Dirt On The Mountain

"Upon my arrival in Los Alamos in the summer of 1947, I stuck a shovel in the ground, broke the handle, and decided the soil here was quite a problem." Quoted from High Altitude Gardening by the Los Alamos Garden Club. The book goes on to share soil sample analysis: Clay - 75% to 84%, Sand - 1%, Humus - to small to measure, Nitrogen - Trace, Phosphorus - Small 1/2 %, Potassium - Small 2%, Iron - Very Little, Acidity - pH 6.4 - 8.5.

Now put that terrible soil on top of this mountain - which is 90% ROCK. I'm actually surprised ANYTHING grew at all.

If a substantial garden is going to grow the dirt needs to be fixed! The things that need to be added are:
Sand - to break up that clay a little and allow water to flow through.
Humus - compost, oak leaves and llama poop. That should also take care of the vitamin deficiency, however some good natural fertilizers will help too.

I'm going to have to dig down - remove the soil that IS there - take out MORE ROCKS - add sand, add humus - give it a nice blanket for the winter (lots more leaves) and hope for a garden next Spring.

Is it worth it? YOU BET IT IS!!!

The Great Thistle Extermination - part 2

I made it to the tree before the bees came out to play. Now I can clearly see what parts of the tree need to be trimmed as well.

This is the grass that I would like to take over the area. I think, with the Thistles gone, it will have room to spread.

Here's the tools of trade for this project. I now have one garbage bag filled so I feel pretty good about what got done.

This will have to wait until tomorrow morning. The bees are pretty thick and I sure don't want them mad at me.

The Great Thistle Extermination - part 1

Not every wild plant can stay in a Mountain Garden. Such is the case with this Thistle Patch.

Pictures can be deceiving - this Thistle Patch is about 20 feet long by about 9 feet wide. The main reason for the extermination - my Mom's allergic to them. As this project begins I find I'm slightly allergic as well. So, I stay out until my nose stuffs up - then go in the house until it clears (this is one of those clearing moments).

These spiny little guys need to be cut at the base - one at a time. I'm using thick rubber gloves and picking them up with the same trimmer I'm cutting them with. Taking no chances.

This little friend came to watch.

I can almost hear them say, "Whatja doin Sandy?"

Well that's part 1 - now we'll see how far I get today.

The Garden Project Went On Hold

On 6/28/2011 this was our air quality. Dense smoke that traveled up here from the Los Alamos fire. We closed ourselves in the house and Mom spent much time on oxygen.

Now - 2 weeks later - we are venturing back outside more and more. With the monsoon rains (clearing the air) and the fire almost contained, life in paradise is returning to normal.

The mountain garden project suffered during this time. The veggie patch was consumed by panicking critters. I wasn't able to water (and we were in the middle of an extreme drought) many other plants didn't do well at all. But these are things we face - gardening at 7,800 feet above sea level.

There is one man that, in my opinion, is the master gardener up here; Jack. He's been working the earth on his property for a few decades. He gave me a tour and TAUGHT me a lot. Then he blessed me with a book - a HOW TO book for gardening at this altitude. The book is, 'High Altitude Gardening, by the Los Alamos Garden Club'.

Here's my favorite quote from the book so far:
"Upon my arrival in Los Alamos in the summer of 1947, I stuck a shovel in the ground, broke the handle, and decided the soil here was quite a problem."
Boy do I UNDERSTAND this!

The conclusion - I have a lot of work to do now and through the fall to get the garden area ready for next year's planting.

Garden Update

The funny thing about living up on the Mountain is that everything you decide to do requires, at least, three things be done before you can get to your project. It all started on May 5 with wanting to build a small protective fence around the veggie patch (to keep the deer from eating everything).

Mom said she had a roll of Chicken wire, my preference, and to use this I would need to build a small wooden frame. No problem, there's a lot of wood up here. Over the years the wood had been piled by the corner garden - it was a mess. Not only did it look terrible, but it wasn't organized and finding anything was difficult. So, instead of building the fence, the first order of business became moving the three piles of wood and organizing them. This was a big project that took the whole morning (work stops in the afternoon because of the Spring winds that blow hard at this altitude).

