A Wild Place

A desert garden, if modified, can also be seen as a "wild place", where desert animals can find all the items they need to survive and flourish in an arid environment. Their needs are few...water, food, shelter and refuge from predators.
In direct contrast to the garden inside our walls, is the outer garden, which has been designed to provide for wildlife needs, offers us a chance to view desert wildlife and know that our garden fulfills their needs. Sometime ago, we applied for and received Wildlife Sanctuary Certification status through the Humane Society of the United States. We had to make some small changes to fulfill the criteria but our acreage fit easily into their scheme.
Luckily, we had removed few desert plants from the construction area when we built our home. Native plants are a primary requirement and we had plenty of those...we only bulldozed the building site and the driveway was planned to avoid some mature Ocotillos. We had to transplant one to another location and we removed scrubby looking plants from the roadside. We had put low chicken wire along the perimeter of the lot to protect new oleanders we had planted. Boy, that made no sense at all! We removed all that so animals could have free access. Also pulled the oleanders...but, know this: Oleanders NEVER die or " just fade away...." A little rain and up they come again! Now, in place of our orderly "property line" is a jumble of native plants and cacti, allowed to grow unfettered. We added several shallow water basins under irrigation drips already in place. The drips keep the basins full at all times. We already had rocks and boulders in the yard and never use pesticides. All requirements met!
Now, you can look outside our inner garden wall and observe many animal paths leading into our yard. As time has passed, the large clusters of ratany, chuparosa and cheese bush have formed dense thickets and offer perfect refuge for many animals. We also have many creosotes, indigos, brittlebush, mesquites, native palms and cacti ( yes, even different types of cholla, which is somewhat annoying, this time of year due to cast off sticker balls ) Cholla is a major factor in keeping cactus wrens near-by and we just LOVE those birds! They hunt and feed voraciously on all the insects we can do without!
We never put food out for any animals - including birds. We know their needs can be met by food they find right in our garden. We love to catch glimpses of desert wildlife...especially here, in our own yard!