Go With What Grows: Desert Gardening ~ Nature to You

Desert gardening, on a practical level, means gardening in an arid environment. Desert gardening, on a personal level, means gardening in and with the place that I love.

A family of Gambel’s quail takes shelter in the mottled shade of the brittlebush and then emerges onto the exposed rocks.

I love watching quail amble through the brittlebushes and goldfinches hop along the wolfberry. I love that the brittlebushes thrive with zero supplemental watering, too.

Student in the Miles ELC school garden recording spring observations of Sonoran White Wheat

I love listening to wheat in spring, and corn in the fall. I love that if I skip a day of watering because life is extra crazy, these desert-adapted crops continue.

As I’ve related in Looking Bright, Win Some, Lose Some, Palo Verde Moments, and Lupine Time, I especially love the desert flowers that keep me watching and encouraged by their strength. I do water my pots and some in-ground plants, but honestly not very much. I go with what grows on limited water and divided attention. In my desert garden, the plants get most of the credit, and I love seeing what they can do.

Below is a gallery of desert plants that put on a show this summer in my Tucson garden. They are roughly in order from surviving purely on rainfall, to getting mostly-daily water from me. All are species I recommend for a good chance of success and a reliable supply of smiles.

Fishhook barrel cactus, with mature fruits in the outer rings and flower buds in the inner rings

Mexican bird of paradise among saltbushes. In the background are a neighbor’s saguaro and desert willow.

Indian mallow close-up. They are in near-constant bloom.

Summer poppy, a new appearance in our backyard this year.

Chocolate flower. Not to eat, but definitely to smell.

Snapdragon and Mexican evening primrose, both pampered in my raised flowerbed.

Blooming is not required – my drought-deciduous wolfberry gets cheers just for re-growing leaves, and my butterfly mist takes such an afternoon beating it shines by just staying alive (pictured with blooming Indian mallow). A storm beheaded my son’s sunflower plants – and now the bold stems are taking on a branched form to try growing a different way . In the desert, going with what grows might mean accepting different varieties or forms. In my garden, if it doesn’t grow, I simply go with something else. If it tries, I encourage it with both friendly words and water.

What grows for you? What surprises plant themselves, and which plants reward your efforts? The desert supports diverse life. A garden can support both the desert and the gardener.