The following day (May 6) the snow had pretty much melted so I figured I better get the well set up for watering (I already have seeds planted and they need water). Keep in mind I still needed to build that fence. Water up here needs to come from the well - the outdoor house faucet runs from the water softener and that's like watering plants with salt water (learned that mistake last year). So the ordeal begins by going out to the well and lifting the handle. I was smart I brought the hose with me, hooked it up and attached the spray nozzle. The first thing I found out was that the hose JUST makes it to the garden, it's not long enough to get into the garden. "Oh well - I'll still water what I can and fill up the watering can for the rest." All the way back up to the house to turn on the pump, then all the way back down to the hose to find that the spray nozzle is cracked and spraying all over heck. Now - not wanting to do all that walking again I just decide to get wet and get the spray nozzle off. 15 minutes later I'm soaking wet but the garden got watered too. All the way back up to the well (taking the hose with me) to turn it off. The rest of the morning was spent digging out the other hose to attach it for the length I need.

May 7: Composting is down the cliff - we had buckets of stuff that needed to go in. I can't climb down the cliff with buckets of compost material and shovel so that's driving around to get down there. Needless to say that was a whole mornings worth of work as that area needed tending as well. And - the hoses down there are all split so there I have another water problem. To top it off I find the Chicken wire has been used by my brother to build the compost bins. There is some VERY heavy wire 'fencing' (normally used for laying under concrete) that I can use for my veggie fence (now I don't need the wood (organized on May 5), ha ha ha).

Mother's Day - May 8: "TODAY I'll get the fence built!" I thought. In order to move that heavy fencing material I needed the wheelbarrow. The first job became changing the wheelbarrow tire. After I get that job done Mom suggests maybe between the two of us we can get the fencing down to the garden without the wheelbarrow (the tire needed to be changed anyway). So, between a 78 year old woman and a 54 year old woman - we decide to carry it. Picking the fencing up, there is a part I didn't see sticking out, it cuts my leg. Now, with Multiple Sclerosis, any bad cuts turn into cramping and ouchy so - although we get the fencing down to the veggie patch - the rest of day is lost.

Today I go to the Clinic to get a tetanus shot.

Problem #2: Deer

Face it, if I put in yummy vegetation and water I'm going to get a serious number of these guys.

Not to mention the Wild Turkeys, Bear, Rabbits, Squirrels - and all the meat eaters going after them like Coyotes, Cougars, and Bob Cats.

The only solution is fencing - but what kind? At the beginning I will most likely just encircle the few plants out there with supported chicken wire - and take my losses. But I am really going to need a more permanent and secure fencing for the long term. Insert what the land gives me. I have rocks to build secure supports and one of the most amazing kinds of wood - Cedarwood - for in between.

For many Centuries Cedarwood was used as the primary wood in this location for fencing, telegraph poles, home building and much more. It's very resistant to bugs and can stand decades without rot (and that's with nothing put on it). This entire country side is littered with Cedarwood to the point of being able to pick and choose without hurting the forest in any way.

That leaves me with the final question. What to fence in? Honestly, on my own I don't think I could fence the property - and I don't want to. One of the joys of this area is seeing all these animals, followed closely by the feeling of freedom and wide open country. There is no way I want to put a fence around it and block myself in. And one more thing, I WANT the wildlife to visit and enjoy. I am building this for them too.

At this point my thought is simply to fence in the actual 'vegetable' garden area leaving plenty of room for paths and gardening FOR wildlife around it. The actual vegetable garden area is a circle and that part will be fenced in.

Problem #1: Water

Yes, I know, I live a mile away from this big, beautiful lake.
How could I have a water problem?

First: Heron Lake is a man made lake. It's proper name is Heron Reservoir - so named after an engineer from the early 1900s, Kenneth A. Heron, who was said to have realized that water could be 'tanked' and held from the wetter areas of the north, to help the arid regions of the south. Heron Dam, finished about 1971, is what creates this beautiful, 5,900 acre lake. The key word in the sentence above is "arid". Heron Reservoir / Lake is located in the High Mountain (arid) Desert of New Mexico. This lake is primarily filled by snow melt from the north. Our lake / reservoir feeds into several others many miles to the south.  Ranchers and Farmers buy allotments of water, from these reservoirs, so they don't deplete the ground water tables.

