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.
Everything in nature is
connected. Fostering the connections keeps ecosystems and gardens vital. And weaving
pollinator essentials together into a beautiful garden is a fun process. Start
by thinking about where you will view the garden from as well as how you’ll
move through the space to view pollinator activity without disrupting your
winged guests. Organize the largest and thirstiest plants around rainwater
harvesting opportunities such as gutters or canales, and use pathways to divide
larger spaces into smaller planting areas like herb gardens, wildflower beds
and native shrub borders. Include the essentials of food, shelter and water in
your garden and your pollinators will thrive.
Among the insects and
birds that pollinate plants, bees are the primary work force. There are 1000+ kinds
of native bees in New Mexico, as well as honey bees that assist plants in
producing seeds. Butterflies and moths are less efficient pollinators than
bees, and many have key relationships with specific plants: Monarchs
butterflies with milkweeds and hawkmoths with evening primroses. Beetles, bats
and hummingbirds are also nectar drinkers and pollinators.
Plants expend energy to
produce showy flowers to attract pollinators. In exchange for distributing the
pollen needed to fertilize the flowers so the plants can reproduce, the
pollinator feeds on the energy-rich nectar. The shapes and colors of flowers
determine who will pollinate them. Butterflies can’t hover to feed, so they
need open-faced flowers with places to land, like daisies and roses.
Hummingbirds and hawkmoths are able to hover while they probe tubular flowers
for their nectar and pollen. Plants with inconspicuous flowers are often
wind-pollinated, like native grasses, but are still part of the pollinator
support system. Their leaves feed many larval stage insects.
If you are new to the
neighborhood, survey plants nearby for pollinator activity and plant some of
the busiest ones. If you already have plants in your garden that are abuzz with
pollinators, think about replacing any plants that are shirking their habitat
role with ones that are better hosts. Choose plants that are rich in nectar and
well-adapted and watch your garden become a surprise party buzzing with energy.
Food sources include flower nectar for sugar and essential amino
acids, pollen for protein, and leaves as larval food. Native grasses are
especially valuable as caterpillar food. Plan to include food sources
throughout the seasons that pollinators are active.
Shelter includes layers of canopy from taller
trees, mid-height shrubs and groundcovers (knee high and shorter). Leave some
dead snags as hummingbird roosts and for bee nesting. Leave leaf litter in some
places and keep some open soil in out of the way areas for ground nesting
insect habitat. Cluster plants in masses of varied heights and densities as cover.
Plans for bee hotels and ready-made bee and bat nesting boxes are easy to find and
build. Check nature center gift shops and online for ready-made nesting boxes.
A
small, trickling water feature as a
source of drinking and bathing water for insects and birds should have shallow
edges to avoid drowning bees. An extra drip emitter in fine stone mulch or bare
ground is a good water source for bees and puddling place for butterflies.
Eliminate
pesticides and herbicides. You don’t wan to attract pollinators just to poison
them! Your health will benefit, too.
The greater the variety of plants, the greater diversity of pollinators will visit. Plant for a seasonal progression of blooms. It takes at least 100 sq. ft. of the same flower to consistently attract pollinators (think a 5-foot-tall and wide fernbush or butterfly bush or a 10-foot x 10-foot wildflower or herb bed space). So if your neighbor has a swath of red valerian, plant a few but use more of your space for sunflowers, mistflower, yarrow, beebalm, salvias, penstemon, oregano, fennel, whorled butterfly weed or native buckwheats. Pollinators don’t recognize property lines so the more neighbors who garden for pollinators, the richer your neighborhood will become in pollinators. Avoid hybrid flowers, especially varieties with double flowers since those plants may produce little or no nectar or pollen.
Opuntia englemannii with bee. Photo by Judith Phillips
There are
public pollinator gardens in Albuquerque:
Rio Grande Botanic Gardens on Central Ave at New York NW
El Oso Grande Pollinator Habitat at the east end of El Oso Grande Park on Osuna Road @ Morris NE
Albuquerque Garden Clubs Garden Center in Los Altos Park on Lomas just west of Eubank
Author: Judith Phillips, owner of Design Oasis, landscape designer and garden writer with 30 years experience designing arid-adapted and native gardens in the high desert.
