xeriscape principles DESERT APPRECIATION 101

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xeriscape principles DESERT APPRECIATION 101
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for theAlbuquerque Area Extension Master
Gardener Training Program March 21, 2006David
Cristiani, QUERCUS
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WHERE AM I?
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WHERE AM I?
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STEP 1 EMBRACE your PLACE Where one is from
what ones neighbors prefer does not
matterperiod.
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YOU are HERE!New Mexico in Maps, Williams, UNM
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NATURAL REGIONS Other sources
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NATURAL REGIONS Other sources
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DESERT APPRECIATION 101
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GET INSPIRED!
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WARMER CLIMATE milder winters, hotter summers,
usually ARIDUSDA Zones 6-8, Sunset Zone 10
West of the Sandia Manzano Mountains
AlbuquerqueBelenBernalilloCochiti PuebloLos
LunasPlacitas (most)Rio RanchoLaguna
PuebloSocorro
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ALBUQUERQUE is best calledChihuahuan Desert
(Desert Grassland)
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THE FACTSChihuahuan Desert
Desert shrubs, larger cactus, sparse grasses
Elevation lt 6000 ft Winters mild, short, gt
32F average temperature (Albuquerque is on
the cooler edge of this) Summers very warm,
long, gt75F average temperature (Albuquerque
is about 78F) Average annual precipitation lt
12, most in summer, with lt 15 snow
Albuquerque, El Paso, Carrizozo, Roswell, Willcox
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THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT EDGEAZ-NM Mountains /
Madrean (ABQ foothills)
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ALBUQUERQUE FACTORS Climate, plants, wildlife,
soils
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ALBUQUERQUE FACTORS more scenes
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b. COOLER CLIMATE colder winters, cooler
summers, more snow, usually SEMI-ARIDUSDA Zones
5-6, Sunset Zone 2-3
East of the Sandia Manzano Mtns, W New Mexico
EAST MOUNTAIN areasCedar
CrestMoriartyTijerasMountainairGrants
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WHERE WE REALLY AREAZ-NM Mountains / Rocky
Mountain, Great Plains Steppe, Western New
Mexico highlands
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THE FACTSAZ-NM Mountains / Rocky Mountain, High
Plains,
Short grass, deciduous oaks, ponderosa pine,
small cacti Elevation gt 6000 ft Winters
cold lt 32F, snow Summers mild lt 75F, summer
rainy season Average annual precipitation
10-20, with gt 20 snow Tijeras, Edgewood,
Moriarty, Grants
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STEP 2 THE OTHER PRINCIPLES A local take on the
7 Xeriscape Principles
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a. PLANNING AND DESIGN Necessary for quality
installation and appropriate maintenance
Sharp Soft Contrasts here are great. Pump up
form and texture in the garden!
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BE INNOVATIVE Think beyond flowers for color
beyond flowers for color (that is SOOO old-school)
Color is EVERYWHERE and an Oasis does not mean
one must use turf!
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COLORED HARDSCAPE
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FORM STRUCTURE
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MASS your PLANTS!
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TEXTURE FORM
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b. TURF only IF NECESSARY And this is in Denver
Token turf is dated! Appropriate species
Practical size Only where it will get USED
parks, backyard NOT for decoration
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GENERAL AREAS BUFFALOGRASS ? Even buffalograss
is not for general areas in Albuquerque
More facts 20-30 precip / year Clay soils
Good summer heat Still an oasis plant, unless
you are in Clovis, Amarillo, or Okla City
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GENERAL AREAS HOW ABOUT THIS ? Much lower water
and maintenance needs, looks better
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c. NATIVE PLANTS TO your ECOREGION FIRST Adapted
plants second, if no native can work in a space
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ALBQ vs. AREAS popular PLANTS ARE FROM
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CULTURAL COMPATIBILITYUse plants of similar
cultural needs together
Eastern trees / desert shrubs
Desert tree / desert shrubs
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AESTHETIC COMPATIBILITY But does it look good in
black in white???
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AESTHETIC COMPATIBILITY But does it look good in
black in white???
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CAM PLANTS Landscapes are weak without living
sculptureThey store water in their stems
andleaves to dealwith drought
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SEASONAL PLANTS Limited impact, but not strong
enough to carry the weight of a landscape ALONE
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d. IMPROVE SOIL only WHEN NECESSARY Mostly for
turf and other non-adapted plants
Otherwise,use only the plants that grow well in
the soil you have Make it EASY!
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e. USE MULCH FOR THE PLANTING TYPE Organic vs.
inorganic
Inorganic mulches crusher fines, gravel
small leaved / desert, upland plants Organic
mulches cedar, shredded wood, pecan leafy
plants
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f. IRRIGATION AND WATER HARVESTING Amounts and
timing for plant type
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g. MAINTAIN APPROPRIATELY Do only what is
necessary
Why?? Overwatering kills many xeriscapes it
wrongly gets blamed on a lack of cold
hardiness Careful pruning GOOD---shaping and
topping BAD Plants grow better The landscape
looks better Appropriate maintenance costs less
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SENSIBLE MAINTENANCE The last frontier for the
landscape industry
The mindset Starts with design client
Continues with installation client Finishes
with maintenance client Education and
communication Contrast good vs. bad maintenance
at first contact Use dollar amounts of right
vs. wrong Turn around question so they are not
on defensive Buteven this does not always work
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SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO DO LITTLE Yet many people
actually demand this
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SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO DO LITTLE Yet many people
actually demand this
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SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO DO LITTLE Yet many people
actually demand this
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GOOD MAINTENANCE IS EASY and it costs less
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THANK YOU!