This nearly 5-acre garden features more than
5,000 water-efficient plants, trees and shrubs
and serves as a community desert demonstration
garden managed by the Washington County
Water Conservancy District (WCWCD).
Visit redhillsdesertgarden.com for more info.

Louise’s garden in St George is a rich display of color and texture, showcasing her dedication to creating a lush oasis in the desert. Her garden features hundreds of self-seeding red poppies, larkspur, a variety of perennials like day lilies and chrysanthemums, and many unique plants.

Louise built her garden pathways and rock walls herself, incorporating old wagon wheels sourced by her husband, and she successfully grows succulents and other plants under a protective pergola.

Water management and soil improvement are central to Louise’s gardening philosophy. She uses a drip system for efficient water usage and emphasizes mulching to retain soil moisture.

Overcoming challenges like alkaline soil, she focuses on enriching her soil with compost and managing both sandy and clay soils. Louise prefers manual weed control, avoiding herbicides to protect her garden’s ecosystem.

Louise’s garden is not only a visual delight but also a personal journey influenced by her love for nature and lifelong passion for gardening. She treasures her mother’s amaryllis, and ensures her garden always has something in bloom.

Future plans include focusing more on perennials, adding shaded areas, and potentially incorporating an outdoor kitchen. Louise’s garden serves as a welcoming retreat, reflecting her creativity, hard work, and commitment to sustainable gardening practices.

Stacy’s garden is a bright park-like space of color and fragrance, designed with a vision of sensory delight. When Stacy and husband Chris built their home a year ago, they collaborated with Bonnie the plant lady to create a front yard that is not only visually stunning but also a treat for the senses.

With a focus on colorful blooms and captivating scents, Stacy transformed her space into a welcoming haven. Key features include a variety of fragrant flowers near the entrance and sturdy Lantana near the back patio.

The backyard continues this theme of thoughtful design and personal passion. Chris’s idea of an outdoor fireplace on the garage wall creates a cozy gathering spot, complemented by the ivy vining up the wall. The yard also boasts red pistachio and fruitless mulberry trees, which will provide much-needed shade as they mature.

Stacy enjoys experimenting with fruit and vegetable boxes, growing a variety of edibles like Thai basil, which she uses in her cooking. Failed trials with Artichokes encourage her to try again in a cooler spot next year. The sight of grapevines, some already producing fruit, promises future harvests and possibly homemade raisins, adding to the garden’s charm and utility.

Stacy’s dedication to her garden is evident in the time she spends nurturing it. Spending around seven or eight hours a week in her yard, she finds joy in both the necessary tasks and the simple pleasure of being surrounded by nature’s beauty.

Her enthusiasm for fragrant plants and her plans to add more roses and experiment with new vegetables reflect her continuous drive to enhance her family’s space. The Parade of Gardens Southern Utah (PGSU) has been a source of inspiration and learning for Stacy, as she connects with fellow garden enthusiasts and shares in the communal joy of gardening.

Amy and her husband have transformed their St. George landscape into a blooming, shaded showplace of desert flora. Originally featuring a traditional lawn, their garden now boasts around 27 trees, numerous native plants, and a habitat for local wildlife. Inspired by their experience with xeriscaping in Phoenix, the couple designed a low-water-use garden that thrives in the desert climate.

The front yard features a beautifully designed riverbed with basalt lava rock, surrounded by native trees like desert willows, Palo Verde, mesquite, and southern live oaks. Colorful flowering plants, including butterfly bushes, attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, adding vibrant life to the landscape.

In the backyard, artificial turf provides a durable play area for their dogs, while native flowers and trees create a serene environment. The garden’s efficient drip irrigation system has significantly reduced their water consumption, showcasing new, better gardening practices.

Amy’s background in graphic design and her passion for desert plants have shaped her garden into a visually stunning and environmentally friendly space. Visitors to the Parade of Gardens Southern Utah (PGSU) will be inspired by Amy’s commitment to creating a lush, colorful environment that supports local wildlife, demonstrating the beauty and resilience of desert gardening.

