How to Create a Desert Landscape | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada heads to Phoenix to recreate the desert in a homeowner’s front yard.
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Time: 1 day
Cost: $2,000 and Up
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Creating a Desert Landscape:
Shovel
Wheelbarrow
Hand truck
Level
Compacter
Shopping List:
Soil
Boulders
Variety of desert plants
Cardboard
_” stone
Modular pavers
Steps:
1. Dig out the outline of a walkway about 3’ wide and 3-4” deep. Give the outline a slight curve to add visual interest to the walkway.
2. To mimic the hills of the desert, shovel piles of soil onto the landscape into seemingly random mounds.
3. Determine a few locations to place boulders in the landscape. Dig holes in those locations about 4” deep and roughly the width of the boulder being placed.
4. Carefully load each boulder onto a hand truck, wheel it into position, and roll the boulder into its final place. Backfill around the hole to make it look like it really belongs there.
5. Stage the variety of desert plants across the landscape. Things aren’t really clumped together in the desert, so keep the plants spread out. Be mindful of when plants bloom, if ever, to have an even spread of color across the landscape.
6. Once each plant is in its desired position, plant them all with the shovel. Dig down just about as deep as the root ball and twice as wide.
7. To plant cacti, wrap a piece of cardboard around the needles and move the cactus only by holding onto the cardboard.
8. Give everything a good watering.
9. Put down a layer of _” stone on the outlined walkway and level it.
10. Compact the walkway with a compacter.
11. Lay down the pavers over the walkway base in a running bond pattern.
Resources:
In any landscape design, Jenn recommends looking for natural cues in the surrounding area to recreate in a controlled way in your yard. In this case, she identified an abundance of small stones coating the ground, plants spread far apart from each other, and undulating hills. Those cues informed the design in the homeowner’s front yard.
Jenn installed boulders, red yucca, lantana, bougainvillea, a few variety of cacti, and a Chilean mesquite tree. These can be found at nurseries, particularly in the Southwest region of the US and in zones 9 and 10.
Expert assistance for this segment was provided by Rod Pappas and Xeriscapes Unlimited, Inc. (xeriscapes.com), A-1 Materials Phoenix (www.a-1materialsrocksupply.com), All Season Nursery (www.allseasongrowers.com), and Horizon Irrigation (www.horizononline.com).
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Create a Desert Landscape | Ask This Old House
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[@rayzor285]

I use those pavers in my business all the time. They're called Belgard pavers if anyone was curious. Pro tip, set the border in concrete and rebar first and then cut in the rest of the pavers in the middle while setting them at a 45° angle to the house. It's more work but it looks hella clean.

[@marbarchi]

The homeowners response after he tells her that the plant will "go with your mailbox" is priceless. Lol

[@thordehr]

I do this in LA by just turning off the sprinklers. It's all brown and dusty within a week.

[@johnnytwospice1971]

Chickens are really good at removing old sod, too!

[@Freshbreath100]

Boulders are indigenous to this area 🙃

[@Fe7Ace]

Yeah, haha.. Although I assume she meant boulders of a local texture by that. She said: "boulders which are indigenous to this area".

[@ho2cultcha]

you can purchase boulders from all over the world at most rock and soil places. she was saying that they chose to use local boulders. that's a good thing when you think about the amount of energy spent to bring rocks from India for landscaping.

[@OfftoShambala]

And they have slow growth.

[@tamm3757]

Hummingbirds love that honeysuckles! They could’ve replant it somewhere-else in the yard!

[@RVBadlands2015]

For sure. What is shirty issues.

[@GwenMotoGirl]

Or trim it to be tree shaped. I was sad to see it go. Bees and butterflies like them, too.

[@cal7121]

They did a beautiful job. The pavers look awesome. The plant choices were perfect. But they blocked the window again with the tree and planted it to close to the house. Those mesquite roots can wreak havoc on a foundation. I planted mine 15 feet away from my house.

[@augustreil]

Should have made the sidewalk straight and at least 4ft wide. Jmo.

[@RVBadlands2015]

Problem with that when you get the heavy rains it will cause wash out.

[@FlonationOfficial]

Did you see the look on the guys face in the background with a blue shirt when they pull the honeysuckle bush out🤣

[@SeanBZA]

Bougainvillea by me was in the way of the plumber. they were nervous, as they did not want to damage plants on private property, but I told them to just go ahead and chop it as much as they needed to fix the burst pipe. 3 months later and it is just as good as before, the trimming down to the roots in that section is not visible at all, and it filled up the big gap within weeks. Another, around 20 years wild, was trimmed down to ground level completely last year, now is peeking above the wall again. Was a good vanload of branches from that one, totally ignored, only natural watering from rain and growing in the poorest soil imaginable. Then again, I live in a coastal area, no shortage of rain all year round

[@MissterX]

Always smart to remove shade from in front of your windows in Phoenix.

