Gardening in the desert Southwest is full of challenges and rewards. Although this site will focus mainly on roses (I love them!), most people who grow roses also grow other things: trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, and bulbs to enhance the landscape. The decision to grow anything in the desert is not without controversy, and some of those controversies will be discussed here. While many of the articles will focus on the area in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico, it is important to understand that gardening here is very different from gardening in Phoenix or Tucson, or in Flagstaff or Santa Fe. Within Greater Albuquerque, growing conditions vary from along the Rio Grande River to the Northeast Heights to the foothills of the Sandias to the North Valley to Corrales to the West Mesa. Within my own very small yard there are several microenvironments, with different planting and care required in each.
Part of the joy of gardening is in sharing information, photos, and horror stories with other people who love to garden. I hope you will visit often and feel free to leave comments for discussion.
Thanks, Gregory!
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Today was the day to begin harvesting the peaches. How do I know? A little bird told me!
As soon as the peaches almost reach ripeness, the birds begin to sample them. Some people cover their fruit trees with netting to protect the fruit from being eaten by the birds. I find [...]
Once the risk of a hard freeze is past, the tiny peaches need to be thinned if you want to get large fruit. Otherwise you will get a whole lot of small, but very tasty, fruit. A shame, you might be thinking. That would all depend upon what use you intended to [...]
This weekend the Pacific Southwest District had a great Horticulture Judging School and Seminar in Palm Desert, California.
Click HERE to view a PowerPoint slide show from the school/seminar.
Click HERE
for a Power Point slide presentation of some of the damage from Albuquerque’s Big Snow of December 2006, as well as recovery from that damage.
Please be patient as the show loads. Thanks!
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