After much toil and sweat, I have completed my xeriscape desert garden! I'm very pleased with the results and getting lots of positive comments from neighbours and people passing by. Here's a look:
The before: boring, sunbaked, hardpan lawn.
![Image](http://www.imagehostdirect.com/images/CowtownPalmSociety/oringsunbakedlawnweb.jpg)
The after: desert garden oasis!
![Image](http://www.imagehostdirect.com/images/CowtownPalmSociety/eriscapedesertoasis.jpg)
My yucca corner: which includes bacatta, brevifolia, rostrata and filamentosa. Check out the needle palm in the background too!
![Image](http://www.imagehostdirect.com/images/CowtownPalmSociety/uccacorner.jpg)
Despite recent highs around 15c or 60f, and lows around freezing, my y. filamentosa has begun to flower!. Sometimes instant gratification is worth the price (5 gallon plant for $59.99)!
![Image](http://www.imagehostdirect.com/images/CowtownPalmSociety/ilamentosa.jpg)
![Image](http://www.imagehostdirect.com/images/CowtownPalmSociety/loweringfilamentosa.jpg)
Happy little Med Fan Palm
![Image](http://www.imagehostdirect.com/images/CowtownPalmSociety/ed.jpg)
Here's one of my one-year-old (from seed) joshua trees in the garden
![Image](http://www.imagehostdirect.com/images/CowtownPalmSociety/uccabrevifolia1yearold.jpg)
A must for any Alberta xeriscape-the endemic yucca glauca (there are two in my garden so far-one gallon plants purchased this spring)
![Image](http://www.imagehostdirect.com/images/CowtownPalmSociety/uccaglauca.jpg)
I've all kinds of cactus-opuntia, Echinocereus, Escobaria. Here's one of my bigger opuntia (supposedly hardy to zone 4-I'm skeptical though) starting to form new growth despite three consecutive nights around freezing!. Will have more to show as they hopefully flower!
![Image](http://www.imagehostdirect.com/images/CowtownPalmSociety/ardyopuntia.jpg)
That's all for now-thanks for checking it out. Happy zone-pushing everyone!
Duncan