|
Gardening in Santa Fe Series
by Kendall McCumber
|
Gardening in Santa Fe can be more challanging than in other area with more rainfall and richer soil. However, there are many ways to have lush and charming outdoor spaces without using too much of our most precious resource, water. The first step in creating a xeriscape (or drylands) garden is to carefully choose the plants. Plants such as chamisa, russian sage, yarrow, gallardia, coreposis, penstemons and too many others to name provide bold color with very little supplemental water. The other important steps are proper soil ammending and installing a good irrigation system. There are also ways to utilize boulders, pebbles, flagstone, mulch and even gravel to beautify some of your outdoor space without planting in every square inch. If you must have annuals, choose large moisture retaining pots and place them carefully. Other techniques are also crucial to succesful gardening in this climate, such as planting trees and shrubs with water holding basins around them, and utilizing the water from your gutters to supplement your most thirsty plants. Grey water use, such as draining your washing machine onto some trees is also becoming more common as our need to conserve water becomes more critical.
See the Current articles in Gardening in Santa Fe Series
Volume II Part 1: Spring Gardening
Volume II Part 2: April Fools
Volume II Part 3: May Madness
Volume II Part 4: June Blooms
Volume II Part 5: July... Oh My
Volume II Part 6: State of the Season
Part 1: Water Harvesting
Part 2: Working with Nature
Part 3: Treats of Summer
Part 4: Scents of August
Part 5: Best of August
Part 6: Designing a Santa Fe Perennial Garden
Part 7: A Santa Fe Garden in September
Part 8: Succulent Madness
Part 9: A Beautiful Pyracantha
Part 10: Gardening in October
Part 11: Fall Changes
Part 12: Shade Gardens
Kendall McCumber Fine Gardening designs, installs and maintains all sizes drought tolerant gardens, stonescapes, irrigation and water harvesting systems. Call Kendall at 660-9599 for a consultation.
See her website
Kendall McCumber Fine Gardening
19 B Pinon Jay Trail
Santa Fe NM 87505
505-660-9599
|
