And Now For Something Completely Different, The Hillside Desert Botanical Garden

We live in an area that I love for so many reasons, one if which is that by driving for an hour or two  in one direction or another , we can be in the mountains, at the Pacific coastline, in a rainforest, or in the desert.  Most of the gardens I tour are on the western side of the state which is lush green year round.  However last weekend we drove to Yakima in the central part of the state where the scenery is very different.

Believe me, I did!

My friend, Loree, posted about Hillside Desert Botanical Gardens in 2012 here.  I was delighted when the Northwest Perennial Alliance once again included open gardens in Yakima and HDBC was one of them.  Loree visited on a rare rainy day in June when the garden was in full bloom.   I, on the other hand, visited on a sunny 90 degree day, a bit of cooling between days with temperatures in the triple digits, in late July.

"Hillside Desert Botanical Gardens is the product of more than 25 years of testing and experimenting with certain species to find which will be the most reliable in tolerating the growing conditions here in the Pacific Northwest.  Many varieties have been tried and through trial and error, a surprisingly large number have been successful."

The luminescent white spines of this Cholla are gorgeous.  Of course the golden spines behind it are pretty swell too.

The plants had finished blooming but left copious fruit as evidence. 

The plants in pots are vacationing outside but are too tender to live here in the winter. 

Even cacti can get stressed.

"What started as a hobby in 1981 has expanded to cover 1/2 acre with more than 20 gardens developed into a magnificent showplace."

Notice the agave bloom on the right. 

"We are located in central Washington state in the low desert area in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountain range. Annual precipitation seldom exceeds 6" per year.  Summertime highs are in the 90 - 100 degree range while wintertime lows can reach 0 degrees and occasionally lower.  These conditions have proven to be an excellent opportunity to test for hardiness and optimum  growth.

Hesperaloe in bloom. 

I was lucky enough to get a cutting of this sea coral-looking plant. 

Ron says that there's never a bad time to become interested in cacti.

Ron's excitement and knowledge about desert plants is infectious.

So many fabulous plants!

Isn't the leaf imprinting beautiful?

To top it off, Ron has propagated plants for sale.

For more images and information about HDBG, visit Ron's website here, see an article in Yakima Magazine here and visit the facebook page here. .  Thank you so much Ron for opening your wonderful garden for so many to enjoy.