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Fencing can serve as an arresting feature in winter, especially after snowfall.
Banish winter woes with a vibrant snowy landscape
As I look out my window this morning in the new year, the gardens I did not clean up in fall are outlined with frozen fog. Backlit by the early morning sun, flower stalks, tree branches and wire fences seem so delicate they would break if touched. more
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Top 10 holiday decorating safety tips
Some tips to keep you safe as you make a festive holiday home: more
Courtesy photoFinding the perfect Yule tree is an activity the whole family can enjoy together, even down to the youngest members.
Cutting, digging or buying a Christmas Tree
The annual ritual of buying a Christmas tree is upon us. There are several options afforded us here in Taos. more
Nan FischerMelissa Mead of Succulent Journey surrounded by potted plants that make a great holiday gift for gardeners.
Great gifts for the gardener
Even though there is snow on the ground and last year's gardens are a distant memory, we gardeners are planning for the upcoming growing season. Just because we are not out … more
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Each type of bulb should be planted at a specific depth so read the package as you prepare to plant.
Plant bulbs now for colorful spring
Winter is coming but by late February and March there are just times you need a little pop of color to brighten your day. And frankly I get hungry for color at the end of winter. A solution for this is planting bulbs. more
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Snow decorating a bush honeysuckle that also has berries on it for the birds.
Autumn garden cleanup do's and don'ts
Frost has arrived signaling the end of the growing season and time for garden cleanup. There are two schools of thought about fall chores. One calls for a … more
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Los Jardineros: Celebrating autumn, preparing gardens
The autumnal equinox occurred on Sept. 21 and we've said goodbye to the summer sun while those cooler evenings and mornings let us know the beautiful fall days are here. So take … more
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Courtesy New Mexico Department of AgricultureFarmers, ranchers and gardeners can apply for state grants to support healthy soil projects but must do so through a qualifying entity such as a pueblo, acequia association or soil and water conservation district. Deadline is Nov. 6 for applications.
State grants available to build healthy soil
Healthy soil is key to growing grass and crops, holding onto rainwater and snowmelt and preventing erosion.The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is offering grants to help farmers, ranchers and … more
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Figs: A nutritional powerhouse
Patricia West-BarkerFor The Taos News"What fruit has the eye of a widow and wears the cloak of a beggar?" asks an old Spanish riddle. Answer: A really ripe fig, when the oculus on its bottom opens … more
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Nan FischerCovering a fall garden with straw mulch helps protect plants from frost, which can damage roots and reduce a total harvest.
Protect your plants: first frost is around the corner
As I write this, the forecast is for another 89-degree day, the umpteenth in a row. A weak monsoon season has not brought relief each afternoon, so it seems like it will never cool … more
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Nan FischerZinnias are among many flower and herb varieties that make excellent cut flowers that last a long time.
Beautiful blooms year-round
Do you cut flowers from your borders to bring inside and end up leaving empty spaces that affect the overall design? Do you spend too much money buying bouquets? Would you … more
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Herb of the Month
Valerian, Fragrant Valerian Spanish: Valeriana Family: Valerianaceae Genus & Species Valeriana acutiloba, Valeriana arizonica, Valeriana edulis Valerian is one of the best-known medicinal herbs, … more
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Courtesy Leonardo Weiss Wikimedia CommonsPocket gophers along with voles and prairie dogs are among the little creatures that bring big headaches to Northern New Mexico gardeners.
Natural alternatives can deter garden pests, rodents
As I write this, all across Taos, hollyhocks are stretching their bloom stocks skyward, Russian sage is in full force while thistles line the roadsides and grow in opportune open … more
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Courtesy photoThe cost of a restucco job typically ranges from $4.50 to $6 per square foot, but there are all kinds of variables. Among them is the condition of the old material, the ease of access and erection of scaffolding.
What's your stucco situation?
The skin of a house - the roof and the stucco on the walls - holds early … more
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A ramada at a house that will be on the annual Los Jardineros Garden Club of Taos home and garden tour scheduled Saturday (Aug. 3). The club, which raises money to help nonprofits with landscaping projects, is celebrating its 70th anniversary of beautifying Taos.
Los Jardineros Taos Garden and Home Tour: inspiration for landscaped beauty
Los Jardineros Garden Club of Taos is celebrating its 70th anniversary of beautifying Taos by holding it's annual Garden and Home Tour on Saturday (Aug. 3). The tour is … more
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Jan Martenson/Courtesy photoThe musk, or nodding, thistle is a noxious weed that is spreading and can be confused with the native thistle. One difference between the two is the phyllaries of the musk thistle are broad and spiky with no filaments.
How noxious weeds impact native flora
What is a weed anyway? To many it's simply a plant growing where you don't want it, whether it's native or "exotic," originating outside of North America. But one class of weeds is … more
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Mary Adams/courtesy photoDesert penstemon (Penstemon pseudospectabilis), although native to the southwestern counties of New Mexico, grows well in the dry sage habitats of Taos. Its hot pink flowers are attractive to hummingbirds.
Check out the latest gardening obsession – Penstemons
Penstemons, also called beardtongues, are starting to bloom around Taos. Most common is probably the Rocky Mountain penstemon (Penstemon strictus), which sport rich blue-purple blossoms that can be … more
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Photo courtesy Stan ShebsCañiagre is native to western North America and grows from sea level to 8,000 feet. It can grow in a wide variety of habitats but flourishes in sandy soil in drainage areas where water will accumulate after rains or adjacent to acequias and streams.
Cañiagre sooths sunburn, sore gums, blistered feet
Spanish: Cañiagre, CañiagriaEnglish: Red dock, curly dock, tanner's dockFamily: Polygonacea (Buckwheat family)Genus species: Rumex hymenosepalusCañiagre is native to western North … more
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Paul Bryan JonesA dead native cherry tree in Taos shows the impact of prolonged drought.
Trees need help adjusting to weather changes
Trees want our help. Watering is the most important element for the trees. Watering the trees at the drip line area adds moisture where the absorption roots are concentrated. more
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Straw, llama manure and kitchen waste are are among the materials that go into the tumbler to make rich compost for productive gardens.
Earthworms, fungi, bacteria, oh my! Turning dirt into the soil your garden loves
How to transform dirt into a nutrient-rich soil plants love more
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Photo by ZooFariVerdolaga, also known as purslane and pigweed, is a spring plant that's nutritious in salads, soups and sauteed
Verdolaga
English: Purslane, pigweed, moss roseSpanish: VerdolagaFamily: PortulacaceaeGenus & species: Portulaca oleraceaePurslane, known in Spanish as verdolaga, is a low-growing perennial succulent with … more
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Nan FischerLisa Stern's raised bed with hardware cloth on the bottom.
Tips for dealing with pocket gophers
Every March, I eagerly await the crocuses in my front garden. One year, the yellow and white varieties came up but not the purple ones. There is only one grouping by … more
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Jan Martenson/courtesy photoA bumble bee feasts on sweet nectar deep inside a Palmer penstemon flower and inadvertently gathers pollen on its body, which will be spread to the next visited flower for pollination.
Learn about the bzzzzz from a New Mexico melittologist
What is a melittologist? It is a person who studies melittology (from Greek word melitta, meaning "bee" and -logy, meaning "study of"), a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of bees. … more
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Courtesy photoPeter Allen is a member of the Taos Tree Board.
Do your trees talk to each other?
Do trees talk to each other? Yes! more
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Courtesy photoNan Fischer is a longtime Taos gardener and seed saver.
Container gardening tips for growing great plants
Not all gardens have to be in the ground. more
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