Desert Landscape

When traveling in the Southwest, I often take photos that I use on my websites, lenses, or just to make nice calendars for my family and friends.

I keep these photos at Idream Photos. Feel free to check them out, and be sure to get some for yourself.

The dry climate in Tucson, and other Southwestern communities, is oftentimes interrupted by flash flooding and heavy amounts of sudden rainfall.

Although most areas in the Southwest provide over 300 days of sunshine a year, those rainy days can provide much needed water to parched plants, and at the same time devastate a landscape with the runoff. Erosion happens quickly and creates ugly ruts in an otherwise well-maintained yard. The solution can be as simple as creating a dry creekbed to channel water away from the landscape. This method saves the landscape from damage and at the same time gives the viewer an impression of water where there is normally none.

Read more about this predominantly Southwestern landscaping phenomenon by visiting Dry Creek Bed for a closer look.

Northwestern Arizona, a few miles South of Hoover Dam is a desolate, eery wasteland in places. Yet, in even the most unfriendly desert there is a time now and then that causes us to pause and reflect on the breathtaking beauty that surrounds us.

Here, a glorious sunset takes on a surreal effect with a fiesty Joshua tree in the foreground. The sunsets, as well as the sunrises in this area will surprise and delight you.

The recent heavy rains in the Southwest have produced an abundant crop of wildflowers that nobody should miss. We were fortunate to be on a trip when these beauties were displayed in all their finery.

The view of the mountains in the background is literally breathtaking, and I had never noticed how blue...blue the sky is in Arizona. This may not look like the dry and parched desert you're expecting, but be assured the desert can be a very beautiful place.

Check out the Southwestern Dream Home Search Engine swicki at eurekster.com

This cool little device can help with targeted searches about subjects related to creating a home in the Southwest. It's community powered, meaning your input helps it to evolve and target items that are useful to you and others who use it.

If you like a site, promote it. And if you don't think a site is useful in your search, boot it! That way the search engine learns more about what people want to see. Give it a shot, it's fun!

This homeowner has a definite passion for bird of paradise. The display was so eyecatching, I was literally forced to show you how beautiful they can be.

Bird of Paradise is a dainty plant, resembling a fern, which flowers at the tip of its branches in a display somewhat reminiscent of the evening sunset. The reds and golds intermingled create quite a scene with the green fronds as a backdrop.

The spiky blue-leaved plants are blue agave, which have very thick leaves and grow quite large. The contrast of the feathery bird of paradise and the large, sturdy agave create a pleasing balance that definitely is anything but dry and desolate.

Feast your eyes on this display.

On a recent trip to Tucson, I took some really great photos of the vegetation on our new land. This photo is of a couple of very colorful prickly pears.

There's also a rather stickery looking cholla, a.k.a. jumping cactus, and some skeletal remains of an old cholla.

As a backdrop, you'll notice the mesquite here is plentiful and adds a nice touch of green to an otherwise brownish surroundings.

See what kind of plants you can add to your desert landscape. Your backyard doesn't need to be desolate, and it doesn't need to be a water hog. Use some desert plants and save water. You'll be surprised at the beauty that the desert has to offer.

I found these in front of a restaurant in Texas on a recent trip.

The pointy ones on the right are yucca, and the round-leaved ones are prickly pear.