Photos by Michael Woodall Shaded by an old ironwood tree in the front yard, a quartet of saguaro cacti stands guard at the winding flagstone path that leads through wooden gates to the backyard. In this mature landscape, boulders—the largest one weighing close to 7 tons—were placed several years ago, as were most of the trees.

Canadian Homeowners Embrace an Established Desert Garden

A Canadian couple living part-time in the U.S. received a fine inheritance when they purchased their north Scottsdale home 10 years ago. It was neither gold nor money, but rather a well-established landscape that is filled with fascinating cactus varieties and marvelous succulents. Some agaves, for example, have grown to magnificent, monstrous sizes.

“The garden was already beautifully done,” and so different from what they were used to living with in British Columbia, the wife says. Back home, “It’s very green. We live by the ocean, and there are a lot of old evergreen trees and cypress, and a lot of grass.”

Here in Arizona, the grass that she and her husband enjoy is not their own; it is seen in broad stretches on the golf course that backs up to their yard. “It gives us a little hit of green, and you don’t have to take care of it,” says the homeowner, cheerfully.

It is the desert setting developed within their property line nearly two decades ago by Landscaping By André that first attracted the couple and continues to be a source of pleasure.

Desert-friendly trees shade much of the front yard; well-placed boulders that mimic the surrounding area’s natural formations add drama; and clusters of sculptural-looking cacti and agaves here and there lend striking beauty. “I think they are absolutely fascinating,” the lady of the house says of the “amazing agaves” and of “saguaros that have crowns of flowers in the spring.”

These homeowners have seen to it that the landscape they fell in love with continues to flourish under Landscaping By André’s care. “Many of the plants have been growing in the yard for nearly 20 years,” says landscape designer Kenny Zelov. “Over the years, we have added some plantings to keep the yard looking fresh and vibrant.”

While the preponderance of vegetation is cacti, the word  “lush” definitely applies here, Zelov comments. Trees, he points out, are an important factor in fostering that lushness. They are kept well-maintained and pruned so that plants beneath them get adequate indirect sunlight important for their growth.

Also benefiting from the shade of a tree, a flagstone path becomes a sitting area near the guest casita entrance. Barrel, saguaro and other cacti lend sculptural interest.

“The shade created by the large ironwood, mesquite and palo verde trees acts as a protective filtered canopy for many of the plantings,” both cacti and succulents, states Zelov. Their resultant good growth and density provide a luxuriant look, he adds.

Not all plants in the garden have the benefit of trees overhead. Various agaves and saguaros, fencepost, barrel and other cacti thrive in curving beds constructed with mounded topsoil. Zelov calls this “natural earth contouring,” and notes: “Rather than working with a flat surface, contouring allows us to create interesting planting areas. Contouring when done poorly can look like a burial mound. When it is done naturally, it creates various differences in height.”

Along with a house designed by the acclaimed late Bill Tull, and surroundings punctuated by Mother Nature-placed boulders, it was those fascinating cacti that drew the couple to this property.

After living in the green of Canada, how does one live with all those spiny plants? “Carefully,” the homeowner answers, with a lilt in her voice.

Tree branches cast wispy shadows at the entrance to the home. Beneath a stained-glass window, and near an outdoor fireplace, potted flowers provide a pop of color. The shaded area is a welcoming spot for reading or relaxation. At the doors, an overhead fringe of latillas offers further respite from the sun.

Mature Agave Americana plants, some whose tall stalks signal they have bloomed and are nearing their end of life, form a dramatic backdrop in a boulder-strewn bed near the casita. Landscape designer Kenny Zelov notes that although these agaves die after several years, they leave behind many offshoots. Agave ‘Victoria Reginae’, a small saguaro, and barrel cacti edge the planting area. The use of boulders, along with natural earth contouring, creates beds into which groupings of cacti and succulents can be nestled, Zelov notes.

Cacti, such as the tall Mexican fencepost variety seen near this patio, are planted in clusters to provide sculptural focal points. Massing the plants “helps create drama,” says the landscape designer. Agave var. Parryi Truncata grows in the foreground.

Thriving in filtered sunlight, cacti and agaves in this front-yard setting are defined by amply proportioned boulders. Landscape designer Kenny Zelov recommends choosing surface-select boulders. These are found aboveground and have had many years of exposure to the elements, which he says accounts for their smooth shapes. Subsurface boulders, excavated from beneath the ground, have not been exposed to weathering, have sharp edges and appear more geometric in form.