Q. I am relatively new to this desert environment and I
know hardly anything about desert plants.
Would you recommend the best book(s) you have read that describe these
desert plants? Which are best as decorative lawn plants? When to plant them and
how to care for them?
know hardly anything about desert plants.
Would you recommend the best book(s) you have read that describe these
desert plants? Which are best as decorative lawn plants? When to plant them and
how to care for them?
A. I would focus on something written for the Las Vegas
climate or secondly Tucson, Arizona and lastly the desert Southwest.
climate or secondly Tucson, Arizona and lastly the desert Southwest.
Tucson
has a very similar climate to Las Vegas; a bit warmer in the winter and a bit
more humid and wetter during the summer months. Tucson is in the Sonoran Desert
which gets 250% more water (about ten inches of rain each year) than our Mojave
Desert (four inches of rain each year) and generally has better soils.
has a very similar climate to Las Vegas; a bit warmer in the winter and a bit
more humid and wetter during the summer months. Tucson is in the Sonoran Desert
which gets 250% more water (about ten inches of rain each year) than our Mojave
Desert (four inches of rain each year) and generally has better soils.
Adjust
books not specifically for the Las Vegas area to our climate and soils by
recognizing that our winter low temperatures can and frequently get into the
low twenties and even the upper teens on occasion. Trees you select for the “backbone”
of your desert landscape should withstand these temperatures or you are asking
for trouble. Play around with lesser landscape plants that don’t tolerate these
temperatures but don’t expect them to survive forever.
books not specifically for the Las Vegas area to our climate and soils by
recognizing that our winter low temperatures can and frequently get into the
low twenties and even the upper teens on occasion. Trees you select for the “backbone”
of your desert landscape should withstand these temperatures or you are asking
for trouble. Play around with lesser landscape plants that don’t tolerate these
temperatures but don’t expect them to survive forever.
Linn
Mills from Las Vegas and Dick Post from Reno teamed up and wrote a book called
the Nevada Gardeners Guide that has information split between both northern
Nevada and southern Nevada. Its focus was to understand both Mojave Desert (Las
Vegas) and Great Basin (Reno) conditions, soils and how to manage a landscape growing
in them. Their book is available on Amazon and Abes Books if you search using
the author names. It would be a good book for Pahrump, St. George and Kingman,
Arizona besides Las Vegas and Reno area.
Mills from Las Vegas and Dick Post from Reno teamed up and wrote a book called
the Nevada Gardeners Guide that has information split between both northern
Nevada and southern Nevada. Its focus was to understand both Mojave Desert (Las
Vegas) and Great Basin (Reno) conditions, soils and how to manage a landscape growing
in them. Their book is available on Amazon and Abes Books if you search using
the author names. It would be a good book for Pahrump, St. George and Kingman,
Arizona besides Las Vegas and Reno area.
Another
book I used in the past is Plants for Dry Climates written out of the Tucson
area by Mary Rose Duffield and Warren Jones. As well as plants, it includes desert
landscape design ideas. It is also available on Amazon and Abes Books. The newest
edition includes and expanded section plant selection and care. The original
version presents a concept on desert landscaping called the minioasis landscape
design concept which I really like as well as landscape plants that are
successful here. It applies to any of our desert climates including the
Chihuahuan, Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the Southwest but less to the Great
Basin area.
book I used in the past is Plants for Dry Climates written out of the Tucson
area by Mary Rose Duffield and Warren Jones. As well as plants, it includes desert
landscape design ideas. It is also available on Amazon and Abes Books. The newest
edition includes and expanded section plant selection and care. The original
version presents a concept on desert landscaping called the minioasis landscape
design concept which I really like as well as landscape plants that are
successful here. It applies to any of our desert climates including the
Chihuahuan, Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the Southwest but less to the Great
Basin area.
A solid
reference book you should have in your library is the Sunset Western Garden
Book. It is not specific for the Las Vegas area but does a good job discussing
desert soils, desert environments as well as an exhaustive list of plants and
their descriptions suitable for many different kinds of Western environments.
reference book you should have in your library is the Sunset Western Garden
Book. It is not specific for the Las Vegas area but does a good job discussing
desert soils, desert environments as well as an exhaustive list of plants and
their descriptions suitable for many different kinds of Western environments.
As far
as free websites on plants online, I reference Chris Martin’s Virtual Library
of Phoenix Landscape Plants housed at Arizona State University quite a bit.
Just realize its focus is Phoenix climate and soils, is 5 to 10 degrees warmer
in the winter and not quite as hot in the summer. It is perfect for Laughlin,
Bullhead City and Lake Havasu, Arizona as is. It is excellent for Las Vegas
selections but just keep in mind the temperature limitations between Phoenix
and Las Vegas. This website doesn’t pull any punches on landscape plant
shortcomings and how well they perform in desert climates and soils. Once you
have made a plant selection, it is a good bench check on how it will perform
here.
as free websites on plants online, I reference Chris Martin’s Virtual Library
of Phoenix Landscape Plants housed at Arizona State University quite a bit.
Just realize its focus is Phoenix climate and soils, is 5 to 10 degrees warmer
in the winter and not quite as hot in the summer. It is perfect for Laughlin,
Bullhead City and Lake Havasu, Arizona as is. It is excellent for Las Vegas
selections but just keep in mind the temperature limitations between Phoenix
and Las Vegas. This website doesn’t pull any punches on landscape plant
shortcomings and how well they perform in desert climates and soils. Once you
have made a plant selection, it is a good bench check on how it will perform
here.
Several
knowledgeable local experts like the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA)
searchable database of landscape plants for Las Vegas, called “Find Plants”. It
is accurate with information presented on plants but I find it somewhat cumberson
to use at times. It is a good site when you are first looking for possible
plants to use.
knowledgeable local experts like the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA)
searchable database of landscape plants for Las Vegas, called “Find Plants”. It
is accurate with information presented on plants but I find it somewhat cumberson
to use at times. It is a good site when you are first looking for possible
plants to use.