Batter Up!

A few years ago, an Architect client contacted me with a ballfield and landscape design needed. Somehow, I ended up working for the Civil Engineer… On the side of a mountain’s bajada, this was quite a challenge.

Of course, the project was rushed, with multiple site concerns not addressed. You gotta loathe love the wild west!

As grading work and time progressed, there was no need for the rush – the landscape work was postponed for months. The real need besides the land being the client, is to provide ample time to initially think through all issues of developing any site, let alone one with plant salvage opportunities, unusual configurations and steep slopes.

Here’s what we’ve got as of 9/19/2013 –

only tough native plants used, most somehow escaping the rabbit hordes  (Chinquapin Oak, ‘Rio Bravo’ Texas Ranger, Beargrass, Chocolate Flower)…rock cover where budget allowed

Patio Home Progress

Most of a growing season later, a decent monsoon season in there, and two tiny, new garden spaces…on the sandy bluffs west of the Rio Grande.

Albuquerque’s west mesa has some of the most amazingly warm, soft breezes of anywhere I’ve been.

Here, the owner is really connected to his plantings, then sharing it all with his array of friends. And did I say he likes to work in the garden? Yet I design low-maintenance and low-water-use, anyway, because it’s only right.

maybe Predock would be proud of this 1970-ish La Luz patio home garden redo…maybe…I like the concrete lintels, and the colorful containers for foothills-native Beargrass…lighter, green foliage dancing against the earthy stucco walls…and another accessory used

Santa Fe – More Than Monet

Many people see Santa Fe romantically from vacations or the media. It’s a marketing and tourism success, starting with the early 1900’s plaza area face-lift and gentrification since, but rarely very deep.

But how about Santa Fe from a horticultural standpoint? Past, present, and possible…via reality and place.

A tour through my landscape architect’s eyes; a prelude to my upcoming presentation at next month’s master gardener’s symposium. It’s more than Monet.

a 1500′ climb up to Santa Fe from the last of the Chihuahuan Desert north of Albuquerque…the distant Sangre de Cristo mountains are the southernmost end of the Rocky Mountains