See the nearby post, Just because you can...

I would not try to plop a desert right in an Ohio subdivision. I think ultimately it will look strained, as well as strange, and may also be unsustainable.

However, by doing some more book-and web-browsing to pick out some of the elements that mean the most to you, you could probably create a garden that has a BIT of the SW feel, or is somehow evocative of that style and zone--perhaps it will be more restrained, or more architectural, or work in some cultivars that overlap, like more hardy succulents, or feature a few garden ornaments or furniture from that region, chosen to best "go" with what is more typical. Or, you could have mostly a "regular" garden and have a small area, like a sitting area for example, which is designed to be arid and features some plantings and artifacts.

So I would think more, Ohio with a twist, as opposed to twisted.

I admit that my opinion might be too conventional and/or that I misinterpret the look you are going for. And of course you may be able to have a ball with a SW landscape and tan mulch. So I'm trying to focus more on what type of approach, especially if you are a DIY'er, that is fun and unconventional but will actually result in a look that you'll be happy with.

Thanks Frankie. I know I will not be able to plop a desert in my yard, even though last summer my yard was like a desert - very very dry summer :(

I think I like how you put it, Ohio with a twist. The elements I like from the southwest include lots of rocks, a dry stream bed, an informal natural look but kind if stuctured. I have the large rocks. As for plants I was thinking, among others, russian sage, thyme, sedums, stonecrop, hens n chicks, coreopsis, ornamental grasses... I also was thinking of a couple of very columnar evergreens to bring the stong vertical element that saguaros give in AZ.
I was wondering what mulch options are out there beyond what I have found? I am wondering what people are using. I really like the look that gravel/grit/aquarium gravel looking grit/course sand gives to plants. It kinda makes them pop. It just seems that from what I have read, people put in gravel then hate it or have lots of problems.
The other reason for looking for something light in color is that this bed will connect to the front of the house, which is the shady side. A lighter color will make the area right by the house seem brighter.

Here are random thoughts.

I am too lazy to type in the link for the example you gave.

I just don't know how the mulch thing will do. The gravel problem is an it-depends thing. Sand/gravel works well in arid climates with little organic matter collecting. In my gravel, all the oak blooms, leave, maple seeds etc have built up and so the gravel is no longer inert, and I have moderate rainfall--it grows weeds. And I had a large area. Also I inherited white gravel, which I don't like even when it is clean--worse in fact. Today, I would not mind a small gravel area per se if it served some special purpose, because now I know more about what is required to maintain it. So it all depends on whether you have a situation in which gravel can be kept tidy and inert. If there are lots of leaves in your yard or neighborhood it would be a problem.

Then, a large area of bare mulch won't look the same as sand in the desert. To me it looks barren but not attractive except perhaps in shady woodland settings. So I guess that falls in the category, a lot of bare mulch may NOT be the twist you are looking for. Also, it has its own maintenance issues.

You don't need light mulch or gravel for plants to "pop" or to lighten up an area. Although, I understand the look you describe--gravel can really set off plant greenery. But you could use foliage colors andcontrasts to achieve that, and have more of a typical mulch/soil color as the background. And it is not just the color that sets it off, although that is one of its characteristics relative to grass. It is the back-groundess of it; you might achieve that with certain groundcovers.

Remember that natural cypress will age quickly to grayish color--lighter than when fresh. Although it is not the best mulch for improving garden soils each year. It is more of the cover-up mulch.

Huge bare mulch or gravel areas will look weird, I think, in all but the most special arrangements. THey can be less forgiving of messiness. Again, depends on what's around you.

If you did want to do some kind of pathways or seating area with a gravel-esque concept, look into crushed granite. I am not an expert on that but there is a difference in compaction (is that a word), firmness of footing, and resistance to collecting organic trash (meaning easier to rake clean) with that than with pea gravel. So I'm just trying to get an idea of what kind of a total area you would be dealing with--avoid a mulch or gravel wasteland look.

Get plain woodchips, not dyed black, not dyed red, just plain undyed wood chips. You can get them from any bulk mulch place, I pay $30 for a full size pickup truck load. Utility companies will often drop a load off for free on your driveway. They are a light wood color naturally and age to grayish brownish- almost tan. I think it looks much more natural for ANY landscape, and I just hate that orange dyed stuff.

This playground uses the same woodchips that I use. See the nice tannish color?

{{gwi:23063}}

In my opinion, (and its strictly my opinion) creating a desert look in Ohio will look out of place as turf grass looks in the desert. (And will be a chore to maintain...)

How about researching what plants would naturally grow in Ohio and plant those in an interesting arrangement?

I've never been to Ohio and I don't know what the average yard looks like there but I did live in Phoenix for fifteen years. I live in Oregon but I miss the desert. My kitchen, laundry room and dining room are very Southwestern. Didn't think of doing the yard.....

I think your idea of using a dry stream bed, large rocks, ornamental grasses, Russian sage etc. will work in giving that Southwest feel. There are also pines in AZ so a pine tree would not be out of place. I personally, detest Italian cypress which are the columnar evergreens you see around town but agree that a tall columnar evergreen might give the feel of a Saguaro. Hollywood junipers are very common in Southern CA and would not be out of place. They are very twisted and gnarled.