Second: On our property we have a well. The water is nasty, smelling strongly of sulfur, and is filled with iron. The water is filtered to the house and one stop is a water softener that uses water softener salts. From the water softener is connected the outdoor hose. Beyond that is a reverse osmosis system to provide drinking water. So - what happens to plants when you water them with salt water?

The water, directly from the well, needs to out gas before it's used. At first I had wild ideas that involved buying storage tanks to out gas - and rain water catchment systems. Both ideas were very costly and not practical, just to build a Mountain Garden.

Then a little while ago I had an idea. Instead of trying to build something 'new' why not use something 'old' that already works (duh)? Around this area Rangers and Farmers build great systems of water holding that they call 'tanks'. Many of these connected by little streams to move the water where they want it. They look like beautiful little ponds to me. These are filled with their allotment of water, rain and snow water, and in some cases well water.

I need to build something like this - on a MUCH smaller scale. A series of little (but deep), connected ponds would not only out gas the well water, but catch rain and snow. Planting around the ponds and little connecting streams would allow me to water the garden by putting a hose in an upper pond - using the natural grade of the land (which until this idea I cursed - now I realize my blessing) to move the water through the entire garden area - without a pump!

Another advantage is that the dirt that comes out of a pond area - to make it - can be moved to an area I want to level out. So now all I have to figure out is how one 54 year old woman, a wheelbarrow, and a shovel are going to get this done, ha ha.

Garden Thinking & Florida

I have had the AWESOME pleasure of being in Florida for the winter.

Instead of this: Snow On The Mountain


I got to enjoy this in January: On The Way To Lochloosa


And this in January: Warm Water

As a true addict - while enjoying a FALL garden in Florida ...
November 05, 2010

I was also trying to solve New Mexico garden problems.
(I know - he's ADORABLE - but he also eats gardens.)

Picture Taken by Linda C. while visiting in New Mexico.

The next few posts - before I get back to New Mexico - will be Mountain Garden Project problems, and possible solutions. Boring to some, I know, but important if I want this garden to succeed.

PROGRESS with My Families Help

My Son was one of the biggest helpers I could have ever had. He's a hard working, good looking man and he moved more wheelbarrow loads of rocks than I could have done in a year. Thanks to his hard work two paths really took shape.

This is the path that goes around the workshop foundation.
It is now all marked ready for sand.


This is the path to Bonsai Oak Overlook.

My Granddaughter was in charge of sand sifting
and wheelbarrow riding (both very important jobs).

See the nasty mess on the right? Those barrels were for a water
storage system (that never exactly happened). One of my
Brothers helped me clean the area up. AND, below the mess
is REALLY good dirt! I think this will be an herb area.

My other Brother helped me get a perfect circle of rock around
Bonsai Oak Overlook. Notice how the rock slowly increases
in size? This is to account for the grade of the land.

My Mother bought a bag of wildflower seed - specifically for
this altitude and this climate. Those seeds were planted on
Oct. 20, 2010

Many hands make - lighter - work. I am deeply thankful for the help.

Wildflower Garden Area #1

It became quickly apparent that I couldn't finish the 'creation' of the garden area in this first year. This is a project that will continue - most likely - the rest of my life. As much as I love doing this, that thought is perfectly okay. I scaled down my wild fantasies and decided to focus on one small area, and spread the seeds in Fall. My Mama needs something beautiful and growing - so this shows the work that went into creating Wildflower Garden Area #1.

In my last post (Inspecting The Area) I showed the very first flat spot that my Father created on the land (in about 1980). It was made as a level place to put a grill. I decided that the flat spot would be perfect for a bird bath and possibly a potted plant (something for Butterflies). In front of this area is where I'm building Wildflower Garden #1. It's just a little area but it really needs some color. I started by placing rocks around the area to mark it.

The next step was moving local clay into the first layer of rocks to fill in holes. This would help to keep good dirt in stopping some of the water wash that happens with our torrential rains (when it does rain, it rains hard). This clay will pack in with the next rain.

After the clay had packed in a bit the LONG process of sifting had to start. This took several days of sitting in the dirt and playing with the sifter. Why did I feel I needed to do this? First I wanted to dig down about 1 - 2 feet removing the huge rocks. The area was also full of pine needles, pine cones, and many little rocks. I also found a barrette I lost 30 years ago, ha ha.

