Despite the Coachella Valley s near tropical climate, creating gardens in this desert can be trying. Wind, heat, sand and a dozen other factors must be considered and then solved or mitigated before plants will grow. While milder parts of California grow gardens so easily that books are hardly needed, low desert gardening is a whole new world where residents need help, and lots of it.

This book blends numerous areas of interest :
First is the basic how-to of desert gardening : heat, soils, water and wind.
Second is the exploration of Palm Springs architecture from Spanish to Mid-century modern and how outdoor gardens are made to work with these styles.
Third is a detailed presentation of the plants that will thrive here under ordinary care, and are naturally adapted to the dry climates of Australia, Mexico, Africa and South America.
Rather than group plants by trees, shrubs and perennials as most books are laid out, Palm Springs Gardening organizes plants according to their botanical associations and their aesthetic ones so readers go straight to the kinds of plants they find most appealing.

5 Responses to “Palm Springs-Style Gardening: The Complete Guide to Plants and Practices for Gorgeous Dryland Gardens”

1. P.P. says:

   February 7, 2010 at 12:00 am

   I originally saw this book on the shelf at the local water conservation garden. Not having a lot of time to look through it, I briefly flipped through and it looked like it had some amazing photos of great gardens for arid regions. After trying for months to get a hold of it from the local library, I got my own copy. I have to say I am somewhat disappointed now that I’ve had more time with it. The first thing is that the text is extremely specific to the Palm Springs/Cochella Valley area. You’d think the plants and advice would be equally applicable for here in San Diego, but the text is more geared to the particular extreme desert climate of that region. Secondly, there are not as many photos as I imagined, in fact, one of the best ones is one I happened to see when I was flipping through, and while there are some other good ones, they’re not as expansive or full of ideas as I had hoped. The other thing is that I don’t love the writing; the author is very knowledgable, but over-uses phrases like “mid century architecture” and “architectural interest” way too much. It’s still a good resource for dry land gardens and has some wonderful ideas. Knowing what I do about succulents, etc. I can still use it, but I’d recommend Designing with Succulents by Debra Lee Baldwin as a much more inspiring all-around dry garden reference.
2. B. Alexander says:

   October 13, 2009 at 12:00 am

   This is a wonderful book that not only provides a wealth of information on gardening in Palm Springs but is a beautiful coffee table addition. Living in Orange County and spending a lot of time in Palm Springs, I found the author’s discussion of the varied climates and plant types interesting, and her photos of Palm Springs structures as backdrops for the plantings are excellent. Now I know why some of my plants make it in one place and not the other. Ms. Gilmer has created a beautiful and informative book that makes me consider living in Palm Springs and spending time in Orange County.
3. Diane K. Greene says:

   September 12, 2009 at 12:00 am

   As I am soon to become a “snow bird” and live in the Pacific Northwest, gardening in the desert is something completely new. The home we purchased does not have any landscaping at this time other than hardscape. I found this book to be a lifesaver in all the information I will need to put in a dryland garden. The book tells me the plants that will work and why they will work. How to care for them and where to plant them.

   Without the book I may have run about the nursery buying the wrong plants and wasting money. With the knowledge from this book I feel I now have a head start and just where to begin to create the desert garden I have in mind.

   The photographs are beautiful and it’s a book that looks wonderful to display.
4. Steve Wagaman says:

   July 1, 2009 at 12:00 am

   Although at first glance this book looks like a pretty coffee table book, it has real substance. Had I had this book when I began landscaping around my new home near Palm Springs 3 years ago, I’d have eliminated a lot of trial and error and my yard would look great today. I came here with 25 years of experience gardening in coastal northern California, I’d read many books on desert gardening, and I felt prepared. How wrong I was! Ms. Gilmer addresses all of the problems I have faced – the fierce, hot wind, the alkaline soil, the brutally dry conditions, and more. She offers hints and tips that I’ve seen nowhere else. If you are expecting an exhaustive encyclopedia of desert plants, look elsewhere. Ms. Gilmer limits herself to great coverage of the basic workhorse plants for our area. Her advice, though, is invaluable and applies to many plants she does not cover. If you can have only one book in your library on desert gardening, and especially if you live near Palm Springs, do consider this one. It’s like having a master gardener looking over your shoulder, guiding you!
5. Grant Meyer says:

   June 2, 2009 at 12:00 am

   This is a GREAT gardening book. If you live in Palm Springs, or Phoenix, or Las Vegas, or Tucson or any other subtropical hot-summer mild-winter climate this is a must-have book. I have a ton of regional gardening books for the desert southwest and this one is really wonderful. Beautiful, evocative photographs and a clear explanation of style, and what makes a Palm Springs style garden a Palm Springs style garden. The author adds colorful, fun commentary and tips and tricks that really show she gardens in a subtropical desert. Little habits of how plants behave, which do well and which don’t, plus how to arrange them, and some architecture into a cohesive look. She also does an excellent job of breaking down the components of the climate and how it helps or hinders certain garden styles. I really, really like this book and utterly recommend it for anyone interested in gardening (not just Palm Springs style gardening) in the desert southwest or any subtropical desert.