Kristin and Sam’s garden in St. George showcases the couple’s passion for unique desert landscaping. Their yard features a variety of distinct plants, including Quadricolor Agave century plant, and an Agave from the hybrid mangave family called ‘Bad Hair Day’, both sourced from Oasis Gardens in St. George.

They also boast a beautiful Black Tulip Magnolia and a stunning Joshua tree. Kristin and Sam have successfully transformed their side-yard patio, which previously contained only gravel and weeds, into a lush, inviting space with HOA-approved landscaping.

The couple’s backyard, which used to be a simple lawn, has been reimagined into a captivating cactus garden. With support from the Washington County Water Conservation District (WCWCD), they removed the grass and installed a pondless waterfall that offers a soothing sound and cooling effect with minimal water use. Kristin and Sam’s dedication to water conservation is evident, as they have significantly reduced their water usage compared to when they had a traditional lawn.

Their backyard also seamlessly blends with the natural hillside, creating a harmonious environment that attracts various wildlife, including birds and Bailey’s lizards. Future plans for transforming the front yard are in the works.

Having moved to St. George just over a year ago from Salt Lake City, Kristin and Sam are relatively new to desert gardening but are enthusiastic learners. They enjoy experimenting with vegetable gardening and have found varied success with different crops.

Despite facing challenges on their project, they have created a beautiful, peaceful outdoor living area that they cherish. Their garden not only reflects their commitment to water conservation and natural aesthetics but also serves as a source of inspiration and tranquility.

Molly’s garden is a tribute to the beauty and diversity of desert landscaping. Located in St. George, her garden has evolved from the basic landscaping that came with her home in 2012 into a lush, fragrant haven. Molly has a deep appreciation for the scents and textures of plants, often choosing fragrant species to plant near walkways so that their aroma is released as people pass by.

One of her notable techniques includes hosing down Ocotillo canes in the spring to encourage leafing, a method that has proven successful in her experience. Her garden now features a rich variety of plants, including agaves, and a stunning, extensive collection of cacti. 

Molly’s garden is not just about plant selection but also thoughtful landscape design and erosion control. The original rock work has been meticulously augmented by Molly to manage the heavy rains and winds characteristic of the area. She has added rocks to create channels and hold soil in place, ensuring the stability and health of her garden.

Her keen observation of how water flows through her property has led to effective erosion control measures, such as placing slabs of sandstone along the park strip to keep the desert marigolds in place. This practical approach to landscaping ensures that her garden not only survives but thrives in the challenging desert climate.

The garden is also a space for experimentation and learning. Molly enjoys testing different plant placements to see where they thrive best, a practice that has allowed her to understand the microclimates within her garden. She has successfully integrated volunteer mesquite trees, carefully deciding where to let them grow based on their benefits for shade and privacy.

Molly’s adaptive gardening style, informed by her background in landscape design and her willingness to try new things, creates a dynamic and ever-evolving retreat that she loves sharing with her neighbors and visitors. Her garden is a beautiful example of how passion, knowledge, and experimentation can transform a landscape into a breathtaking, welcoming space.

Nestled in a charming neighborhood, Heidi’s garden has evolved since 1996 from a blank slate to a lush, thoughtfully curated park-like refuge. The transformation began with the removal of grass and the addition of mounds and rocks.

Over the years, the courtyard and various garden areas were developed with the assistance of family, including Heidi’s daughter and husband, who were instrumental in carrying out the physical labor. The garden boasts a variety of features such as ponds, a deck, and a fire pit, which were early additions that set the stage for the garden’s continuous evolution.

Central to this garden’s appeal are the numerous cozy nooks and crannies designed for relaxation and reflection. These inviting spots, often adorned with whimsical and thoughtful touches, offer a place to enjoy food and conversation in all seasons. Heidi’s background in decorating for landscapes, under the name “Sacred Garden,” is evident in the attention to detail and the creation of spaces that evoke joy and tranquility.