Keeping a healthy amount of little rocks is important up here to keep the soil aerated. I also gave many, many worms a good home. Mom loves fishing and she had some worms in a container that she wasn't going to use. Instead of just dumping them out, they went into this area (and I did feed them). After this ground was sifted I mulched in local grasses, plants, and coffee grounds. From there several buckets of dirt were added and on Oct. 20 the wildflower seeds would be planted with a few prayers for Spring germination.

This boo boo was the end result of all that work.

From beginning to end of this little part of the project was July 15 - August 09, 2010.

Inspecting The Area

Inspecting the area and finding out what you have (and what you have to work around) is important - especially when you live in the wild. Face it, most gardeners at least start out with some dirt and a reasonably flat space to work in. Not up here. However, Mother Nature has given me some real blessings for the garden area.

This little Scruff Oak Grove is on the far East end of the garden
area. Even without any work it looks like a welcoming place.
I'm thinking a little table and a few chairs for morning coffee.


To the normal eye this is a tree stump. However, it's just the
right height for a stool. Then my whimsical nature took hold
and I saw a little mushroom stool. I can make a cushioned top
for it. I think, long after the stump is gone, this should still
be a mushroom stool spot.


Then I looked up from the Mushroom Stump and saw
Bonsai Oak! I have no idea what made this Scruff Oak grow
like a Bonsai tree, but the area is going to be honored.


THE BEST FIND OF ALL!
Buried under a bunch rocks was this flat spot. What's so
important about a flat spot of concrete? This was the first
thing my Father created on this land in about 1980. It was a flat
spot to put a grill. This spot WILL be honored.

The Wheelbarrow Must Get Through

Have you ever tried to push a loaded wheelbarrow over rocks? Trust me - it isn't easy!

Therefore the first thing that HAD to be done was to build paths.

I love winding paths and they make going up and down a grade in the land easier too. I love keeping what the land has given to me. This is the area I first envisioned a path (see the second post). I cleared as much loose rock as I could and the whitish color is sand I'm laying it in to further even out the path. I figure sand will fill in all the little spaces between the rocks. There is a little space between groups of Scruff Oak here and I decided to allow the path to go between. Scruff Oak only grows to around 12 - 20 feet high at this altitude. When these Scruff Oak grow up they will give nice shade for the path and create a little arch. They grow slow so I might not see it - but at least my children and grandchildren can enjoy it.

A better view of the path area.

As I said, some things need to stay where they are. This rock is
about 2 feet wide and almost as tall as my knees.
It's staying where it is!

And after A LOT of work the path TO the garden is done. As
you can see, the wheelbarrow travels nicely on the new path.

A Very Harsh Area

The Rocky Mountains got their name, well, because they're built out of rock. That's the mountain range I live in.

The problems I face are:
1. The land is mostly rock with very little dirt. Dirt will have to be brought in and heavy duty mulching and composting will need to be done.
2. The growing season (because of altitude) is shorter. Things that take a long time to germinate will have to be started indoors.
3. Water is not easily come by. This area is called the High Mountain Desert. Yes, we live by a lake but that doesn't mean the area is moist or lush. The lake is formed by a dam to hold water for lower areas. The lake's water primarily comes from snow melt from higher up in the mountains. We do have a well so 'home' water isn't a problem, but there are water problems I'll talk about in a later post.
4. The local animals (mostly the deer) will eat EVERYTHING eatable in sight. Food's not plentiful so I don't blame them.

Here's what I'm working with:

I would guess that I'm working with about a quarter acre or less
of the total 2.5 acres of land. Nothings been done with this
area. As you can see it's rough and there's debris laying around.
I see a path right here.


On the North side of the area there's a pretty substantial cliff.


Here's the actual garden area (looking North). Yes, I'm holding my
camera straight. That's the grade of the land (and this is a flat spot).
So I'm going to have to work with this situation too.

Now realize I'm not hoping for a 'botanical garden' sort of affair, but my Mama would like some garden tomatoes. Yes, there will be more than tomatoes, but honestly - if I get anything to grow I'm going to feel good. I know, full well, that this year all I'll be doing is working.