Every spring for the last nine years the Morongo Basin Conservation Association organized a popular, self-guided tour of the most unique and inspiring private landscapes in our Morongo Basin. Common to each was a foundation based on water conservation and native vegetation. In this, the tenth year, the Desert-Wise Landscape Tour has gone virtual and is being offered free of charge. Reporter Mike Lipsitz has more on how you can take advantage of this opportunity…
Reimagined as a free, virtual experience, each exceptional property on the 2020 Desert-Wise Landscape Tour is showcased in a high-quality, professionally produced, short video, five in all. From the comfort of your living room, you will see how drought-tolerant, native landscaping can flourish in a variety of creative executions seen both at ground level and from high above through spectacular drone footage.
These are all private properties located in Twentynine Palms, Flamingo Heights, Pioneertown, Yucca Valley, and Morongo Valley and not otherwise accessible to the public. Your free, all-access pass to the owner-guided virtual tours is available via a link at mbconservation.org.
Through the series of five videos, viewers will see an abundance of flourishing, native, drought-tolerant gardens as well as creative use of other landscaping elements from dramatic architectural shading and outdoor “rooms” to tranquil walking paths and seating areas, topiaries, hardscapes, objet d’art, and water features.
The Desert-Wise Landscape Tour is sponsored in part by the Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency, Golden State Water Company, Hi-Desert Water District, Joshua Basin Water District, Mojave Water Agency, and Twentynine Palms Water District. The Morongo Basin Conservation Association is a 501(c)3 all-volunteer, non-profit organization that has been active here for 50 years.
