Landscaping with Style

Newly Updated

Xeriscaping: Landscaping With Style In the Arizona Desert

A step-by-step guide to creating a sustainable desert-adapted landscape.

Now available – Updated Xeriscaping: Landscaping With Style In the Arizona Desert book

Download PDF Version Or contact your local conservation office for a printed copy.

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Landscaping with Style Design Install Maintain Resources

Xeriscaping: Landscaping with Style in the Arizona Desert

A step-by-step guide to xeriscaping and how to create a sustainable and beautiful desert-adapted landscape.

Design

Install

Maintain

Seven Principles of Xeriscaping

Good Planning and Design

Developing a long-term plan will maximize the potential of your landscape while considering factors such as cost, functionality, aesthetic preferences, maintenance requirements, rainwater harvesting options, and water and energy efficiency. You can customize the plan to reflect your tastes, needs, and budget.

Low Water-Use Plants

Local nurseries offer hundreds of water-efficient native and desert-adapted plants. They come in various shapes and sizes and serve multiple purposes, from providing shade and seasonal color to screening unsightly areas. Many low-water-use plants feature beautiful flowers or intriguing forms, bringing your yard to life with songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies, beneficial insects, and pollinators.

Appropriate Grass Areas

While grass generally requires more water and care than drought-tolerant plants, there are circumstances in which certain grass spaces are suitable, especially for children or pets. Small patches of grass can be effectively incorporated into a xeriscape if they are carefully planned, properly installed, and well maintained.

Efficient Irrigation

In the desert, nearly all new plants should be watered regularly to help establish them, and most plants will require some form of consistent irrigation. Design your irrigation system to group plants with similar watering needs on the same valve. Water deeply and infrequently, while remembering to adjust your irrigation according to the season.

Soil Improvements

Desert-adapted plants will thrive in our environment without the need for fertilizers or soil supplements. It’s important to ensure good drainage and to loosen the soil during planting to encourage healthy root growth. Soil amendments may be necessary for turf areas and places where more water-thirsty plants are installed.

Use of Mulches

Mulches cover and cool the soil, reduce evaporation, and help prevent weed growth and erosion. The most popular organic mulches include bark chips and wood shavings. Additionally, fallen leaves and flowers can also be used as mulch. Decomposed granite and crushed rock are two other popular inorganic mulches.

Appropriate Maintenance

When properly designed and maintained, xeriscapes save water, time, and money by reducing the water needs of plants and minimizing maintenance requirements. However, this does not mean that water use or care is unnecessary. All landscapes require some attention, and a well-maintained irrigation system ensures plants remain healthy while conserving water.

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Acknowledgements

About

Xeriscape: Landscaping with Style in the Arizona Desert was initially published in 2000. AMWUA developed the original publication with funding from the State of Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Water Management Assistance Program. The first web-based version of Landscaping with Style was launched in 2010 as a joint effort between AMWUA and ADWR. AMWUA subsequently released an updated website in 2019.

This website is an interactive, online adaptation of the book Xeriscape: Landscaping with Style in the Arizona Desert, published in 2000. The original publication was developed by AMWUA with funding from the State of Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Water Management Assistance Program.

The first web-based adaptation of Landscaping with Style was launched in 2010 as a collaborative effort of AMWUA and ADWR. AMWUA is pleased to continue the partnership with this latest update to the project, launched in 2019.

Original Contributors and Reviewers

Special thanks to: The Xeriscape Guide Advisory Committee for supporting this project and for providing information, text reviews and project guidance: Robyn Baker, City of Scottsdale; Lucy Bradley, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension; Donna DiFrancesco, City of Mesa; Cheryl Goar, Arizona Nursery Association; Lisa Helm, Arizona Municipal Water Users Association; Thom Hulen, Desert Botanical Garden; Mary Irish, Garden Writer; Heidi Koopman, Arizona Landscape Contractors Association; Kent Newland and Andy Terrey, City of Phoenix; David Schultz, City of Glendale; Jim Wheat, FASLA; Elaine Averitt and Marjie Risk, Arizona Department of Water Resources.

A subset of the Advisory Committee also served as the Working Group for this project: Robyn Baker, Donna DiFrancesco, Lisa Helm, Kent Newland, David Schultz, Elaine Averitt and Marjie Risk. They contributed to every aspect of the project including project planning and refinement, providing reference materials, selecting photographs for the guide, and providing technical expertise. Their support, dedication to the project, and countless hours of service were invaluable.

Landscape Professionals: Grant Boden, Grant Boden Design; Libby Davison, University of Arizona; Ron Dinchak, Mesa Community College; Greg Flanagan, G.K. Flanagan Associates; Jeff Lee, City of Mesa; Joanne Littlefield and Terry Mikel, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension; Judy Mielke, Logan, Simpson Design; Jeff Nichols, Elgin Nursery; Steve Priebe, City of Phoenix; Janet Rademacher, Mountain States Nursery; Mike Rockwell, Azul-Verde Design Group, Inc.; Jeff Sargent, Tetra Tech; Selby Saubolle, Poco Verde Landscaping; Patsy Waterfall, Pima County Cooperative Extension-Low 4 Program. Homeowners: Debrah Dejardin, Betsy Dichter, Mary Engbrecht, Brenda Hammond, Virginia Hedlesky, Barbara Homan, Kathy Glass, John Kent, Andy Kurtz, Don Lewis, Tim Lukasik, Dave Parkin, Michelle Peters, Bernard Peterson, Lori Rogers, Bill Tatum, Greg Thorell, and Richard Williams. Development Community: Gary Carlson, M/I Homes.

Thanks also to: Donna DiFrancesco for providing information on plant stress, staking, and the watering schedule for new plants; David Schultz, Andy Terrey and Jeff Lee for providing information on drip irrigation systems; University of Arizona/Cooperative Extension staff Lucy Bradley, Patsy Waterfall, Della Fletcher, Libby Davison and the late Jimmy Tipton for providing information on plant pruning, fertilizing and staking; the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and artist, Linda Lucz-Hatfield, for granting permission to use the planting, pruning, scoring and staking diagrams created originally for the brochure, Care of Desert Adapted Plants.

2026 Redesign Contributors and Reviewers

The 2026 redesign was a collaborative effort, and the following contributors are gratefully acknowledged:

AMWUA Staff:

Harry Cooper
Caitlyn Hall
Sheri Trapp

AMWUA Cities Staff:

Aaron Boydston
Victoria Caster
Gina Damato
Scout Flint
Andrew Pirrone
Anne Stahley

These updates would not be possible without the hard work of our talented photographer, Dave Seibert. We also received additional photo contributions from: Jason Roehner with The Green Room Landscape Architecture, Kevin Gonzales, Sheri Trapp, and Watershed Management Group. Our new beautifully designed book was created by Frani Halperin/Halperin Creative, LLC, which masterfully brought our vision to life.

Disclaimer

© 2026 AMWUA | The information in this guide are true and accurate to the best of our knowledge. It is offered with no guarantees on the part of AMWUA. AMWUA disclaims all liability in connection with the use of this booklet or website.

The use of any specific type, model or brand of product or material in this guide should not be presumed to represent a promotion or endorsement of said product or material by the State of Arizona Department of Water Resources, its agents or representatives.