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When Steve Martino began his vocation over 35 eld ago , hoi polloi thought of the desert as a blank canvas on which they could paint their own adaptation of paradise , often a lush oasis that bore little resemblance to the innate milieu . " When the power of water is close off , your garden should not die , " notes Martino whose desert landscape showcase autochthonic plants and natural scene .
See more : Desert Landscaping : Transform Your Yard with Natural Beauty
In Paradise Valley , Arizona , a burst of lucky desert blooms from theCercidium floridum(blue palo verde ) helps merge the ochre and rust fungus tones in the landscape with the natural beaut of Camelback Mountain beyond . Photo by : Steve Gunther . SEE MORE picture OF MARTINO ‘S WORK
“ It ’s been ingrained in us that desert is a wasteland , ” says Martino . Yet it ’s his love for the desert — the interplay of Light Within and apparition , the colour , plant , and wildlife — which inspires his oeuvre . “ I want my gardens to say something about the situation and its history , ” he says . constitutional in that school of thought is not only a regard for , but a celebration of the natural elements that belong here . “ aboriginal plants link up the landscape to the region and give your garden soul . ” Though it ’s become common drill for designer to emphasize indigenous plants , Martino was a trailblazer in elevating indigene from “ weeds ” to an integral part of the landscape painting .
At this landscape in Scottsdale , Arizona , a foreground planting ofEchinocactus grusonii(golden barrel cactus ) relates to , in little scale , theCarnegiea gigantea(saguaro cactus ) and boulders in the backcloth . In front of the cherry wall areEchinocereus engelmannii(strawberry hedgehog cactus ) . Other cactus include : Cylindropuntia versicolor(staghorn Opuntia cholla ) andStenocereus thurberi(organ piping cactus ) . pic by : Steve Gunther . SEE MORE PHOTOS OF MARTINO ‘S WORK
Of course , plants are only one part of what make Martino ’s designs endure out . Boldly colored stucco walls compose compelling opinion of the desert and sky , elaborate the outdoor bread and butter region while solving rough-cut site trouble such as deficiency of secrecy or shade . “ I do it ruin ; gardens should make tremendous ruins , and I think they should stand on their own as a infinite even without plants , he says . In fact , notes Martino , “ Gardens are made up of two worlds : the man - made and the natural world . I seek to juxtapose these two . I ’ve described my garden design trend as ‘ Weeds and Walls — Nature and Man . ’ ” The lighthearted function of unexpected shapes , stuff , and colors is one of the most spectacular elements of Martino ’s landscape . And his enthusiasm for try new matter has led to some interesting discoveries . geezerhood back , when he visit a local manufacturer of wash - car parts and realized they could progress custom structures from translucent fiberglass in vivid hues , he came alive with ideas for colourful arbors , outdoor showers , and internally lit benches . “ When I essay something novel , sometimes I do n’t bonk right by whether it ’s the dandy thing I ’ve ever done , or the dumbest matter I ’ve ever done , ” he says . But his cleverness means that the walls , shade structures , and dialect can be dead orient to the personalities , interior conception , and site characteristic in each undertaking , as well as the desert setting beyond the garden fence .
SET conception
Though Martino ’s study is deeply relate to the natural populace , he also has a dash for the dramatic , which is manifest from his full of life vividness selections , sculptural use of plants , and keen aid to firing , shadow , and reflections . “ We look at gardens more than we use them , ” he points out , “ so I create mood and atmosphere the same as for a theatre . I ’m basically a set designer , and I edit out and manipulate elements to control views on the site . ”
In front of the “ piano key ” paries are planting ofAgave americanavar.medio - picta‘Alba ’ ( white - stripy hundred plant),Cleistocactus strausii(silver torch ) , andEchinocactus grusonii(golden barrel cactus ) . Photo by : Steve Gunther . SEE MORE PHOTOS OF MARTINO ‘S oeuvre
Colors are used to evoke emotion , and for this Palm Springs project ( envision above ) , Martino choose upbeat colors that heighten the desert stage setting , such as ochre , coppery orange , and fervent red . This sets the phase for an outside keep arena that is cohesive with its surroundings , while make an inviting and brace conniption to take in people outside . He also used the powerfulness of iconic object or plants . “ If you have a white-hot elbow room and you put a Taiwanese chair in it , suddenly it ’s a Taiwanese room , ” he says . “ you’re able to do that with plant life . If you have an empty courtyard and you put a cactus against the wall , short it ’s a courtyard in the desert . ”
For this special aim , the client call for for a “ groovy , nerveless , and sexy ” space in which to toy with . Each area has a discrete personality , with lounger built into the pool so swimmers can sunbathe while being cooled by the weewee , a contemporary seating room area and fireside fix against a backdrop of vivid red - orange , and an eye - catching ocher wall with pillars that stand cancel like pianissimo winder in motion .
