Off Desert Palette
Focus Property Group incorporates drought tolerant landscaping throughout master-planned community
Las Vegas Review Journal
September 9, 2005
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Focus Property Group, developer of Mountain’s Edge, recently reaffirmed its dedication to educating residents about drought-tolerant landscaping by expanding the demonstration garden within its 3,500 acre master plan in the southwestern valley.
“We initially planned the project to simply provide residents an educational resource of the various trees, plants and shrubs that make up a drought-tolerant palette,” said John Fowble, landscape manager at LandTek, a development company retained by Focus. “The redesign of the demonstration garden will give residents a true-life example of how drought-tolerant landscaping can be aesthetically pleasing.”
Lifespace, a landscape design firm, assisted in developing the garden by adding new plant species, colorful shade structures, artwork and ironwork.
“Many people are unaware that water-smart landscape can by lush, colorful and beautiful,” Tom Romano of Lifespace said. “Other elements that help make a yard look attractive include decorative art pieces, such as ironwork that helps provide shaded areas, along with fire pits and barbecue areas.”
Fowble said Focus put a high priority on bringing natural beauty to the master plan that didn’t come at the expense of wasting water.
“Mountain’s Edge’s commitment to water conservation extends beyond its landscaping and public works projects and into design guidelines put into place for home builders involved in the community’s construction,” he said. “What we want to accomplish through the demonstration garden is to take the conservation effort all the way through to the individual homeowner.
“Much of what we’re using in our common areas has been here for a very long time, so it has adapted, ecologically, to the region. It makes a lot of sense to use what already works, in addition to other plants that have thrived in similar regions in the Southwest.”
The nearly two dozen participating home builders have been encouraged to incorporate water-saving efforts and environmentally sensitive design features into their neighborhoods. All of the builders have agreed to provide desert-friendly, front-yard landscaping in lieu of turf.
The gardens plan to host monthly classes for homeowners, including discussions about plants native to the area. The sessions will be held in the garden’s outdoor classroom, which features a barbecue and shade area.
More information is available at the Home Search Café within the community. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
The community is planned to include more than 500 acres of open space, including trails and six parks. One park will be a 280-acre regional facility with adult and youth baseball fields, multiuse sports fields, picnic areas, playgrounds and an 80-acre, Western-themed recreation area.
Four elementary schools, two middle schools and a high school are also planned.
To visit, take Interstate 15 to Blue Diamond Road and head west to Buffalo Drive.
Builders with actively selling subdivisions are: Beazer, Concordia, D.R.Horton, Engle, KB Home, Lennar, Meritage, Pardee, R/S Development, Toll Bros., US Home and Woodside. Builders with plans to develop are: Amstar, Astoria, Avante, Desert Wind, Juliet, Kimball Hill, Ryland, Story Book and Warmington.
