Gardening
Gardening in Albuquerque takes some work and planning – maybe more than some people are accustomed to – but it can be done successfully with some attention to the basics.
Variable conditions exist around the city‚ so it’s important to choose plants carefully. Embracing the high-desert environment and sticking with native plants is probably your best bet.
Albuquerque is known for its pleasant year-round climate. Summers are warm and dry‚ with the average daytime high near 70 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures cooling down to around 44 degrees. Highs around 90 degrees are common‚ but it’s not uncomfortable due to low humidity.
The city gets less than 9 inches of rain a year‚ but gardeners can work with the weather to create a lush garden oasis. Southwestern oaks‚ desert willow‚ mesquite‚ chaste trees‚ shrubs and succulents (beargrass‚ sotols‚ agaves and yuccas)‚ dryland grasses and many species of wildflowers can thrive here.
Due to its heat and drought tolerance‚ tall fescue is a good general-purpose turfgrass for New Mexico‚ extension agents say. This tall-growing‚ coarse- to medium-textured‚ bunch-type turfgrass can be established by seed or sod‚ and it resists heavy wear and high temperatures. When adequately watered‚ it can be grown successfully in all parts of the state.
In the water-conscious Southwest‚ drought-tolerant grasses such as buffalo grass and blue grama grass are also good choices. Another option is to consider reducing the size of your lawn and planting water-wise groundcovers and shrubs instead.
Avid gardeners can find plenty of like-minded thinkers in Albuquerque. The Council of Albuquerque Garden Clubs is a nonprofit organization that educates about gardening and encourages gardening in the city. About 20 local garden clubs belong to the council‚ which has its own building – the Albuquerque Garden Center – in Los Altos Park.
For more information‚ visit the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service-Bernalillo County Web site‚ spectre.nmsu.edu/county/county.html?i=Bern or the Council of Albuquerque Garden Clubs’ Web site‚ www.abqgardencenter.com.
