If you live in an arid climate with long days of hot sunshine and little rain, you may think a backyard garden filled with green flower and vegetable plants is not possible. However, choosing to create an oasis of greenery is not only possible, but easy to make. While a traditional garden plot dug into the earth will not work in an arid climate because the bare soil will become too hot for plant growth, using a mound of soil to form an oasis will allow the plants to develop deep root systems to keep them healthy through long periods of hot dry weather.

Forming the Oasis

The first thing to do is to plan the location of your oasis garden by choosing an area of your lawn where you have a nearby water connection for your irrigation system. To make plant care and harvesting easy, choose a shape and size that you can easily reach halfway across and a location where you will be able to access the oasis from all sides. 

Using rocks, landscape timber, or a purchased border material from your local landscaping supply company, erect the borders of your oasis garden and then fill the borders with a thick layer of good quality garden soil, mounded up thickly in the center to a foot or more in depth and sloping gently toward the border materials on each edge. Tamp the earth down gently until you have a gentle mound of compacted soil.

Adding Drip Line Irrigation

Once the soil is in place, add drip line irrigation to the surface of the mound of soil and test to make sure it is working. Cover the irrigation lines with a layer of landscaping fabric, mulch, or other material to help hold the moisture in the mound of soil.

Planting Tips to Conserve Moisture

Many arid climates are too hot for good seed germination, so you will want to choose started plants for the best results. Choose a variety of vegetable and flower plants and space them so that plants that grow large and straight, like tomatoes and peppers will be at the top of the oasis. This will allow these vegetables to provide a bit of shade for those growing around them on the oasis. Plant vining plants, like cucumbers and squash at the base of the taller vegetables, so the vines can develop in the shade of the taller plants as they grow. Shorter vegetables and flowers should be interspersed down the sloped sides of the oasis with root vegetables like onions, carrots, and radishes. All planting can be done directly through holes you cut in the landscaping fabric or by pulling back the mulch to make room for the plant. Remember to place plants close together so they will completely cover the oasis mound as they grow, helping to conserve moisture and creating a beautifully green garden effect in your yard. 

For assistance, talk to a professional like Lones Stone & Landscape Supply.