The landscaping plan we designed included several raised planters and planting beds bordering the yard areas. The idea was to create a dense planting (with mostly native-type plants from the Guide to AZ Landscape Plants). The contractor covered the bed areas with 1/2" washed gravel and planted sparsely (shrubs spaced with lots of gravel in between), not really according to plan.

In addressing this, I have a couple of questions:

1) Is it typical to cover planting areas with gravel. I know it is a useful mulch in the AZ area, but I am unsure whether it is right for planting beds. It certainly makes it more difficult to work in them over time.

2) Does each perrenial/shrub/groundcover require its own drip line or is there a better way to tend to planting beds. Tapping in and running a drip line to each plant certainly complicates gardening.

Maybe the goal of the plan was unrealistic and it isn't possible to create beds that are designed with taller shrubs in the background, perrenials adding color and structure, and groundcover softening the foreground (all using native or at least desert-adapted plants). However, I wanted to check with others on here before throwing my hands up. I would really appreciate any feedback. Thanks, as always!