Set a budget. Just as with interior design and remodeling projects, have a firm idea of what you want to spend before you contact a pro. Not only will this give the landscaper a starting point and a helpful set of parameters, it will save both of you frustration down the road. You don't want to fall in love with sketches of lavish flowers and stately trees, only to find out they're beyond reach, and a pro doesn't want to waste time drawing up detailed plans that will later have to be scratched. With a target cost in hand, a pro can also suggest creative solutions that may never have come into play otherwise, helping you stretch your budget to get the most mileage out of each dollar.Scout out potential sources. Do you have friends whose gardens blooms with lavish color or seem to win "Yard of the Month" once a season? Ask whether they use professional help, and if so, put those pros on your short list. Local botanical gardens and homebuilders' associations are other good places to seek names.

Reduce fuel ladders. Remove overhanging branches that touch or sweep near the roof or ground. If not trimmed properly, they will act as a fire bridge, sending flames from ground to tree to roof. Your goal is to reduce the connections between fuel sources.

A xeriscape typically uses decomposed granite, gravel and other mulch to keep moisture from quickly evaporating from the soil. Large stones add maintenance-free interest to low-water gardens.Browse more photos of low-water, low-maintenance xeriscapes

if I live in Arizona

Everything

Like this garden and design of foot path

Gravel

Rocks

pea gravel...too small?

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New house

Another idea.

the plants

Tree

Garden

like the rock and gravel

mounds

Garden

cactuses in garden

Yard. No watering mowing

walk way

Cactus

Use of rocks

landscape

landscaping

round walkway. pebbles, spread out plants in the space

Floor

Nice use of natives and I believe the ground is cinder fines not gravel.

Open spaces in planting beds, composition

Like: use of large rocks. Desert grasses.

Plantings

pea gravel mulch

Très jolie.

decomposed granite-color and neat

Use cacti and something like lobella

Very nice

Love the landscaping

Rocks and plants grouping

rock cover

plant styles

Everything

Combination of plants, levels, curve of path

simple, pea gravel

large rocks on pebbles

Garden for nome

front yard landscaping

Nice approach

great use of backbground rocks

Rocks

pea gravel is nice

Shade, boulders, and native plants

lots of cement and stone. no grass

Gravel garden beds

all

color is nice

cactus

Succulents and rocks

courtyard walkway

lanscape ideas

Where the rock is now?

Landscape rocks

Low water landscaping

Like

Off edge of d-way

Front yard

Landscape

Kiesbeet

shady

Garden

Garden

landscaping on a hill

Succulents

Easy to maintain

natural

Cosy

side yard

Agave, barrel cactus & stone

low water, pleasing to look @, simple

doable

Landscape

Add plants, rocks to delineate space between porch and south lawn.

Jdn tipo Silvestre. Unos guamúchiles se verían bien

crushed stone succulents

low maint

Great desert landscape. Low maintenance yet filled with a variety of plants that tolerate heat and drought conditions.

so much variety and diversity

Ta Dah!

Hardscape

Gravel on side of driveway and drought tolerant plants.

Rocks

Garden

Low maintenance?

boulders and plants

plants

front pathway

Para la parte del fondo del terreno

Layers of plants

trees

Side walk

Sparse, but still "green"

LOVE this!! YArd with the Trees

Cactus

Love all the flowers

Phoenix backyard

Plants and rocks

Desert

Garden

Aloe & Succulent

rocks and cacti

Add succulent

plants

Low maintenance landscaping

Jardín

Use of gravel

More natural plantings

I want to know what kind of tree is that?

Overall feel of the area

Lush and desert

Big rocks with little stones and loe mice plants

Garden ideas

outdoor yard

Rocks can be fun

pretty landscaping

Love it

cactus plants

front yard

native plants

Landscaing

T

big rocks

Rugged

Stone beds

Similar big stones and plants

The Palo Verde trees add shade and the remaining plants and rocks add interest and texture

Outdoor indpiration

Yard

Linda yard

desert

nice for the coast

zero scape olive trees

large stones

shade pathway

rock bed

Incorporating rocks

Landscape

Great landscape

Low water plants

Yard

This shows it doesn't have to be riprap all the time.

clean look

garden

Plant combo

shading - low work needed - inviting

Dry garden

like the arrangement

Yard

Front dryscape

hillside minimlaist planting

curved path

light, shade, textures

drive

desert garden hall with tall tree

Like it! To cold in the hood?

rocks

Cactus

path

plants and rocks

Garden

Landscape ideas

landscape

Xeriscape for front yard

Desert landscaping

low mntce

landscaping

cool

desertico

Garden

Driveway

ground cover for fire area

xerojardin

Small entrance

plants

Pea gravel on hill side with plants

Otro para el jardín

driveway

hilly land scape

Entry walk

Driveway and garden with gravel

Love the terraced, southwestern placing and look here. Optimizes space, and almost an Asian feel to it, too, IMO.

I like the garden to the side of drive way. this to

walkway

Wine ridge

Rock groundcover

Plant variety is great

Low mainenace

Landscape

garden cover