Congratulations to the ten winners of our first annual Water Authority Desert Friendly Landscape Contest! Thank you for sharing your beautiful gardens with us. They will be an inspiration for others to make the switch to desert-friendly landscapes.
Succulent Garden Wisdom
What once was a high-water use turfgrass lawn in the Northeast Heights is now a xeriscape garden with a focus on succulents. Janice transformed 550 square feet of turf into a diverse landscape complete with low-water use trees and shrubs and a beautiful succulent garden. She loves that there is, “No more mowing! No more trimming edges! No more feeding with nutrients! No more grass!”
When selecting plants, Janice turned to a variety of resources, including 505Outside, the Xeriscape guide and avid gardener friends. She hired a professional landscape company to install her new drip system. “The drip system is my go-to irrigation system as recommended by various professionals,” Janice said. “My plants and trees are happy following the 505Outside seasonal watering recommendations.”
Succulent beds are her favorites, and she looks forward to adding new succulent species each year. Janice enjoys the diversity of plants in her yard and how they change colors throughout the seasons.
What started as a way to reduce water usage has evolved into a renewed love of the outdoors. Janice keeps track of landscape seasonal transitions, rain events, plant changes and teachings in her “Garden Wisdom” journal. “A garden can teach a lot about flexibility, patience and calmness,” she added.
Unearthing Wildscape
Local scientists Paul and Teri started with high-water use turfgrass and trees when they set out to make a wildlife habitat in their yard in the North Valley. They removed all the non-native grass and have been slowly replacing it with low-water native plants. Areas that haven’t yet been planted are covered with 3"-4” of organic mulch, which is an easy way to prep the soil before they’re ready to plant.
A pond was added to create a habitat for western toads. Other creatures have joined their landscape, and it is now a recognized Fish and Wildlife backyard refuge.
Part of the scientific work that Paul and Teri do involves mapping vegetation across the Southwest. Their extensive knowledge of local ecosystems has helped them select native plants that will thrive in different environments and through our changing climate, especially during times of drought. “Wild native plants can be very beautiful and add value to gardens because they remain resilient thru changes,” they said.
Their yard is set up with a drip irrigation system that waters as needed. During rainstorms rain barrels collect up to 1,500 gallons of water, which supplement their irrigation system.
“We are proud to minimize water use while maximizing pollinators, edibles and the abundance of plants,” they said.
Congratulations to the ten winners of our first annual Water Authority Desert Friendly Landscape Contest! Thank you for sharing your beautiful gardens with us. They will be an inspiration for others to make the switch to desert-friendly landscapes.
A Garden for the Senses
What once was a sandy empty lot in the NW has now become a garden that provides food, attracts birds and other pollinators and stimulates the five senses. “The flowers smell great through the seasons, we grow vegetables that we use on our plates,” say homeowners Adam and Meagan Henrie, who like the balance of having aesthetically pleasing and functional areas in the garden.
The Henrie’s accessed online resources, including 505Outside.com, to help decide which plants to incorporate into their garden. During trips to local garden centers, they identified plants that were thriving in their neighborhood. They chose low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants and installed a drip and spray irrigation system using the latest technology. Local irrigation supply stores helped them choose irrigation system components and come up with a design for the irrigation system that they could follow.
When they planted new trees, they turned to the Water Authority and took advantage of the Treebate from the Water Authority. This rebate program also helps them with costs for tree maintenance.
“We love that our oasis attracts pollinators like birds, bees, butterflies, and also other wildlife like rabbits and roadrunners,” say Meagan.
100’s of Pollinators Can’t be Wrong!
The landscape around Elliott house in the NE used to be a sea of gravel, but now it is recognized by the Fish and Wildlife Backyard Refugee Program. During the past several years, Elliott has spent time transforming his yard into a habitat that attracts insects and wildlife.
“I wanted a yard that will change through the seasons and has a diversity of local drought-tolerant native plants,” he explains. “My goal was to add plants that will attract pollinators, so I started with the ones that were growing in the wild.”
Elliott learned about plants by doing lots of research, including reading information on the Albuquerque Native Plant Society’s website, accessing a list of plants from the Backyard Refugee Program, and visiting the store Plants of the Southwest. His goal was to have a lush, diverse and sustainable landscape that benefits wildlife and does not depend on supplemental water outside of rainwater.
Like the Henrie’s, Elliott has taken advantage of the Water Authority’s Treebate when planting new trees.
“I love all the pollinators, diversity of plants, and my learning journey along the way. Now I get to educate and share my experience with others,” says Elliott, who hopes his yard is an inspiration to his friends and neighbors.
Low Water Paradise
With the goal of reducing water usage, the owners of this home in the Northeast Heights first turned their attention to the property’s big, hardly-used front lawn. Once they learned about the Xeriscape rebate from the Water Authority, they immediately called to get more information and help with choosing plants that would enhance their property.
