If you live in the Southwest part of the United States, you battle droughts regularly. This makes keeping a beautiful yard a challenge. There are ways to withstand hot, dry summers and still have a great yard.

Use Native Plants in Your Landscaping

Native plants are your best bet when it comes to having hardy flora in your yard. These plants would survive on a roadside with no gardening help. That’s what you want. Anything that needs watering more than once a week is a bad idea. There are plenty of beautiful, yet rugged choices for landscaping during a drought.

Mexican heather, various cactus plants, crepe myrtles, yaupon holly, native vines and wild flowers are good landscaping choices in any garden or yard in their natural habitat. Try to avoid grass that requires a lot of water. Instead, use native ground covers, well placed beds, and native stone to fill in your yard.

Add Sculptures and Yard Art to Introduce Color

Fill your yard with whimsical art and sculptures. This is becoming a very popular way to give homes some personality of their own. In a dry place, a well placed sculpture can take the place of a flower bed. You can also create sitting spaces in your yard with fun and durable lawn furniture.

Make the yard livable. It should be as little work as possible so that it looks great rain or shine. If you’re using native plants that require minimal water, chances are you’ll only have to landscape one time, and the rest will take care of itself from year to year.