Field Guide № 1 · Reading a Mojave backyard

The one-page reference.

Six sections. The piece every other article on this site links up to. Forthcoming, in pieces, throughout the year.

1. I.
   Sun

   How angle, intensity, and duration combine in a Mojave summer. The four most important hours.

   forthcoming
2. II.
   Ground

   Caliche, washes, slab. What your hardscape is built on, and why footings cost what they cost.

   forthcoming
3. III.
   Wall

   Mass and orientation. What a west wall absorbs after 4pm, and what it re-radiates after dark.

   forthcoming
4. IV.
   Cover

   Solid roof, lattice, mesh, drop shade. A short comparison and a longer argument for permeability.

   forthcoming
5. V.
   Air

   The 20-minute window when wind comes up. How to design for it, and why misters are the wrong answer.

   forthcoming
6. VI.
   Plant

   Joshua, mesquite, palo verde. The three plants worth shaping a backyard around in this valley.

   forthcoming