We are halfway through spring and I’ve been gearing up my garden and cactus transplants for the summer months by watching the Morongo Basin Conservation Associations excellent videos on desert gardening, deep watering techniques, landscaping and permaculture.
Something about gardening in the desert has clicked with me. Maybe its the fact that when you are watering native plants you are almost certainly giving them more than they would get naturally, which makes them feel less needy than plants from other ecosystems.
I love how hardy flora has to be to survive down here and their resilience is inspiring, too. A prickly pear cactus I transplanted last year was devoured by squirrels and jackrabbits shortly afterward – but just yesterday while watering I saw two volunteers popping up from the spot where it was nibbled down.
This year’s landscape tours haven’t made the MBCA YouTube channel yet, but last year’s videos have plenty of examples of desert homes that are using waterwise native plants as their landscaping.
Each home’s video helpfully lists their elevation so you can get a sense of what will do well at your home. They have videos for Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, Landers, Morongo Valley, Flamingo Heights and Pioneertown – and the deep watering techniques video is something I’ll be using when I plant more native trees.
If you missed the landscape tours this year, there are waterwise demonstration gardens at the Mojave Desert Land Trust and the Joshua Basin Water District, and you should always tune into the Unique Garden Show here on Z107.7 every Saturday Morning from 8:30 to 9:00, or as a podcast that you can pop-on while watering in the mornings or evenings.
Just walking around your neighborhood can give you ideas about which plants naturally thrive in your area and soil, and there are lots of plants that have yet to bloom and show off their spring colors.
