Ökenliv (Desert Life 2012 - Part VI ) The Cactus House

Stepping back into the Desert Life Cactus House for a Moment.

The immediate door inside to the left takes you first into a world of humid tropics with all manner of misting equipment, Koi Pond and chirping tropical frogs someone let loose in there years ago. Immediately to the left of that large room was the Desert Life educational center for teaching the average visitor (I presume Swedes mostly) about real Desert Life and uses of various desert plants by the indigenous peoples there. Here are some pics of that room.

Alot of nice colour schemes to match the theme

Large Global map of all desert regions around the globe. On both sides of the global map with to the left various basketry made from the long slender grass leaves of desert plants and to the right much of the desert foods which come from the plants. One very popular was the Prickly Pear Cactus Pad or Beaver tail looking cactus Hispanics call Nopal or Nopales. I love Nopal & the Tunas or red fruits, but most Anglos have never tried them. The wild collected are the best and most flavourful. Mesquite bean pods shown being ground into a flour meal.

Now directly behind me taking this picture of the map was a large TV wide Screen showing a almost 9 minute videos on various plant food preparation. It was silly to take a shot of the screen as there was so much glare, but I did manage to find on YouTube the actually "Desert Life 2012" video that played over and over.

Finally entering the Cactus house and finding many familar faces.

I'd love a less cluttered gardener's Arizona Room to sit in here and enjoy.

Canary Islands Display. These were definitely familar plants to me. On the south facing slopes of the volcanic island of Tenerfie, the region is mostly subtropical desert and these plants thrive in great abunadnce there everywhere you look. Not many people realize that many of their favourite succulants come from these islands. Sadly three of the islands, La Gomera, La Palma and Tenerife are experiencing some of the worst fires in a long time. Certainly a devastating thing considering those islands only have so much room for natural vegetation.

North American Cactus and Agave examples. In fact they have several sections dedicated to North America.

Leave me alone !!!

There are alot of examples of tiny petite cactus, the type you see in novalty stores or Nurseries that create pottery displays. There are numerous examples here as the picture to the right reveals. But sadly when people in the southwest are out exploring and stumble upon one of these beautiful examples, they want to dig it up and take it home. I can understand since where ever I go I am always wanting to collect some sort of speciman seeds of things that look kool to me. But unfortunatelt many of these native Cacti are becoming extinct in many areas where they were once common. Please resist the temptation to collect. go to any of those plant Nurseries and buy some small cute speciman examples raised in Greenhouse Cactus Nurseries. They almost all look alike anyway and usually only the experts can tell them apart.

Well known yellow spined Mexican Barrel Cactus you often see in the Nurseries of the southwest and urban landscapes

Another example of Agave. I'm wondering if there isn't an agave somewhere that would take the outdoors in the right location here. When we came back from Dänemark back in June, we saw a median in the double laned highway through the city of Fredrikshaven that had rather large Blue Agaves. I don't think they were uprooted and stored anywhere and I doubt they cover them. Some agaves are tough and do live where frigid temps and bitter cold are prevalent in the west. Some even grow high up in pine forests on those Sky-Islands as they are called.

I am revealing this shot not show much to display the Beaver tail patterned cactus in the center, but look back at the red coloured wall. Notice on the very left end of that wall at the lower left you see a glass enclosure ? This is the only shot of the cage containing a speckled rattlesnake. When I was up close there was too much Sun glaring off it's surface for an accurate photograph.

Peyote Buttons

I met a young man who works the Tropical & Desert Green Houses and he took me into the back private collection area away from Public access where he showed me a number of plants not on display. Some of the plants can no longer be displayed as some people specifically look for plants with narcotic abilities like the Peyote above. In fact they had these examples in the Rattlesnake cage because theft was common in the outer display area. 

photo by Cocagrowers.org

Another plant not allowed in the public area anymore is the Coca plant from which cocain is derived. Several visitors ARE completely aware of the plants narcotic uses and steal once again the leaf parts of the plant for their personal use. So now they keep it in the back room locked up.

Old Archaic Green House belongs on a Farm.

