Here are a couple of photos from the Southwest that we shot with our fish eye camera.

Porta Hedge Opens up in the Desert

Porta Hedge Crew at 115 Degrees

World of Hedge Branches

With little to no rainfall and a penchant for exotic plants and architecture, Las Vegas presented itself as an ideal future location for Porta Hedges. We found plenty of locations along Las Vegas Boulevard (the Strip) that would benefit from the privacy a Porta Hedge affords. Additionally, the Mobile Observation Lab would provide a means to observe and manage the desultory characters hanging around the South Strip between the Stratosphere Tower and the Sahara, who surely detract from the Las Vegas charm and glamor that is otherwise so carefully cultivated.

As such, I will post an open letter on our blog this week and mail it to the NEVADA GAMING COMMISSION, the NEVADA RESORT ASSOCIATION, and the LAS VEGAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, in which I will outline the benefits of placing Porta Hedges along the Strip.

Single Porta Hedge at the Stratosphere Tower

[View with PicLens]

The thermometer on the Porta Hedge reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday, the highest to date. Despite one exploding bolt, the Hedge has held up as well in the high heat of the Southwest as in the rainy cold of the Northeast. Unlike their artificial container, not all of the living plants on the inside have adapted as well to the extreme shifts in temperature and exposure to sunlight. Here are some of the results – none of which seems to vary from the publicly available plant care information on the internet:

Boston Fern
As documented elsewhere, we found that the Boston Ferns do not like intense heat and direct desert sunlight. Where not shaded by the solar panels, burned leaves turn brown and die.

Distressed Boston Fern

Spider Plant
The spider plants have proven the most resilient so far and are growing happily when given moderate shade.

Spider Plant Thrives

Christmas Cactus
Don’t let the name fool you, this plant is not a true cactus. This plant does not like extreme heat or sunlight and it is uncertain whether the cacti in the Hedge will survive the trip. However, with shade cloth protecting the plant from intense direct sunlight, it might grow well in the Porta Hedge.

Christmas Cactus Near Death

Golden Pothos
This plant is doing well except where exposed to intense direct sunlight, which yellows the leaves. With the addition of shade cloth where the solar panels do not provide shade, the Golden Pothos should continue to thrive in the Porta Hedge.

Golden Pothos Needs A Little Shade

Philodendron
Even in moderate direct sunlight, this plant showed fatigue. Brown withering leaves are the result of direct sunlight. As with the other houseplants, more shade is required.

Philodendron Leaves Tomorrow