Cold Hardy Cactus/Desert Garden

[wxman]

In spring I want to expand my front yard garden a little and put in a cold hardy desert/cactus garden. I want to provide zero protection for it and have plants that can survive this. Anyone know where I can find a list of plants that can survive like this?

[Paul Ont]

http://www.intermountaincactus.com/Cactus/Home.html

Intermountain cactus is a good place to start. You can also look at Mesa Garden (seeds/small plants). As for zero protection you limit yourself to 'only' Opuntionoids, cylindropuntinoids, 'Ball' cactus, 'Hedgehog' cactus, and small Echinocereus type cactus... Oh and Yuccas, and some succulents. But, you won't be able to grow Agave without moisture protection (unless you try 100's of seedlings and select for the hardiest... Then you might have a chance).

Good luck!

[DesertZone]

http://www.intermountaincactus.com/Cactus/Home.html

Intermountain cactus is a good place to start. You can also look at Mesa Garden (seeds/small plants). As for zero protection you limit yourself to 'only' Opuntionoids, cylindropuntinoids, 'Ball' cactus, 'Hedgehog' cactus, and small Echinocereus type cactus... Oh and Yuccas, and some succulents. But, you won't be able to grow Agave without moisture protection (unless you try 100's of seedlings and select for the hardiest... Then you might have a chance).

Good luck!

true!

[Cameron_z6a_N.S.]

You can also check our Beaver Creek Greenhouses, although for some reason their website rockgardenplants.com isn't working right now!

[Paul Ont]

Cameron- I think he'd need to get a phyto and an import permit to order through beavercreek. FYI, before them, we in Canada had very limited access to cacti and only to Opuntia.

[Jay-Admin]

Beavercreek ships in the US from their Washington location.

-Jay

[hardyjim]

http://coldhardycactus.com/index.htm


Whether any of these will survive being buried in snow all winter is questionable
at best,answerable at worst

[Paul Ont]

Here's what my cactus bed looks like in march after being buried all winter... Remember, I live in a cold zone 5a (cold=northern) where the freeze can, and does, last weeks on end with only short breaks. Actually, one of the major limiting factors is mid-winter thaws (not to mention the entire month of march)...

I have pretty good records of what's been long term hardy here, and what is a poor performer (heads up, pick your forms of O. phaeacantha carefully, some are rock-hardy, others get terrible looking fungal damage that I wouldn't wish on my friends or enemies!)

<img src="http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/43242 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="053">

Edit- I lied this is late Feb. not early March.

[igor.glukhovtsev]

Edit- I lied this is late Feb. not early March.

It doesn't matter... To (on?) (at?) my memory (pls. correct my grammar) March in Toronto (or were ever in South ON) is still a winter month.

[Paul Ont]

Igor- Here are the averages for Toronto (http://www.theweathernetwork.com/statis ... 0/caon0696) and Kingston (http://www.theweathernetwork.com/statis ... 5/caon0349). Despite the above freezing average highs, the lows are still well below freezing (-2C in Toronto; -5C in Kingston) in March, so yes I would say it's still winter.

* Interesting note, almost all of our all-time weather records (Toronto) come before 1960! Kingston, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have such an extensive weather history.

[igor.glukhovtsev]

* Interesting note, almost all of our all-time weather records (Toronto) come before 1960! Kingston, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have such an extensive weather history.

That's funny, Almaty (my home town) weather history has been registering since 1921(http://thermograph.ru/mon/st_36870.htm)

[wxman]

Thanks for the replies. Paul, I will probably put together a list in spring and see if you think that list will work here. We have a similar climate, with prolonged periods of snow and cold.

I just don't know if I want to put in a desert garden or plant a Thai Giant yet