A Proclamation has been issued from the Governor’s office naming August 17, 2013 as Native Plant Day. The Native Plant Society of New Mexico encourages you to celebrate Native Plant Day in New Mexico by appreciating the beauty and diversity of New Mexico’s native plants and by using native plants in your garden for the purpose of conservation of water, land, and wildlife. Native plants are survivors! To celebrate, the Santa Fe Chapter of the Native Plant Society is sponsoring two garden tours which are open to the public. Tour Bob Pennington’s personal garden at Agua Fria Nursery between the hours of 9 am – 11 am. His Superstar Garden contains many native Western Plants, most surviving with no supplemental watering -post establishment- including an over 18 foot, glorious Agave utahensis kaibabensis, completing its life cycle after a 20 year “century.” The second tour, from 10 am to 12 pm is at the garden of Jeannie Dodson-Edgars, 39 Lluvia De Oro, Santa Fe. In addition to a 15,000 gallon cistern, Jeannie has terraced, mulched and added swales to capture as much water as possible. Stroll through her many small gardens filled with beautiful xeric trees,shrubs, and perennials.
Also check your local nurseries for special offers on native plants. Plants of the Southwest is having a “Rain Sale” on August 17th when plants will be 20% off and seeds will be 10% off. For more info and directions, please refer to the NPSNM website https://www.npsnm.org. Go to Chapter link/Santa Fe or contact Tom Antonio @ 690-5105 or tom@thomasantonio.org.
“The garden began as a dream in 2005 when we found a meadow surrounded by gentle slopes. Lucky for us, it came with a house too. We began soil building in 2006 and planting in 2007. We built a 15,000 gallon cistern to accommodate the orchard and the other gardens. We watched the monsoon rain flow through the garden and terraced, mulched, and added swales to capture as much water as possible.
What began as a garden has turned into many small gardens. In the beginning, we focused on the bones of the garden: xeric trees and shrubs. Perennials fill in the gaps every year. Each year something dies, leaving a spot for yet another possibility.
The garden remains an experiment. I research plants that grow in alkaline soils at high elevations with similar rainfall. This year we planted a Parrotia Persica, as it grows at 7 – 9,000 feet in dry, alkaline northern Persia. Time will tell. Come see our experiment – you may have suggestions.”
Jeannie Dodson-Edgars
Directions to 39 Lluvia De Oro, Santa Fe:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
599: Exit on the Camino La Tierra Exit, head west. Pass the mailboxes on Left. Stop at Stop sign (East Wildflower). Continue about 100 feet on Camino La Tierra. Turn RIGHT onto Fin Del Sendero. Follow Fin until you reach a “Y”. Turn RIGHT at the ‘Y” onto Lluvia De Oro. We are #39 on the left after Gwendolyn Court.
Agua Fria Nursery
1409 Agua Fria Street
Santa Fe
