Diarmuid Gavin: Is desert gardening a vision of our future?

As the planet hots up, gardeners in the southwestern deserts of the US may have lessons for us on alternatives to lawns and traditional temperate gardening

A cactus garden, which grows happily in arid conditions

Diarmuid Gavin

Last week, I was garden-visiting in Phoenix, Arizona, which is located in the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States. It is known for its hot temperatures and diverse plant and animal life.

People have been living, farming and gardening here for thousands of years, thanks to a series of both ancient and contemporary canal systems that have irrigated fertile desert plains.