We all love to get away to a sun-drenched destination and immerse ourselves in the local culture and scenery. So many of us appreciate the simplicity and beauty of the, at first glance, barren-looking desertscapes. Albeit not as green and lush as our gardens at home, those succulents with their colourful flowers, the cacti with their unique shapes and colours and palms that gently wave in the infrequent breeze, all join together to make a stunning but low maintenance garden. It might be a surprise to hear, that it is more than possible to create a stunning desert themed garden right here in Blighty and here we will give you some great hints and tips of how to create your very own desert oasis.
Sunlight and Water
These two things are the single most important aspects to consider. Your desert garden will need an abundance of sun and not too much water, this means your soil needs to be very well drained. Fear not, if you don’t have well drained soil, like clay, you can still create your Mediterranean dream, but you might have to plant into pots or wide bowls, rather than in the ground. The worst thing for any succulent is to have it’s roots constantly in water. They like a good drink and then prefer dry soil. This can be an issue in the wetter months when keeping the soil as dry as possible can be a problem. There are two ways to remedy this:
- Use the 6 on 6 off method. This is where you plant your succulents in pots and leave them out during the drier and warmer 6 months of the year and then put them in a greenhouse for the colder 6 months
- Build raised beds with some shelter from the rain. You will have good control over the moisture content in the soil and allow it to drain away nicely.
Whether you have a well-drained garden or are using pots or raised beds, it is advisable to mix your bedding soil with sharp sand (up to 50%) as this will significantly increase the drainage. You can also cover the soil with a waterproof membrane which will allow water to drain away from the plants. Remember also that succulents do not like excessively nutrient rich soil so don’t be tempted to plant them in rich compost.
For palms, choose a sheltered spot away from the wind. Just like succulents, they dislike sitting in water. When planting in the garden, create a mound so that at least some of the roots are free from potentially waterlogged soil. Mature palms can survive a cold Winter, but it is good practice to wrap your tree to protect it from damaging frosts. This guide from the RHS gives great advice on how to protect your palm for overwintering.
Weeds
Talking about membranes, succulents are prone to attack by aggressive weeds so always surround them with a thick weed suppressing membranes. Then cover the membrane with attractive gravel and rocks to keep the weeds down to a minimum. The gravel and rocks, are, as you’d expect an integral part of that key desert look anyway.
What to plant
This is where a trip to the local nursery and a long chat with one of the experts is on the cards, but there are some obvious selections. We have tried to pick out some which are winter hardy for you:
- Agave is a spiky plant which can tolerate the winter. With over 270 different species, this beautiful structural plant will be an asset to any desert garden
- Euphorbias with their green stems and yellow flowers are a real asset. You can find a Euphorbia for pretty much any location in your garden making them ideal no matter the weather.
- Sempervivums meaning always alive and otherwise known as houseleeks are a hardy succulent which grow well in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Stonecrop Sedums with their lovely, nectar rich, pink flowers are a real asset. They can withstand most climates and will give a lovely splash of colour in the summer.
- Palms, the best varieties for the British climate are Chasun, Dwarf Fan and Needle palms.
Creating a simple, low maintenance desert garden isn’t that difficult. Make sure that you have well drained soil and plenty of sun, out of the wind. Cover in a hardy weed membrane and some decorative gravel and rocks, choose some hardy succulents and palms and let your creative flair take over. Then just sit back, enjoy the sun and some tasty cocktails as you soak up your very own desert oasis.
