Question
Hi!
I live in Rio Rancho, NM, and have a very large backyard. It currently includes juniper, dirt, and rocks. We are removing the juniper because everyone is allergic. I hate the dirt and rocks. I'm looking for something I can use on the ground so our yard doesn't look like the desert landscape around us. I'm not very fond of xeriscape. I'd like to use grass of some sort if possible, and I thought you might know what options we have for our area. Water is an issue, of course, so I think our options may be limited. I want to stay away from cactus and the like as well because we have young children and dogs. We are also looking for something to cover the chain link fence in the back for privacy (privacy fences are too expensive) and have been considering trumpet vine or English ivy. We have two large trees, though I don't know what kind, and the rest of the yard is in the sun. There is a large "sandbox" type of feature that I'm not bothered by elminating. We are also working on removing weeds (the goat head variety). The former owners didn't do very much at all with the yard other than put in the juniper and a layer of black plastic under the dirt in some areas. I'd like it to be a nice place to relax. Sorry this question is so long! Can you offer some suggestions?

Answer
Hey, Tracie.

I can think of a few things you could do. First, for ground cover, check out bougainvilleas and ice plant. The standard bougainvillea has lots of thorns--roses have nothing on that bougainvillea. However, those good ol' geneticists have come up with lots of very beautiful bougainvilleas with soft thorns, few thorns, and no thorns at all. The standard used to be red and purple, but there are now other colors to choose from, including some where the bracts open one color, change to a different color, and then fade back to the original color. They are quite striking.

The ice plant is the same way. Our choices used to be pink or purple, but there are now vibrant reds and oranges, as well as white.

When you say that you're not very fond of xeriscape, you could be saying two things: (1) you like a high water bill since the main purpose of xeriscaping is to plant vegetation that can thrive on annual rainfall, or at least very little water, or (2) you don't like the weeds and other vegetation that naturally grow in your area. You don't have to have a high water bill or ugly natural vegetation in order to enjoy the benefits of xeriscaping.

There are grasses that can survive in the hot desert environment, but I'm not a fan of grasses and have never used them in any of my landscapes, so I'm totally unfamiliar with them. If you're interested in the grasses, stop by one of your local nurseries and ask them. I've found the small mom-and-pop nurseries are usually better with such questions than the big box home improvement stores.

For fences, the trumpet vine should do well. If there are allergies to juniper, stay away from the English ivy. It looks harmless but it's not. I happen to be allergic to it, and in the spring time I can "smell" that stuff a mile away. You might consider the morning glory for your fences, as well. They always seem to be blooming out here, and it is my favorite vine.

As far as being a nice place to relax, if you find that you don't have many options, consider container gardening. I did a landscape over in Tucson where they didn't have enough money to re-do the whole yard, so we "suffered" with the gravel but placed lots of groups of containers throughout the yard and then used some different colored gravel to create paths from container groupings to container groupings. At each container grouping, we put a bench or something else to sit on, relax, and enjoy. The advantage of container gardening is twofold: (1) you can plant seasonal flowers to provide your yard with a variety of plants that change with the season, and (2) you have great control over watering. The disadvantages are (1) you'll have to be diligent in planting seasonal plants because dead plants in containers are just awful, and (2) you'll have to be diligent in watering if you don't want those dead plants in containers sooner than would otherwise happen. I've found that if I create a relaxing place that pulls me outside, then I actually enjoy watering, changing plants with the seasons, and seeing what kinds of new critters have come to check out my yard (hummingbirds, spiders, etc.).

Check out the following file:

http://www.abouthomes.info/reports/Vegetation.pdf

All the plants in that file are/were on properties of mine in South Texas, West Texas, eastern New Mexico, Tucson, Phoenix, and San Diego. You can have lots of color and a low water bill, too! You just have to figure out what you want, what you like, and how much time and money you can dedicate to it.

Also drive around the streets in your neighborhoods and check out things that others have done that you like. You can get some great ideas and find some great plants.