As the weather warms up in the hi desert, the abundant native wildflowers that popped this spring are drying up, and if you’ve cleared your property of the leftover weeds you may be itching to keep things growing through the summer.
The good news is that there are lots of water-wise ways to plant native desert flora that will thrive in our arid desert ecosystem. For existing plants, shift your watering schedule to before 9am or after 6pm when the sun won’t evaporate all the water you are putting down. It’s also a good time to check over your landscape watering systems and hoses to make sure there aren’t any leaks, saving you money on your water bill and conserving h2o in the process.
June is a great time to plant or transplant palms and cacti – and responsibly propagating native cactus species in your backyard is surprisingly easy and fun.
The Joshua Basin Water District has a water-wise demonstration garden that is free to tour during the weekdays – it can give you some ideas on drought-tolerant and native species that can naturally beautify your property without raising your water bill.
And thinking more long-term, you can register now to receive a free shade tree to plant on your property. The Joshua Basin Water District is teaming up with other non-profits to provide a free shade-tree seedling to hi desert residents – that’s happening next Saturday on June 10th from 3:00 to 4:30.
Link to survey for free shade-trees: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=40849
Link: How to propagate cactus