One last though before living the hot houses and their treasures. This older green house that I had on another post dealing with landscape boulders, stones and other rocks is old and outdated. It belongs on the back of the property somewhere for production purposes only. I would hope one dau they could change all that and create a more eye pleasing and inviting esthetic structure which would add to the beauty of what they have done on the outside for which I heap massive amounts of compliments for their efforts. Of course this takes money and in this ideological Socialist culture obsessed with taxing and feeing everything or everyone to death (sales tax here 25%), it's an even greater Mount Everest-like challenge. Still in the end this is just my opinion. The other area for revenue creation and expansion would be making an even bigger Retail Sales Nursery as I believe the public would support it tremendously. It works for other such Parks around the world, Palm Desert Living Desert Museum as a first rate example. As it stands, they have a voluntary pay system for gaining entrance into the Gardens and most if you observe never contribute. There is no guard at the gate, just a simple old turnstyle. Same with the Green House in the above photo. They have a ticketing machine where entrance fee is 17 Kronor but many walk past and don't pay and they have no attendant to police it. 

More later dealing with the flowers and abundant insects which are everywhere here.

Enjoy














BBB

Ökenliv (Desert Life) Part III - Sedona Arizona ?

Great examples in the use and placement of rocks in the Hardscape. Certainly a huge investment for sure, but if done correctly and using the RIGHT plants, you can create a private theme that will bring joy to your garden hideaway which will create the illusion of escape and add great value to the home. Take a look at this UN-Swedish-like example below.

Photo: Mine

With the exception of the antiquated Aluminum Green House in the background, these granite rock forms and their reddish earth tone colours are spectacular and laid out as the real deal. Only thing missing is Lizards.

Lantana

These features were in Göteborg Botanical Gardens. But here's some advice for folks actually living in warmer climates. Even when someone does a great job of placement with just the right shapes and sizes in a theme, the biggest mistakes I see in the use of rocks is folks not having the slightest clue of what plants to use so as not to hide or overwhelm those kool features you wanted to highlight in your hardscape in the first place. One plant I actually do like in many situations, but when neglected will totally bury your rockscape is the beautiful insect attracting flowering plant Lantana.

A prime example is the house at the very bottom of my Mum's street on the corner of Pepper Drive and Marlinda in El Cajon CA. That corner planter had some large granite boulders placed there if I remember, but as a result of neglect the Lantana has mounded up so high with alot of dead dry material underneath that the plant is a complete mass of material the size of a pickup truck. No sign that boulders were ever present. Take a look at the plants they used here at the Botanical Gardens which simply accent and compliment the rock features.

Photo: Mine

Bunch Grasses, miniature Juniper, Dwarf Yucca and a shrub I'll identify later which has the stunted appearance like a type of Elephant tree found in the Anza Borrego Desert and Baja California rock outcroppings. None of those typical desert plants are native here for obvious reasons, but you can find substitutes and create an effective Faux Desert theme. Also notice the incorporation of similar coloured gravel or decomposed granite to fill in gaps and use as a mulch.

Dwarf variety of a Varigated Yucca

To the right here is a photo from a different angle of the small Yucca incorporated into the desert themed landscape next to the boulder slabs. Other low growing plants accent or compliment the rock slabs as opposed to overwhelming them & hiding all those great beautiful geological features which were the reasons why they were chosen in the first place. Such landscape/hardscape marriage themes as these are perfect for natural pond swimming pools as can be seen here from Inspiration Green's website page with Natural Swimming Pools and Swimming Ponds. But seriously, the creative juices should be overflowing here with the endless possibilities. Replicating nature not only in design, but in mechanism design called biomemetics will keep the system in operation for the life of the theme you install.

http://inspirationgreen.com/natural-pools-swimming-ponds.html

Photo: Mine

The little puddle of water here reveals the rainy nature of this year's summer. Yet at the same time on this particular sunny day it made me reminisce of a Thundershower afternoon somewhere around Slide Rock State Park in Oak Creek Canyon Arizona. But where are those Lizards ? Guess I need fake plastic ones for realism effect!!!  Is that biological soil crust on those rocks ?

