Plants that do well in the desert

Submitted by tiptoethroughth... on Sat, 06/21/2008 - 02:39.
in

Hi everybody,

I just moved to a very hot part of California, out in the desert.  I had to leave all of my plants back East when I moved here, and I have no idea what kind of plants might do well with this dry heat. I love flowers, but what kind can I grow here?  I know the desert is known for its different kind of cactus plants, but do any of them flower?  Do any of them have any fragrance?  I've heard that although it's getting up around 100 degrees now, that in the winter it's pretty cold here.  Any ideas for what kind of a flower garden I can grow in the desert will be appreciated.

Thanks!

Tiptoethroughthetulips


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Desert plants

Submitted by williewonka on Sun, 06/22/2008 - 19:19.

I
live in the Southwestern U.S. (New Mexico), which has a
similar climate to yours. We planted:

1)Spanish Broom - a hardy desert-loving bush, takes about 2 yrs to mature, but
gets pretty big and needs very little water (everyday to start out after
planting, very little after established) It has little yellow flowers that
smell very sweet but don't attract bees.

2)"Texas Purple Leaf"
Honeysuckle. A different kind of honeysuckle, leaves are darker and broader
than regular honeysuckle. They stay green year-round, and withstand cold temps
as well as heat. They don't take much water either, and given some guidance
(lattice or ladderwork) will climb a gazebo or porch adding shade and smell
great!

3) Globe Willows - a relative of Weeping Willows -without the droopy branches.
With alot of water until established, they will grow quickly and provide
excellent shade. They are self-pruning, and are the ideal backyard tree.

God luck!

Williewonka

Desert plants

Submitted by fortunate on Sat, 06/28/2008 - 01:52.

I sense a little sadness that you had to move from the East Coast to a desert area, and as a fellow gardener I know how that feels to leave all of your well-loved plantings behind.  But I think your new home-area obviously has things to love about it too, and a desert area is definitely not a place that can duplicate the East Coast.  Why not take this new move as an opportunity to experiment?  There are many websites that specialize in describing beautiful succulent plants that do well in desert areas. You can also start a rock garden and the Asian theme of zen that brings peace to a space. Perhaps you can do some research and see if there are any wildflowers that are native to that area.  In addition there are ornamental grasses that look beautiful year 'round - purple fountain grass, yellow pampas grass, Mexican feather grass and blue oat grass.

Good luck,

Fortunate