant plants for your property.
Designing a wildlife habitat 🦋
Design a landscape that attracts hummingbirds, chipmunks and other creatures by creating a wildlife habitat in your own backyard that incorporates these five elements:
- Food: Provide food sources for wildlife by including native trees and plants that supply fruits or seeds.
- Water: Since most wildlife need water to drink and wash themselves, arrange for a bird bath or shallow water source.
- Cover: Plant heavy shrubbery or create hollowed-out areas for animals to use as protection or to escape bad weather.
- Places to raise young: Wildlife need secure areas to raise their young. These areas might include trees for birds and squirrels or ponds for amphibious creatures.
- Sustainable gardening practices: Remember that your habitat not only affects you and your backyard, it affects our environment. Helping our environment includes planting native vegetation and reducing chemicals.