Sun City Anthem residents opt for desert landscape

     Special to Real Estate
      Sun City Anthem residents have opted for landscape designs that blend with the community's desert surroundings. Not only does this enhance the overall appearance of the community, it has also proved to be an effective water-conservation tool.
      "Desert landscaping is very popular in our Sun City communities," Don Richards, landscape services division manager for Sun Cities Las Vegas, said recently. "Not only is it attractive, but it also saves valuable water and utilizes shrubs and trees that are indigenous to the area."
      Harold and Annette Israel were among the first residents of Sun City Anthem. They chose the 3,009-square-foot Anthem model, which is featured in the Estate series. Their home has a great room with six windows, a wet bar, butler's pantry, and retreat in the owner bedroom. They also chose desert landscaping because it would blend well with the terrain of The Revere golf course, which the Israel's home overlooks.
      "Our home is in a beautiful location, and we wanted to maximize our views," Annette Israel said. "The windows in our great room have a panoramic view of the whole valley and the landscaping only enhances the beauty of the desert. When we watch the sunset over the mountains, the sky turns beautiful shades of pink and blue and we feel like we're right in the middle of it."
      "We designed a true xeriscape landscape for the Israels," Richards said. "This means one of the main reasons to use this type of landscape is for its water conservancy as well as its beauty. Essentially, we blended the ridge line of the desert ravine right up to their back windows which visually added 3 or 4 acres to their back yard.
      "We used the same desert re-vegetation techniques to design this yard as we did on The Revere golf course and streetscapes throughout the Anthem master plan," he said. "Using vegetation that is native to the area, we used rocks and basic desert plants like creosote bushes, barrel cacti and yucca plants to re-create the desert landscape."
      To enhance the community's desert theme, textured and stamped concrete walking paths were placed around the front and back yards.
      "Our landscape design studio designs front and backyard landscapes for residents here at Sun City Anthem," Richards said. "Our staff of architects and landscapers can give residents just about anything they can imagine at their homes. From pools and spas to waterfalls, we can design and install the landscaping they've always wanted."
      Sun City Anthem is an adult community in the foothills of Black Mountain in Henderson. The golf course, which was designed by PGA Hall of Famer Billy Casper and course architect Greg Nash, winds through desert canyons and offers views of the Las Vegas Valley from its ridgelines.
      Del Webb Corp. offers a Vacation Getaway program to potential buyers. The program allows guests to sample Sun City Anthem and its amenities for as long as seven days, and includes lodging in a villa home, tours of the community, discounts on the golf course and social gatherings with other guests.
      The community's 75,000-square-foot recreation center is under construction and scheduled to open in spring 2000. Amenities will include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an indoor track, fitness center, wellness center, ballroom and activity rooms.
      Sun City Anthem has 14 model homes open, ranging from 1,235 to 3,009 square feet and priced from the mid-$140,000s to the mid-$290,000s.

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