We scoured the internet, met
with local experts, and pulled together a great educational resource list for you.
When you’re ready to dig into all there is to know about landscaping in New
Mexico, these resources are ready for you.
Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants. Mary Irish, Portland
Oregon: Timber Press, 2000.
A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the
Middle Rio Grande Bosque. Jean-Luc Cartron, David Lightfoot, Jane
Mygatt, Sandra Brantley and Timothy Lowrey, Albuquerque, New Mexico: University
of New Mexico Press, 2008.
Landscaping with Native Plants of the
Southwest. George
Oxford Miller, Minneapolis, MN: Voyageur Press, 2007
Native Plants for High-Elevation Western
Gardens. Janice
Busco and Nancy R. Morin, Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing, 2003.
Natural by Design. Judith Phillips, Santa
Fe, NM: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1995.
When we think of the word evergreen, many of us think about pine trees, cedars and junipers. However, an evergreen is simply any plant that remains green all year long. These plants are welcome fixtures in our winter landscapes, too. 505Outside highlights these essential elements of the greater Albuquerque area landscape by asking local plant experts which ones they love. Below are some of their favorites.
When the last of the yellow and purple perennial colors fade away in the fall, these (and other) evergreen plants provide the structure that holds landscapes together through the winter months. Don’t forget to include evergreen plants in your landscape for year-round interest.
Now that the weather is colder, curl up with a book and
learn more about our global and local water resources.
Here are a few of my favorites to get you started. If you’ve
got a water book to recommend for future newsletters, please email me at kyuhas@abcwua.org
For a thought-provoking read about the effect of rising sea
levels throughout the world, pick up The Water Will Come: Rising Seas,
Sinking Cities And The Remaking Of The Civilized World by Jeff Goddell. He
uses a blend of science and first-person accounts to create an engaging and
informative read. This book made many top book lists when it was released in
2017.
Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity by
Sandra Postel explores many projects, including some in New Mexico, that work
with nature to enhance and preserve the earth’s water resources. Ms. Postel is
a world-renowned water expert we’re lucky to have living with us here in New
Mexico.
Another New Mexico book is A Song for the River by
Philip Connors. This is beautiful, meditative exploration of his time in the
Gila National Forest and of the Gila River. Those who want more of Mr. Connors’
writing on the Southwest should also pick up the multiple award-winning Fire
Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout.
Finally, for those who want to get started dreaming about their
spring garden, try Growing the Southwest Garden: Regional Ornamental
Gardening or any of the other gorgeous, picture-laden titles by Judith
Phillips, another author we are lucky to call our own. Her beautiful books can
be found at local bookstores and libraries.
Author: Katherine Yuhas, Water Resources Division Manager with Albuquerque Bernalillo Water Utility Authority
Some of our best landscaping practices can be learned from Mother
Nature. Every autumn, leaves fall to the ground, sheltering the soil and beneficial
organisms, returning organic matter back to the ground, and perpetuating the nutrient
cycling essential for good plant health. This year we want you to think about leaving
those leaves in your garden. When we allow leaves to follow their natural life cycle,
we can enjoy a colorful tapestry on our landscape as well as all the benefits provided
by an organic mulch.
With these tips, you can spend less time raking leaves into plastic
bags and enjoy more fall fun:
When designing your landscape, make your pathways
and hardscapes above the level of your planting areas. The wind will naturally blow
leaves into the low spots where they will support soil and plant health. This also
happens to be a great water harvesting strategy.
Use organic mulches instead of gravel. Organic mulches
such as wood mulch are visually accommodating to leaf litter (meaning you won’t
notice them as much), allow for the leaves to decompose into the porous spaces and
build soil. Leaves break down to virtually nothing in this environment. If you prefer
a tidy look, follow up with a light topdressing of mulch for a finished appearance.
If the leaf load is too much to manage directly under
your trees, rake the leaves a little off the top and distribute them throughout
your yard – ideally to a compost heap where the leaf litter will become an excellent
soil amendment for your spring garden. Note: if you have chickens, they will turn
your leaves into next to nothing in a matter of days.
If you have a lawn, run your lawn mower over the
leaves and let the crumbled litter work its way back into the soil. The addition
of organic material to your lawn in the fall will give a boost to your lawn when
it wakes up in the spring.
There are a few instances when you should remove fall
leaf litter. Leaves from diseased plants – particularly fruit trees and roses -
should be taken to a compost facility to be recycled. While you can try to compost
them yourself, be advised that most backyard compost piles do not reach a high enough
temperature to kill pathogens. Also, xeric plants that grow naturally in rocky terrain
will be susceptible to crown rot if organic material is piled up around their bases.
Leaving fall leaves has another great benefit – it is carbon neutral. Carbon is sequestered in the soil, leaf blowers and plastic bags are removed from the equation, leaves don’t end up in a landfill or produce methane gas, and no transport to the landfill is required. It’s a win-win when we let Mother Nature be our guide.
Author: Paulina Aguilera-Eaton, Water Conservation Specialist with Albuquerque Bernalillo Water Utility Authority
Your landscape needs a lot less water in September than it did in the summertime. About 35 percent less on average. The days may still be warm, but shorter days and cooler nights in the months of September, October and November means less evaporation, which means less irrigation is required. Adjust your irrigation controller following the Fall Season Watering Recommendations to save water and money this Fall.
Ramping down your landscape irrigation does not mean you
need to stop watering all together. If you have a lawn, cut back to two days
per week. Cut back to two to four days a month for trees. Fall is when trees,
shrubs and other perennial plants get busy growing their roots, and proper watering
supports this activity. After spending the summer putting energy into growing
leaves, flowers and fruit producing plants take advantage of the fall season by
anchoring their root system to the earth. It’s important to fortify root systems
during the Fall so they have a stronger trunk and stem during the winter
season.
Fall season is also a great time to put in new plants, for the
same reason – they spend their time growing their root system instead of leaves
and flowers. But new plants need more frequent watering to help them get established.
Keep in mind that new plants need at least a month to anchor in the ground before
the first freeze, so don’t plant too late in the season to avoid damage.
And remember it is not necessary to irrigate when it rains, or on days following a good rain event (or about a 1/2" of rain). Using nature as your source of water encourages a desert friendly landscape.
Want to know how much your landscape really needs? Call 505-289-3003 to schedule a free, efficient irrigation consultation with a Water Authority expert.
The Water Authority encourages efficient outdoor water use for beautiful landscapes. With some 40 percent of our drinking water going to landscaping, improving outdoor water use efficiency is now the main focus of the Water Authority’s conservation efforts. But irrigation efficiency doesn't mean you can't have a beautiful, desert friendly yard. Below is your three-step plan for a beautiful, desert friendly yard.
1. Service your irrigation system by checking for leaks and malfunctions.
Low-maintenance landscapes are great, but there’s no such thing as a “no-maintenance” irrigation system. A single broken sprinkler head flowing at 15 gallons per minute will waste 900 gallons in one hour of use. Service your system regularly, and check it often for leaks and malfunctions.
2. Set your turf irrigation timer to water by the numbers.
Adjust your irrigation timer according to the season. For turf, water by the numbers: One day per week in March, two days per week in April and May, three days per week in the summer, and ramp down in the Fall. For other landscapes, follow the Seasonal watering recommendations. Call today for a free irrigation consultation.
3. Select desert friendly plants that thrive in our dry climate.
There are literally hundreds of plant options to choose
from that will thrive in our desert climate. And there are rebates available for
replacing turf with a desert friendly landscape.
If you follow this three-step plan, you’re sure to have
landscape success.
