When Craig Pearson was designing a Phoenix garden, he wanted to screen out views of a neighboring house. But rather than using a solid wall or dense hedges, he altered the perspective by devising a more immediate focal point.

First, Pearson created a small grove of trees by planting Chilean mesquite (Prosopis chilensis) and foothills palo verde (Cercidium microphyllum) around an existing mimosa (Albizia julibrissin). He underplanted the trees with fishhook barrel cactus (Ferocactus wislizenii) and prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica).

To complete the scene, Pearson anchored the grove with a 48-inch-diameter stone-and-concrete globe. He sourced the ornament through furnishings dealer Holler & Saunders, based in Nogales, Arizona (520/287-5153). With the help of an assistant, Pearson moved the hollow globe into position by rolling it over a pair of old tires, leapfrog-style, until it was in place under the trees.

DESIGN: Craig Pearson, Pearson & Company, Scottsdale, AZ (602/840-6447)