“Landscape design” and “water” seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly, but in Las Vegas, it isn’t terribly practical to maintain a lush green lawn. That means landscape design trends in Las Vegas tend to work from a less-is-more approach to this natural resource.
“It’s a Desert Out There. Be Water Smart”
Southern Nevadans know this slogan from the Las Vegas Valley Water District’s multi-media public awareness spots, and they take it to heart. Many landscapers and homeowners engage in “xeriscaping,” which falls on the furthest end of the water-conservation spectrum in landscaping trends. The entire design is based on the concept of reducing or even eliminating the need for irrigating the landscape.
While various mulches, drought-tolerant plants and shrubs can fulfill this criteria, the burden of decorative elements falls to the hardscape. Far from a disadvantage, this allows for a virtually limitless combination of unique stonebeds, statuary, boulders, pavers, and even furnishings that add color and complete the overall landscape design. Tom Hoff of Modern Landscape Las Vegas includes a clever tip in his advice on water-smart landscaping: Use a decorative item that’s actually hollowed out to collect rainfall, then use the collected water to irrigate the plants in your yard. That way, you both add visual interest and also use your resources wisely.
Sleek and Modern Never Goes Out of Style
Local contractor Jeff Lee Landscaping notes on his website how the unembellished elegance and clean lines consistent with Art Deco, Modern, and Mid-Century themes remain universally appealing and continually fresh. Today’s landscaping trends favor these styles, and often adhere to such classic themes.
Go Synthetic Green
Still mindful of the water district’s words, but not entirely ready to give up on a lawn? No problem — plenty of folks around the Valley opt for artificial turf. A far cry from the blatantly fake, flimsy varieties from years past, today’s fake grass can sometimes be mistaken for the real thing. Companies such as Synthetic Lawns of Las Vegas provide a variety of types and thicknesses of “grass” for homeowners to choose. These products offer a long-lasting, pet-friendly, kid-friendly soft-scape for that lawn-centric landscape design trend that never goes out of style.
Another water-smart bonus: the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) offers one-time customer rebates of $1.50 per square foot of grass removed and replaced with desert landscape or turf (up to 5,000 square feet per year). Other terms and program conditions listed on the program website apply, but it’s still easy to see the many benefits of keeping up with these water-savvy trends.
Clearly, landscaping and Las Vegas have a relationship and style all their own. You can make that conservation-savvy aesthetic your own by incorporating these ideas along with your imagination. Have fun!
Photo souce: Flickr
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