New Mexico Landscaping with Succulents and Quality Aggregates
Good landscaping can take your property to a whole new level. But what good is it to spend hours planting a garden that will slowly wither and dry out under the Southwestern sun? If you choose the wrong plants, you might feel it in your wallet as your water bill increases. One way to ensure your landscaping will last and withstand the New Mexico summers is to get creative with beautiful succulents.
So we thought we’d spend some time talking about landscaping ideas that use succulents and other features such as sand, gravel, and aggregates to create a gorgeous path.
What are Succulents and Why Are They So Resilient?
You can have a beautiful garden and backyard without driving up the costs of high maintenance and water bills. One great option is these beautiful eye-catching desert plants known as succulents.
Succulents are a group of plants with the capacity to store water in their leaves. They are drought-resistant and resilient in dry and arid environments. Part of their unique features is that they can store water in their leaves, stems, or roots. Because there is a lot of variety within succulents, it all depends on the specific plants, but you might notice some parts of the plant will be a little plumper, swollen, or fleshier. This is likely where the plant is retaining its water.
As mentioned, these succulents have a lot of variety. They can start as small as a tablespoon and grow surprisingly large—although those that keep them at home might notice those that stay a little smaller. They are more likely to grow large outside when they receive more rainwater and have room to spread out.
A Little on the Taxonomy of Succulents
The classification of these species can vary. Succulents is really an umbrella term that encompasses three different classes of these plants.
Succulents: The term succulent means to those that are ‘rooted.’ These are likely the ones you see at the store that come in all shapes and sizes with plump leaves or stems.
Tillandsia: These are also succulents, but they do not have roots. This means they can be hung from fixtures.
Cacti: As desert dwellers, we are quite familiar with cacti— the lovely plants we see all around us. These cacti have different light and water requirements. They are not usually known as succulents, but they are very highly regarded as landscaping features.
Benefits of Using Succulents as for Landscaping
These succulents are quiet and unique little plant creatures. Below are some of the main benefits of choosing this group of plants to decorate your home inside and out.
- They don’t require much water. These plants require the occasional water, a light misting every couple of days or longer soaks a few times a month.
- There is plenty of variety in style and color. There is no shortage of succulent ‘types.’ Some are kind of alien-looking, others have a more cactus personality
- They thrive in bright light. If you live in the Southwest, you are familiar with the abundant sunlight we get year-round. Succulents will thrive when exposed to light but can also withstand darker and dryer days.
Mix Your Succulents with Sand & Gravel for a Gorgeous Landscaping Combination
So, if you’re looking for ideas of what to do with that empty bland space in front of your house or in your backyard, consider using a mix of succulents with quality sand, gravel, or aggregates to accentuate and highlight the succulent beauty.
This is the beauty of the dry garden. And the secret ingredient? Sand, gravel, and aggregates.
Aggregates are not given the credit they deserve as construction materials. After all, they are just rocks. These rocks, however, along with sand and gravel play a major role in our construction industry but also for a wide variety of landscaping projects and ideas.
These are great for creating:
- Paths
- Walkways
- An alternative to mulch
- Drainage material on sides of the home
- Creating borders for landscaping
Space out your desert succulents to create a lovely desert garden or path. Once your succulents are established they are hardy and resilient.
Planting Your Succulents
Most succulents do well in soil used for other plants as well. The depth can be around 12 to 18 inches. Depending on the space you are landscaping, you can use walkways and paths made of pebbles, aggregate, or sand.
Construction Materials for Heavy Duty Projects and Residential Gardens
Here at NM Ready Mix, we have a wide variety of building and construction materials. A lot of these materials can be used as landscaping material too and plenty of New Mexicans use sand, gravel, and aggregates to enhance their homes and add some landscaping flavor.
So while we might not be gardening experts, we are experts with ready mix materials. From sand, gravel, to quality aggregates, and cement. Looking for materials for your project? Call NM Ready Mix today.
