Arid Oasis Landscapes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(480) 287-6008"Make Your Mirage a Reality!" |
Services Provided
The foundation of all hardscaping is essential for the longevity of the structure. Concrete footers with re-bar are used as a sturdy base to support all masonry structures. Re-bar is essential in preventing footers from cracking and shifting, which can cause damage and severe cracking to masonry structures. Masonry components that will have footers with re-bar include; barbeques, fireplaces, fire-pits, seat walls, retaining walls, decorative walls, pool equipment walls , columns and spa pads. Re-bar can also be installed prior to pouring concrete which will help prevent cracks from raising and separating.
Pavers are by far the best alternative to concrete in applications such as driveways, RV gate access, patio extensions, trash pads, walkways, garden pathways, raised patios, and covered porch overlays. The main benefits of pavers are that they look aesthetically pleasing, and unlike concrete they do not crack. Additionally, they are very comparable in price to concrete. Pavers are ideal in areas with expansive soil, because unlike concrete, they are able to flex with soil movement. Establishing a solid base is essential for paver installation. All perimeter pavers are securely set in mortar, which maintains overall integrity, keeping pavers properly secured against lateral movement. Sleeving is installed under all walkways, patios, and driveways to allow easy future access for wiring or irrigation lines. We only install top quality brand pavers such as Belgard pavers, Pavestone pavers, AZ Block pavers, Phoenix paver, and Pioneer landscaping materials inc. pavers.
Commonly used for driveways, RV gates, patio extensions, trash pads, spa pads, and walkways. A variety of colors and textures can be added to the concrete allowing for a customized appearance. Additionally flagstone or brick ribbons can be added to break up large expanses, adding substantial character. Re-bar can also be installed prior to pouring concrete which will help prevent cracks from raising and separating. Sleeving is installed under all walkways, patios, and driveways to allow easy future access for wiring or irrigation lines.
Available in a wide variety of colors, Kool Deck is an acrylic overlay material that is sprayed on and hand and troweled over existing concrete. It provides a cooler summertime walking surface compared to concrete products. The most common applications are done over existing covered patios, and pool deck areas.
Mined right here in Arizona, flagstone is an elegant natural stone made from compressed sand and can be used for patios, walkways, step stone pathways, barbeque counter tops, seat walls, overlay to existing concrete, ribbons, and perimeter skirting. Its unique characteristics blend very well into traditional desert landscapes.
There is a variety of uses for curbing and borders. The main function is to separate lawn areas from surrounding granite or planting areas. Borders can also be used to separate property lines where different colors of neighboring property granite are used. Another unique application is to separate different color tones of granite throughout your own landscape. Curbing and borders are most commonly constructed using concrete, brick, pavers, or recycled brown plastic bend a board. If concrete, brick or paver curbing is used, there is a variety of choices available pertaining to color and style.
Treat yourself, family and friends to the ultimate barbeque experience for many years to come with the sound quality of a built in barbeque. Constructed using concrete block and mortar built on a secure concrete footer with re-bar, a built in barbeque has unsurpassed quality and longevity compared to pre-fabricated units for very similar pricing. With an endless list of options, you can enjoy your own built in barbeque whether basic with stucco sides and a flagstone or brick top, to completely dressed in options such as stone veneer sides, granite counter-top, umbrella sleeves, accent lighting and misters for those hot summer days. For the serious entertainer, consider turning your built in barbeque into an outdoor kitchen by adding a sink, recessed ice cooler, electrical outlets and utensil drawers. For information about the different brands of barbeque grills, and components available, visit Barbeques Galore http://www.bbqgalore.com
Keep the chef company and allow your guests to converse over drinks and appetizers with a cantilever bar. Attached during construction of the built in barbeque, a raised bar can function as additional seating or a convenient place to set food for serving. With the addition of 110v electrical outlets built into the backsplash, you too can be bartender for the evening blending up your favorite drinks.
Now that the food is cooked, where do you put it all? The addition of a serving counter will provide surplus space for those large family gatherings, allowing you and your guests to have easy access to the buffet of tasty goodness being served up. Whether the serving counter is attached to the built in barbeque, or constructed nearby, the additional space will help improve guest congestion.
Imagine the memories created from toasting marshmallows with the kids and enjoying the company of family and friends. Fireplaces bring a cozy warmth to those chilly desert nights, allowing you to enjoy outdoor living well into the evening. Each fireplace is custom built to meet your needs. Whether you desire the warmth of a real crackling fire, or the ambiance of an environmentally friendly gas burning fire, you will be able to relax gazing up at the stars night after night. Our fireplaces and fire pits are constructed with block and mortar with the addition of firebrick inside the firebox. Firebrick is designed to withstand the heat of a normal wood burning fire, preventing excessive heat transfer to the underlying block, which can cause damage to the block and exterior stucco.
