These amazing designs are the work of Phoenix-based landscape architect Steve Martino. By taking advantage of the view he shows how you can create dramatic effects in the landscape. Of course location is everything, but even if the view from your garden is not quite so spectacular this article by Genevieve Schmidt which I found on the Garden Design Magazine website will give you some great ideas.
When Steve Martino began his career some 35 years ago, people thought of the desert as a blank canvas on which they could paint their own version of paradise, often a lush oasis that bore little resemblance to the natural surroundings. “When the power of water is shut off, your garden should not die,” notes Martino whose desert landscapes showcase indigenous plants and natural scenery.
In Paradise Valley, Arizona, a burst of golden desert blooms from the Cercidium floridum (blue palo verde) helps merge the ochre and rust tones in the landscape with the natural beauty of Camelback Mountain beyond. Photo by: Steve Gunther.
?It?s been ingrained in us that desert is a wasteland,? says Martino. Yet it?s his love for the desert?the interplay of light and shadow, the colors, plants, and wildlife?which inspires his work. ?I want my gardens to say something about the site and its history,? he says. Inherent in that philosophy is not only a respect for, but a celebration of the natural elements that belong here. ?Native plants connect the landscape to the region and give your garden soul.? Though it?s become common practice for designers to emphasize indigenous plants, Martino was a groundbreaker in elevating natives from ?weeds? to an integral part of the landscape about 30 years ago.
At this landscape in Scottsdale, Arizona, a foreground planting of Echinocactus grusonii (golden barrel cactus) relates to, in smaller scale, the Carnegiea gigantea (saguaro cactus) and boulders in the backdrop. In front of the red wall are Echinocereus engelmannii (strawberry hedgehog cactus). Other cactus include: Cylindropuntia versicolor (staghorn cholla) and Stenocereus thurberi (organ pipe cactus). Photo by: Steve Gunther.
See more at Garden Design Magazine
Feature photo: Steve Gunther.
