Specialty Gardening: CA High Desert needs your help, 1 by katyclaire

katyclaire wrote:
Hi Abby!

I moved from Highland to Joshua Tree then to Big Bear and back to Joshua Tree. Are you out there on the back side of Big Bear? I used to travel that road often going back and forth between Big Bear and Joshua Tree while house hunting. Also my parents still have a place up there, so I still make the trip a few times a year.

The desert is definitely an acquired taste but you can make your lot beautiful! We've got 2 1/2 acres and we've kept things native on parts of the lot and "landscaped" in other parts. We've found that Mesquite and Palo Verde trees do great. The various species of Salvia (sage) that are frost hardy look really beautiful too. We are still learning which cactus can handle the cold season. Many of the Opuntia do well. We've built rock walls and planted the more delicate species behind them to protect them from the wind. We also keep some of the plastic nursery plant containers and cover some of the smaller cactus at night during the cold season. Another problem you will have is the bunnies and mice. They like to eat everything that isn't native. Aloe does really well if you put it in planters up against the house where it is warmer but they probably require more water than you will want to use. Also, rosemary and lavendar, which aren't really native but seem to like the sandy soil and the bunnies don't touch them. The blooms bring butterflies and hummingbirds.

As Antoinette said, the Mexican bird of paradise is really pretty and it attracts hummingbirds too. Also, there are so many beautiful agaves. (see photo)

Do you have cat's claw bushes? I've taken some of the bigger ones and sawed off the lower branches to make them more "tree" like. They are dormant in the winter but they do green up and bloom in the spring/summer. They can provide shade for some plants that might perish in full sun.

AND...finally, cholla (also opuntia family) thrive out here. Not all of them are desirable due to the hideous little prickly balls that tend to get stuck in your dog's feet and your hands while weeding. IWe have one species that is pretty and multiplies like crazy out here. I'll put a photo in the next reply and try to find the scientific name.