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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Last week I posted a photo of a young fledgling Western Scrub jay here. That photo was taken 6 days ago.
Now, the bird is still a fledgling, and is still awkward, and is still getting its adult feathers. But it has learned about peanuts, and just goes straight for them when they are [...]
The reward for the time and effort spent gardening? It is the simple joy of spending a morning like this enjoying the beauty of the flowers and the birds and the clouds and the sounds!
The rose in the foreground in ‘Cesar E. Chavez,’ a hybrid tea.
The two larger birds are house finches.
The cute little [...]
This guy (girl?) is the State Bird of New Mexico. At least one family lives in my neighborhood, and they walk on the block walls, eat lizards in the woodpile, make very interesting sounds, and just entertain in general.
This one was sitting outside my bedroom window this morning, but I could not get a [...]
Last week I posted a photograph of an adult Western scrub jay. It is a very beautiful bird.
Tonight I was able to photograph a baby Western scrub jay. This one is definitely in its awkward stage, but by the end of summer it will be as beautiful as its parents!
Have you discovered the Smithsonian’s Migratory Bird Center yet? If not, do yourself a favor and check it out.
I kind of stumbled upon it a couple of weeks ago, and cannot believe that little gem was sitting there and I did not know about it. Virtually all of us in the Southwest are [...]
[ May 23, 2009; 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. May 24, 2009; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. ]
Saturday, May 23, 2009 1pm - 5 pm
Sunday, May 24, 2009 10am - 4pm (Awards at 3pm, followed by tear-down and clean-up)
Albuquerque Garden Center
10120 Lomas Blvd NE
Free! Come see beautiful roses and rose arrangements!
You have seen photos of the beautiful white wing dove (previous post).
The white wing can look like a bit of a clown, however, when competing with a sparrow and house finch for food from a tube feeder!
This does give you a good view of the white wing in its entirety, though.
Most of the gardeners I know in the high desert enjoy a variety of birds. Many put out food and water for the birds, and I am one who does. I think of summer as hummingbirds and roses, and winter as junkos.
But, even in the city, there are many different birds. When [...]
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