We are heading into the
monsoon season and customers are encouraged to follow the summer watering
recommendations below. But remember that if it rains, count that day as one of
your watering days and cut back on supplemental irrigation.
Remember to service your irrigation
system at least once per month, checking for leaks and malfunctions. A single
broken sprinkler head flowing at 15 gallons per minute will waste 900 gallons
in just one hour of use.
Follow the Summer Watering Recommendations below for your landscape.
Region: All
parts of the Greater Albuquerque region except the East Mountains
A succulent evergreen with spiny yellow-green
rosettes of foliage, the Lechugilla is a dangerously striking specimen. Its
rugged beauty is reminiscent of the landscapes where it grows naturally – the
plains and mountains of the Chihuahuan Desert, including parts of western Texas
and southern New Mexico. Select the Lechuguilla for its low water requirement,
dramatic production of an outlandishly tall flower stalk, and value for bees
and butterflies.
Locate the Lechuguilla with caution – plant only in an area where the sharp spines pose little risk
to yourself or passersby. This plant is best appreciated from afar. An ideal
location is in front of a south-facing wall, where its form can be appreciated.
After producing the flower, the entire plant will die. However,
since the Lechuguilla suckers, small offshoots will grow up in its place.
Paired with soft, complementary companions
such as the Chocolate Flower, Lechuguilla provides an enduring architectural
presence in the dry garden. It has a long history of use in soaps and textiles
in the Chihuahuan Desert. Unique among agaves for its relatively small size, it
is an excellent desert plant.
505Outside sat down with local landscape contractor Hunter Ten Broeck, owner of WaterWise Landscapes Incorporated, to chat about Water Harvesting in Albuquerque.
There are two categories of water harvesting techniques: passive water harvesting and active water harvesting. Passive water harvesting is the practice of slowing water down and encouraging it to soak into the ground. Water is collected from the source (roof, canale, downspout, or sloped earth) and directed to the landscape where the water can be immediately used by the plants. Active water harvesting uses rain barrels, cisterns, and other types of containers to store rainwater for later distribution. These typically hold as few as 200 gallons of water up to 10,000 gallons. A good calculation to remember is 1” of rain on a 1000 sq. ft. roof equals about 600 gallons of water.
Hunter
says the key to any type of water harvesting system, whether active or passive,
is to incorporate it into the landscape design. Thinking through how the rain
water will interact with your landscape and designing for that should be first
and foremost.
When asked what a homeowner could easily do to start water harvesting in their yard, Hunter recommended starting small and trying passive water harvesting. Passive systems can be as simple as a swale, a French drain (or rock burrito, as nicknamed by his staff), or more complicated systems that include building an underground soil sponge area. He says to start by finding the roof’s downspouts and canals, then provide a catch area underneath them. A catch area could be a concrete splash block or cobbles. Then direct that water away from the home via a cobble swale that runs into a planting area. This can be done easily by digging down a few inches and creating a slope away from the house into the planting area. Once the swale is dug, add cobble on top to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.
Cobble swale located at downspout next to house.
To make Hunter’s “rock burrito” simply dig an 8” wide trench at least 12” deep and as long as necessary for the space. Slope the bottom of the trench toward the drainage area. Layer the trench with filter fabric followed by cobble or rocks. Roll the fabric over the rocks then backfill with soil. This will provide an underground collection area for water. Water will slowly soak into the ground providing moisture to adjacent planting areas.
"Rock Burrito" French drain under construction in an Albuquerque landscape.
For homeowners who are ready to tackle an active water harvesting system like a rain barrel or cistern, Hunter recommends adding a passive water harvesting system next to the active one for when the container overflows.
Passive water harvesting swale next to active water harvesting cistern.
Using every drop of water through water harvesting is an important feature Hunter incorporates into all his landscape designs.
Local Expert: Hunter Ten Broeck, Landscape Contractor and owner of WaterWise Landscapes Incorporated in Albuquerque, NM. Author: Jill Brown, ASLA Landscape Architect and owner of My Landscape Coach in Albuquerque, NM.
While it is fantastic living in the Southwest
where the sun shines over 310 days a year, sometimes landscapes and homeowners
alike crave shade. Large trees provide great shade but may take a long time to
grow. So to create fast shade for patios and windows, choose vines. Luckily
many vines grow well in Albuquerque, including evergreen vines, flowering
vines, fruiting vines and many more. Below are four favorites of 505Outside for
the Albuquerque area.
1. Wisteria, Wisteria sinensis: The pendulous lavender flowers of this vine are some of the first to bloom in the spring. Bright green leaves follow shortly thereafter, filling up the plant and creating lots of dappled shade below. Once the flowers fade, the leaves fill in to provide dense shade in the summer. Prepare for wisteria vines to get woody over time. Strategic training of the stems is also recommended. Wisteria grows well in sun, shade and part shade. Mature height and spread are 25’ to 30’ x 25’ to 40’.
Wisteria growing over a front door trellis.
2. Lady Banks Rose, Rosa banksiae: Rarely do you find a plant that is fast growing, evergreen and long-lived. Lady Banks Rose is all those things, and it produces a beautiful if brief show of flowers in spring. And it uses surprisingly little water. This plant grows large and, unlike most roses, blooms on old wood.
3. Trumpet Vine, Campsis radicans: Orange and yellow trumpet-like flowers grace this beautiful deciduous vine. Train it to grow onto a shade structure. It is a fast grower but you must provide a strong enough support and enough space for this vigorous rambler.
4. Grape vines, multiple varieties: New Mexico is one of the oldest grape growing regions in North America. For covering a trellis or arbor look for vigorous growers. Grape vines like to have moist feet during the first year of establishment. Grapes will grow wild and crazy if not trained and strategically pruned during the winter months. They also need constant redirecting, so tie the vines to the trellis with twine, checking on it every other week during the growing season. These are deciduous so be prepared for a sculptural woody vista throughout the winter months.
Grape vines growing next to an outdoor patio.
Try growing any of these vines on open lattice ramadas, arbors and pergolas. While wood is the most often used material for these structures because it is simple and easy to build, in the Albuquerque climate steel is an ideal choice. Steel structures are strong, long lasting and maintenance free. No matter what material you choose, creating living shade with vines can be rewarding.
Author: Jill Brown, ASLA Landscape Architect and owner of My Landscape Coach in Albuquerque, NM. Resources: Down to Earth, A Gardener's Guide to the Albuquerque Area by Albuquerque Area Extension Master Gardeners. Growing the Southwest Garden and New Mexico's Gardener's Guide by Judith Phillips.
A
must-have for all Monarch butterfly enthusiasts, this cheerful, easy perennial
has a place in most gardens. Use it in rainwater swales, perennial beds, or
cutting gardens. Native to most parts of North America, it does well in poor,
dry soils. The flowers provide an important nectar source for Monarch
butterflies, and the leaves are food for Monarch caterpillars.
Look
for plants grown from local stock, which are better adapted to the desert than
plants propagated from cooler, wetter parts of the country. Prune the first
flowers in summer to encourage a longer blooming season. Spread these plants
out in the garden; greater concentrations of the plants draw more predators to
the caterpillars. Don’t be alarmed if your plants attract aphids – high quality
habitat brings with it a greater diversity of insects, which are not
necessarily harmful to the plants or to the Butterfly weed. (A mild solution of
soap and water can be applied to treat the aphids.)
Water
every two weeks while blooming. If planted in a shadier location, Butterfly
weed will need less water. Leave the stems and dried seed pods intact over the
winter and then trim to the ground in early spring. The silky fluff in the seed
pods looks beautiful when backlit.