The garden is not just a collection of plants but a harmonious blend of greenery and artistic elements, including birdhouses, sculptures, and driftwood planters, each adding to its unique charm. This past year Heidi’s husband Jim, who loves creating places to experience nature, made a turtle cove with a charming metal gate.

The garden also tells a story of resilience and adaptation. Despite challenges such as a harsh freeze that decimated several palm trees and the constant threat of pests, the garden thrives. The owner’s philosophy of planting trees first and allowing nature to find its balance has created a vibrant ecosystem where every element supports another.

From the robust honey locust tree to the thriving succulents, each plant and feature in the garden has found its place, contributing to a serene and happy environment. This garden is a tribute to the owner’s passion and ingenuity, offering a haven of beauty and peace.

Nestled in the serene landscapes near Kayenta, Joe Hoy’s garden is a credit to creativity and perseverance in the desert. Originally from Colorado, Joe stumbled upon his current abode during a weekend getaway and was captivated by an open house in the west desert, leading him and his wife to buy the house that week. What started as a bare backyard with minimal vegetation has blossomed into a thriving retreat, thanks to Joe’s passion for gardening and a knack for adapting to our desert environment.

Joe’s journey into water-wise landscaping began with extensive research and hands-on learning at botanical gardens. Undeterred by the challenges of desert gardening, he gradually transformed his backyard using large rocks he dug from his own yard and boulders, each carefully chosen and placed to create a unique aesthetic. His love affair with succulents and cacti, nurtured by visits to specialty nurseries in Colorado, evolved into a diverse collection that thrives in the harsh Southwestern Utah climate.

Today, Joe’s garden is a harmonious blend of vibrant succulents, hardy cacti, and native desert plants like creosote bushes and mesquite trees. His experimental approach and deep appreciation for the region’s flora are evident in every corner. There are bursts of color from ice plants and delicate blooms of native species that create a visual feast against the backdrop of red rocks and expansive skies.

When Denise and David moved from New Jersey to retire in the desert, they brought with them an appreciation for native plant gardening and an eagerness to tackle the unique challenges of the arid landscape. Their journey to this serene lot began several years ago when they purchased it while still working; dreaming of a future home nestled in the natural beauty of the desert.

The appeal of ‘desert-scaping’ was one of the main attractions. This property, with its open dirt spaces, offered a stark contrast to densely packed homes and gravel-dominated neighborhoods. It was perfect for gardening and inspired them to envision a yard highlighting native plants.

Transitioning from the rain-fed forests of New Jersey to the dry, sun-drenched desert flora required a shift in gardening techniques. In New Jersey, the focus was on managing a lush environment with plenty of rain and deciduous trees, while the desert posed a new challenge: cultivating native plants in a much drier climate.

Denise embraced this challenge, finding joy in the vibrant and diverse desert flora, which offered a refreshing change from the green and brown monochrome of their previous yard. In their new garden, her plantings have created a harmonious blend with the natural surroundings. The front yard features an array of low-water plants, requiring minimal irrigation, while the backyard showcases a variety of desert shrubs. 

One of the standout features of this garden is the innovative rainwater harvesting system they designed. Inspired by techniques popular in Arizona and California, they created a gravel riverbed that captures and distributes rainwater over a 90-foot stretch. This system has proven effective, ensuring that water is slowly absorbed into the soil, providing moisture to plants without the need for extensive irrigation.

Despite the challenges of establishing a garden in the desert, Denise’s efforts have paid off, with successes such as growing Brittlebush from seeds and Quailbush from cuttings. The garden has become a sanctuary not only for plants but also for local wildlife, attracting songbirds, pollinators, hummingbirds, and ground squirrels.

