Cactus garden offers look at five deserts

What would a botanical garden in the Southwest be without a cactus and succulent garden in it? That is what we have at the Gardens at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. The architects went overboard to make the cactus garden beautiful and unique.

When you take a trip down Cactus Alley, you actually take a trip through five different deserts — Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, South American and then across the ocean to Exotica, featuring exotic plants of Africa. The alley is very straight.

“There are two reasons for the linear nature of the alley,” said Pete Duncombe, curator for the gardens. “First, the display of deserts sits on top of a major five-foot in diameter waterline running underneath the garden. I frequently find such boardwalks in the major botanical gardens I visit across the world.” Many of the specimens used to create this new garden were salvaged from the former Desert Demonstration Gardens.

The architect also took advantage of the linear feature to create a spectacular setting and then lined the alley with paloverdes. When these trees come into bloom next spring, the alley will be a showstopper. And its straightness boldly contrasts the curving paths throughout the gardens.

Let’s take a tour through these five deserts along the alley.

Mojave Desert: This desert spreads through Southern Nevada and into California. The Mojave Desert exhibit begins at the top of the alley. It is the smallest and driest of the North American deserts and is characterized by the giant Joshua tree, a specimen of which dominates the garden. After taking in its beauty, the underneath growth consists of native cactuses and succulents, along with native grasses and colorful plants that are all from our desert. Since cactuses and succulents never grow by themselves, you will find them tucked around and through the rocky display with other plants in a natural setting.

Sonoran Desert: This desert covers large parts of Arizona and into Mexico. The dominant plant is the giant saguaro, known as the sentinel of the Sonoran Desert, which also includes a diverse flora of deciduous thorn trees, native shrubs and a wealth of cactuses and succulent plants. The saguaros in particular capture my attention no matter where I see them. There was a lot of work involved in moving them to the new gardens and to ensure their success.

Other highlights include the dramatic golden barrel cactus, giant blue yucca, tree bear grass and spiny ocotillos. The spout of a gigantic watering can extends out over the top of the giant blue yucca prominently placed in the center bed of the cactus alley. Under all these giants are several fascinating cactuses and succulent plants, including fishhook barrels, hedgehogs, prickly pears and agave. Also featured are native grasses, creosote bush and colorful plants such as desert mallow and penstemon, all blended into a natural setting. These plants are hardy and will withstand our winters.

Chihuahuan Desert: This desert spreads through New Mexico, Texas and down into Mexico. Featured is a Spanish bayonet, which is similar to yuccas around Las Vegas. Found in the undergrowth are agaves, chollas, grasses and Mammilaria, along with penstemons.

South American Deserts: Found in this setting are plants from the deserts of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. Golden saguaros dominate the display featuring dramatic, tall, columnar cactuses that are some of the most spectacular varieties available. You’ll find Old-Man-of-the Andes, Argentine toothpick, San Pedro cactus and Trichocereus hybrids such as flying saucer, which produces its flowers through the night and into the next day. In fact, many cactuses and succulents bloom at night when the insects needed to pollinate are active. You also will find spruce cone cactuses, paper spine cactus and many other plants adapted to our cold climate.

Exoticas: Featured in this section are exotic plants from Africa. Some examples are bottle palm or elephant’s foot, which is an unusual plant. There also are big sable palms, along with sago palms and other exotic cycads. Down along the curb, different kinds of aloe soften the sharpness of the thorny plants so no one gets hurt.

Native desert plants such as cactuses and succulents are natural choices for water smart landscaping gardens. You might say they are the right plants for the right place. They come in many colors, shapes and sizes, from feathery grasses to watering vines.

But not all are suitable to Southern Nevada. Some succulents need partial shade to get started and many cactuses don’t like the cold.

AUGUST GARDENING

Here are some tips for your August gardening:

Watering: Check your watering systems for even distribution of your water. Expect plants in hanging baskets to dry out faster. Water deep-rooted plants thoroughly to push away salts.

Flowers: Add periwinkles, zinnias, marigolds, gazanias and verbenas to brighten up your yard. For fall flowers, prepare the soil to mellow until you plant.

Roses: Remove the spent blooms and apply only half the normal rate of rose food.

Mums: Finish pinching mums to stimulate more blooms and fertilizer for the fall flower show.

Thorny plants: It’s lunchtime for cactuses and succulents, because they sunburn easily.

Prune tomatoes: Cut your tomatoes back to a foot above ground before mid-August to regenerate tomatoes for the fall and apply a fertilizer to boost them along.

Vegetables: Later this month and continuing through September, plant your cool-season vegetables. Use shade cloth to protect new plants. Fall gardening will be your best garden.

Nematodes: Check roots of vegetables when removing them. If they are knotty, spade the infested soil and cover with polyethylene plastic for a month. The solar heat will sterilize the critters.

Trees: If you can’t see through trees, thin them and remove low-hanging limbs.

Shrubs: If bothered with spider mites, wash them down. Nip off new growth to keep compact.

Lawns: There’s still time to start a Bermuda lawn. Mow Bermuda lawns an inch high or fescue 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall using a sharp mower for improved appearance.

Design landscape: It’s an ideal time to plan changes in your landscape. Identify existing landscape problems in your garden. Consider a landscape architect to tailor you a plan.

Splitting pomegranates: As pomegranates ripen, do not let soil dry out between waterings.

Mulching: Add a layer of mulch under your trees, shrubs, vegetables and flowers to reduce your watering bill. Mulch does best when it’s 3 to 5 inches deep.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Thursday. You can reach him at lmills@reviewjournal.com or at the Gardens at the Springs Preserve, 822-7754.