Ask any landscaper and you will learn that homeowners and builders often create outdoor surroundings as an afterthought at the end of a home construction. Consequently, there may not be much left in the budget for planting. Perhaps you are deciding to sell your home and realize some sprucing up outside is in order. If you fit into either of these categories, the best advice I can give you is to resist any impulse to throw in a lot of common inexpensive plants just to fill space or look colorful. It would be a temporary fix at best but a gaffe in the long run. In fact, you would probably be better served to just rake the dirt and make it look neat.
Choose a style for your landscaping and give the plan time to evolve. If you are not ready for a finished landscape right now, keep your overall plan in mind and build on it in phases.
Take stock of what you have and consider buying younger exotic plants that will grow fast, save you money and give you the enjoyment of watching them grow. Remember that it is less stressful for a young plant to get established in a garden rather than being transplanted when fully grown. Once a smaller plant is taken out of a container and put in the ground, the growth speeds up and in little time this plant will fill the space you’ve allotted.
When you don’t have time for young plants, another suggestion is to choose just one or two varieties and make a statement with them. Great ideas for this scheme are specimen palms or cycads, which are pleasing to the eye and create interest in a landscape. An example of this motif is at a home in Palmilla where the effect is created using Zamia furfuracea (common name Cardboard palm) almost exclusively. The completed plan has produced stunning results. As an added advantage, this particular palm is salt resistant, thus a great idea for beachside planting.
It’s important to create a few focal points to direct the eye. Planting one species in groups of three is a landscaper’s trick to achieve this. A home value survey conducted in California showed respondents ranked design sophistication as number one and plant size as number two. Diversity of plant type was least important. Look, location, and landscape combine for great appeal and appreciation of your Cabo home.
Los Cabo’s yearlong growing season is compatible with drought tolerant gardens, so native species will be most successful. A professional well-planned irrigation system eliminates the need to drag hoses to planters and can ensure your plants are watered even when you are away. This is an expenditure that shouldn’t be overlooked. With water a precious commodity here where the desert meets the sea, drip irrigation is effective and lower in consumption than hand watering.
One last thing: According to the practice of Feng Shui, surrounding your house with cactus plants will keep intruders away. Not a bad idea for any house’s curb appeal.
