You may be scratching your head at my title because anyone who has been around Los Alamos County in the summertime knows that by the end of June, the sun has become like a laser beam in the sky. Monsoons are right around the corner and even the promise of rain doesn’t mean an easier time of it for anything resembling a garden. But there is plenty of beauty in the desert. So, here are a few ideas to perk up your yard this summer!

Bring the Beauty of the Desert Into Your Own Yard

Colorful Accents

This could mean a few flowers, but if you’ve got any interest in water conservation, it doesn’t have to mean growing things at all. Ceramic planters in shades of bright red. Maybe a pot of chili peppers strategically placed near the front steps. Or even better, find some large turquoise colored tiles and work them into your flower beds. The Southwestern color palette has dozens of bright blues and reds to work with. Get creative and let your inner artist out to play!

Grass

Okay. Let’s talk about grass. Nothing says summer like a sweeping green lawn bordered by leafy shrubs and a welcoming patio where you can fire up the grill and hang out with friends. And if you’re still longing for big areas of grass in your front or back yard, don’t despair. Artificial turf has made huge strides. You can buy rolls of turf and install them yourself if you’re into DIY projects. There are even specific varieties designed for your pets to use and abuse.

Here’s the catch. Artificial grass isn’t the cool green carpet it appears. Distributors of artificial grass will openly tell you that when the heat rises, so does the temperature of your artificial lawn. Real grass is cool to the touch. Artificial turf is not. You can purchase fill products to lower the temperature of your artificial lawn, but that’s probably not going to help when the UV factor crawls toward the “ohmigod I’m gonna die” zone. So to increase your green and maximize the coolness factor, use patches of grass placed in shady spots protected from the afternoon sun and interspersed with areas of rock and flowerbeds. Because you know what else can be hotter than artificial grass? Yep. You guessed it. Rock.

Dry Creek Beds

If you’ve lived in and around Los Alamos County for any period of time, then you’re plenty familiar with this idea of rock in the yard. Xeriscaping is super popular with water conservationists and it can look rather attractive. The problem is that it’s also HOT! Instead of carpeting your yard with contrasting colors of rock, try using shrubs, flower beds, rock beds, and patches of grass for a result that will really add value to your home.

Rocks are a great conductor of heat. If you’re looking for the most attractive and functional landscape ideas, try forming a dry creek bed around your patio area. Following the natural terrain will allow the “creek bed” to act as a channel for all of that crazy excess rain during monsoon season, as well as the spring melt. Having a rock barrier around your patio means that at night when the temperature plummets and the stars come out, you might enjoy some of that residual heat coming off the rocks as you lounge with friends on the patio for drinks and conversation.

Water

Yes. Water. Sometimes water can be a wonderful and refreshing way to liven up your landscaping when there’s not a cloud in the wide blue sky.

Circulating fountains are a great way to add a peaceful, cooling atmosphere to your outdoor area without using too much water. It doesn’t have to be a huge fountain either. You could purchase a simple pond form from a hardware store and place a few lights and a pump inside it. Prop the pond up on landscape bricks or utilize some of the hilly and rocky terrain that’s so prevalent around Los Alamos to stage your homemade water feature. Then plug it in and enjoy!

No matter what you choose to do with your outdoor living space this year, remember to group any plants by water requirements to keep them healthy and thriving, and don’t forget the Water Rule here in Los Alamos County. If you’re living in an odd house number please water before 10AM or after 5PM on Sun, Wed, and Fri. If you’re an even house number, your days are Tues, Thurs, and Sat. Nature is a huge part of living in Los Alamos. Whether its in your yard, around one of our beautiful public spaces, or out enjoying the National Parks that border our county. Get outside and ENJOY!