I am always on the lookout for interesting dry gardens when
we travel to the desert. Last year I enjoyed the dry garden associated with our
hotel—Palm Canyon Resort—in Borrego Springs (near Anza-Borrego Desert
Park). This year, I enjoyed the dry garden rest stop off I-10 on the
way to Joshua Tree National Park. My folks and I stopped there for a picnic.
Structures provided shade in the picnic areas, and a cool breeze blew continually through the I-10 corridor. Desert plants, including Palo Verde and Bladder Pod, were used instead of lawn. Curving cement paths provided interest, and irrigation kept the plants looking their best.
They also use some plants with which I am not familiar, but they seemed to fit with the desert, water-wise theme. This is a great idea for the California rest stops - to use native plants and light irrigation to reduce costs and still retain the security and benefit of rest stops.
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| Dry garden in the foreground, shade structure in the distance. |
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| Palo Verde and Bladder Pod beyond the shade structure. |
Structures provided shade in the picnic areas, and a cool breeze blew continually through the I-10 corridor. Desert plants, including Palo Verde and Bladder Pod, were used instead of lawn. Curving cement paths provided interest, and irrigation kept the plants looking their best.
 |
| Instead of a grass lawn, this rest stop on I-10 uses desert plantings. Irrigation extends bloom time. |
They also use some plants with which I am not familiar, but they seemed to fit with the desert, water-wise theme. This is a great idea for the California rest stops - to use native plants and light irrigation to reduce costs and still retain the security and benefit of rest stops.
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| Yellow Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii) from Argentina and Uruguay. I love the long red stamens contrasting with the yellow blossoms. |
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