Best Native Plants for Re-seeding
Are you interested in finding plants for your landscape that easily reproduce from seed? Perhaps plants that are beneficial for wildlife create a natural look and cover a lot of ground? How would you recognize a seedling of one of these species? In this article, we…
Albuquerque Backyard Refuge Certification Program
The ABQ Backyard Refuge Program is working with greater Albuquerque residents to create a mosaic of habitat across the city that will support a wide variety of both year-round and migrating wildlife. The program, which is managed by the Friends of Valle de Oro…
A Valuable Bosque Understory Shrub: Clove Currants for the Birds, Bees, Butterflies and Foragers
When I mention black currants while talking fruit trees and shrubs with people in Albuquerque, I have come to expect that we are often starting the conversation thinking about different things. Most commonly, people have experienced or heard about the European black…
Recipe for a High Desert Meadow
Being someone so immersed in planting design in my daily life and someone who is so plainly in love with plants, both wild and cultivated, it can be difficult to narrow my focus and play favorites. I owe this relationship with plants unequivocally to my grandmother…
Bosque Restoration Would Benefit Endangered Fish
Water flowing from the Southside Water Reclamation Plant is so clear that a person can see rocks at the bottom of the riverbed, and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority is trying to make that outflow a better habitat for fish and more accessible…
Wildscape Landscape Plan: A Celebration of Wildlife in Your Landscape
A lot goes into designing a landscape; hence, there’s an entire profession called landscape architecture devoted to designing outdoor spaces. We won’t be able to make you a landscape architect today, but we’re sharing a unique landscape plan designed by New Mexico…
Sharing space with our feathered friends
All species are in constant need of habitat in which to dwell that gives the next generation a chance to thrive. It is easy to share your space with wildlife and provide crucial habitat for birds. If you have a yard with non-native grass (or one full of gravel), you…
Backyard Refuges for People and Wildlife
Building a refuge for wildlife in our yards is a way to nurture habitat on a personal scale and actively care for our wild neighbors. By intentionally creating spaces we can share with other urban species, Albuquerque can be a refuge for both people and wildlife….
Easy Pollinator Gardening
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…
Summer Blooming Lavender
The genus Lavandula is a favorite group of ornamental herbs native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. These are sun-loving plants that thrive in hot weather and grow well in the West in a wide range of soils, even compost-enriched garden loams, as long as they…