Palo verde path at new Mueller neighborhood park
Branch Park, the newest public park in the Mueller neighborhood, opened recently, and I swung by one afternoon to take a look. The play spaces (including a waterscape “river”, play airplane, and conical climbing obstacles) and round playing field are terrific additions to the other parks at Mueller, some of which I’ve documented here. But I want to show you the palo verde walk by the volleyball courts, a desert-landscaped space that is lovely in acid-yellow spring bloom.
The green-trunked trees could be our native retama (Parkinsonia aculeata), but because I didn’t see any thorns I’m guessing they’re the hybrid ‘Desert Museum’ palo verde, which is a little more cold tender (to 15 degrees F) — but no thorns! I like the way the decomposed-granite path swirls around clumps of trees to offer seating niches with inviting Adirondacks and tree-trunk tables that double as extra seating.
Red-flowering ‘Brakelights’ hesperaloe and mouse-eared prickly pear march in rows beneath the trees, making for a contemporary design using desert plants. Chunky native river rock mulches the plants to provide good drainage. This area could be entirely non-irrigated once established this summer, with only regular pruning and weeding to keep it looking good.
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Digging Deeper
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This is a nice pathway. So inviting with the chairs and no thorns or prickles.
We sat in the orange chairs for a while and watched a sand volleyball game. It was very pleasant.
Palo verdes are wonderfully appealing, but Gerhard’s recent experience (https://www.succulentsandmore.com/2019/05/palo-verde-removal-and-replanting-no.html) makes me wonder if a planting like this wouldn’t be much better off in the long run it they started with smaller, younger trees. There’s always pressure for immediate effect in a public space — those comfy-looking sitting areas would be much less so if the trees weren’t big enough to provide shade — but the root systems would establish faster in the local soil and require a lot less irrigation over time than these will. Still a lovely space.
Good question, Nell. Austin gets a lot more rainfall than Gerhard does in Sacramento (33 inches vs his 18.5), so our conditions are pretty different. Whether that makes these low-water trees easier or harder to establish, I don’t know. His tree was planted in loose, bermed soil and was pruned asymmetrically because of a narrow spot, both of which he thought contributed to the tree falling over.
Palo verde (including the Texas native retama) does not like garden-friendly conditions of good soil, mulch, regular water. But the set-up here seems appropriate: rock mulch and congenial plantings of cactus and hesperaloe. Maintenance, including watering, is everything though, so time will tell. I’ll check them out again sometime and report back!
Very cool design, very climate-appropriate!
It’s lovely, and hopefully it is graded to handle Austin’s gullywasher rains too.
Wonderful to see such a different garden. Couldn’t be done here!
It’s unusual to see such a desert-style planting here too.
We’re starting a brand new corner planter in the backyard in which the specimen and focal point will be a desert museum tree. Besides the red yucca and prickly pear, do any other complimentary plants come to mind?
Sotol, nolina, purple skullcap, damianita…thinking of the most dry-loving plants that grow here.
Thanks…not familiar with nolina will check it out. 🙂
I am fascinated by desert gardens, Pam. This one is very attractive. I love the color of the palo verde and the contrasting darker green of the underplanting. I am ready to take a walk and then rest awhile on an Adirondack. P x
It’s a nice place for that, Pam.