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Some residential district push back the wild and impose a homogenised indistinguishability on the landscape , but not so in Paradise Valley , a small town in the Phoenix area . While in other parts of the part the desert is losing ground to development at an alarming charge per unit ( one source forecast 1 acre per hour ) , Paradise Valley residents are majestic of their Sonoran environment — home of the famed sahuaro cactus — and fight to defend its integrity . As one of the wealthy community in the area , the lots are large , which enables the townspeople to give nature plenty of elbowroom . And the views of nearby Camelback Mountain are stunning . As landscape architect Christy Ten Eyck read , “ It ’s one of the few place where you really palpate like the Sonoran Desert is alive and well . ”
Facing Camelback Mountain , this Paradise Valley , Arizona , garden by Christy Ten Eyck uses desert - friendly plants to frame in the perspective , including an ocotillo and barrel cactus on the left and a soft border of cervid skunk . Photo by : Steve Gunther .
Based in both Phoenix and Austin , Ten Eyck was called in to create a garden at the Paradise Valley home of an architect duo who had just build a studio gain on their 1960s abode ; she was given costless rein , though a modified budget — always an interesting challenge . So she kept the design simple , sustainable , and savvy , and paid attention to the land while looking for ways to be creative and appropriate with fabric , including a small recycling where the chance arose .
Construction of the new summation had left the landscape around the house a messiness , looking like the consequence of a intemperately - fought battle , strew with building material debris , churned - up and compacted dirt , and busted industrial plant . The first order of business was to wipe out the scratch , starting with an arroyo - a small watercourse that ’s normally wry except after heavy rain - that had been damaged by grading . As Ten Eyck read : “ The arroyos are beautiful and lush , and are the ephemeral conveyors of water supply . They are the lifelines of the desert . ” And Paradise Valley is attached to taking good upkeep of them . Once indigenous plants such as palo verde , desert lavender , chuparosa , and mesquit were in place , a topdressing of native decomposed granite made the repaired orbit blend into the desert . Using the same granite bound by steel edging , discreet steps were added as entree for hiking into the arroyo .
Using a simple-minded combining of material — decomposed granite , blade edging , and deer grass — Ten Eyck make beds and walkways , and a defined route to the householder ’ architecture studio apartment , discreetly separating work and home . picture by : Steve Gunther .
Next , Ten Eyck considered how best to carve up the outer space around the house to create operational outside support area that allowed the homeowners to enjoy the view . For this she used materials that impose order while blending nicely with the innate landscape painting , interlace place for activities with plant areas . Her mentation was to “ make spaces outside by building limit , ordered garden that then meld into native revegetated areas . ” For planting , a simple , low steel edging was used as boundaries for bed of desert - friendly mintage such as ocotillo , barrel cactus , burred pear , deer grass , palo blanco trees , and coral plant . A large blade planter hold a palo brea tree underplanted with Mexican coast banksia . No demand for Cor - Ten steel in the desert ; regular steel works just o.k. in the low humidity , and the geometrical telephone circuit of the edging and planter , and the warm orangish - chocolate-brown colouration from the thin level of preserving rust loan a refined rusticism to Ten Eyck ’s layout .
When it come to the punishing - surface field , Ten Eyck continued to be mindful of bring the most bang for the clam , while still being stylish and eco - conscious . For the open of layer and walkways , Ten Eyck played with colour and grain using greyish Mexican beach pebble and the cherry-red rot granite . For the patio on the north side of the mansion - a long , minute space bordered by a fence set up as a dining domain - she chose exposed - totality concrete . When a plane section of the exist concrete entry landing place was broken up and removed to make way for a planting seam , the pieces were repurposed as a stepping - stone walkway along the west side of the planetary house . Overall , concrete use was minimized in the garden , not just for budget reasons but also because it ’s a much hot surface in the desert than materials like decomposed granite , which also absorbs rain well than concrete . Some concrete was need , though , because it ’s a better scene for areas inclined to body process like outdoor parties .
When a concrete landing place was partially deconstruct to make path for a planting bed , the piece were smartly repurposed into a stepping - stone path . Photo by : Steve Gunther .
In some case , plants serve as stand - ins for constructed factor . Muhlenbergia rigens(deer grass ) forms a edge between business office life and plate spirit by defining a decomposed - granite walk leading to the computer architecture studio apartment , keeping clients from walk through private sphere of the garden . Where a view - block up wall once tolerate between the house and Camelback Mountain ( Ten Eyck likens this previous organization to a “ compound ” ) , a row of deer grass now give definition without limitation . Says Ten Eyck , “ By take on the wall down and connecting the family with the rude desert , it allow nature to be part of the homeowners ’ quotidian life . ” A group of Adirondack hot seat positioned behind the softly rustling , grassy border allow for a front - row prospect of the great deal , and is the perfect spot to greet the mean solar day with a cup of java or to watch the glow of a desert sundown .
On both micro and macro levels , Ten Eyck ’s plan of attack is world - friendly . Within its delimitation , the garden is drought - tolerant , permeable , coinage - appropriate and low - impact . And she made the most of simple materials ( as a garden - warming present , Ten Eyck yield the homeowners plantation owner made from remnant steel pipe ) . The site also welcomes in the larger landscape , squeeze the Sonoran Desert and smutch the edges between construct garden and nearby nature , recognizing that the desert itself is a promised land .
A dining terrace makes minimum use of heat - absorbing , exposed - aggregate concrete . The remainder of the tenacious , minute space is surfaced in decomposed granite and Mexican beach pebbles , with planting beds set by blade edging . Along the wall are heat - and drouth - large-minded palo blanco Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and coral plant . Two steel planter made from leftover tobacco pipe were a garden - heating present from Ten Eyck . Photo by : Steve Gunther .
originative RECYCLING
Assess : Before catch too deep into a garden - construction project , take stock of what you have . Budget is a big factor for most people , but even if the sky ’s the demarcation , it ’s still smart to be thrifty and conservation minded . depute monetary resource to the things that count most . If a patio or fencing is still in good cast and serve its purpose , maybe it ’s good to keep it and find ways to enhance it . If a big tree is still sizeable , consider incorporating it into the pattern rather than chopping it down .
prognosticate : Before construction and landscape painting crews show up with backhoes , chainsaws , and jackhammers , check that everyone intelligibly knows what stays and what goes . They ’re on a mission to get in and get out expeditiously , and they ’re more accustomed to destruction and rebuilding than weighing the utility of each element as they go . If you ’re going to be finding new purposes for materials , take vantage of the strong working class and heavy equipment while they ’re on site so you ’re left with part in size you could manage later .
Reassign : Recycling is n’t just about cans and bottles in a bin under the sink . Being originative about repurposing material can offer dramatic invention possibilities , and it keeps them out of the landfill . We ’ve all find out if it ’s not broke , do n’t fix it , but if it is broken , mayhap there ’s an interesting fashion to use it , like Ten Eyck ’s walk of concrete piece .
