Garden

Today is Thursday, the one day I can legally water my plants with Eldorado water, not just grey water. I am cautiously pleased that a number of plants seem to be making it, this second summer of my learning to garden in the high desert.

Keys to fragile success: WATER, of course. (I thought xeric plants did not need much water, but that turns out to be maybe after the third year, and even then.....)

Soil amendments - I use a lot of Soil Mender and Yum Yum mix, both developed here in Santa Fe, I understand.

Straw mulch - I have used two bales so far and have two more in reserve. The problem is, when the monsoons come, all the plants are so grateful, including the seeds left in the straw as well as all of the seeds scattered under the birdfeeders.

Big river stones surrounding the plants. These help preserve some of the water, collect miniscule amounts of dew, help me remember where some of these tiny plants are so that I can both water them and avoid stepping on them, and, I hope, will help me with mulching over winter (and know where not to dig!)

Ollas, which preserve the water and let it seep out slowly. A plus which I did not expect - the purslane which I love to eat is fat and succulent around the ollas, so I guess i have a monoculture vegetable garden as well. (I just discovered that purslane is rich in Omega-3's!)

Finally, allowing the large weedy-looking asters to grow tall and shade the young plants. The sun is just too fierce. Eventually I hope I can weed out many of the asters and leave the rest nicely grouped for a wild flower show in the fall.

I am growing primarily plants which are aromatic and attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and people. The big three groups I love are agastache, the artemsias, and lavender. There are lavender farms near here, but I have yet to keep any lavenders going to grow big and bushy. Patience.

A vicious hailstorm tool out, or nearly, a special trumpet vine, but we keep watering it and hope it comes back next year. I am also just getting some moonflower vines started after trying multiple times.

I have saved all my receipts for the garden in a jug which is overflowing. Billions of dollars, I fear.