Another area of this Botanical Garden that incorporated unique slab or slate type of boulders with a block rectangular shape was under these  Oak & Elm Trees for use as natural benches. Once again the choices of rock and just the right placement has a natural appeal as if it has always been there.

Natural Rock Benches

Another angle and look at other slabs incorporated 
into the rest area.

And yet another angle of the rock rest area

Some words about boulders, rocks and gravel in the Hardscape. If you're going to do it, then do it right. Don't be satisfied with just some rocks of any kind placed in the garden. If possible go with boulders that will be central pieces and make sure they are the right type of rock geology feature which will fit your theme. Think of the plant community theme you want and definitely know something about the geology of the picturesque area they are native to. Picking the right boulders is an art in it self. It took me several years combing the canyons, washes and Alluvial Fans (Bajadas) around the Coachella Valley for just the right shapes, colours and stone quality before I finally finished my own garden steps in Anza. The example boulders above clearly illustrate that the designer had specifics in mind. You have to be the one that lives with your choices whether you PERSONALLY are involved or you even if you SUB-CONTRACT someone else. By all means do your own personal homework and have a say, it's your investment. 

My way of homework for years was spending as much time in nature as possible and taking mental notes. If need be, take photographs of visuals and other scenery that inspires you on the inside. Illustrate scenes that impress you and your taste in what a kool hideaway looks like and think of ways of replicating that in your own urban landscape. I've not only done this with hardscapes involving various rocks, logs and such, but with specific plant features as well. Where do you think Bonsai inspiration came from ? There are countless Bonsai examples everywhere in the wild around the globe. 

Stay away from some of the cheap concrete fake rocks. I hate a lot of that stuff that I see in the commercial Home Centers. It's cheezy and frankly I don't think it works. Faux granite slabs of the commercial kind are great if you have the bucks and can colour match incorporated real boulder and rock slabs in with them. Examples of quality Faux Rock art are found at several of the Living Desert Museums both in California and Arizona. But keep in mind these organizations had real professionals who knew what they were doing. They also had a lot of bucks. I've been in a number of businesses to know that there are a heck of a lot of Wannabes of any kind out there who'll take your money and split, so choose carefully and get references. Again those types of construction jobs are usually around pool decks and so forth and are most likely expensive, but I think most folks can do it on a small scale budget and build gradually. The project can be fun and rewarding in the end if you are a DIYer. I love boulders and rock outcroppings in general when it comes to landscaping.

http://www.boulderimages.com/engineered-retaining-walls

Tomorrow I'll have some examples of trees and shrubs which thrive here and could pass as their subtropical substitutes or counterparts for native plants elsewhere from warmer climates. Escaping from Temperate & Boreal Forest habitats is a habit of mine, even if it's creating a fantasy of sorts. Creating microclimate Illusions even in such areas as these is definitely possible as the Desert Life theme proves this year.

Göteborg - Desert Life Part II

The theme here is TRÄD-GOURDS

Squash Vine Göteborg Botaniska Trädgård

Believe it or not, part of the desert theme was typical vegetable gardening done down in the deserts of the southwest and elsewhere. Gourds (a here play on the Swedish word Gård which is essentially pronounced identically but differing meaning) were a central theme in the vegetable gardening area of the Bontanical Garden Desert Life here in Göteborg. For me and my experience, plants such as squashes, pumpkins, mellons and yes - Gourds are vining plants that need a long hot growing season. I've seen seeds sold in the Trädgård (garden) centers like Hornback & Bauhaus here but never attempted to purchase any seeds because I've never had the ideal sunny location in my personal backyard setting for such success. The summers to me here have always been less than ideal for even growing tomatoes, let alone plants in the squash family.

Southwestern Vegetable Garden Display- These are Gourds

Typical Bottle Gourd

The idea behind this year's theme and even the very colour green incorporated in the title of this years 'Ökenliv' (Desert Life) theme on the local billboards was indeed to celebrate that the deserts around the global are rich and abundant in life despite many of the negative attitudes associated with imagined desert environs by those out of touch with the reality of true Desert Life. But clearly there is much much more as this display revealed.  