Through careful planning, innovative water management, and a deep appreciation for native plants, Denise and David have been able to restore a small piece of natural habitat that harmonizes with the surrounding desert.

Zac and Joey’s garden is a hidden gem in the heart of the Southern Utah desert that offers a refreshing escape from the heat and a feast for the senses.

The centerpiece of their garden is a serene swim pond purified by a wetland filter both built by Zach’s company Salamander Springs. Lush plantings provide a cool and fascinating space for swimming and relaxation. Their approach to gardening is rooted in a deep respect for nature and an understanding of the local climate, which ensures that each plant thrives in its environment.

Joey says, “We look at ourselves as stewards of the land. It’s not ours – we are borrowing it and caring for it while we are here. By helping it become the best version of itself, that helps make us the best version of ourselves. It’s reciprocal.”

These two draw inspiration from various publications, gardening shows, local gardens, and foraging principles to create a harmonious and self-sustaining ecosystem rooted in the concept of kincentric ecology. They emphasize the importance of patience and cooperation among plants, which allows nature to take its course without excessive or unnecessary intervention.

The swim pond and wetland filter provide unpolluted water for visiting fauna, habitat for native wildlife, carbon sequestration from the atmosphere, and water during the driest months.

Their garden features a diverse array of hundreds of plants, including the Comfrey that nourishes the earth, the edible Yerba Mansa; Artichokes, Lotuses, Showy Milkweed, and many native species, each chosen for its unique qualities and adaptability.

Zac has thirty years of primitive skills training, and Joey has been a part of the local educational community for 25 years. This combined mindset fuels their commitment to partnering with nature and to their educational efforts. They love teaching classes on native and edible plants to share their knowledge and passion with their own family and the community.

Their gardening philosophy centers on experimentation and learning from both successes and failures. They advise gardeners not to be discouraged by initial setbacks and to be willing to move plants to find the best spot for them. They also highlight the importance of using local soil and gradually weaning new plants off fertilizers to help the plants adapt at their own pace.

Their garden, living proof of their hard work and creativity, serves as a beautiful and practical example of how to create a water-wise, yet lush landscape, in a desert environment.

Andrea’s garden is a tribute to resilience, adaptability, and artistic vision, beautifully intertwining elements from her past with the unique challenges and opportunities presented by Southern Utah’s desert climate. Having spent 40 years in Northern Utah, Andrea’s move to the southern region prompted a journey of rediscovery as she adapted her gardening techniques to suit the new environment.

Her garden serves as a living laboratory, where she experiments with a variety of plants, both native and non-native, to see which can thrive in the desert heat. Andrea’s love for color and diversity is evident in her selections, from her large oak leaf hydrangea thriving in a carefully chosen microclimate, to the vibrant blooms of penstemons, echinacea, and lantana scattered throughout her yard.

As an artist and collector, Andrea’s approach to gardening is both creative and methodical. Her yard is not just a garden, but a canvas filled with diverse plants, beautifully arranged in odd numbers and varying cultivars.

Andrea’s passion for design is evident in her careful placement of each plant, creating visually stunning compositions that are as functional as they are beautiful. Her garden features not only living plants but also exquisite art pieces, including her own ceramic sculpture, “Tenacious,” and metal works by local artists Matt and Logan Clark. These artistic elements enhance the garden’s aesthetic appeal, adding a personal touch that reflects Andrea’s creative spirit.

Andrea’s gardening philosophy is rooted in a deep connection to her family’s agricultural background and her own extensive experience. Growing up on a farm in Parowan, Utah, she developed a love for gardening later in life, inspired by her mother’s dedication to their flower and vegetable garden.

Andrea’s expertise has grown over the years, culminating in her becoming a master gardener and managing the garden tour program at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Her current garden in Southern Utah is a blend of her past experiences and new discoveries, constantly evolving as she continues to learn and adapt.

Visitors will not only see a beautiful and diverse landscape but also gain insights into the process of creating a thriving refuge in a challenging environment.