reading list

When I moved to New Mexico I was entranced by the beauty of the plants and landscape. I did what I always do when challenged by something new. I turned to books. What I discovered was that there are very few books on gardening in New Mexico, though I noticed immediately that the native flora was very different from other places that I’d lived, from coast to coast. Most of the books that did exist were extremely basic, and I was dismayed to find mostly detailed descriptions of very common “diehard” plants such as lilac and juniper. What I wanted to know was what to expect from New Mexico weather and soil, and how to deal with the unique climate here. I also wanted to know (in fact, most of all I wanted to know) what unique plants I could grow here, and what plants are characteristic of the area. Of course, no book is perfect for everything, so I began putting together my library. Here are the books that I use the most, which certainly does not include all the books out there. Although the main purpose of mail-order catalogs is to sell product, they can also give good information and an idea of what can grow. High Country Gardens, based in Santa Fe, is a glossy catalog of plant porn, and decidedly more regionally appropriate than the big east-coast company. Years before I moved to New Mexico, I poured over the Plants of the Southwest catalog, longing to grow the exotic native plants listed. There is also a good vegetable seed offering (check out the chile varieties, and the Anasazi beans).

General books:

New Mexico Gardener’s Guide, Judith Phillips
This is a good general guide to gardening in New Mexico. Judith is a font of knowledge and enthusiastic about native plants. I took one of her classes at UNM and it was a pleasure to hear her speak. Although there are a few places in the book that I don’t agree with, overall it is a great basic resource to the area.

Plants for Natural Gardens: Southwestern Native & Adaptive Trees, Shrubs, Wildflowers and Grasses, Judith Phillips
I’ve returned to this book so many times that I’ve been asked why I haven’t memorized it yet. For the most part I have, but it is still a pleasure to read Judith’s prose.

Southwestern Landscaping With Native Plants, Judith Phillips
This is the first book that I bought about gardening in New Mexico. It is the precursor to Plants for Natural Gardens, and Natural by Design: Beauty and Balance in Southwest Gardens, Judith Phillips, but still useful.

The Undaunted Garden, Lauren Springer
Although based in Colorado, many of the plants and advice described by Lauren Springer (before she married) are appropriate in New Mexico. Denver gets colder winters, cooler summers and much more precipitation than Albuquerque, so keep this in mind. Some plants will turn crispy if you try them here.

Passionate Gardening, Lauren Springer & Rob Proctor
This is a collection of essays written by Springer and Proctor, which I find most useful for pleasurable winter reading accompanied by a mug of hot chocolate. The plant choices are largely adaptable to New Mexico, but the same warning applies as to the book above.

Xeriscape Plant Guide: 100 Water-Wise Plants for Gardens and Landscapes, Denver Water
Another book based in Colorado, but with most of the plants appropriate also for Albuquerque. There are lovely illustrations, and most useful, are the four season photos, which is an important thing when designing a garden.

Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes, Judy Mielke
This book is primarily for the low desert, but there are a few plants that are appropriate for Albuquerque. Read carefully, and you can find some low desert plants to experiment with (such as Acacia greggii).

The Sunset Western Garden Book
Although there are some things in this book that are remarkably and consistently incorrect regarding an individual plant’s hardiness (e.g. Trachelospermum is not hardy here), it is still a useful general book and can give you an idea of the requirements of specific plants.

Beth Chatto’s Gravel Garden: Drought resistant planting through the year, Beth Chatto
Chatto’s garden is in England, with much cooler temperatures and warmer winters. Although Chatto comments on the lack of rainfall in her area, it is still more than double the precipitation of Albuquerque. Still, the ideas and plant descriptions are luscious, and can be adapted to Albuquerque.


Plant Specific Books:

Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants: A Gardener’s Guide, Mary and Gary Irish
Gardening in New Mexico, you must know about these plants.

The New Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden, Betsy Clebsch
Salvias are grown everywhere in the country, and are particularly useful here.

Growing Penstemons: Species, Cultivars and Hybrids, Ellen Wilde
Although the epicenter of Penstemon is Utah (by some accounts), these gorgeous plants are certainly are an important presence here in New Mexico. This book has few illustrations, so other Penstemon books will be necessary.

Grasses: Versatile Partners for Uncommon Garden Design, Nancy J. Ondra
Albuquerque is on the edge of high plains, so grasses are particularly appropriate. Get familiar with them. This is a general book on grasses.

The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses, Rick Darke
This is a book to dream on, and also to refer to. When considering grasses, I refer to this book frequently.

Lavender: The Grower’s Guide, Virginia McNaughton
If you want to know about the hundreds of varieties of lavender, this is the book to turn to. I have other books on lavender, but this is the one I use.

The Rose Bible, Rayford Clayton Reddell
Reddell grows roses in Southern California, so the book is useful here, understanding that there will be differences.

Palms Won’t Grow Here and other myths: Warm-Climate Plants for Cooler Areas, David A. Francko.
A book to dream on when there is a desire to get out of town or to plant an exotic and climate inappropriate small courtyard.

I haven’t read the following books, but they look interesting and appropriate:
High and Dry: Gardening with Cold-Hardy Dryland Plants, Robert Nold
Cutting Edge Gardening in the Intermountain West, Marcia Tatroe
Plant-Driven Design: Creating Gardens that honor Plants, Place, and Spirit, Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden
High Altitude Western Gardening, Marilyn Quinn
Best Perennials for the Rocky Mountains and High Plains, Celia Tannehill