Gardening in the Desert

Dry doesn’t mean dull

Today ’s photos are from the Sonoran Desert garden of Alan and Melissa Grosso in Fountain Hills , Arizona . Fountain Hills is a very picturesque townsfolk , with rolling pitcher’s mound dotted with the iconic Saguaro cacti ( Carnegieagigantea ) , and is known for its earthly concern - far-famed outflow . Located north-east of Scottsdale , this beautiful town is fence by the McDowell Mountain Range , which includes the mesmerizing Red Mountain , or Firerock , and the sensational Four Peaks of the Mazatzal Mountains .

The Sonoran Desert , which has a subtropical climate , is the most complex desert in North America . equate to the other type of desert regions , it has great diversity in geological structure as well as the numeral and types of plants and animals . to boot , it receives rainfall bi - seasonally — during wintertime and also in late summer . This is one of the reasons why we have such divers plant life and fauna . For the botany , away from the beautiful and splendid sculptural cacti and succulents that come in so many different form , sizes , and shapes , we have a diverseness of bloom plants as well , let in shrub , trees , palms , and vine that love the climate , making it well-heeled to mix and match colors and computer architecture of the garden and surrounding space .

The pictures below were have at dissimilar seasons of the year . In the Sonoran Desert we have five different seasons : winter , spring , dry summer , wet summertime , and fall .

In the backyard , mesquite(Prosopis)andAcaciatrees provide the ceiling and wall for the garden as well as a rod for a visiting great horned bird of night . In their shade farm a Hercules tree aloe(Aloe‘Hercules ’ , Zones 9–11 ) .

In the backyard , aloes , agaves , and cacti appreciate the light shade from the intense desert sun .

In the corner side thousand , dominant plants include gold barrel cactus(Echinocactusgrusonii , Zones 8–10 ) , Mexican fence post cactus(Pachycereus marginatus , Zones 9–11 ) , senita , or whiskers , cactus(Lophocoreus schottii , Zones 9–11 ) , andAgave americana(Zones 8–10 ) .

low-spirited flowers of a jacaranda tree(Jacaranda mimosifolia , Zones 10–11 ) .

Note the fashion this totem polecactus(Pachycereus schottii‘Monstrosus ’ , Zones 9–11 ) looks like it has face / head on top of one another .

In the corner side yard , face the pool , a palo verde tree(Parkinsonia florida , Zones 8–11 ) with a beautiful green bole and spreading branch dominates and gives a little shade .

Arizona bird of paradise(Caesalpinia pulcherima , Zones 8–11 ) with masses of impassioned flowers .

This photo of the side grounds under the palo verde tree shows that a desert garden does n’t necessitate to be full and vibrant .

BloomingEchinopsiscactus near the pool .

Winter in Fountain Hills sometimes include snow !

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