Soledad
GREEN VALLEY, AZ
Located in the Soledad subdivision of Green Valley, AZ, this approximately 8,000-square-foot property gave plenty of room for a thoughtful, purposeful design. The homeowners inherited a landscape that lacked imagination and failed to take advantage of the warmth of the winter sun. The vision was to create a private, relaxing outdoor oasis in harmony with the surrounding Sonoran Desert, providing habitat for birds and butterflies while offering the homeowners a place to relax, cook, eat, and watch the stars.
To achieve that vision, the design protects and enhances the property’s mountain views while screening out neighboring homes, and incorporates plantings selected to attract birds and butterflies throughout the seasons. Drainage issues, including pooling water in the front and back yards, were resolved through thoughtful grading and water-harvesting earthworks that also minimize maintenance by supporting native, low-water plantings. Shade was added for the northwest corner of the Arizona room, and the finished landscape includes a grilling area, a welcoming front courtyard, meandering garden paths, and a water feature—along with meaningful ironwork crafted by the homeowner’s grandfather, woven throughout the design as a personal touch.
before
After
We added a front courtyard and colorful seating designed to take full advantage of the winter sun, anchored by the beautiful iron gate crafted by the homeowner’s grandfather and accented with the homeowners’ fun and funky yard art.
Elevation drawing during the concept phase is shown below.
Water harvesting basins throughout the property capture 2,300 gallons of rainwater that would otherwise have run off into the street, putting it to use nourishing the landscape instead.
A simple water dish provides a water source for birds and other small wildlife.
Salvias, penstemon, and milkweed with staggered bloom times were planted to provide hummingbirds with a season-long nectar source, while little leaf ash trees were added to offer shade as they mature.
A simple dish was as a water source, desert marigolds and blackfoot daisies for seedingeating birds, and wolfberry for fruit-eating birds.
This earned the homeowners the status of “Habitat at Home” from the Tucson Bird Alliance (formerly Tucson Audubon Society).
