Landscape design is a plan for the whole backyard: where the patio goes, which areas get turf or plants, how water drains in the monsoon, where the irrigation lines run and how the yard is lit at night. We design Tucson backyards in 3D, with or without a pool, and you can walk through the finished yard in VR before anything is built. Then our own crew builds the hardscape, turf and irrigation from the same plan.
What does a landscape designer do?
A good landscape design answers a few questions before any money is spent on materials:
- How do you want to use the yard? Play space for kids or dogs, a place to cook and eat, a fire pit for winter nights, a pool now or later.
- Where does the sun hit in the afternoon, and where does the house throw shade?
- Where does rain go when a monsoon storm hits?
- How much water and upkeep are you willing to take on?
- What does your HOA allow?
Once those answers are clear, the design turns them into a layout: patios and paths, plant beds, turf, trees, lighting and irrigation zones, all drawn to fit your lot.
Whole-backyard design, pool optional
This page is about designing the entire backyard. If you are building a new pool and want turf, plants and irrigation installed around it, see our pool landscaping, turf and irrigation page. That service finishes a pool project. Landscape design is the bigger picture.
Many of our landscape designs include a pool. Some leave a spot for a pool in a few years. Some have no pool at all. Planning the whole yard at once means the patio, irrigation and drainage do not have to be dug up later. If a pool is in the picture, browse our pool designs to see how pools fit into full backyard plans.
Designed in 3D, walked through in VR
Every project starts with a 3D model of your yard. You can walk through it in VR and see:
- How wide the patio feels when the table and chairs are out
- What you see from the kitchen window or the back door
- Where turf, plant beds and stepping pads land
- How trees will frame the view and shade the seating area
- Where lights fall on paths and plants after dark
Moving a path or swapping a plant bed for turf takes minutes in the design. Doing it after the base is down takes days. Our post on 3D and VR design explains the process.
What goes into a Tucson landscape design?
Layout and flow
We start with how people move through the yard. The main path from the back door to the patio, pool or fire pit should be direct, wide enough to walk side by side, and on a surface that is comfortable in summer. Zones come next: a gathering area, a play or lounge area, plant beds along walls, and service areas like side yards and equipment pads.
Hardscape
Patios, paths, seat walls, steps and fire features are the frame of the design. We build them in Artistic Pavers, travertine, stacked stone and stucco-finished block. Light travertine and light paver colors stay more comfortable underfoot than dark surfaces in full sun. Our hardscaping page covers materials and base prep in detail.
Low-water desert plants
Plants make the yard feel alive, and in Tucson the right plants need very little water once they are established. We lean on desert-adapted shrubs, accents, cacti, succulents and trees, grouped by how much water they need so each irrigation zone can be set correctly. Near a pool or patio we favor low-litter plants and keep spiny ones back from walkways. For plant ideas, see our post on the best plants around a pool in Tucson.
82 oz artificial turf
Turf gives kids and dogs a soft green area without a lawn’s water bill. We install 82 oz artificial turf over a compacted, draining base, with clean edges where it meets pavers or travertine. Turf gets hot in full sun, so we try to place it where it picks up afternoon shade, and we keep the main barefoot paths on stone.
Drip irrigation
Plants and trees need water even when the turf does not. We design drip irrigation zones that water at the roots, keep spray off walls and patios, and separate trees from shrubs and pots so each gets the right amount. Meraki holds ROC #342505, a CR-21 Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems license, so the irrigation is installed by the same licensed company that builds the hardscape.
Lighting
A yard you only use after sunset in summer needs good light. We lay out path lights, accent lights on trees and walls, and lighting near steps in the 3D design, then plan wire runs so they go in before pavers and turf. That avoids cutting into a finished patio later.
Shade from trees
We build custom pergolas, ramadas and shade structures, and if you buy a shade somewhere else, we can install it for you on concrete footings set in the ground so it stays secure in monsoon winds. Shade in our designs also comes from the house, from careful placement of seating, and from trees. A desert shade tree planted in the right spot can cool a patio or play area in the afternoon within a few seasons. We place trees with their mature size in mind, away from pool edges and roof lines, and on their own drip zone.
Drainage and rainwater
Monsoon storms can drop a lot of rain on a yard in a short time. The design sets grades so water moves away from the house and pool, and it plans where roof runoff goes. Where it fits, we direct runoff into planted, low areas so the rain waters trees and shrubs instead of running out the wall openings. Caliche and fill soil in many lots make this planning even more important.