[@jdtown6585]

I was thinking WTF as well. Plus that honeysuckle was a nice looking plant; they could have just trimmed it up a bit.

[@maxcooperman356]

"This plant is blocking the window and creating a security risk" *Proceeds to put a tree right in front of said window* Great job guys

[@plumbingstuffinoregon2471]

Ha ha! I know right?

[@MeloncholyKay]

tree isn't completely blocking the view.

[@introtwerp]

How is the tree creating a security risk? It looked beautiful

[@MissterX]

The Chilean Mesquite makes a big mess in the fall with the pods they drop and requires constant trimming because it grows like a teenage boy during puberty! They also will topple over VERY easily in monsoon season when they either are not trimmed properly, watered when mature or both.

[@warriormonk8940]

honey suckle killers...smh, they had all the gear, money and time, they could've at least tried to transplant the honey suckle somewhere else. Sad...

[@wallywould1352]

can you guys do follow up videos? I'd really like to see how some of these home and yard projects turned out after some time.

[@amandawhitis8788]

That tree though attracts bees like crazy!!!

[@68camarorsss33]

Why would you want to put a tree that gets that big so close to your house???

[@samiam5557]

I think they didn't get the best advice. That is a bad idea.

[@68camarorsss33]

Sam Iam Ya they will regret that decision...did you see how big that tree can get LOL

[@Luckingsworth]

That honeysuckle was beautiful. Why tf did they cut it out? Just TRIM it if it's too big!!

[@PJJ196]

Or at least transplant it

[@gdpope52]

It grows back and its not desert native.

[@steelersgirl3063]

Right!! I completely agree, it was beautiful

[@JohnDoe-xg4yr]

See a lot of honeysuckle in the desert?

[@mmp495]

You all have truly inspired with the hard work put in to this landscape. Very pretty variety of desert plants.🌵🌺

[@plumbingstuffinoregon2471]

Why'd they kill the Honey Suckle? I love those!

[@Cryo837]

I suckle my honey...

[@lambert1702]

Love Arizona, what an amazing place!

[@Engineer9736]

1:50 looks like the guy is luring the two women with a cookie or something

[@MrAndyCarlos]

Richard van Pukkem so true lmao

[@dinobuddy]

Where are the water and gas lines relative to the mesquite tree, I'd like to know? Front yard mesquite trees can rupture water lines--I know, because it happened to me.

[@MissterX]

In those old neighborhood it's all in the alleys.

[@donalderickson3385]

Seeing this makes me homesick

[@bmarie8965]

I'm in high plains desert in Colorado and I just let things naturally grow and pulled what I didn't want and in my opinion it's looking naturally good 😃

[@portaadonai]

This is my one step process of creating a desert landscape. I have studied and researched this topic for tens of seconds. After many partial minutes of thought, I have distilled my method into a single rule: Step 1: Stop watering

[@murrayandru7527]

Great Job Jen !

[@Kristina-gz2wu]

I have a question, if there is weed barrier under the rocks and you opened up a hole for the new plants, how is the ground cover going to grow and the yucca going to grow babies. Won't the weed barrier prevent them from really taking root?

[@m.c.lippsss]

You have to rip up the weed barrier for a few feet around the hole for your intended new plant.

[@jdtown6585]

It's in the Arizona desert, where even weeds won't grow.

[@teenageenaballerina8350]

I’m curious about watering this landscape, because I didn’t notice any irritation system. Did the homeowner use sprinklers, and how often?

[@shea5542]

This was really helpful to watch with trying to setup a new landscape for myself in the desert. Thanks!

[@RoastBeefSandwich]

Who else noticed the neighbors watching the work from their porch?

[@pofjiosgjsoges]

on both sides ;)

[@NoOneHere2Day]

Anyone with eyes noticed.

[@javisantiso7944]

the best success that i've ever had was by using the coop magic tactic (i found it on google) without a doubt the most helpful info that I've followed.

[@vyeagra2083]

@@javisantiso7944 What are you on about Javi?

[@QuangThichDuc]

Rahja would have been pissed, I didn’t see anyone rough up those roots.

[@SmartTurf]

Yes! awesome design!

[@kaycox5555]

Beautiful

[@nazispy6695]

Amazing video!

[@saulgoodman2018]

Those pavers look like they have a rounded over top. Which won't be good for a wheel chair. You should have used flat pavers. Space aren't even between them. Some are bigger then other. If you have someone in a wheelchair. You should have just poured cement. It's safer that way.