The transformation started by renting a sod cutter to remove the lawn as part of the Desert Friendly Xeriscape Conversion Rebate. They were able to save the turfgrass and transplant it to their son’s yard.
Landscape professionals were hired to create a design and install the swale, plants, and drip irrigation system. It only took one week to transform the 880-square-foot front yard from a high-water use turf lawn to a desert-friendly xeriscape with a diversity of plants that are supported by rain and drip irrigation.
Because of the transformation, the homeowners earned an $880 credit on their water bill! An extra benefit came when they participated in the Treebate program. Now, the homeowners take pride in their yard, which has attracted pollinators and interest from neighbors. They also are learning how to maintain and care for their new plants so their landscape will continue to bring enjoyment in the years ahead
In these long, hot days of summer, especially if the summer rains don’t come, many plants really suffer from a lack of water. By incorporating native and very adapted plants into the landscape, we can still have attractive landscapes that don’t require a lot of irrigation, maybe even none in a good year!
These native plants are sometimes referred to as “luxury consumers." Their evolution, in an arid climate that occasionally has wetter years, has given them the ability to subsist reasonably well on low water. When there is an abundance of water, they take advantage of it and really grow. This kind of luxury growth may happen only every few years. In really dry years, they will lose some outer canopy. This adaptability helps them survive and even thrive in our natural landscape.
Among the plants that fit into this category are trees, shrubs, and native grasses: desert willow, Apache plume, three-leaf sumac, four-wing saltbush, chamisa, turpentine bush, and Mexican thread grass. There are others of a similar nature; native plants that really don’t need regular abundant water. Cactus is another type of plant that is easily over-watered. You might even end up killing it with too much water, as its roots rot away in constantly moist soil. If cacti don’t die, they may end up taking over a space.
One of the great aspects of xeric plants is that they are low maintenance. Small trees and shrubs live happily for years without needing pruning. Single stands of attractive, waving silky-looking grass seed heads don’t become a billowing menace when they quickly spread beyond the designed zone.
These plants should be irrigated regularly the year of planting but should be weaned to a lean water budget before they get too used to luxury living. A luxury level of irrigation should be saved for fruit trees and shade trees — plants that actually need that amount of water and produce fruit and shade.
To help save water, look for water harvesting opportunities in your landscape, especially when deciding where to plant. Where does water come off the roof, and where does it go on the ground? If you can redirect that roof water to a high spot that will flow into the yard — and maybe even contour the yard in shallow, subtle ways to get that water to spread out and slow down and sink in — then you can take advantage of the water by planting strategically along the flow line.
Mulches are a great water-saving step for native trees and shrubs. Rock is too hot for most things, except for ocotillo and some cacti, so use coarse chipped tree waste. Some local tree companies offer free mulch. Keep sunlight off bare ground around the plants and you will slow down evaporation from the soil while reducing the ambient air temperature enough to make a difference to the plants living out there all day, every day.
As far as shearing goes, this kind of pruning creates very tight outer canopies with lots of leaves (the resulting growth that follows previous cutting), usually in a simple geometric shape. Native plants that have less dense outer canopies end up having a higher water budget due to the excess foliage grown by shearing the canopy. A natural form could have the same overall size but with a more open, interesting branching framework supporting a more natural leaf density, and all of that on less water. It’s best to let the plant’s nature express itself through the form it grows without a lot of interference and to prune strategically to highlight well-placed branch systems and balanced mass.
The most efficient way to water your yard is by using an automatic system. Hand watering can be problematic because it can lead to inconsistent watering, causing you to overwater, underwater, or forget to water altogether.
If you are ready to invest in a more efficient irrigation system, a Water Sense Smart hose timer is the way to go. It’s an inexpensive way to get your plants on an automatic irrigation system, allowing you to water your yard on a specific day of the week, time of the day, and for a set number of minutes. You can put it together yourself for under $100.
The hose timer can attach to high-quality irrigation Polypipe with drip emitters or connect to a professional landscape dripline. The irrigation dripline can stay in the ground year-round and is easily connected to an automatic in-ground irrigation system.
There are a variety of products you can use, including smart controllers, easy twist and turn controllers, battery controllers, multi-valve controllers, and more. We offer a rebate on ones that adjust to our weather and your plant’s watering needs.
Below is an example of a hose watering system using one of the smart irrigation controllers —in this case, a B-hyve hose faucet controller— included in our rebate program. All the pieces and parts needed for this system are listed below, but if you have any doubts, take this picture to your local irrigation supply store and they’ll help you get everything you need.
Plants thrive on a consistent watering routine that allows the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Setting up an automatic hose bib system is easy, inexpensive, water smart and the best thing you can do to keep your plants healthy.
