Desert Southwest Gardening Desert Southwest Gardening ChallengesChallenges

Christmas Eve Sunrise, 2006Christmas Eve Sunrise, 2006

Southwest Desert Southwest Desert Gardening ChallengesGardening Challenges

The Destructive Power of SnowThe Destructive Power of Snow

AndAnd

The Saga of The Saga of MermaidMermaid

Susan Brandt Graham, MD, PhD Susan Brandt Graham, MD, PhD Albuquerque Rose SocietyAlbuquerque Rose Society

ARS Consulting RosarianARS Consulting Rosarian

Accredited Rose Horticulture JudgeAccredited Rose Horticulture Judge

Accredited Rose Arrangement JudgeAccredited Rose Arrangement Judge

Gardeners in the Desert SW Face Gardeners in the Desert SW Face a Multitude of Weather Challengesa Multitude of Weather Challenges

• Wind• Heat• Cold• Late freezes after dormancy broken• Drought• Hail• Sleet• Snow! (Hard to believe, right?)

Many Different Microenvironments Many Different Microenvironments in the Desert Southwestin the Desert Southwest

• Gardening in Albuquerque is different from gardening in Phoenix, Tucson, Santa Fe, Flagstaff, or Las Vegas

• Within the Albuquerque metro area are the foothills, the Rio Grande Valley, the West Mesa, the Northeast Heights, and so on

• Within my own small yard are several “micromini” environments!

Snow and the Saga of Snow and the Saga of MermaidMermaid

• Mermaid is an “Old Garden Rose,” a hybrid bracteata introduced in 1918, which also happens to be the year of my father’s birth.

• It is a large single rose (5 petals), cream colored, with long golden stamens and shiny green leaves.

• It is said to be “cold tender,” but grows well in Albuquerque with some protection, such as against a south wall.

MermaidMermaid

• Mermaid is one of my favorite roses of any variety or color.

• I planted one in honor of my father after he died. He was colorblind and could not “see” red roses, but loved the yellows, whites, and creams!

MermaidMermaid before “The Big Snow” before “The Big Snow”

• By May of 2006, Mermaid reached the roof, and had become a focal point of the entire back yard.

Mermaid Mermaid before “The Big Snow”before “The Big Snow”

• Another view of Mermaid

• Notice the large clusters of buds!

MermaidMermaid as a Show Stopper as a Show Stopper

• Mermaid won the ARS Victorian Award and Best of Show at the 2006 Albuquerque Spring Rose Show!

• Mermaid on the trophy table

Snow in AlbuquerqueSnow in Albuquerque

• Albuquerque is used to light snows throughout the winter

• The mountains around Albuquerque get enough snow to have skiing most winters

• But within Albuquerque itself, snow is usually light and melts within a day or two

The First Snow of December 2006The First Snow of December 2006

• In mid-December Albuquerque got what, for the area, was a relatively heavy snow.

• I got about 8 inches in my yard during that snow

• I do not frequently get that much snow at one time, but it is not unheard of in the history of Albuquerque

Damage from the First Snow of Damage from the First Snow of December 2006December 2006

• Mermaid and its trellis, which had been firmly attached to the wall, were partially pulled away and the trellis broken

• I was ill at the time and thought it didn’t matter if it took me a while to get it repaired

The BIG Snow of 2006The BIG Snow of 2006

• Starting on December 29 and lasting to the 31st, snow fell and fell and fell

• I had 22 inches in my yard

• I had lived in this house since December 1985, and had never had even half that amount of snow

• In the middle of the night I heard a terrible sound, and I knew what it was. . .

The BIG Snow of 2006The BIG Snow of 2006

• Mermaid was completely pulled off the wall and laid across the patio; I could not get to the rest of my yard until that was cleaned up, several weeks later!

The BIG Snow of 2006The BIG Snow of 2006

• Where to begin?• At least the sun was

finally out and the snow was beginning to melt!

• This was about half-way through the cleanup

Cleaning Up the DamageCleaning Up the Damage

• Part of the cleanup consisted of sawing off the canes of Mermaid at ground level, not because I wanted to, but because I had to

• I was thrilled to see tiny basal breaks in the spring!

Hope Springs EternalHope Springs Eternal

• It was great to see canes start to develop in the spring of 2007!

Clematis as a Companion PlantClematis as a Companion Plant

• Clematis had been a great companion plant for Mermaid, blooming before Mermaid and signaling the start of spring

• Of course, it had to be cut off at the ground also

May 2007May 2007

• By late May of 2007, both the clematis and Mermaid showed enough growth to give some hope.

• It was not spectacular, but both were alive!

Early May 2008Early May 2008

• By early May of 2008, both Mermaid and the clematis were looking pretty good, all things considered

Would Would MermaidMermaid Bloom in Time for Bloom in Time for the Albuquerque Rose Show?the Albuquerque Rose Show?

• Things looked promising in mid-May

• But, alas, nothing was ready for May 24

May 31, 2008May 31, 2008

• One week after the show, Mermaid was really beginning to look like her old self before The Big Snow of 2006

• Notice the long golden stamens and glossy green leaves!

May 31, 2008May 31, 2008

• Mermaid is still small compared to May of 2006, but shows promise of being back to her full glory by the end of the 2008 growing season

Hope Springs Eternal in the DesertHope Springs Eternal in the Desert

• No one ever said gardening in the desert would be easy or without frustration

• Some challenges are “always there” and we adapt to them, both in the plants we select and the techniques we use

• Occasionally, Mother Nature throws us a curve ball

• Patience and persistence pay off!

For More InformationFor More Information

• Contact the Albuquerque Rose Society at www.albuquerquerose.com or

• The American Rose Society at www.ars.org

• Thanks for your interest in this presentation, and

• HAPPY GARDENING!

Desert Southwest Gardening Desert Southwest Gardening ChallengesChallenges

Sunset, New Year’s Eve 2006Sunset, New Year’s Eve 2006