Albuquerque area continues to receive rains with precipitation reaching up to .50” in some areas during the month of May. As we move to summer months, we encourage customers to follow the Summer Watering Recommendations to maintain healthy landscapes during the hotter months of the year. So far we’ve conserved 800 million gallons this year and the precipitation outlook for the summer months is looking great!
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 one hour of use.
Follow the Summer Watering Recommendations below for your landscape.
Testing the soil moisture with a long screwdriver.
Use a soil probe or a long screwdriver to test soil moisture. Push the screwdriver into the soil 24 hours after you’ve watered your plants. It will go easily into moist soil. Mark and measure how far it went into the ground. That will tell you how deep you have watered that plant. Every yard is different, but once you figure out how long it takes your watering system to water to certain depths, you’ll be set.
Many homeowners would like a turf grass lawn, but might feel
irresponsible watering a lawn in the arid Southwest. The key to choosing a turf
grass is to determine the one most suited to the specific needs of your
landscape.
There are two different categories of turf grasses: cool season and warm season. Cool season grasses are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. These are cold tolerant, green most of the year, and hold up to extensive amounts of foot traffic. But they use a lot of water. Warm season grasses are Bermuda grass, blue grama, and buffalo grass. Warm season grasses have a shorter growing season. This means they green up in mid Spring, are low maintenance, and require less water than cool season grasses. But blue grama and buffalo grass can’t take extensive foot traffic.
Grasses should not be selected solely on perceived water use. Depending on the purpose and function of the turf area, traffic tolerance, recuperative ability, maintenance and aesthetic appearance should also be considered.
Four Turf Grasses for Albuquerque
Park Blend grass, a combination of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue
PARK BLEND: The most popular turf grass lawn here, used by the City of Albuquerque and homeowners alike, is Park Blend. Park Blend combines all the cool season grasses into a blend of Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass and tall fescue, taking advantage of the positive attributes of all three grasses in one turf. Park Blend performs beautifully through warm summers and is especially well-suited to New Mexico's growing conditions. While it does need about 37"- 41" inches of water a year, this is a great choice for a lawn that will receive a lot of traffic. It does require regular mowing and weed control.
Buffalo grass, Bouteloua dactyloides
BUFFALO GRASS: Choose warm season buffalo grass for a beautiful low growing, low water and low maintenance grass. It will handle light traffic, rarely requires mowing and uses around 24" - 28" inches of water a year.
Bermuda grass, Cynodon ‘PWIN04S’ Dog Tuff
BERMUDA GRASS: Bermuda grass is a great choice for a low water, low maintenance grass with medium foot traffic. The downside is that it does spread prolifically via runners. It is best to surround this grass with an 8-inch-wide and deep edger to keep it in check. Bermuda grass uses about 22 - 26 inches of water a year and requires a few mowings a year.
Blue grama grass, Bouteloua gracilis
BLUE GRAMA GRASS: Choose blue grama grass for a stunning native meadow look. It can be seeded with wildflowers for a beautiful spring and summer appearance. Keep the eyelash like seed heads on the grass through the fall and winter for both aesthetics and wildlife appeal. This grass uses about 18 - 20 inches of water a year. Trim and dethatch once in late winter for best appearance.
PRO TIPS: prepare the soil well before planting turf grasses, water early in the morning or late evening, keep grasses to a mow height of 3-4" so the soil stays cooler, service the irrigation system regularly to check for efficiency.
Author: Jill Brown, ASLA Landscape Architect and owner of My Landscape Coach in Albuquerque, NM. Resources: Turfgrass irrigation Circular 660 Bernd Leinauer, Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist NM State University, Growing the Southwest Garden by Judith Phillips, High Country Gardens, Plants of the Southwest. Even more resources about turfgrasses can be found over at NMSU.