Like many northern European residents, Swedes are out of touch with the reality of the rest of the world when it comes to water. It's taken for granted here as it is clean and abundant almost everywhere. They turn on the tap and out comes crystal clear sweet water. There basically are no gardens here that have an outside water spigot with garden hose for the average garden (trädgård) and there are no irrigation systems to speak of. It rains all the time.  It would be exactly the reverse opposite if a native Arizonan did not truly appreciate the sun and taking advantage of Solar Energy solutions and countless other sunshine benefits. Not that such a thing happens in Arizona of course - *cough - cough*

Water Purifying Alum

I recently watched a small video documentary from friends who are Missionaries in the African Country of Tanzania next to Kenya. They showed us video where this village goes through a daily ritual of carrying numerous 5 gallon buckets of water from a filthy dirty pond infested with all manner of froggys, bugs and bacteria. They run it through a sieve to strain off the large debris, take a mineral rock made of Alum which is used as a chemical flocculant and used to clarify water by neutralizing the electrical double layer surrounding very fine suspended particles, allowing them to floccuate (stick together). After flocculation, the particles are suspended in the water and will be large enough to settle or float and can be removed after leaving it over night. The water miraculously turns fairly clear over night without any agitation. Siphoning off the clear water and putting a type of chlorine purification tablets is necessary after that and then putting it in clear plastic bottles to allow UV rays to kill any micro-organisms left. Deserts are definitely a challenge for many but possible if you have knowledge for surviving it.

photo: Mine

This trellis was created into a sort of hooped arbor and the gourd vines trained so as to grow up and over to the other side. I hope they make it before Autumn comes quickly here. Often in September. Notice other varieties of gourds hanging from the trellis ?

Interior of Trellis was loaded with several types of gourds

photo: Mine

Another see thru view with the flowers and gourds on the walls and ceiling of the Trellis

Another abundant feature of the gardens this year were the countless insects which massed all over the flower beds. Up above those cactus mosaics I referenced in my Part 1 of this blog on the hillside above the pond and to the left was another flower garden with the same bright colour theme, but incorporated with more sage varieties and other insect attracting plants. Some of the flowers looked like variety of coneflower as in Mexican Hat which is native to New Mexico and other areas of southwest. First time I ever saw Mexican Hat it in great abundance in woods around Ruidosa NM in among the Gambel Oaks. Other plants were Sages which attracted quite a bit of Bumble Bees. I actually see far more of them in Sweden than I do the common European Honey Bee.

Only thing missing in the flower beds were Hummingbirds

photo: Mine

Native BumbleBee

There are a great variety my wife and I saw that gave us some terrific ideas for doing more in an otherwise shallow soil of our backyard which is mostly composed of granite bedrock. One of the plants at the Botanical Garden that does quite well was Lavender. This plant I would never have guessed would do well here when I first came to live. It's so Mediterranean looking. But look here below at the south facing wall of our house.

photo: Mine

The light greenish looking plants at both ends of the row of Lavender are believe it or not Sedum 'Autum Joy' which dies back to the ground every winter and grows back with a vengeance every Spring/Summer with absolutely not care other than trimming the dead stems in the winter.

This is up towards the Cafe area of the gardens.

photo: Mine

I've really got to get this plant here sometime this year or next in my garden. I see it everywhere. The plant is called Crocosmia 'Lucifer' and is technically native to South Africa but amazingly does well here in this climate. I truly dislike the name given it. Why not call it something like Scarlet Sword or some other non-offensive title other than Lucifer.

They can be either evergreen or deciduous perennials that grow from basal underground corms as referenced here to the right in the photo. You'll notice the younger corms at the top and older towards the bottom. Some can be a challenge as they can become invasive in certain climates by easily breaking off forming newer plants. Perfect looking hummingbird plant though. I didn't really notice any insects going for these at the Gardens here. Clearly the tubular flowers favour a Hummer somewhere.

