Most desert gardeners know native plants grow and thrive in their natural environment and transplanting them is rarely successful. Wildcrafting is the art of raising such specimens from seeds and promoting the practice has been paying off quite literally for the Joshua Basin Water District. Reporter Mike Lipsitz explains…
Native plant gardening has been growing in popularity among desert gardeners due to the benefits it offers for the individual and the environment. In recent years, the Joshua Basin Water District’s wildcrafting program has been gaining momentum. The Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, noticed that momentum and recently awarded the water agency a $30,000 grant to “grow the program” over the next year. The district plans to use some of the funds for new interpretive signs in the Water Wise Demonstration Garden at the district offices on Chollita Road in Joshua Tree. According to the district, the signs will offer step-by-step instruction on collecting local seeds and growing native plants from them. Joshua Basin Water District is in the midst of planning more ways to use the funds in the coming months.
