Landscape Design in Sereno Canyon, Scottsdale, AZ

A Setting Worth Designing Around

Sereno Canyon sits at the edge of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in north Scottsdale, with views toward Tom's Thumb, the McDowell Mountains and Four Peaks. More than half of the community's land is dedicated natural open space, so most homes look out on untouched desert instead of a neighbor's roofline.

In a place like this, the backyard should not compete with the scenery. We arrange seating, water and fire so the long view stays open, keep structures low where they would block a sightline, and choose materials in the same warm, muted range as the rock outcroppings around you.

Keeping that view open is mostly a matter of height and placement. We line the far edge of the pool up with the desert, drop a fire lounge a step or two below the patio so seated guests do not block the windows, and put ramadas and kitchens off to one side of the home's main windows.

From Duets to One-Acre Estates

Toll Brothers built several collections here, and each calls for a different approach.

• Enclave duets and Villa homes: compact yards where a plunge pool or spa, a fire feature and a shaded dining terrace have to share the space without crowding it
• Manor homes: room for a full pool, an outdoor kitchen and distinct lounge and dining areas
• Estate homes on an acre or more: multiple outdoor rooms, a guest casita terrace, long entry drives and large areas of desert planting to restore

The smaller the yard, the more each piece has to do two jobs. On an Enclave or Villa lot, a raised spa wall doubles as seating and one pergola shades both the grill and the table. On a Manor lot, the main question is sequence: what you see from the great room, and where the outdoor kitchen sits in relation to the indoor one. On an Estate lot, most of the land is desert, so we concentrate construction near the house and put the remaining effort into paths and planting that hides the scars left by grading.

Our landscape design and build process begins with a site visit and a detailed 3D model, so you can judge proportions and views before construction starts.

What the Builder Leaves for You to Finish

A new home is typically handed over with the front yard landscaped and the back and side yards left as graded dirt. Before design starts, it helps to gather a few things from your closing package:

• The recorded plat and the grading and drainage plan for your lot
• Where gas, electrical and water stubs were left for a future pool, kitchen or fire feature, if any were included
• Your association's design guidelines and submittal form

We check the electrical panel and gas meter for spare capacity early, because a pool heater, a kitchen and several fire features add up. We also keep the builder's drainage swales open, so monsoon runoff still moves away from the house.

Materials and Structures That Suit a Contemporary Home

The architecture in Sereno Canyon is contemporary, and the yard should follow its lead: straight lines, few materials and no fussy detail.

• Paving: large-format porcelain or travertine in a light, warm tone that stays cooler underfoot than dark pavers (see travertine vs. concrete pavers)
• Shade: steel-framed pergolas and ramadas with thin profiles, flat roofs and posts placed out of the view
• Walls: smooth stucco or stone matched to the house, kept low and used as seating where possible
• Planting: a short list of desert species repeated in groups, checked against your association's guidelines

Building Next to Protected Desert

Sereno Canyon falls under Scottsdale's Environmentally Sensitive Lands rules. Portions of each property are recorded as Natural Area Open Space and must stay undisturbed: no grading, no walls and no new irrigation. Protected native plants need a city permit before they can be removed or relocated.

We map those limits on your lot before we draw anything. Improvements stay inside the buildable area, and the edges are planted with native species so the yard blends into the desert beyond it. Your homeowners association will also want to review plans before work begins, and we prepare that submittal for you.

Edge planting does much of the work. Where the yard meets open space, we use the plants already growing on the other side of the line, such as palo verde, creosote and brittlebush, at natural spacing. Lighting follows the same thinking: warm, fully shielded fixtures pointed at steps, paths and a few specimen plants, with the desert edge left dark.

How a Sereno Canyon Project Runs

1. Site visit and documents. We walk the lot with you and collect the plat, grading plan and house plans.
2. Mapping the limits. Natural Area Open Space, setbacks and easements are plotted on a base plan and protected plants are marked, so the buildable area is known first.
3. 3D design. The yard is modeled with the house and reviewed from the main rooms and each seating area. Our 3D landscape design article shows what to expect.
4. Approvals. We prepare the association submittal and apply for the city permits the work needs. Nothing is built until approvals are in hand.
5. Construction. Our crews fence off the open space line first, so equipment stays on the right side of it.
6. Handover. We walk the finished yard with you and explain the pool, lighting and irrigation controls.

What We Build in Sereno Canyon

• Pools, spas and water features, including negative-edge designs for view lots
• Outdoor kitchens, bars and dining terraces, with utility runs set before the patio goes in
• Ramadas and pergolas in steel or wood to suit contemporary architecture
• Fireplaces and fire pits, including sunken lounges that sit below the sightline
• Porcelain, travertine and concrete paver patios in large formats that suit modern lines
• Artificial turf in enclosed yards
• Warm, shielded landscape lighting aimed down and away from the preserve

One Team From Design Through Construction

Kevens Landscape is a family-owned Arizona company founded in 1987. Our designers and construction superintendents work for us, which keeps the design intent intact through the build. We are licensed and insured (ROC #327865 and #110489), we warrant hardscape workmanship for two years, and more than 100 Google reviewers rate us 4.9 out of 5. Browse our portfolio or see our Scottsdale landscape design page for more.

Irrigation and lighting carry a one-year warranty, and the first consultation is free.

Sereno Canyon Landscaping FAQs

My home came with a finished front yard. Can you design just the back?

Yes. Most of our work in new communities is the backyard and side yards the builder leaves unfinished.

Can I build right up to my property line?

Not always. Natural open space and setbacks limit where you can build. We verify the buildable area on your recorded plat during design.

Is financing available?

Yes, financing is available for qualified homeowners. Ask about it at your consultation.

Can you start the design before my home closes?

Yes. With your lot plan and the builder's floor plan, we can develop the 3D design while the house is under construction. Work on the yard generally waits until you own the home and your association has approved the plans.

Do I need a city permit as well as HOA approval?

Often, yes. Pools, gas lines, electrical work and some walls and structures need City of Scottsdale permits, and moving a protected native plant takes a permit of its own. We identify what your project requires during design.

Schedule a Consultation

What sets a Sereno Canyon yard apart is its neighbor: open desert and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve instead of another backyard. Landscape design in Sereno Canyon, Scottsdale, AZ has to stay inside the buildable area, match the contemporary lines of the house and keep the long view clear from every seat.

Your consultation is free. A designer meets you at the property, reviews your plat and builder plans, talks through how you want to cook, swim and entertain, and points out where the open space line and the best sightlines fall. You then see the whole idea in 3D before any construction is scheduled. Call (623) 535-7654 or request a landscape design estimate to meet with a designer at your Sereno Canyon home.