WELCOME TO DESERT GARDENING

Gardening In The Desert--It’s Way Different Than Gardening In The Midwest

Right off—yes, it’s different. Not like I’ve moved to another planet different.

More like:

·       The planting season is different.

·       The heat is different.

·       The soil is different.

·       The watering is different.

Even if you’ve moved into a retirement community as I have, you may still want to do your own gardening.

If you’ve been a lifelong gardener and NOT in the desert during all of those lifelong years (like me, raise your hand), then desert gardening does take a little getting used to. The Midwest is called the Breadbasket of America for a reason—rich soil, plenty of rain in growing season, and good growing weather. The Sonoran desert, not so much. I think of it (fondly of course) as the burnt toast region. 

Things I Learned While Gardening In The Desert

1.    Winter is not an event.

2.    Prune in winter without a heavy coat. You won’t be hampered by snow and ice. Yes, there may be freezing morning temps here and there but after what you’ve been through in the Midwest it won’t bother you one bit.

3.    Plant in fall and late winter/very early spring. You’ll need to harvest veggies before the temps soar into the 100s. One advantage if you do have veggies still on plants in June and July—no stove, no pan needed to cook them. Just take your plate out to the garden.

4.    You’ll need to water. Even in winter. But do you really want to be out in your yard every day with a hose? Especially when temps get into the triple digits? I’m sure you just said “no!”  You don’t want to waste water either so watering has to be spot on. For shrubs and trees you need an irrigation system. Most of us didn’t have this in the Midwest—mother nature waters regularly.  

5.    Pests are here too. My favorite reminder is WEAR GLOVES. Be watchful when sticking your hands in places where plant debris has gathered. Scorpions may be hanging out and THEY DON’T LIKE YOU. Another pest that will come taste your landscaping isn’t really a pest until it rips out the cactus and flowers. That animal is the javelina. It looks like a wild boar. They generally come out at night to do their shopping in your yard.

6.    Planting takes some planning. Unless you have a jackhammer you need to scrape away the groundcover rocks to expose the dry, packed cement-like soil. Twice a day water the spot where you will be digging. Depending on your strength you may only be able to dig a few inches each time you go at it. Remove the soil that you loosen and set it aside. Then water again.  And water wider than just the circle of the size of your pot that the plant is residing in Repeat the dig and water routine until the hole is big enough. Don’t skimp on the size of the hole. It took me three days for the hole to be ready by watering and digging twice a day. Remember the old saying—dig a $10 hole for a $5 plant. The hole needs to be at least twice as deep and wide as that pot. This gives the roots loosened soil and plenty of room to easily take hold and grow. If it’s not roomy the hard-packed dirt can’t absorb water and the roots have a hard time penetrating the wall of “concrete.” 

Mixed Results In The Desert Garden

My first eight months in the Phoenix desert has had mixed results for my gardening. I pruned my Vitex trees and three of a kind I still don’t know the name of. I shaped and pruned Oleanders. The five Lantanas I planted are thriving even in the triple digit weather of June and July.

The violas I planted in the corner outside the courtyard gate didn’t survive the javelinas. True to form they ripped the yellow and purple little faces out of the ground and ate them. My geraniums, lobelia and nasturtiums cooked in their pots despite watering twice a day. The small amount of soil in the pots just gets too hot. Plants like cool roots.   

And so, what have I learned in the first eight months of gardening in the desert?

I’ve learned that I have a whole lot to learn!  For now I’ll enjoy a few annuals in pots before summer’s fiery heat and then “retire” them rather than try to keep them growing. Until fall I will hang out in the AC and read about gardening.