D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
May
2009
Palmy Days in Las Cruces
For gardener Jeff Anderson, a dream of fronds born in Minnesota — of all places — comes true in New Mexico. Plus garden tours and assisted-living landscaping.
Moments of transcendence may affect the direction of our lives and influence the making of our gardens. For Jeff Anderson, that moment is clear and precise — the result of an early childhood visit to the Como Park Plant Conservatory in St. Paul, Minn.
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Jeff Anderson fell
in love with palms during a childhood visit to the indoor Como Park plant
conservatory in Minnesota. (Photos by Jeffrey L. Anderson.) |
There, sheltered from the subzero weather of a Minnesota winter, Jeff joyfully absorbed the warmth and humidity in the Victorian glass palace of tropical plant specimens. He wondered at the structural frame of arches and vaults that bid the outdoors inside through a crystalline splash of fairyland light. But for the youngster, the marvel of marvels was the collection of palm trees soaring assertively toward the domed roof line. He merrily counted the scarred leaf rings and hair-like fibers on the palms' textured trunks and remarked upon how their splayed fronds resembled his own outspread hands.
Today, 20 species of palms covering eight genera grow in Jeff Anderson's Las Cruces garden, among a dense and extensive assemblage of interesting and exotic plants. The street appeal of his four-year-old botanical creation is dazzling and well suited to the adobe architecture of his neighborhood, the Alameda-Depot Historical District.
Holding degrees in horticulture and agronomy from NMSU, Jeff is a savvy gardener who uses a site-specific palette of plants. On the facade's south side, he takes advantage of the glaring zone 8 sun with tight plantings of drought-tolerant cactus, succulents, shrubs and his adored palms.
A design consciousness is demonstrated in how Jeff combines the dreamy blue fronds of Moroccan Blue palm (Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera) with the tubular coral flowers of a hybrid aloe (Aloe humilis x Aloe sopanaria) that he bred years ago for the greenhouse industry. A larger grass-green California Fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) accentuates the planting.
Jeff advises that Aloe humilis (often called Spider aloe) "seems to be quite cold tolerant and could thrive in a sunny protected spot." The species can be ordered from Yucca Do Nursery in Texas, where its lower range includes zone 7b.
Although many plants in the garden were grown from seed or received as gifts from friends, Jeff finds many palms at Gonzales Nursery in Organ, east of Las Cruces. Many of the cacti were purchased in Tucson and Truth or Consequences.
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A native New Mexican sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) creates a fanlike
backdrop for contrasting agaves, aloes and |
Cacti abound in the Anderson garden — some potted, others earthbound — as do various "edibles," including the shrub, pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana), and fruit trees. One, the Red Baron peach tree (Prunus persica), shows off large, double-red blooms that also grow in a zone 7 climate like Silver City.
Swarms of butterflies and hummingbirds are lured to his garden because of the plantings, not feeders.
Pines, including the charming umbrella-shaped Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea), also spatter the landscape. On the ground, Jeff gives hardy, naturalizing Clusiana tulips free rein.
After 26 years in Las Cruces — "the only place I want to live," says Jeff — he enjoys a lifestyle that includes working as agriculture agent for the Dona Ana County Cooperative Extension Service. In this role, he also serves as class coordinator for the Master Gardener Program.
Jeff acknowledges that a penchant for nature begun in the far north "compels my heart to work on the land."
Garden Tours Silver City, Sunday, May 31, 1-4 p.m. — The Evergreen Garden Club's annual tour offers five cheery landscapes featuring yard art and other decorative motifs. Garden tour tickets are on sale at the Farmer's Market, Dunn's Nursery and the Peters Agency for $5. Information at 388-9557. |
Assisted Landscaping: Don't miss the newly landscaped courtyard at Millie's Assisted Living Center in Silver City that reflects our sterling town's high-spirited volunteerism.
Clay artist Kathryn Allen contributed her time setting tiles on planters, window borders and pond facing that lends exuberance to the setting.
Donning safety glasses, Millie residents Adele Namm (Kathryn's mother-in-law), Peg Aker, Pat Gully and the late Joni Wolf helped Kathryn break the tile that turned hardscape into mosaic art.
Kathryn's one-of-a-kind handmade clay pieces — a flowery front door transom — can be viewed at the Pritiken Garden, a stop on the Evergreen Garden Club's annual tour, May 31 (see box).
Kathryn Allen is represented by Silver City's Blue Dome Gallery.
Sunny-Day Stop: Check out the selection of stone, decorative rock, metal sculpture and top soil at Creative Vision Landscaping (11780 Hwy. 180 E. in Arenas Valley, Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). A fine place to wander around on a sunny day, Creative Vision Landscaping offers a great motivation for undertaking new garden projects.