The Southwest, Anywhere

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No matter where you live, you can incorporate the elements of Southwest-garden design into your garden.
by Rochelle Duckwiler, special to HGTV.com

You don't have to live in the Southwest to have a beautiful southwestern-themed garden. By combining river rock in soft desert hues with an array of complementary-colored plants, landscape designer Wesley Wall merged two very different elements for one unconventional effect--a beautiful southwest courtyard garden in the heart of middle Tennessee. The catch--the plants he chose are suited to the area's warm, moderately humid climate. With more than 40 varieties and 300 plants, plus a fountain, homeowners Carol and Lee Duckwiler's courtyard and its surrounding garden beds are sure to leave a lasting impression.

Wall worked closely with the Duckwilers to ensure that the garden would remain consistent with the integrity of their southwestern-style home. They wanted to design a space that not only reflects the nontraditional structure but also showcases the home without compromising the natural beauty of its surroundings. And although this eccentric courtyard breaks many traditional design rules, Wall offers a few suggestions to capture the essence of two contrasting landscapes while maintaining unity and balance in the garden:

  • Choose colors in both hardscaping and plants that mimic the hues of the desert--shades and tints of orange, yellow, red and brown. Bearing these colors in mind, Wall used a three- to four-inch layer of river rock to duplicate the look of a desert landscape. To break up the large rock beds, he created two semicircles of pine needles on either side of the entrance walkway.
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    Figure A

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    Figure B

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    Figure C

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    Figure D

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    Figure E

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    Figure F

    He paired the river rock with the deciduous azalea 'Dawn's Glory', which has orange flowers in the spring, and autumn fern (Dryopteris erythorosora) (figure A), which has bronzy new growth.

  • Choose a few plants that suggest southwestern plants in habit. The stylized form of a topiary Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) suggests the shape of a tall desert cactus or a Joshua tree (figure B). Depending on the size and shape of your garden, choose one to three unique plants, then select the remaining plants to supplement the focal points.

  • Find ways to work in bold color with the stone you're sure to have. Wall created a stunning entrance by planting a splash of color within the walk (figure C). The decorative concrete walk was poured in separate blocks to provide deep planting spaces in between each section. The delicate pink flowers of Erodium reichardii 'Bishop's Form' (figure D) accent the contrasting iris moss (Sagina subulata), which features tiny white flowers during spring or summer, and the dark green of cypress spikemoss (Selaginella plana). Add plants with multiseason interest such as rockspray cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis), which has pink flowers in spring, red berries in summer and colorful fall foliage.

  • For garden ornaments, consider pottery, Mexican folk art or other pieces that will complement the southwestern mood (figure E). Wall juxtaposed rhododendrons and azaleas with this southwestern sculptural bench for a unique sitting area in a shady area (figure F).

    Caution: If you're using a lot of stone in a sunny garden, be sure to select plants that can take the heat that usually accumulates. Plants like rhododendrons wouldn't be able to take the deadly combination of sun, heat and drought. Instead, use drought- and heat-tolerant plants such as barberries, santolina, succulents, some penstemons, etc.

    Photographs by Rochelle Duckwiler and Marie Hofer