Learn more by checking out these other useful irrigation articles:
Author: Jill Brown, ASLA, is a Landscape Architect and owner of My Landscape Coach in Albuquerque, NM. Contributor: Greg at Sisco Irrigation, Albuquerque, NM. Have A question about the article? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
The most important part of watering is figuring out how deep you need to water your plants. Once you figure that out, you can easily follow our chart that tells you how often to water.
Here are six simple steps to figuring out your watering depth:
Step 1: Water your landscape for the usual amount of time. If it’s the first time you’re watering, start with the number of minutes found in this Irrigation Advice Chart.
Step 2: Wait 24 hours after watering so the water has a chance to percolate into the soil.
Step 3: Grab a measuring tool, such as an 18” depth screwdriver, soil probe, barbecue skewer or 24” long piece of rebar, and probe your tool into an area you didn’t water to check the soil resistance. Next, go to an area that you watered the day before. Push the probe in until it stops. It should go in fairly easily. Don’t try to push it in further once it stops because you can accidentally break a pipe. Mark the spot it went into with your finger, tape or a permanent marker. Pull out the probe and measure the number of inches. Those inches represent your current watering depth. Using the Seasonal Watering Recommendations chart you can find out the depth you need for your type of plant.
Step 4: Adjust your watering time to correctly determine the watering depth. Did you only water 4” but needed a 12” watering depth? If so, then add more time to your watering schedule and perform the test again. Did you water 24” but only needed 18”? If so, then subtract time from your watering schedule. Water again and wait 24 hours to retest.
Step 5: Once you figure out the amount of time you need to water so the water penetrates to the correct soil depth, you are set.
Step 6: Set your controller for the correct amount of time. Use our handy Seasonal Watering Recommendations chart to see how often you’ll need to water your plants.
Don’t overthink it. Our local, desert-friendly plants (native and adaptive plants typically found in our local nurseries) usually thrive in our native soil.
Learn more by checking out these other useful drip irrigation articles:
Author: Jill Brown, ASLA, is a Landscape Architect and owner of My Landscape Coach in Albuquerque, NM. Have A question about the article? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
With spring fast approaching and many homeowners heading out to local plant nurseries, we want to remind you how to plant for a healthy plant. Choosing the right plant for the right place is the most important consideration. Once you’ve selected the perfect desert-friendly plant, installing and irrigating it correctly are the next steps for success.
Step 1: Select the Right Plant for the Right Spot
Sun-loving plants should be planted in sunny spaces. Shade-loving plants should be placed under trees or next to walls where they’ll be protected from our intense New Mexico sun. Be sure the area is big enough to accommodate the plant when it reaches its full mature size, and remember to place plants with similar water needs together.
Step 2: Dig the Right Size Hole and Loosen the Soil
The right size hole for trees and shrubs is about three times wider and just a few inches deeper than the depth of the root ball. When transplanting annuals and perennials, look at the diameter of the plant’s container and make sure the soil around the hole is loosened up three to five times the size of the diameter of the container. If you dig a hole that’s just big enough for the plant’s root ball, you greatly limit how far the roots can easily grow and spread.
Step 3: Carefully Remove the Plant from its Container and Separate Matted Roots
Turn small plants upside down, supporting the soil with your hands. Tap the sides of the pot to loosen the soil, then lift the pot off the root ball. Pulling annuals and perennials out by their stems and leaves can cause damage.
Step 4:Place the Plant in the Hole and Backfill the Hole
Place the plant in the hole, making sure that the top of the root ball is close to level with the surrounding soil. Shovel the soil around the plant’s roots to fill in the hole and tamp gently to remove any large air pockets. If plants are going to be watered by hand or supplemented with rainwater, they should be planted in broad, shallow basins at least 4” deep and as wide as possible to hold water so it soaks deeply into the soil.
Step 5:Give the Plant a Good Soaking
Even water-thrifty xeric plants need a healthy drenching when transplanted. Make sure you soak the plant’s entire root zone. Keep in mind that your new plants will need more frequent watering during their first year than in subsequent years.
Step 6:Add Mulch!
A thick layer of shredded wood chip mulch, 2”- 4” deep depending on the size of the plant, will minimize evaporation, cool the soil and reduce weed growth.
Step 7: Use Efficient Irrigation
The majority of desert-friendly plants suitable for New Mexico landscapes can be most efficiently watered using drip irrigation. Drip emitters save water because they deliver a slow, steady dose of water directly to the plant’s root zone, significantly reducing evaporation.
Step 8:Maintain Your Desert-Friendly Xeriscape
Even a low-maintenance xeriscape requires some maintenance. Periodically check your irrigation system for leaks or clogs. Clean the filter and check drip emitters to prevent plugging. For trees and large shrubs, you may need to move emitters outward and add extra emitters as plants grow to make sure water soaks the entire root zone. Use our Water by the Seasons Watering Recommendations for all your seasonal water needs.
Check out our free .pdf, display it in a visible place and use it when you start your spring plantings.
Learn more by checking out these other useful drip irrigation articles:
