Native plants are a great choice for our high desert environment. There are plenty ofresources available to help you find the right plants for your garden. If you’renew tohigh desert gardening, we recommend checking out the Chihuahua Desert Gardenatthe Vista.Many of the plants are labeled, making it easy to find what you’re looking for.Additionally, there’sthe Firewise Demonstration Garden at the Library Annex, located at519 West Melody Lane in Bisbee. This garden showcases desert–friendly, fire–resistantplants (thanks to Bisbee Bloomers).The Copper Queen Library has a Seed Library, which is a community–based initiativewhere you can“borrow”seeds from the library, plant them, harvest seeds from the cropthey produce, and then return some of the seeds to the library for the next season. It’s agreat way to learn about plants that thrive in our environment without spending a lot ofmoney.TheBisbee Garden Tour is usually held on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. BisbeeBloomers select about 10 gardens each year, and ticket holders get to tour each one.It’s a great way to get ideas and see plants you may not have seen before. Friendlydocents are available at each home for information.Don’t forget to check out the Discovery Garden in Sierra Vista at the University ofArizona Sierra Vista campus,at 1140 Columbo Ave., Sierra Vista. The focus there is notnecessarily on native plants, but mostof the plants are desert–adapted and low–wateruse. The UofA also offers a Master Gardener program through the Sierra Vista campus.For online resources, be sure to check out UA Cooperative Extension servicesWaterWise Program. They have a list of nativeand desert–adapted plants by their waterneeds and type (perennials, grasses, trees, etc.), including flammability. You can find it here:
https://waterwise.arizona.edu/sites/waterwise.arizona.edu/files/2022–08/Plant_Selection_Selecting_Plants_az1153.pdf
When choosing your new plants, do keep in mind that the altitude in Cochise Countyvaries from 3,500’ to 6,000’:accordingly, someplants may not be hardy in all parts ofthe county.
