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June Gardening In The Low Desert

© Pat Kolb

Well, fellow desert gardeners, if we have done the right things at the right times, we are harvesting the bounty about now. But even if we don't do everything just the way we should, we will have some successes. For most of us, it's always trial and error but the fun is in the doing. Nothing like the feel of the soil on your hands and the smell of the earth. Of course, it does help when we eat or otherwise enjoy the fruit of our endeavors.

For what to do this month, see last year's article for June gardening in the desert. Remember, careful watering and mulch are the keys to keeping things going through the heat.

Let's talk landscaping for desert gardens. Living here, we can choose from a variety of styles with the most popular ones using drought resistant plants. One of the most popular styles is one I would call 'mission style', similar to Mediterranean with bougainvillea, palms, acacias, etc. This is fairly maintenance free and colorful. There is also a tropical look with such things as hibiscus, plumbago, cannas, ferns - many tropical looking things in this category. Then there is the institutional look, with rows of plants just alike - not for me but to some it's the only way to garden. There is xeriscape, a truly desert look, very natural but a little too stark for my tastes. Or just a crushed granite and rock garden with few plants, if you don't like to care for plants. Another is an oriental look. My personal preference is probably best described as cottage garden, with all kinds of things growing together. And cacti and succulents work well with nearly all styles.

The first thing you need to do is visualize how you would like your landscaping to look for each area - whether a single style or combination of styles. Then with a good book or two, make a list of plants and trees that you like. Check out nurseries to see them growing. Then you must become familiar with the characteristics of each: care needed (including water as this is, after all the arid zone), sun or shade - remembering that plants that love full sun in other areas of the country may not love it so much here - how big they will eventually get, whether they tend to be invasive or drop a lot of litter, etc. Whenever possible, it is best to group plants together that have basically the same care requirements unless you plan to install extensive water or drip systems.

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