Designing for how your family uses the yard
Two yards with the same square footage can need very different plans. Here is how a few common goals change the design.
| Goal | What the design leans on | What we watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Kids and pets | 82 oz turf play area, wide paths, sturdy plants | Turf heat, spiny plants kept away from play zones, clear sight lines from the house |
| Entertaining | Larger patio, seat walls, fire pit or fireplace, BBQ island | Room to move around the table, smoke direction, lighting for evening use |
| Low upkeep | Hardscape, rock, low-litter desert plants, drip zones | Fewer plant types, plants spaced for their mature size, simple irrigation |
| Pool now or later | Pool zone, deck, barrier wall, equipment pad location | Access for equipment, drainage away from the water, barrier rules |
Planning around a future pool
If a pool is a few years away, the design can save you money now. We mark the pool zone on the plan, keep irrigation lines and trees out of it, leave a path wide enough for excavation equipment, and set the patio grade so the future deck ties in cleanly. When you are ready, the pool goes in without tearing out the yard you just paid for. Our pool planning checklist covers the questions to think through ahead of time.
Side yards and the view from inside
Side yards and the view from the kitchen window are easy to forget. We plan side yards for trash bins, pool equipment and a clean walking path, usually with pavers or rock that drain well. We also check the view from the main windows in the 3D model, so the first thing you see in the morning is a planted bed or a lit tree, not a bare wall.
Xeriscape design in Tucson
Xeriscape means designing a yard to use as little water as possible while still looking good. For a Tucson backyard that usually means:
- Desert-adapted plants grouped by water need
- Drip irrigation instead of spray heads
- Rock or mulch over bare soil to cut evaporation
- Artificial turf in place of a thirsty grass lawn
- Rainwater directed to plants that can use it
Our guide to xeriscape landscaping in Tucson goes deeper into plant choices and water use. A xeriscape design does not have to look bare. Turf, travertine, flowering shrubs and shade trees can all be part of it.
HOA approval in Marana and newer neighborhoods
Many newer neighborhoods in Marana, Gladden Farms, Dove Mountain, Rita Ranch, Vail and Sahuarita have HOA rules on plants, walls, turf and what can be seen over the wall. A 3D design makes the HOA submittal easier, because the board can see exactly what you plan to build. Our post on HOA pool approval in Tucson and Marana covers the process, and the same steps apply to landscape plans.
Our landscape design process
- Site visit. We measure the yard, note sun, slope, soil and access, and talk about how you want to use the space.
- 3D design and VR walkthrough. We lay out hardscape, plants, turf, lighting and drainage, and adjust until it fits.
- Written, line-item quote. Hardscape, turf, plants and irrigation each appear on their own lines, so you can phase the work if you want.
- Permits and HOA. We handle permits for the work we build and help with HOA submittals.
- Build. Our crew does the grading, base, hardscape, irrigation, turf and planting with our own equipment.
- Walkthrough. We show you the irrigation controller and what each zone waters.
We design and install. We do not offer ongoing landscape maintenance.
See finished yards
The best way to judge a designer is to look at finished work. Our projects page walks through real Tucson-area builds from layout to the finished yard, including travertine decks, turf, plant beds and fire features. Our east Tucson outdoor fireplace and pavers project is a good example of a backyard redesign around an existing pool.
What drives the cost of a landscape project?
We keep dollar figures off this page because a small turf and plant refresh and a full backyard build are very different jobs. Cost depends on:
- Total area of patio, path and deck
- Square footage of turf and how much base work it needs
- Number and size of plants and trees
- How many irrigation zones the yard needs
- Grading, drainage and caliche
- Lighting, seat walls and fire features
- Access to the backyard for equipment
A clear design lets you build in phases if that fits your budget better. Our financing page covers loan options.
Where we work
We design backyards across Tucson, the Catalina Foothills, Marana (including Gladden Farms, Dove Mountain and Continental Ranch), Oro Valley, Tanque Verde, Vail and Rita Ranch, Corona de Tucson, Sahuarita, Green Valley, SaddleBrooke and Rio Rico.
Start your backyard design
Tell us how you want to live outside, and we will design a yard that fits it. Call (520) 342-8335 or request a free estimate. We are licensed under AZ ROC #342505 and #352797.
