I believe that garden design is important, that it matters in life, not just mine, but in the lives of our clients. No landscape designer can be everything to everyone, and from the beginning, Zona Gardens has focused on desert-appropriate plant-centered design. I believe that the Sonoran Desert is one of the most exciting places on earth in which to build a garden. It is my sincere hope that my enthusiasm for North America’s great deserts shines through in all of my work.
I create plant-driven landscape designs that respect, reflect, and thrive in arid environments. My designs tend to be more “graphical” than floral. That is, I like to feature bold sculptural succulents and desert shrubs and trees whose character lends sense of place. I use native plants whenever possible. When exotics are employed, they also are mostly of desert origin. I believe that xeriscaping (water-wise gardening) is a technique rather than a style of gardening. While most xeriscape gardens are designed in an informal or naturalistic style, they don’t have to be. A xeriscape can be modern, formal, controlled, or wild and eclectic. I believe that North American desert plants are beautiful and garden-worthy. I strive to design gardens that are intimate, dramatic, and infused with a desert sense of place.
–Scott Calhoun
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