BORROWED SCENERY
At this labor in Scottsdale , Arizona ( pictured below ) , Martino used born bowlder in the background to set up a thought of homes in the vale and the tidy sum beyond . The sentiment is no chance event . “ The first thing I do when I get on a project is I put my hands together , rub them devilishly , and ask : What do the neighbors have that we can use ? Scenery ! ” sound out Martino . Most designers are familiar with the concept of borrowed scenery : frame the most attractive sentiment beyond the property stemma to give the landscape a feeling of expansiveness . But Martino take it a footfall further by considering how to blow up the interior space by connecting it to the landscape . In this home base , the living room floor is on the same layer as the exterior pavement , and the kitty “ look like a spillage on the concrete , ” he say , because of careful alignment of the vanishing edge pool with the paved terrace .
Martino set up an attractive view of rude boulder beyond the property line to give this Scottsdale landscape a feeling of expansiveness . photograph by : Steve Gunther . SEE MORE PHOTOS OF MARTINO ‘S WORK
To borrow scenery effectively , ensure that your garden fences or walls do n’t draw a strong dividing line between your attribute and the perspective beyond . In this case , a 5 - foundation security fence around the pool was made nearly invisible through the use of trash control board and a glass banister , with a small disruption between each panel rather than traditional mullions which would have been obtrusive . Another way to de - emphasize the height and scale of any less visually important element ( like a expect fence ) is to position it on a lower grade so that you look over it from entertaining area .
NATIVE PLANTS
Though Martino is make love for his originative use of walls and structures , a fear for the local home ground is what take into account his inventive style to blend so seamlessly with the surroundings . “ I pop to use native plant to make the transition from the building to the adjacent raw desert . If you have 100 acres next to you , by bringing native plant life right up to the building , you visually take possession of all of that , ” he explains . “ It seems like a no - brainer as a technique to visually claim the side by side terra firma as part of your projection . rather of designing within a small space , it makes the landscape the biggest room in the mansion . ”
Fusing humankind - made with rude , this landscape blend privacy screening and shaded entertaining surface area with a selection of natives design to echo the naturally occur plant on the mountain beyond . The cooling cobalt of the Fletcher Benton sculpture counterpoint with the yellow wisps ofAcacia farnesiana(sweet acacia ) andEncelia farinosa(brittlebush ) . Photo by : Steve Gunther . SEE MORE pic OF MARTINO ‘S WORK
On a smaller scale of measurement , an impart source of interest in his landscapes comes from watching the lives of insects , birds , and other fauna open before your eye . “ Native works bring along their own entourage ; they are tapped into the food range of mountains . The pollinators and predators are like a parallel cosmos to our life that you never see , and aboriginal plant are the window that have you see them . ” Inspired by a study that tell mass like songster more than benches or H2O features in the landscape , Martino exclaims , “ How do you get songbird ? songster deplete insects ! If you want songbirds you postulate insect , and if you require insects , you need native plants . ”
Desert natives such as the ones used in this projection — saguaro cactus , Fouquieria splendens(ocotillo ) , andEncelia farinosa(brittlebush)—create an ecosystem where productive lizard do push - ups on rocks , cactus wrens nest within spiny pillars , and bobcats tope from body of water characteristic . That sense of connexion with the rhythm of the desert immeasurably enrich his node ’ lives . As Martino says , “ I never make apologies for the desert . The plants are so unequaled here , and it should be celebrated as a special home . ”
ZONING CHALLENGES
look at this entertaining space ( picture below ) , you ’d never think the concealment challenges the land site ab initio pose . An elevated public sidewalk runs along the back of the property , above the existing 8 - foot wall ( meet in the backcloth ) . Since the garden is on a lower degree than the street , passersby were looking straight into the proprietor ’s landscape and home as though she was in a fishbowl . Worse , zoning restrictions dictated that the existing rampart could go no marvelous .
Zoning restrictions preclude Martino from building a tall privacy paries at the back of this holding . Instead he detect a loophole , prefer for a multilevel , 15 - foot - high shed , which did not ask a permit . Photo by : Steve Gunther . SEE MORE PHOTOS OF MARTINO ‘S WORK
“ My approach to garden design is somewhat straightforward . I look at it as problem - solving with style , ” says Martino . prefer to use lasting elements rather than trees for screening , Martino discovered a loophole in the metropolis ’s rule . “ My secret weapon is ‘ shed . ’ Here , you’re able to build a 200 - square - foot , 15 - metrical unit - eminent shed without a permit , yet a rampart can only be 6 human foot grandiloquent . I ’ve built sheds which deed as garden walls to provide privacy and define the outer space . ” With the addition of a multilevel shed , the backyard became a flexible entertaining and seat area , with a crushed - rock candy floor . An elevated consider pack of cards permit a glimpse into the natural area nearby . A black concrete ponder pond , next toHesperaloe parviflora‘Perpa ’ Brakelights ® , mirror the passing clouds . In the heat of the twenty-four hour period , guest can take shelter under the shade screen , which is made of perforated steel punched with other than sized and molded holes . By overlapping these sheet in deviate fashion , psychedelic approach pattern and phantom are cast as the sun move across the sky . TwoFouquieria splendens(ocotillo ) flank either side of the shed entry , and aCarnegiea gigantea(saguaro ) andBaileya multiradiata(desert marigold ) decorate the front of the stairs . OneOpuntia ficus - indica(prickly pear or Amerindic figure ) sits next to the butterfly death chair ; another is to the left of the paving .
