Growing roses

Water-wise lawn replacements 

Prickly pear cactus with red fruits, cholla and other native plants are typically found in the Tucson garden style.  The  annual average rainfall of 12" is usually enough for the plants -- no additional watering required.

There is a distinctive Tucson Garden style -- at least in the older, more established neighborhoods.  It is, quite simply, native plant gardening at it purest.  Many homes have been sited on the land to take up the floor space they need and little more.  The landscapes around the homes have been left in their natural states with Palo verde trees (Cercidium), prickly pears (Opuntia), creosote bushes (Larrea tridentata), ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens),  and other no-maintenance native plants growing where and as they will.  No vast spreads of green lawn in sight!

Tucson in the Sonoran desert, it should be noted, receives an annual average rainfall of about 12 inches, which is considerably greater than cities such as Las Vegas in the Mojave desert where 4 inches annual rainfall in the norm.  Tucson's higher rainfall accounts for the relative lushness of the Sonoran desert plant life in the area.

Residential gardens in Tucson often have ramadas and patios tucked into the natural landscaping.  You will find 16 examples of these at the Tucson Botanical Garden, which is located on 4.5 acres of what was formerly the Porter family home.   Entry to the gardens (and an excellent art gallery) is through the old adobe home and there is a small fee.  Immediately around the home are patios, landscaped with Mediterranean plants, one of the historical gardens planted originally by Mrs. Porter.  

Herbs grow in one of the historic gardens at the Tucson Botanical Garden. This top of this ramada has been painted cobalt blue to match the tiles.  There are many other ramadas of various styles throughout the gardens.

In the Tucson Botanical Garden there are also cactus and succulent gardens, a butterfly garden --  an enclosure that actually has butterflies in it -- a backyard bird garden, a xeriscape garden, a children's garden, and many more.  The ramadas -- essentially covered patios -- are especially inspiring. 

Brilliant color on the walls in the Tucson Botanical Garden children's garden contrasts with the subtle greens, grays and browns of the native plants.

Tucson is also home to Tohono Chul, another park filled with native plants and demonstration gardens.   At 50 acres, Tohono Chul is much larger than the Tucson Botanical Garden.  

A gigantic statue of a horned lizard holds a place of honor in the Tohono Chul demonstration gardens.

This park offers visitors winding trails through native vegetation, demonstration gardens that make great use of tile, an ethnobotanical garden, a riparian garden and a splendid art gallery.  We saw quilt-art and art glass exhibitions there.  There is a small entry fee and a charming tea room for lunch.

Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) and creosote bushes dominate the landscape on the drive to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  Saguaro and Ocotillo are two signature plants of the Sonoran desert.

On day two of your garden tour, head out to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum adjacent to the Saguaro National Park West outside of Tucson.   Within the 21 acres that compose the museum grounds you will see a natural history museum, a subterreanean  earth sciences museum, a botanical garden, a zoo with animals in their natural environments, a hummingbird enclosure and a separate aviary -- both of which you can enter.  There are also miles of trails with spectacular views.  There is an entry fee and 4 restaurants on the grounds.

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