Gardening in New Mexico can be a challenge – high heat, potential drought, and variations in soil present unique conditions. But gardening doesn’t have to break your bank.
There are many plants, shrubs, cacti, succulents, and flowers that thrive in our climate. When choosing plants for your garden or landscaping, look for labels such as “loves heat”, “full sun”, and “drought tolerant”. If possible, avoid plants that require “Moist location,” “rich soil,” and “acid loving.” This will help you save money long-term, as you won’t buy plants that will die and have to be replaced.
If you purchase plants that will grow to cover large areas, you can avoid buying a large number of plants and still maintain coverage. The following is a list of plants that would require a minimal investment, cover a large area, and thrive in the New Mexico environment.
Blue Spires:
This plant will grow to be 4 ft x 4ft. Its beautiful blue color would be a great accent to any garden and it runs about $9.00.
Furman’s Red:
This plant has a beautiful red flower and grows to be about 36 in x 18 in. It is also about $9.00.
Sensation Deep Rose:
This plant has fabulous rose-pink flowers on green stems. It grows to be about 12 in x 12 in and also runs about $9.00.
Hardy Plumbago:
This plant provides beautiful green groundcover with blue flowers. It grows to be 6 in x 18 in and is only $6.00.
Tangerine Southernwood:
Tangerine Southernwood doesn’t require a lot of water and grows to be about 36 in x 36 in. It provides wonderful, green groundcover with feathery foliage and a mounding shape. It is only $6.00.
Cacti:
Cacti and succulents thrive in our climate. Harvard’s Century Plant and Parry’s Century Plant are beautiful cacti that provide lots of coverage and are only $8.00.
Another way to save money while gardening is to water effectively. Plants need a deep watering and the water needs time to soak in and penetrate the soil. Drip watering and soaker hoses are the most efficient methods and will ensure that you don’t waste a lot of water, but that your plants get enough and won’t die.
Mulch is a low-cost way to bring texture to your garden and also help ensure the health of your plants. It conserves water and cools the roots. Mulch can come in the form of wood chips, straw, hay, bark, compost, or rocks.
Also, if possible, choose perennial plants. These will grow back year after year. This way you will only have to purchase them once. Finally, many veggies such as tomatoes, lettuce, rhubarb, and peppers do well in our climate. Seeds for vegetables are inexpensive to purchase and growing your own veggies will also save you money at the grocery store!
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