Gardening here in New Mexico isn’t easy. Between the dry climate, the poor soil and the high altitude, we’re battling a few different enemies to lush plant life.

Our high desert garden sits at 7,000 ft elevation. The growing season is relatively short, the nights are cold, the days are hot, and the sun is very intense.

The dry air is taxing on all living creatures who make their home here, too. But food can still be grown, if a person has a can-do attitude and is willing to fail a lot at first.

That’s just what we did: we failed. And even now, our results are not perfect! But we’ve made a little progress here and there over the years. Everything we write about our garden is from first-person perspective; you get a front-row seat on our gardening experience through this blog. I’ll share what has worked, what has failed, and what is still a work-in-progress.

*Short-Season Crops: What grows in a short, unpredictable gardening season

*Soil Improvement Strategies: Ways to improve dense, clay-heavy soil over time

*Short-Season Planting: How to plant to make the most of limited growing months

*Water-Wise Gardening: Overcoming dry conditions with crop selection and watering strategies

*Perennial Gardening: How to select perennials that are cold-hardy and will return each year

A picture-perfect garden is not our goal. Rather, the goal is to create a food-growing system that is sustainable not only for the earth but also for the gardener (you!). The first time we planted a garden, it was a grand experiment. Now, we’re really trying to construct systems that will be sustainable and repeatable in the long term. We’re trying to create a gardening space that works with the environment rather than against it.

Start Here:

• What Grows Well at 7,000 ft
• My 12 Core Crops for a Reliable Mountain Garden
• 4 Ways to Improve Clay Soil Over Time
• 6 Ways to Prepare for a Short Growing Season

A great gardener doesn’t get caught up in fighting the land; she learns from it and adjusts accordingly.

-Bea