Today is April 14, 2013. This is arid, high desert land with almost 365 days-a-year sunshine and fabulous weather. A great place to garden, right?
…….. not necessarily. In fact “gardening in the Land of Enchantment” may be an oxymoron for many of us.
Ten days ago we had a couple of stunners: 12 degrees one night, 17 the next, and last week we were covered in snow one morning when I awoke… even though by afternoon the sun was again laughing at us.
And then there’s the wind. Incessant in the New Mexico spring. And you never know which days, or time of day, it may raise its raucous head. It’s like the trickster coyote—it runs across your path when you least expect it, perhaps during an otherwise absolutely perfect, mild spring afternoon when you have decided it’s “safe” to take part in an outdoor activity.
I remember his alarm when, five years ago, I told my brother (a long-time NM resident) I was scheduling my move from Texas to Santa Fe in early April. “Oh no! Wait until May!” he cried. “The weather in April is totally unpredictable and awful in NM!” he added.
Well, April it had to be, because my horses were already shedding out in the early Texas heat, so I couldn’t wait to move them any later to what I knew would be cold nights for another couple of months.
The sun and warmth returned after the last snow, so, with guardedness and caution, I went ahead a few days ago and bought plants to fill three of my planters out by the barn. (Note: These are only three of about 20 containers I plant every year around the premises. Just thought I’d start slow.) I got only one planted, thank you Jesus, because today I hear that next week we will again have two or three days of sub-freezing nights… with lots of wind (what else?), and possibly a little more snow or rain (fingers crossed, given our drought-ridden environs).
Gosh, I remember living in Austin when March 11th was the last predicted freeze date, so one could safely plant just about anything after that. Oh well. I guess the trade-off is that we can grow our vegetables all summer long here because the kind of heat that Texas delivers doesn’t exist here and kill off everything in the vegetable garden by mid-June. And the wind does abate by summer. AND, if we are lucky, the heretofore normal monsoon season brings almost daily rains by July 4th, in the evenings, to cool things down to a delightful mid-60’s or 70’s. And I live comfortably in an adobe house with no air conditioning……… all summer long.
So I guess getting through our windy, snowy, freezing but sunny spring here is worth it after all. I’m glad I made the move and can call Northern New Mexico my home… even if spring gardening in the Land of Enchantment is a bit challenging!
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