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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

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. 

18 comments:

  1. Pretty amazing creation. In one photo I could see grass and a house. Is that Ron's or neighbors? Not sure I could garden in that much sun and heat.

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    1. Ron actually has green lawn and and perennials in part of his garden.

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  2. What a fascinating, otherwordly kind of garden! Not my cup of tea -- like you, I'm not a big fan of glochids. I like cactus in small doses. I do like the cute little orange one in the pot.

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    1. The orange one was only that color because it was stressed. I have the same one and mine is green. Maybe I coddle them too much.

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  3. You visited on such a different day than I did! I do hope to get back there someday. Beautiful photos, I studied each one thoroughly. Seeing these images will be a shock to anyone who things the PNW is all green and rain. Oh and I love that he has a saguaro on his sign. Nothing says desert like a saguaro, even if he can't grow one of those in the Washington desert.

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    1. Because the PNW is so heavily populated on the west side, people do get that impression even though the west is only about a quarter of the landmass of our states. The central and eastern folks must cringe at "The Evergreen State."

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  4. Your title is spot on -- I thought I was reading a Gerhard post for a minute there! Did you buy anything? (You may have said but I may have missed it). Your greenhouse has plenty of room left, right? :)

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    1. I did get some things. Loree wanted me to pick up a couple of things for her and, well, I got a couple of things for myself. Fortunately, Ron only sells hardy cacti so I'll be trying them outside. It'll be nice for the Danger Gardenette to have a few plants that don't have to be part of the semi annual migration.

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  5. Amazing what diversity they've found suitable to their climate -- and yes, that leaf imprinting is beautiful!

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    1. Plants are pretty amazing things. I'll be posting about other gardens in the area that utilize entirely different plant palettes. This one was the most desert-like.

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  6. Those first photos reminded me of parts of SoCal, although I don't think even our inland valleys get quite that cold. Tough conditions! It never ceases to amaze me how adaptable plants are.

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    1. You're right, it's really interesting how well plants adapt. The area is responsible for most of the apples grown in Washington, Peaches, Corn, lots of heat-loving plants do really well there. The sign on the way into town reads, "Welcome to Yakima, the Palm Springs of Washington." The irrigated valleys are so green and stand in stark contrast to the surrounding dry hills.

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  7. Terrific collection Ron has on display. Very different climate than your neck of the woods, Peter! It's cool you can easily access so many different areas from your home.

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    1. Ron is an enthusiastic collector and gardener.

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  8. I find desert landscapes and plants fascination. I have been to some great botanical gardens in the southwest. The fact that this one is in Washington state, with a temperature range from 100 to 0, makes it very special.

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    1. It was a treat to see this and the other gardens in Yakima. Such a different climate from ours and there were some pretty special gardens there. Definitely worth the trip!

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  9. What an interesting place. It's amazing the variety of climates you have around you.

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  10. Wow, pretty cool garden! I didn't even know there were deserts in Washington State.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.