I’ve spent most of April talking about plants that thrive in very dry environments, including both Mediterranean and subtropical desert environments. Field trips and explorations like this can heighten your awareness of individual plants, and plants in their natural environment.
My folks and I enjoyed seeing the desert flowers in bloom. There is such variety and such beauty, in an otherwise harsh environment. When the winter rains come, the desert bursts forth in color. We enjoyed viewing, photographing, and studying these vibrant blooms. Here is a photo album of some of our favorites.
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| Chuparosa |
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| Ocotillo |
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| Indigo Bush |
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| Desert Lavender |
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| Brittlebush |
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| Dune Primrose |
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| Datura |
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| Yucca |
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| Desert Lupine |
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| Desert Monkeyflower |
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It is also useful to see plants in situ – in their natural environments. You can learn a lot by what you see. Plants in rocky soil probably don’t need rich, loamy soil. Plants that thrive on a slope probably need good drainage. Plants in a river bed probably need access to lots of water, at least part of the time.
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Yucca in its natural environment. The soil is rocky and sandy,
close to a river bed and in full sun. |
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| Brittlebush on a sloping, sunny hillside. |
This kind of knowledge may help inform your plant choices for your own garden, and develop an awareness of the natural environment in your garden. Most every garden has some variation of a poorly drained area, a shady spot, a rocky zone. Instead of seeing these areas as “trouble spots”, you can start seeing them as unique environments that require specific plants that meet their specifications. I look forward to getting back to my San Francisco Bay Area garden, with fresh eyes and new ideas.
Special thanks to Quackit for use of the HTML table generator: Quackit Webmaster Tutorials
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