Wallace Desert Garden
Wallace Desert Garden Getting Ready for the Grand Opening in 2020!
Text by Lee Brownson, Executive Director, Wallace Desert Garden Photos by Dara Heward
O
ne of the most frequently asked questions by our members is, “What’s going on with the Wallace Garden, and when will it be open?” The simple answer is that the Grand Opening is scheduled for March 2529, 2020. A bit more complete answer follows. First, the good news. All the large, boxed plants are in the ground with the only exceptions being the twenty to thirty temperature-sensitive cacti that were in the Wallace Pavilion. These are awaiting a permanent, sheltered home on site. Of the 2,000 boxed specimens, we lost
10%, about what we expected. It is remarkable considering they were dug out of the ground and hauled 75 miles on the back of a truck. After being transported, they rested in the holding area for as long as two years. Then, they were put on a truck again and driven to the garden site. Once to their new home, they were picked up by a front-loader and finally placed in their new permanent locations. This incredible feat was accomplished by the work of Rob Kater and his Native Resources International company. Not only did they minimize losses, but they also did it ahead of schedule and below budget!
