Desert Gardening

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Figure A

One of the most unforgiving climates a gardener can face is the scorch of the desert, but extreme climates don't necessarily have to call for extreme gardens. Gardens in the low desert can be as alluring and colorful as any other garden (figure A).

"We can get quite lush landscapes with appropriate plants," says desert-garden expert Kirti Mathura. "So many native plants offer luscious blooms and vibrant colors that we can create an overall colorful and comfortable effect."

It might be hard to imagine how any plant can be lush when the temperature may soar to 120 degrees, but desert gardeners have choices when it comes to cranking up the outdoor air conditioning. In fact, some species easily tolerate such blazing desert heat.

Figure B

Many annual desert wildflowers are re-seeders so they practically replant themselves each year. However, gardeners who like a bit more control in where the plants come up can easily harvest the seeds for planting later.

"There are a lot of really great native trees that we can use here in the desert," says Mathura. For example, the desert willow has brilliant, orchid-like blooms beginning in the spring and continuing through the fall (figure B).

The hot and arid climate has no shortage of native plants that shower the landscape in bright blossoms. Many annual desert wildflowers are re-seeders so they practically replant themselves each year. And don't forget the value of native perennials. "With our perennial wildflowers, we typically have more bloom periods," she says. "We have spring-, summer-, fall-, even winter-blooming perennials here." Native perennials are fairly easy as far as maintenance goes, and they don't need a lot of water.

Figure C

Drought resistance is another benefit of plants native to the desert. Heat lovers like the Indian paintbrush, or Castilleja (figure C), mealy cup sage or Salvia farinacea (figure D) and desert milkweed (figure E) can survive and even thrive in this parched environment.

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

Drip irrigation is one of the best ways to conserve water in this desert environment (figure F). A deep, thorough watering keeps a plant's root system cooler longer, and most drip irrigation systems are pretty easy to operate. You can save even more water by grouping plant groups with the same watering needs.

Mathura uses two different valves to control the flow of water to the shrubs and trees in the same area. The shrubs that need more water can be watered longer or for more days on one valve, while the not-so-thirsty trees get watered less frequently on another valve. The trick is to make every drop of water count. Set the timer for a slow delivery of water; a deep soaking helps promote a healthy root system--what keeps plants alive in the desert.

Figure G

Growing some plants in the desert can be quite challenging because of the lack of organic matter in the soil. Mathura's solution to the soil problem is container gardening (figure G). She suggests planting in big containers that can hold lots of rich, well-drained soil. "Containers can make gardening pretty easy in our desert environment," she says. "Some of us are up against things like heavy clay soils or caliche--that's almost like cement. So if you've got soil like that, using big containers can make gardening much easier."

Figure H

Figure I

Many cold-climate gardeners may recognize a few of the desert-dwelling plants as well. Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) might look familiar to Texans (figure H), while folks near rivers and streams know the beauty yerba mansa, or Anemopsis californica (figure I). Some plants that are native to the desert have counterparts in other parts of the country. The golden columbine has close relatives--species that bloom in pinks and purples--that can be used elsewhere in the country.

The extremes of the desert aren't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, there is an extremely long growing season and a relatively short winter.

One more plus to desert gardens: beneficial birds and insects are naturally drawn to the diverse environment. The sheer variety of plants and animals that inhabit the desert is second only to one other extreme climate, that of a tropical rainforest.

"Gardening in the desert doesn't mean you have to surround yourself with boring, drab plants," says Mathura. "You can have a lush surrounding, vibrant colors and wonderful fragrance."

Guests
Kirti Mathura
Desert Botanical Garden
Website: www.dbg.org
Also in this Episode

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-1102
•	Avoiding Pests and Disease
•	Desert Gardening
•	Gardening Q & A: Fertilizing Ferns and more
•	Weeping Atlas Cedar

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