The entryway to your home is the first thing seen by visitors, guests, and future home buyers. Simple additions such as installing flagstone or pavers over the existing concrete porch can make a dramatic impact, adding elegance and value. Welcome guests with the sound of a spilling water pot or wall fountain, or consider a small bistro set for the morning coffee lover. Decorative walls and columns topped with colorful planters are also a nice way to frame the front of your home.
Elevation change is an important design element that is often overlooked. Creating raised patio areas allows for an attractive destination point for many functions from sunbathing to conversation, or simply peace and quiet with your favorite book.
Creating a decorative wall can add character and elevation change to any space. Walls can play off the architecture of your home making a subtle and attractive transition form architecture to landscape. Depending on the theme, decorative walls can range from formal block and stucco, to dry stacked natural stone, boulders or pavers.
Decorative masonry columns can be a nice addition to contrast a wall, or function as a stand alone accent. Consider adding low voltage lighting, a stone veneer, plantable wok dishes, or simply using a concrete or flagstone cap for a custom finish.
Get rid of that unsightly and noisy pool equipment once and for all. Installing a pool equipment wall, perhaps softened with colorful vegetation in the foreground can be an excellent way to improve an eyesore.
Combining the functionality of seating with the aesthetics of a wall is a practical way of incorporating usable space to any area. With many material choices available, seat walls can blend into or contrast any application. Common areas for seat walls include fireplace seating, conversation fire pit areas, courtyards, raised planters, under a shade tree, inside shade structures, or raised destination patio areas.
Raised planters and column planters offer elevation change and can help accent a particular tree or plant. A raised planter can be constructed within a decorative courtyard wall or column, planted with a tree or shrub and provide shade or greenery to soften other hardscape components. Raised planters are also a nice way to do vegetable gardening, because they are filled with garden quality soil, and are raised allowing the gardener to either sit on the edge or save their back from having to bend to the ground.
Stone veneering is a popular way to add class to any number of components such as barbeques, fireplaces, fire pits, columns, walls and home facades. Some of the top quality brands of stone veneer products include Cultured Stone, Eldorado, cast-n-stone, and Modern Stone Solutions.
Whether you are looking for a lush tropical oasis, a Mediterranean escape, or a traditional desert xeriscape experience, Arid Oasis Landscapes will achieve the most creative environments imaginable.
We only install plant and tree varieties that have a proven track record of performance. Unlike many trees and plants available at local home improvement retailers that are imported from California, all of our trees and plants are Arizona grown and are desert adapted, which enables them to withstand the tough desert climate conditions. Planting desert adapted trees and plants will also help with water conservation, eliminating varieties that waste water or that would otherwise require a higher degree of care and maintenance.
Technology with synthetic turf grass lawns has come a long way. Realistic artificial turf has many benefits; it is made with eco friendly materials, it provides a water wise alternative to real turf, and saves you money not just on water, but on maintenance, fertilizer, and winter over seeding costs.
Real turf grass lawns can provide benefits as well. Real lawns are cooler to walk on, and absorb heat which can help lower air conditioning costs in the summer. The initial cost of a real lawn is also substantially less, making it an attractive option for either short or long term use. Real lawns are great for homeowners who may want to consider other options down the road such as a swimming pool, a xeriscape, or perhaps more usable hardscape space. It is a low cost option that is much easier to part with. With the appropriate variety of turf, water usage can also be reduced while still providing beneficial oxygen for our planet. All turf varieties installed by Arid Oasis Landscapes are Hybrid Bermuda, which have been specifically grown to eliminate many of the inherent problems of common Bermuda grass. They are sterile and produce no pollen. Hybrid Bermudas are less likely to invade flower beds and tree wells. They are typically greener and are denser in leaf foliage, which creates a more carpet-like appearance. A layer of sand / mulch mix is spread prior to sod installation. This reduces compaction, improves water and nutrient retention and penetration, making your lawn more water efficient.
The single most important part of any landscape is the irrigation system. We use only the best contractor grade materials which will last and provide consistent reliability.
Febco brand pressure vacuum breakers are all copper, and are installed to prevent irrigation system back-flow from contaminating interior water supply lines. Pressure vacuum breakers are required by code for all irrigation systems. At point of tie in to water supply, we use copper pipe from the PVB into the valve box due to superior durability compared to PVC which can become weak and brittle and develop leaks with exposure to sun and freezing temperatures.
Drip systems are installed with quality in ground valves, rigid 5/8" poly drip line, and in most cases separated so that trees and plants or potted plants are on their own separate line due to differing water requirements.
Lawn sprinkler systems are installed with quality in ground valves, and consist of all schedule 40 PVC pipe lateral lines which is substantially more rigid and thicker than class 200 thin-wall PVC. Schedule 40 PVC will tolerate freezing, tree roots, and hand digging nicks much better than class 200 thin- wall PVC pipe. All lawn sprinkler heads are RainBird brand 1800 series commercial grade 4" pop-ups with variable arc adjustable nozzles that are easily replaceable without having to dig up and replace the entire sprinkler head. 4" pop-up heads also facilitate better coverage because they pop-up higher and don't become obstructed by turf. This avoids the hassle of having to trim around each individual sprinkler head to gain proper coverage.