[@prakashgudimetlagudimetlap2533]

Very nice natural tea

[@peninsulahomerenovations9680]

8:06 ah there is the guy doin this every day in the Arizona sun. Looks good.

[@Logamn1023]

more like this please

[@ferryengr]

Really? TOH talks up native plants and then you plant bougainvillea and Chilean mesquite - both non-natives. On top of that, the chilean mesquite are known to be a cross-pollination (hybridization) threat to the native mesquites (such as velvet mesquite).

[@lenovovo]

With all due respect, please ma'am, quit being so negative, just enjoy the video and the beauty that they brought to this home, it seems to me that you are a very negative lady.

[@ho2cultcha]

baloney! you can't say that it's a native landscape if the most important plants are non-native. it's not being 'negative' to point out something so obviously messed up.

[@ho2cultcha]

i'm on tv fairly regularly talking about native plants. i don't just claim to do native landscapes. i really design and plant them - every single day.

[@SchuboxProductions]

And they put the tree in front of the window😂

[@MissterX]

You're correct but since what they used is also used by most landscapers here they should have said "commonly used vegetation for the region" to be more specific.

[@llib90630]

nice job

[@XLIVLP]

Why no poly-sand on the walkway after it was put down?

[@tbuff77]

I would not plant a mesquite that close to the house because of the roots

[@NoOneHere2Day]

I'm not a professional landscaper but even I did a way better job designing a cactus garden for my front yard.

[@kaycox5555]

SWEET

[@Hadamona]

The bobcat seemed a little overkill to remove that honeysuckle

[@augustreil]

And then they didn't use it for the sidewalk ? They could have made 2-3 back drags with it and be done but I guess it wouldn't make a good show ?

[@hanimduarte9440]

I agree Augusta exactly my thoughts

[@jonathancordero9877]

I've been a a similar show as help and they most likely used the bobcat for the side walk and other stuff but don't show it since what they are trying to show is that you can do it yourself. There's a ton of workers off camera that do the real work. These people are just for show when the cameras rolling

[@DigitalFliq]

😍✌🏻

[@TrueToad]

Excellent Learning I lived South of Tucson Arizona for many years, the desert is beautiful''

[@jackiemartin5087]

OMG I LOVE THE DESERT ❣️ so much so open & the sunny drenching days too ❣️❣️❣️❣️

[@josearana7704]

I live in North Carolina on the east coast and I love this desert look landscaping can I do this in here???

[@MissterX]

The gravel for sure and then the cactus maybe, the rest of it probably not! ~life long 43 year old Phoenix native.

[@fredbarnes196]

It looks like a west facing home. I bet someone put that honeysuckle in to block the AZ sun from coming in the bedroom and making it uninhabitable.

[@ncooty]

Anyone interested in arid landscape design should look up Brad Lancaster. His books on harvesting rainwater are fantastic.

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

ncooty, not much permaculture going on in this design.

[@ncooty]

+Thomas Indeed, unfortunately. Still, they could take a few of his ideas without going full-on permaculture--such as planting in depressions.

[@ferryengr]

Exactly. In this day and age, TOH should have consulted Watershed Management Group (WMG), which operates in Phoenix in addition to Tucson (Brad is on their board).

[@ncooty]

+augsburg Yep, good point; WMG does great work. For anyone interested in larger scales (beyond the typical TOH scale), there's also the Quivira Coalition. Lots of great resources there.

[@forrestsnow580]

No sprinkler drip system?

[@dziadek1287]

Their enthusiasm as well as the skidsteer were a little overkill for the situation

[@OfftoShambala]

Don’t use the new gold lantana.. it’s not good in winter... the purple is much better... blooms profusely year round.. attracts butterflies. If you want a low grower... the reds and pinks are usually big. And I can’t recall if they look good year round or not, but I’ve lived with both new gold and purple... purple is better.

[@D.Frasure]

What kind of granite is that? is that crushed granite or some other name, I need this for starters?

[@MissterX]

It's crushed granite probably 3/4 inch and the color is called Madison Gold. I've put down over 100 tons of it in 5 different properties over the years.

[@judyvoigt2922]

You said you were going to plant native plants just after the 2 minute mark. Lantana, Bougainvillea and Chilean Mesquite are all non native and Lantana is invasive. Red Yucca, is a very cool plant but not locally native to AZ. The only native plants are the barrel cactus and agave.

[@RVBadlands2015]

Chilean mesquite are not native to Arizona. The velvet mesquite and honey mesquite are native to Arizona.

[@justinwaynoka5017]

Everybody has been the guy at 2:42 at least once lol

[@robbanta2979]

where’s rahjah?

[@Amedeus1756]

...can I do this landscape in Alaska?

