Desert Horticultural Society garden tour to take place March 16
Five beautiful and water-wise desert gardens in the Palm Springs area will be showcased March 16 when the Desert Horticultural Society holds its 15th annual garden tour.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors will have access to stunning private gardens, including one newly completed public space garden in Rancho Mirage.
The gardens showcase the creative talents of local gardeners dedicated to water conservation, sustainability and creative design. Some feature lush succulents, another displays an impressive cactus collection. At each home, knowledgeable docents will be available to share information on desert gardening techniques, plant selection and irrigation practices with gardening enthusiasts, landscape architects and nature lovers.
Tickets for the event can be purchased online for $25 until March 15 or for $30 on the day of the event. Visit deserthorticulturalsociety.org/annualgarden-tour.
A map with addresses of the gardens will be available to ticket holders March 16 on the event’s website.
Proceeds from the tour support the Mary Brent Wehrli Scholarship Fund for local students who have graduated from College of the Desert and are moving on to a four-year degree in a field that benefits the environment.
The most recent scholarship recipient was Ignacio Moreno; the Desert Horticultural Society supported him for five years at Cal Poly Pomona, where he graduated with two degrees. This year’s proceeds will replenish the fund so that another worthy student can pursue studies in an environmental field.
The garden tour has two sponsors, the Mission Springs Water District and Vintage Landscape. The event committee includes chair Richard Hunt with members Sigrid Broderson, Susan Sundberg, Ellen Strenski, Stacy Moriarty, Jessyca Frederick, Kai Kushen, Tom Edwards, Judi Greene, Mike Mueller and Marie Strom.
About Desert Horticultural Society of the Coachella Valley
This volunteer-run nonprofit was founded in 2005. Its membership includes home gardeners, landscape industry professionals, volunteers and staff of The Living Desert, faculty and staff from local area colleges and water districts and many others who share a love of gardening and a concern for water conservation in the desert communities.
“Our purpose is to promote desertappropriate plants in an attractive, environmentally sustainable landscape, said President Kai Kushen. “I’m excited about the home gardens in this year’s tour because they showcase native plants, lush meditative spaces and a pollinator garden.”
A bonus is being able to visit the desert landscaping at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Rancho Mirage, Kushen said. “They’ve just completed a conversion to desert landscaping, so we want to see it now and then revisit in two to three years and see how quickly it grows.”
For more information about the garden tour, educational programs and membership or to make a donation, visit deserthorticulturalsociety.org.
Anita Roark is a writer/editor and public relations professional who came to the Coachella Valley in 2005. She’s been writing for Desert Scene since 2014. Here in the valley, she has coordinated PR at American Cancer Society and Gilda’s Club and been a docent at the Palm Springs Art Museum. While in Los Angeles, she was with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA and the March of Dimes, and in San Diego, PR director at the Salk Institute.