Living Desert University
Gardening
Learn more about environmentally sound, desert friendly gardening practices. Below you will find just a sampling of our Desert Gardening experts!
Don Ackley
Mr. Ackley is the Coachella Valley Water District's Water Management Supervisor responsible for both the efficient use of water by golf courses throughout the District, and the execution of the Landscape Water Conservation Ordinance's Landscape Plan Check Program. He teaches Turfgrass Management/Landscape Irrigation at the University of California, Riverside Extension, and has taught Soil Science, Irrigation, Pesticides and Conservation of Natural Resources at the College of the Desert as an adjunct faculty member. He has authored over 20 papers in the field of efficient irrigation applications.
Dave Heveron
Dave Heveron has an appreciation for desert plants and animals. An alumnus of College of the Desert, he continued his education with classes from California Native Plant Society, Cal State San Bernardino and UC Riverside Extensions, as well as UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium field studies. In the nineteen nineties he joined the staff at The Living Desert as a gardener, and then worked his way up to the Garden Collections Manager. Dave has spent the last seven years as a Landscape Supervisor for Land Concepts, primarily focusing on the beautiful home landscapes at The Reserve Club in Palm Desert.
Glenn Huntington
Glenn Huntington The Living Desert’s Manager of the Palo Verde Garden Center and Environmental Horticulturist for 16 years, a garden designer, lecturer, educator and horticulturist (who has expertise in both high and low desert environments), Glenn's philosophy promotes 'environmentally appropriate' landscape design and maintenance techniques. Seeing the need for environmentally and ecologically sensitive landscape practice education for desert homeowners, he founded Living Desert University. Glenn lectures in various Master Gardener programs and teaches Plant Science and Horticulture at College of the Desert.
Mary Irish
Mary Irish is a lecturer, educator and garden writer, who has authored (with Gary Irish) many books on desert gardening, including Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants, Gardening in the Desert and Perennials for the Southwest. She is a frequent contributor to national and regional publications including Horticulture, American Gardener, and NMPro as well as writing and consulting for a variety of online plant services. Irish teaches classes regularly on many aspects of desert gardening. She served as the Director of Public Horticulture at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix for 11 years.
For information on specific classes, or to find out more about all of Living Desert University's exemplary teaching staff, please use the links provided to the left.
Don Ackley
Mr. Ackley is the Coachella Valley Water District's Water Management Supervisor responsible for both the efficient use of water by golf courses throughout the District, and the execution of the Landscape Water Conservation Ordinance's Landscape Plan Check Program. He teaches Turfgrass Management/Landscape Irrigation at the University of California, Riverside Extension, and has taught Soil Science, Irrigation, Pesticides and Conservation of Natural Resources at the College of the Desert as an adjunct faculty member. He has authored over 20 papers in the field of efficient irrigation applications.
Dave Heveron
Dave Heveron has an appreciation for desert plants and animals. An alumnus of College of the Desert, he continued his education with classes from California Native Plant Society, Cal State San Bernardino and UC Riverside Extensions, as well as UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium field studies. In the nineteen nineties he joined the staff at The Living Desert as a gardener, and then worked his way up to the Garden Collections Manager. Dave has spent the last seven years as a Landscape Supervisor for Land Concepts, primarily focusing on the beautiful home landscapes at The Reserve Club in Palm Desert.
Glenn Huntington
Glenn Huntington The Living Desert’s Manager of the Palo Verde Garden Center and Environmental Horticulturist for 16 years, a garden designer, lecturer, educator and horticulturist (who has expertise in both high and low desert environments), Glenn's philosophy promotes 'environmentally appropriate' landscape design and maintenance techniques. Seeing the need for environmentally and ecologically sensitive landscape practice education for desert homeowners, he founded Living Desert University. Glenn lectures in various Master Gardener programs and teaches Plant Science and Horticulture at College of the Desert.
Mary Irish
Mary Irish is a lecturer, educator and garden writer, who has authored (with Gary Irish) many books on desert gardening, including Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants, Gardening in the Desert and Perennials for the Southwest. She is a frequent contributor to national and regional publications including Horticulture, American Gardener, and NMPro as well as writing and consulting for a variety of online plant services. Irish teaches classes regularly on many aspects of desert gardening. She served as the Director of Public Horticulture at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix for 11 years.
For information on specific classes, or to find out more about all of Living Desert University's exemplary teaching staff, please use the links provided to the left.
