Spanish-style courtyards are typically designed as outdoor living spaces where you can relax and entertain.

This year's landscape trend is tailor-made for San Antonio's semi-arid climate, and we couldn't be happier. Influenced by Roman and Moorish civilizations, Spanish-style courtyards and gardens are ideal for creating outdoor rooms for entertaining or relaxing.

Spanish courtyards typically feature a spacious hardscape area, a central fountain, bird bath or basin of water, container plants and limited planting areas. Although patio and courtyard walls can be an investment, once in place they are simple to maintain.

There are lots of trees and plants that thrive here and give you a Spanish courtyard feel. Here are a few options you could incorporate into your design.

• Trees — wild olive, live oak, citrus, mesquite, crepe myrtle
  
• Shrubs — Knock Out roses, coral bean, esperanza, palms, bottle brush, pride of Barbados, pomegranate
  
• Cactus and succulents — sedums, spineless prickly pear, red yucca, agaves
  
• Tropical perennials for large containers — hibiscus (moy grande), bougainvillea, geraniums
  
• Creeping and filler plants — moss rose, rosemary, and herbs of all kinds
  
• Vines and weaving plants — crossvine, confederate jasmine, trumpet vine, wisteria

If you're on the fence about creating a Spanish courtyard in your landscape, SAWS has an incentive for you: the WaterSaver Landscape Rebate. For starters, it rewards you for limiting your landscape to less than 50 percent turf (buffalo, zoysia and Bermuda varieties only).

Dana Nichols is the outdoor conservation manager for San Antonio Water System.