Why Desert Plants?

I’m a sucker for plants. The weirder, the better.

Here at Dry Dock Goods, I carry a lot of species from America’s Southwest deserts and South Africa. These aren’t your normal houseplants. They are definitely funky and unusual but also hardy, wild, and best of all, low maintenance!

My dream is to carry species that you cannot find anywhere else in Washington. To be the place where people can rely on to end their lifelong search for the creative and oddball. If we don’t have what you are looking for, please contact us and I will try my darndest to track it down!

I think that there is a lot of hesitation with desert plants in the PNW. They are so vastly different than species that grow here that they can be intimidating. The plants that I carry in the shop are plants that I believe are hardy enough to survive well up here. Agaves grow way up on the Northern slopes of the mountains of the Sonoran Desert. They are frequently exposed to freezing temps and precipitation. They can make it here! It just requires the proper well-draining soil mix and a spot out of the rain during prolonged drizzly events. Pachypodiums and Desert Roses winterize every year so if you can resist the urge to water them, they are happy to hunker down for the darkest, rainiest months in a corner of your house. Little cactus like Mammilarias and Thelocactus do great sitting on a windowsill with rare waterings and will even give you a bloom or two during the year. The list goes on! I would love to help you find the perfect plant to fit with your lifestyle and space!

• Remember that plants are much easier to bring back after underwatering than overwatering.

• Its best to move up in planter sizes slowly so that there isn’t a bunch of empty room getting soggy and potentially causing rot.

• I always recommend cactus and succulent specific potting soil.

Desert species can go for months without water this time of year and it really frees you up to be able to take off on adventures and know that your plant friends are holding down the fort just fine.

And if you EVER want to nerd out over plants, come in and lets talk.

Thank you all and happy plant shopping,

Morgan

My blue buddies

feat. Agave americana, crested Myrtillocactus, Agave parryii var. truncata, Pilosocereus azureus