what's blooming
Creosote (Larrea tridentata) native plant
Golden Barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)Mexico native cactus
Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) native plant
Desert Ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis) Mexico native
Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida) Southwestern native plant
Cat's Tongue (Bahiopsis parishii) native plant
Fourwing Saltbush (Atriplex canescens) native plant
Desert Milkweed (Asclepias erosa) native plant
Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii) Desert Plant
Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) Southwestern native plant
Ruellia peninsularis Baja California native plant
Green cloud sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) Texas and Mexico native plant
Silver-leaf Cassia (Cassia phyllodenia) Australian
Chuparosa (Justicia californica) native plant
Yellow rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus subsp. lanceolatus)native plant
Yellow Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii) South American
Rattlesnake Weed (Euphorbia albomarginata) native plant
the gardens
native plants
This is the most important focus of the Mojave Garden. We try to plant as many native plants as we can. While we do have focused areas where there are only Mojave Desert natives, they are also planted throughout the other gardens as well.
Some of the other native plants found in the Mojave Garden are: Joshua Trees, Mojave Yucca, Creosote, Rabbitbrush, Quail Bush, Desert Milkweed, Cat's Tongue, Brittlebush, Smoke Trees, Desert Globemallow, Echinocereus engelmannii (hedgehog cactus), Chuparosa, Palo Verdes, Desert Marigolds, Cylindropuntia echinocarpa (silver cholla), Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris (beavertail pricklypear), Graythorn, Desert Chia Sage, Ocotillo, Desert Chicory, Coyote Melon, White Sage, Desert Senna, Four Wing Saltbush, Desert Willow, Paperbag Bush, Datura, Desert Parsley, Desert Dandelion, Desert Primrose, Penstemon eatonii, Cylindropuntia ramosissima, Dudleya saxosa ssp. aloides, and a variety of desert wildflowers that bloom in Spring and Summer.
veggies
The Veggie Garden is where we grow our vegetables and herbs. Originally an in-ground 3 bed garden, in 2021 the veggie patch moved into a smaller, stock tank garden and a few pots. This move was to conserve more water, make it easier to move plants in and out of sun as the seasons changed, and make a more ecologically-friendly way to keep critters out!
The following are growing in the 2023 Summer veggie garden: Cayenne Pepper, Serano Pepper, and Roma Tomato.
orchard
The edible fruit bearing plants currently growing in Mojave Garden are: Wonderful Pomegranates, Jujube, Plum, Brown Turkey Fig, and assorted Pricklypear.
cacti & succulents
Perhaps the garden with the most variety, some of the cacti and succulents we have growing are: Opuntia microdasys (Bunny ear), Devil's Tongue, Saguaro, Spruce Cone Cholla, Tephrocactus articulatus (Paper Spine), Golden Barrels, Opuntia Snow, Opuntia rhondatha 'Snowball', String of Pearls, Jade, Elephant's Food, many agaves and aloes, Peanut cactus, San Pedro, and Santa Rita.
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Events
Water Wednesdays
Most Wednesdays Spring through Summer, Occasionally During the Winter Months
Watch our Instagram Stories for the relaxing task of watering the plants.
Who's behind Mojave Garden?
I'm Lisa Burford, and it would be misleading to point Mojave Garden's growth to just me. I live in the town of Joshua Tree with my husband, Sean, who is really my mentor when it comes to everything desert garden. While I'm originally a Midwesterner, he's a life-long desert rat. He has a family history of gardening and growing all sorts of cacti and desert plants.
In contrast, my family grew water-loving plants in our Chicagoland home gardens and planted a small forest in northern Wisconsin. While I could bury an iris bulb and leave it alone to sprout repeatedly every year, I had little knowledge of caring for desert gardens.
It wouldn't be until we bought our home in 2012 that I got my first taste of planning, building, growing, and caring for an entire yard of gardens. We started from a graded lot left from the previous owner and have been working hard to create a beautiful habitat for the wildlife visitors we love that supports pollinators and thrives on little-to-no irrigated water.
I work from my home studio and get to be surrounded and inspired by Mojave Garden every day. I focus on design for ethical, purpose-driven people. This means creating branding, websites, illustrations, and graphic design for businesses that are focused on limiting their negative impact on the planet as well as using ethical marketing methods to connect with their customers. I love to work with gardeners and plant-enthusiast people, so if you're in need of a eco-friendly website, unique illustrations, or eco-conscious graphic graphic design and consult, feel free to contact me.
Lisa Burford in 2019's Mojave Garden