Agave parryi left and top are greenhouse grown, bottom right wild collected in habitat Agaves are the royalty of our precious desert habitats in southern NM. They are cornerstone plants of the desert ecology, providing nectar for migrating bats and hummingbirds and protein-rich seeds that feed desert insects that are the start of the desert food chain. Agaves flower only once when they reach 25 to 30 years of age and then die. When large mature plants are removed from their

Watering We strongly recommend getting a rain gauge. You need to know how much water is falling from the sky. A general rule of thumb; if you don’t get AT LEAST ½″ of rain, most soils will only be wet 3 to 4″ deep, leaving the roots dry beneath. If you get several ½″ rains in a row the soil moisture will be pushed deeper. Otherwise, you’ll need to irrigate. Be sure that all your trees and shrubs are well mulched with a two-inch-thick layer of wood chips, bark chips, crushed p

Santa Fe horticulturist and owner of Waterwise Gardening, David Salman, has long been a horticultural pioneer introducing a number of new natives and Old World plants into cultivation. He has especially nurtured a long-time interest in western native plants in his attempts to bring more regionally suitable garden plants into our gardens. One such success story is his introduction of Agastache rupestris (Licorice Mint Hyssop) in 1996. Purchasing a few seed packets in the early

Now is the time to start planning for pollinators, provide deep watering for your plants and deadheading faded flowers in your gardens. Late-blooming, pollinator-friendly plants, especially native species, are why our late summer/early fall gardens here in northern New Mexico can be more colorful than springtime with stunning displays of dramatic flowers and attractive seed heads. Brilliantly colored perennials are all wonderful additions to the waterwise landscape and are

photos left to right, Agastache 'Ava, Lavender and Salvia pachyphylla The perennials we’re offering for sale this August will be in bud and bloom, to provide immediate natural nectar to feed pollinators and bring the joy of colorful flowers to our gardens when we plant them. And the monsoon rains are creating an ideal environment for August planting at a time when pollinators are stressed by dry conditions this spring. After all, pollinators are the cornerstone of a healthy e