You're Always Tellin' Me To Add Some GREENERY.....

Hal, my layout also is a desert theme. I live down the road from you in Temecula. Which Hobby Lobby did you get those cacti from?

Regards, John

HEY JOHN,

I got mine at the Hobby Lobby up the Cajon Pass in Victorville.

I bought the last one, so you'll have to wait until they re-stock.

Bad Order Hal

You're going to need some barrel cacti and some stand of prickly pears, too.  Think I've seen the former available, but not the latter. 

Maybe lizards and snakes from Arttista....

I wish Woodland Scenics would make a package like this with Joshua trees.  They are indispensable for modeling the Mohave.

It looks like forum sponsor Scenic Express offers some 6" Joshua trees but it looks like they are currently out of stock.

They also have some decent looking yucca plants in the 3" range,so it looks like there is some desert theme stuff out there.

I'm going for that Daggett look, lots of sand, but lots of color in the hills...(Calico mine area etc.)

Regards, John

P.S. Hal, I just realized that there is a Hobby Lobby in Temecula so I will check it out, thanks for the tip on this product.

Anybody make tumble weeds?

Tumbleweeds are made by dying pocket lint. 

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Barrel Cacti, Prickly Pears, Lizards, and Snakes can wait! 

Thanks anyway, MWB, but I don't need all that at once.

"Baby Steps", that's my style!

Bad Order Harry

HEY JOHN,

A 6" Joshua Tree is a tall one!  (24 feet)

So is a 3" Yucca Plant!  (12 feet) 

(They look like they'd be more suitable for G scale.)

Bad Order...(Next rip track at MilePost 58)

A very nice addition...the Saguaro will be a nice touch.

THANKS, CHRIS! 

(You're so full of compliments it almost makes me angry!)

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Hal,

One of my favorite scenes on my layout depicts the area between Tehachapi and Mojave in California. Since it is the Mojave Desert, it has no Saguaro as those don't grow in the Mojave. The Joshua trees are from Scenic Express as are the Yucca plants. There are also some jack rabbits (from Arttista) and some snakes (scratch-built).

(Can't figure out how to get the picture to appear other than as an attachment)

HEY JERRY,

You're right...Saguaro cacti are not endemic to the Mojave, although they're found in abundance in Arizona's deserts.  The few we see up here are transplants on private property.

My wife became an amateur Mojave Desert Naturalist when we moved up here 16 years ago, and she said "go ahead and put the Saguaros on the layout...nobody will know or care!", even though she knows that they are not endemic to the Mojave.

She did a lot of research on this High Desert land, through books, old clippings and diaries, visiting wilderness areas, etc.

She's familiar with most High Desert critters, from the Kangaroo Rat, to the Kit Fox, to the Coyote, and an occasional Bobcat and the dreaded Mojave Green!

She knows her Birds too...like our beloved Ravens, our agressive Hawks, our giant Turkey Vultures, and our smaller Avian species that frequent our back yard.

She also knows her Flora, which I know nothing about.   

Here's a shot of "Mojave Judy" visiting the Calico Ghost Town silver mine ruins near our town of Apple Valley, where Roy and Dale are buried.

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I'll try and do better....

or belly button lint...

Is cholla common to the Mojave?  I carefully avoid that stuff, but would like to have

some modeled around my ghost town, to add to its "hospitality".

HEY COLORADO,

I asked Judy, and she says it's common to the Mojave.

BAD ORDER

Saguaro Catus is the one that most seem to associated with.  Relatively rare.  Another desert flora I found most interesting was I believe the Agave ???
Hangs around for some time and then shoots a high seed pod before it dies.
Two in this picture.

I'm no expert on dessert flora, this may be prickley pear.  On occasion you can see the red fruit.

This Agave was easily 20 ft before it expired.


My son and daughter-in-law on our last trip to the GC.
If there is significant moisture present in the desert, Maybe some Cottonwood trees.


Note the fairly large cottonwood grove, Indian Gardens, Bright Angel trail, from the South Rim of the Canyon. Lower level, top center of picture.    Pictured trail, top, is to Plateau Point.  Beautiful view of the Colorado River, and I believe there is a California Condor nest in that area.

Either rim of the National park, has a fair amount of pine trees.  Larger trees, more green on the north rim, Kiabab National Forest.
South rim.

North Rim of the GC

Definitely not Pennsylvania but there is green.  The Park service at the GC encourages Canyon hikers not to take a lot of gear down with them.   We have always taken full tents and our rain gear with us.  First (5) Canyon hikes, we got rained on (4) times.

I'll see your Seed Pod and raise you three. 

Great pictures, Mike!

BAD  ORDER

Thanks Hal  Western PA has lots of green.  

HEY MIKE,

I notice when I click on your pictures they don't enlarge...click on mine and see the difference.

Cheers,

Bad Order 

(I was born about 60 miles SW of Pittsburg, in the Ohio River Steel, Coal, and Railroad town of Wheeling, W. Va.)

My pictures are a link to my Photobucket website.   Here is a link to my 2011 GC picture file   Picture files can be accessed via the left hand indexed file column.  There are a lot of sub-files.  Click on thumbnails to enlarge.

colorado hirailer:

     Scenic Express has what you need- Cholla Cactus 2 Pack for $7.99. Item # CA0305.

John Knapp

Erie, not Eerie

Scenic Express Southwest Series.   Click on the underlined phrase to link. 

Scenic Express is a long time forum sponsor.