Local educational resources are one click away

Local educational resources are one click away

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.

Plants:

Native Plant Society of New Mexico

New Mexico Rare Plants
NM Plant Database
Tree New Mexico
NMSU Extension Service

NM State Forestry Division: Urban and Community Forestry

NM State Forestry Division: Re-Leaf Program

NM Department of Agriculture: Pesticide Compliance Division

Water efficiency/conservation/irrigation/:

Office of the State Engineer
NM Climate Center

The Enchanted Xeriscape

Xeriscape 101

Lean & Green

Irrigation Basics

A Waterwise Guide to Trees

A Waterwise Guide to Rainwater Harvesting

A Waterwise Guide to Rainwater Harvesting (Spanish version)

The Complete How To Guide to Xeriscape

Xeriscaping: The Complete How To Guide, 2011 Regional Edition

Rainwater Harvesting, Supply from the Sky

Low Volume Irrigation Design and Installation Guide

Using Gray Water in New Mexico’s Residential Landscapes

New Mexico Gray Water Guide

Roof-reliant Landscaping

Irrigation Video Series from OSE

Education/Classes/Events:

The Master Gardener Hotline: (505) 292-7144 March-October, 9:30-2:30 Monday – Friday
New Mexico Garden Clubs resource page
Albuquerque Seed Library
Desert Oasis Teaching Garden
Bernalillo County Master Composters
Xeriscape Council of New Mexico
Think Trees New Mexico
Desert Blooms Blog

NMSU Cooperative Extension Service

Books:

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.

New Mexico Gardener’s Guide, Revised Edition. Judith Phillips, Brentwood, TN: Cool Springs Press, 2005.

New Mexico Plants Made Easy, Jill Brown, Albuquerque, NM, 2015.

Plants for Natural Gardens. Judith Phillips, Santa Fe, NM: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1995.

Penstemons. Robert Nold, Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1999.

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 1 and 2. Brad Lancaster, Tucson, Arizona: Rainsource Press, 2006 and 2008.

Southwestern Landscaping with Native Plants, Revised Edition. Judith Phillips, Santa Fe, NM: Museum of New Mexico Press (First edition 1987, 2002).

Water-Wise Plants for the Southwest. Nan Sterman, Mary Irish, Judith Phillips, and Joe Lamp’l, Brentwood, TN: Cool Springs Press, 2010.

Weeds of the West. Western Society of Weed Science and Cooperative Extension Service, Jackson, Wyoming: University of Wyoming, 1991.

These resources are available at 505outside.com/resources

Author: Jill Brown, ASLA Landscape Architect and owner of My Landscape Coach in Albuquerque, NM.
3 Steps to Landscape Success

3 Steps to Landscape Success

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.