Desert Gardens of Steve Martino
By Caren Yglesias, Photographs by Steve Gunther
The Monacelli Press • $50
Landscape architect Steve Martino was born, raised and lives in Phoenix, so desert air is in his lungs. He is the ideal expert to show us gardens – even gardens growing on rooftops – in that sandy climate. In his hands, desert plants, spiky or not, are inspiring and beautiful, thriving under open skies. For 36 years, Martino has been committed to developing and advancing landscape architecture in the Southwest.
Author Caren Yglesias, who teaches landscape architecture and environmental planning at the University of California, Berkeley, weaves together Martino’s words and wisdom with photographer Steve Gunther’s striking photos – transporting us to this arid expanse. There’s nothing barren here with Martino as our guide. He juxtaposes strong manmade elements – stucco walls, arbors, outdoor showers and benches – with nature, honoring the ecology of the landscape. See 21 gardens in Arizona and the Sonoran Desert, ranging from the expansive Baja Garden at the base of Camelback Mountain to Martino’s own urban laboratory. His love for the desert – the interplay of light and shadow, the colors, plants and wildlife – inspires his work.
It Felt Good To Get Out Of The Rain
Folk rock band America released “A Horse with No Name” on vinyl in 1971; it remains a fitting serenade to Steve Martino. An ode to the desert.
Yes, Martino is looking at all the life.
“I’ve described my design style as ‘Weeds and Walls’ – nature and man. I use native plants to make the transition from a building to the adjacent natural desert,” he declares. He embraces the resiliency of the soil and its ability to nurture growth.
“My clients come to me because they want a desert experience. We live in the desert and relating to it is making an authentic connection to the region.”
Is the view soothing – or prickly? “Any view into nature is wonderful and rejuvenating against the stress of our daily lives. The desert is even more inspiring because of it vastness,” he adds.
His passion runs deep. “We still have areas that haven’t been damaged by man. We have the phenomena of summer thunderstorms and springtime flowers. The rocks are beautiful, and so is our special vegetation that only occurs in the Sonoran Desert. I grew up looking at mountains that are visually rocky. I think forests are creepy. As a result, I have to live around rocks.”
Martino works often in Phoenix, Tucson and Palm Springs. He relies on materials like steel, concrete and fiberglass. “I never use wood,” he says, “because the desert is too dry for it to hold up.”
One more question. Can we all grow cacti at home? “Oh, yes,” the author asserts. “I give many cactus cuttings to clients because they are so easy to grow. The more sun the better, not too much water.” To illustrate just how fuss-free cactus plants are, Martino’s book even includes the photo of a roof covered with hundreds of cactus pads instead of shingles.
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