ÖKENLIV is funded by Botaniskas friends and conducted in collaboration with West Swedish Cactus and Suckulent Sällskapet

Very important Sponsor of the event this summer:

      http://www.kaktusar.se/

I love Boulders

Part three tomorrow should be interesting. It'll look a lot like parts of Sedona Arizona created in a Boreal Forest backyard.  Lots of great ideas for substitutes with this years visit to Göteborg Bontanical Garden. First focus will be on rock and boulder placement and not going cheezy on some things. If you're gonna do it, do it right!!!

Göteborgs Botaniska Trädgård > Desert Life 2012

Or Gothenburg's Botanical Gardens

The above banner for months could be seen all over Göteborg at most Bus and Trolley stops. For me it was an eye catcher and a real motivator for visiting the place I have been to countless times in Göteborg. One of the few retreats and escapes for someone who has a terrible dislike of cities anywhere on the planet. Well some I like. Most I don't. I have to admit I have not been there for sometime. I imagine for many most folks are into the spring displays in the gardens where all manner of flowers plants from Bulbs like tulips and such and loads of Rhododendrons & Azaleas flower profusely everywhere under the giant old growth tree canopies. While I'm okay with that sort of gardens, it's not necessarily my favourite. But I'll take it over the city any day.

This year however has been radically different. The poster was most inviting for me and I finally caved in last week and visited. But I've been putting off the visit as the weather this summer has been cool and constantly wet. What intrigued me most this year were some of the great creative ideas of recreating a type of ecosystem theme that won't normally exist here, but by substituting other plants that will survive but have similar patterned characteristics of  plants you would be familiar with in warmer climates, you can pull off a sort of smoke and mirrors of magic so to speak. I'll write about that on another post as some theme ideas deserve their very own subject matter.

photo: Mine

The photo above is of the long slender pool which greets the visitor. At the very end of the pool you can see the clever way they used plants to carefully illustrate through art this years Desert View theme. Take a close look below. Many succulents and other smaller plants used to recreate the cactus giants found in the warmer climates. Speaking personally, I think I would have made the Saguaro a little beefier looking. It's entirely made up of small agave type succulents more closely related to Dudleyas. Skinny or slender cactus pipe type examples are not the nature of a giant Saguaro.  But still looked good.

The Prickly Pear Cactus is something anyone could easily recreate as a permanent feature on a bank location. The setting looks like something you see on a bank of a Southwestern College Campus, but they probably would use the real thing anyway and would never consider such a arttistic display. Still, such a giant feature would look great at the open end of a football stadium. The Saguaro looks like goalposts anyway. Maybe even something for the enclosed interior of a shopping mall somewhere. I know because I've seen indoor enclosed ecosystem landscapes inside hotels and malls in Scottsdale Arizona where the harsh dry desert heat and bitter winter colds would not allow tropical settings to exist. Possibilities are endless.

Another kool feature aside from the usual displays like the water lilies in the pond were the flower arrangements in this years entrance feature in front of the pond that not only incorporated the use of Cactus and Agaves in among brightly coloured flowers giving the appearance of a desert spring, but the brilliant deep earth tones of the gravel and flower choice colour schemes not necessarily associated with Sweden and other northern climates. It was a refreshing change. Uusally here in Sweden such bright reds and organges only appear in the wild landscape's fruitage in the form of berries and other fruit. Flower colours are usually yellows, blues, purples, violets, soft lavenders and pinks/whites. Take a look below at the gallery of such southwestern mimiced combinations.

Photo: Mine

Blue Agave incorporated among traditional bright hispanic coloured garden themes.

A bit of an organ pipe patterned cactus here

Agave varieties are bright yellows, organges and reds

A varigated striped Agave used here

Photo: Mine

Makes me wish I was back home where such features are a permanent feature which won't have to be dug up and stored away for 6+ months or more.

Photo: Mine

This flower and similar ones in their displays brought back to mind Gaillardia 'Firewheel' , 'Arizona Sun'  or 'Blanket Flower' which are native to parts southwest. First time I saw them was at a roadside stop between Lordsburg & Deming New Mexico.

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Link to Göteborgs Botaniska Trädgård:

WELCOME TO GOTHENBURG BOTANICAL GARDEN

Well I have more subjects and pictures, but they all deserve to be separated. Some are specimen and an Urban landscape's Hardscape features story. 

Enjoy!