Sprinkler clocks are RainBird ESP brand (Extra Simple Programming), and have more options available than other brands. They are easy to understand, and proven to last.
Installation of granite (rock ground cover) is a minimum of 2" deep and comes standard with pre-emergent weed control granules. Weed pre-emergent helps prevent weeds from growing in your new landscape and typically lasts for up to 6 months. Having a minimum of 2" of granite is important because granite can become embedded into the soil over time. Also, as granite is mined in quarries, it changes color, and can become unavailable, making future applications very difficult to match.
There is truly no better way to bring a cool oasis feeling to the desert than a water feature. The soothing sound produced by water will relax and rejuvenate your mind. In addition to the aesthetical beauty of a water feature, the sound of water can help reduce traffic noise, barking dogs and other undesirable static noise. Locating a water feature near a patio or entryway allows the sound to be heard from indoors as well when windows and doors are open. Arid Oasis Landscapes can install any variety of water feature to meet your specific needs. Ponds, waterfalls, and streams can make a beautiful addition to any landscape. Pondless waterfalls are kid friendly and require less maintenance. Spill pots, urns, boulder water features and wall fountains are also a cost effective way to introduce water to your landscape.
Enjoy your landscape all evening long with the elegant class of low voltage lighting. Transform your outdoor living space into a brilliant display of shadows and accents bringing a completely unique landscape to life at night. All low voltage lighting systems are installed using top quality brands by vista and focus. These fixtures are of high quality, resisting chipping and fading, and are more rugged in design than other manufacturers. Spot lights have a rubber seal around the lens which prevents moisture from entering, and will prolong light bulb life. 12 gauge wire is used, which is a thicker wire, allowing more current to pass through. 12 gauge wire also helps keep the lighting fixtures bright, and will allow for future expansion to the lighting system. Lighting wire is also split into different runs enabling an even current distribution which helps prolong light bulb life. Energy saving LED light fixtures are now available. LED lights not only save energy, but last much longer than traditional bulbs. Consider low voltage lighting for pathways, uplighting, spot lighting, built into benches, steps, and columns, along sidewalks, entry ways and patios.
Let us know if you have or are considering having children so that we can make appropriate suggestions for plant material and play areas. We have created many designs that have incorporated playground equipment and sand box areas into the landscape. With the proper foresight, these areas can easily be converted into other useable space down the road.
Many desert plants are poisonous to pets. Please let us know if you have pets so that we can select appropriate varieties of plants that are considered to be more pet friendly than others.
Boulders make a nice addition to any landscape. Hiking out in the desert, you will see the natural beauty they bring. Properly replicating the natural beauty into an urban landscape requires foresight and observation. For example, if you glance at boulders in the wild, you will see that they are not just dropped on top of the ground. Rather, they are partially buried into the earth. Likewise, boulders at the base of slopes or contoured terrain are typically clustered into groups of two or more. They are clustered because as they tumble down a hill or slope, they knock into each other and come to rest nearby. Believe it or not there is a right way and a wrong way to install a boulder. If you look carefully at the boulder, you can see markings that indicate where it used to be buried. Whenever possible, we try to install the boulder just like it was in nature. At Arid Oasis Landscapes, we hand pick your boulders at the rock yard, reserving the ones that have character with the foresight in mind where they will be placed in your landscape. Incorporating boulders into lawns, planters, and hardscaping is a beautiful way to bring natural elements into your landscape.
Similar to selecting boulders above, designing a realistic dry creek bed takes talent as well. Anyone can drop rip rap or river rock cobbles in a uniform path. We try to replicate nature by including larger boulders with smaller pieces of rock clustered around the boulders and throughout the river bed. Incorporating smaller grasses and other indigenous plant material within the dry creek bed is a sure way to bring a realistic replication of nature into your landscape.
Give definition and texture to what might otherwise be a flat area. Create accent areas with terrain elevation change. When done correctly, contouring provides a smooth gentle rolling of the soil similar to what you see in the desert or on golf courses. Consider soil contouring for both traditional desert landscapes as well as lawn areas.
The term xeriscaping refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation. It is promoted in areas like Phoenix where water conservation is important. Using indigenous species of plant material to the region, and minimizing the evaporation or run off of water is the main objective of the term. Xeriscaping is becoming increasingly popular as a practice of being "green", and coincides with the terms water conserving landscapes, drought tolerant landscaping, zeroscaping, sustainable gardening, sustainable landscape architecture, and smart scaping. Rainwater harvesting is also a green industry practice gaining popularity. Collecting rainwater from roof tops and concrete surfaces, and storing or harvesting it into tanks, dramatically reduces the demand for fresh water when irrigating a landscape.
Detailed information coming soon!
Detailed information coming soon!
Detailed information coming soon!
Detailed information coming soon!
Detailed information coming soon!
Detailed information coming soon!
Detailed information coming soon!
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