Desert Front Yard Ideas . When choosing colors for your pathway, stick to light or earthy tones. For instance, the use of trees, bushes, flowers, and natural stone to design your yard would fall under the category of softscape. Desert Landscape Ideas High desert landscaping, Desert landscape from www.pinterest.com Use large boulders for drama or to recreate the idea of a mountainside, use small rocks as mulch to cover the dull sandy soil. The plant is native to mexico and the desert regions of the southern united states: Mix rocks with stones, natural elements, and plants.