Growing a Sensational Garden in the Southern Rocky Mountains
A Monthly Guide
In this month-by-month guide to home gardening in Northern New Mexico and the Southern Rocky Mountains, Nan Fischer offers expert advice on composting, mulching, soil improvements, cold-frame planting for the extension of the growing season, hardy plant selection for the Rocky Mountains, and the wise use of small quantities of water for both ornamental and vegetable gardening at a small, residential garden scale.
From planning in winter to sowing in spring and harvesting food and flowers throughout the seasons, Growing a Sensational Garden in the Southern Rocky Mountains: A Monthly Guide will help you plan and grow a successful garden in the challenging conditions of the Intermountain West. Whether you’re a novice gardener, a grower from another area, or a seasoned gardener from the region, you’ll find this monthly guide invaluable when creating a beautiful garden that will overflow with vegetables, herbs, flowers, and more. Note-taking pages are included at the end of each month to get you started on a garden journal that is sure to become a personalized, treasured resource.
“Nan Fischer gives novice or new-to-the-area gardeners practical, seasonal information to make any gardening task something to look forward to. With good historical information on specific herbs and vegetables and gardening practices, it includes a list of sources for information or seeds at the end of each monthly chapter. This publication also has space for record keeping or note-taking, so it may indeed end up dog-eared and soil stained as the reader takes it into the garden with them.”—Wesley Brittenham, former director of horticulture at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
This monthly guide to growing in Northern New Mexico and the Southern Rocky Mountains provides step-by-step instructions and support to both the new and the experienced gardener. The author breaks down gardening in our challenging climate into easy-to-understand steps that help the gardener build confidence and create more beautiful, productive, and healthy gardens.—Cindy Brown, Taos News
Nan Fischer is a horticulturalist and the owner of nannie plants, LLC, a nursery in Taos, New Mexico. She has decades of growing experience in the Southern Rocky Mountains and has written extensively on gardening topics for many publications including Mother Earth Gardener, GRIT, and the Taos News.
Interview with the Gardener
Hank Will
Thank You, Everybody!
LET’S GET STARTED
Introduction
The Basics of Organic Gardening
Adapting to Climate Change in the Garden
JANUARY
January Task List
Start a Garden Journal
Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, and Hybrid Seeds and Plants: What Are They?
Plan Your Garden for Seed Saving
Easy Plants for Beginners
The Benefits of Companion Planting and Crop Rotation
Other January Tasks
Resources
My January Garden Journal
FEBRUARY
February Task List
Five Short-Season Tomato Cultivars
The Three Sisters Garden
Plant a Hummingbird Garden
Resources
My February Garden Journal
MARCH
March Task List
Transforming Dirt into Soil
When Pocket Gophers Destroy Your Landscape
Season Extenders
My March Garden Journal
APRIL
April Task List
A Container Gardening Primer
Garden Storage
The History of Lettuce
My April Garden Journal
MAY
May Task List
Vertical Growing in Small Garden Spaces
Pollinator Decline and What You Can Do about It
Growing Ancient Legumes (with Recipes)
Resources
My May Garden Journal
JUNE
June Task List
To Weed or Not to Weed?
Organic Weeding Methods
My June Garden Journal
JULY
July Task List
Organic Fertilizers
As Above, So Below: How Plants Communicate Above and Below Ground
My July Garden Journal
AUGUST
August Task List
First Frost Is Just Around the Corner
Saving Tomato Seed 101
My August Garden Journal
SEPTEMBER
September Task List
Garden Clean Up Dos and Don’ts
Taking Care of Wild Birds through Winter
My September Garden Journal
OCTOBER
October Task List
Seed Catalogs
The Open Source Seed Initiative
Resources
My October Garden Journal
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER
November and December Task Lists
Cutting, Digging, or Buying a Christmas Tree
Gifts for Gardeners
Gardening Indoors in Winter
Resources
My November and December Garden Journal
THE THREE SISTERS
Ancient Companion Planting: The Three Sisters
A-Maize-ing Maize: The History of Corn
From Ancient to Heirloom: The History of the Humble Bean
Squash on the Scene: The Evolution of Cucurbits