[@Frank020]

Liked look and the procedure except, for cutting the pavers. I'm not going to do that. Also, no needles.

[@Major_Mason]

How do people live in a dust bowl oven??????

[@janettehammons3966]

I also live in Az. But, I need a dog friendly yard. Any suggests? And what are some of the trees that will live here? Thank you

[@melaniebrown6805]

look into your zone. Arizona actually has alot of different zones.

[@melaniebrown6805]

like I am in Southeastern AZ my property is in Zone 9B Flagstaff is zone 6a.

[@lordandpomeroy]

Did the homeowner need to water any of those plants or tree?

[@Thomas-wn7cl]

No swales to capture and absorb scarce rain water or over story under story. This design is far better than trying to water a lawn in the desert, but is really lacking in utilizing critical available natural resources.

[@daleannharsh8295]

Wouldn't planting near the boulder, that they dug into the landscape, work to that end? As well as planting along the base of the mounds they created?

[@JimmyTurner]

I started watching this old house many years ago. I've been watching clips from the youtube channel for the past week and finally subbed. Wtf happened to this show?

[@patricecomedy]

My favorite days were when Norm restored those beautiful homes and when we joined him in his workshop.

[@ecprescott]

pretty sure I've passed this house on my bike rides

[@johnlocke26]

No one who actually uses a wheelchair would want a walkway that bumpy

[@jeantsaiaviation]

Did roger stop because of his back ?

[@tbuff77]

They could have cut back the honeysuckle without killing it. I do it all the time. The fact that they killed it really pisses me off. I have several in my front yard.

[@cooperbookout]

desert

[@keinlieb3818]

I put bushes right below my windows on purpose to create security. Criminal's aren't as likely to go through a window if they have to go through a thorny bush to get to the window.

[@chinesenoodles8005]

They talk about planting native then proceed to not plant a single native plant.

[@Jemalacane0]

Actually, people who know anything about geography understand that mountains cause deserts via the "rain-shadow".

[@jdtown6585]

Great work but not sure why they felt the need to get rid of that great looking honeysuckle. All it needed was a nice trim. What a waste.

[@vincentbarringer9461]

in 2022 that is 10g in material

[@drinny26]

Beautiful but I can never live in the desert.

[@karen-mr8je]

Dont kill the beautiful tree

[@dereklull8212]

The camera guy wasn’t having the best day

[@aaronandrews4916]

Isn't concrete a natural material? What is she talking about?

[@richardkaz2336]

Simple, just never water them.

[@clintonlyle7922]

Stop watering your lawn. Cover all grass and greenery with tarps for several months. Remove tarps after the city cites you. Bingo. Desert landscape.

[@kevinjuarez541]

Just wait till things grow I always see people fucking things up and not spreading them across they are not gonna stay little just wait till the plants start to have baby’s and start spreading or that tree rooting will cause a problem to the house down the line so much for being The Professionals.

[@AH52677]

this is not wheelchair accessible. You don't put concrete pavers. Surface needs to be smooth. these guys are not the brightest.

[@japan5865]

Beautiful women

[@markbrown2296]

In what video?

[@robertdepesci3418]

i think people would drive by and steal those plants

[@Airbender24B]

3:01 a flat yard is good lmao 🤦‍♂️

[@z06doc86]

Let’s destroy the only beautiful green plant with flowers in the yard .

[@PlayerPunisher]

….. native?? More like home depot starter pack

[@kman-mi7su]

3rd

[@skimask5049]

dont wanna step on a cactus or kick one no thanks

[@dinocomputer1068]

I waz first yay

[@joseluissosa2395]

I wonder what her girlfriend looks like ;)

[@thinktwice14]

That walkway may be ok for a wheelbarrow but certainly not for a wheelchair.. Bs solution

[@Engineer9736]

Nothing wrong with that stone path.

[@juanjacobo36]

Second

[@martinzone8153]

Can't you guys there just go to a desert, dig some plants and cacti out to transplant them to your yard?

[@DevasoHouse]

that's actually illegal in Arizona parks, but yeah, i guess if you don't get caught

[@JimmyTurner]

Who's this lady?

[@ncooty]

+Jimmy Turner Roger's (i.e., Raja's) understudy. He's had health problems and they've been phasing her in.

[@mrperling]

Your still short and your jeans are too tight Rod

[@dinocomputer1068]

Ffffiiiirrrrssssttttt

[@wolfpacva]

it is ugly

[@MayankPrasad111]

Look's *TRASH*

[@valerieelfering692]

Bougainvillea 🤮 God, I hate those.

[@fredbarnes196]

Thorny, messy and no flowers once it hits 100 degrees. Other than that, they look nice.