If you build up some mounds from the dirt dug out for the dry streambed that will help too. Most good desert landscapes have them.

Decomposed granite is the rock most commonly used in the Southwest as a mulch. I don't think I would use it in Ohio, I think I'd use the wood chips someone suggested above. The rock would just be too out of place.

I'm not familiar with Ohio weather so forgive me if plants I suggest aren't going to make it through winter. Lavender and Rosemary can combine with the Russian Sage. Caryopteris too.
Flower Carpet roses would be a great substitute for Bougainvillea, especially the magenta ones. Homestead Verbena can double for Lantana and will cover a lot of ground so there isn't so much mulch.

I think you should go for a lusher look than many do in the desert. Many just don't realize how much they can really plant or try to plant the wrong things. Lowe's and Home Depot are just as guilty there as having plants that won't grow in the desert as they are having desert plants in colder climates.

You need something for accent. A wagon wheel. Drift wood. Pottery. Please not a cement donkey or sleeping hombre.

I looked at your link. The thing with that rock garden is that the plants will eventually cover all that sand. The rocks will still show but the sand won't. It is also a much smaller area than you have described.

In the Southwest, very few gardens actually have all of the soil covered so there are large sections of rock mulch showing even after plants are mature. You could get away with light colored wood chips but I think rock or sand would be really out of place. Note that sand is not used as mulch in the Southwest, there really isn't any sand there. A common misconception about the Southwest is that it is sandy. Sand is found at the beach! Oh and White Sands National Monument in New Mexico and there are pink sand dunes in Colorado too but Las Vegas, Phoenix, Palm Springs etc. aren't really sandy except some parts of Palm Springs but it is very rocky sand.

Thanks for the responses. Buyorsell88 - I will not put a donkey or siesta dude in the yard but I did think of use some pottery. The driftwood might be nice to. As to it being a desert, I did not want a big barren area and I did not think the desert was a wasteland. I would not call it lush like a rain forest but it was lush with plants.
I guess this might end up looking a little more like an alpine garden just not all the plants will be alpine in nature. I was looking into rock gardens and I found some related info on alpine gardens. I am hoping to make something like a rock/alpine garden with different plants.
I will look into your plant suggestions, thanks.

Here is a link to a picture I took in AZ that kind shows what I want. I like the rocks, the outcrops, and the plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: My picture

Recreating a desert in Ohio wouldn't be my thing, but there are plants that can be used to complement the general design you want - in addition to hardy cacti, there are yuccas and agaves that potentially could make it in your climate, given meticulous attention to soil and drainage.

Some authentic-looking rock, a weathered Longhorn skull, maybe a small replica of the Alamo, and you're good to go. :)

I don't think a "desert" theme is totally out of the question. I'm thinking of the dunes here in my home state of Michigan. A midwestern "desert." I'd use them for inspiration. I don't think you'll have a big problem with mulch. Real hardwood bark mulch if not dyed turns light grey as it ages. It's only brown for a few weeks.

If I were doing a soutwest feel, I'd do low juniper, yucca, ornamental grass, yellow primrose or St. Johnswort for color, artemesias, maybe a chokecherry shrub or beach plum. Is there some nice duney spot in OH you can go for inspriation? I'm not aware of one but maybe someone here is. Local homeowners along Lake Erie have sand coming out of their ears.

My friend loves the beach and she has mixed bark with rock mulch, rocks in smaller doses, as they are definately high maintenance. But she's filled in the corners of her beds and along paths with beach rocks she's collected over the years. It's doable in a small bed if you're committed. Also much smaller beds are easier to remove if your taste changes or new owners long for a tropical feel! :-)

Ah yes, Papago Park, were you at the Desert Botanical Garden? Did you climb up to the hole in the rock?

That is exactly what I was thinking you were talking about when I posted to you.

Caryopteris or Buddleia or the Russian Sage would work to look similar to the Mesquite and Palo Verde trees that are so feathery looking.

Thanks everyone. Yes that is part of the Desert Botanical Garden. No I did not climb up, ran out of time.
I will also check into the other plan suggestions, Thanks!
There are a few Yuccas like 'Adams Needle' that do quite well and I will probably use a couple.
There are few areas for inspiration around here and there are other homes in other areas that look like they themed southwest-ish. In my area everyone has tulips and boxwood/yew shrubs. Maybe I am nuts but I really want a yard I would like to pend time in. I have developed the green thumb over the past year or so. Now that I have a new house with basically a blank slate I want to make a yard that people will drive down to the end of the culdesac and ohhh at (yes I live at the end of the culdesac).
Thanks for your suggestions and ideas. I guess if it does not work out I can always redo - which is why I had a second thought on the rocks as a mulch.
I will take pictures as I go and post them when I finish if anyone is interested.

I would certainly be interested in seeing your photos.

The DBG is awesome isn't it. I try to go every time I'm in Phoenix. Their wildflower display was particularly awesome in 2005 after extra rain in Jan and Feb.