This picture was taken this month at one of the nicest xeric landscaped professional buildings in Tucumcari, NM. I'd admired this willow all spring, but was surprized at it's graceful bark and pods, which are best displayed in the winter.
A quick trip inside to Kelly McFarland's at 314 S 2nd, and I got permission to post the picture. Kelly is one of our accountants, and you can bet his water bill had something to do with his decision to go with a dry landscape.
I wanted to emphasize the willow in this picture, but Kelly has one of the all-round most attractive Xeriscapes(TM) in this part of New Mexico. He even has a wooden sculpture on the porch as you enter the building. I'll probably show you more of his plantings in a future article on commercial xeric landscaping.
If you're interested in planting a desert willow or two you'll want to remember they grow quickly to small tree or tall shrub heighth. They're native to our arroyos and love the warmth of the desert floor, so don't plan on planting a desert willow if you live above 5,500 feet.
Looking for a Xeric Houseplant?
One of the surprizes in my move to Tucumcari is a house plant, one I'd never planted inside before: Vinca Major, or Giant Periwinkle. I've got a purple one growing in my kitchen window. This is the second year for my Vinca, and it is a perfect fit for a window box that runs the length of the window over the sink. It's blooms cheer my south-facing windows, although I enjoyed my tomatoes in that location last year.
Periwinkle is also a good ground cover for this area. But, if you're looking for a low-maintenance, low-water houseplant, you might want to try Vinca Major. I water mine once a week; twice a week if I crank up the heat in the winter.
TAKE THE TRACTOR TO NEW YORK CITY
Farmers are being encouraged to till less. Disturbing the soil reduces its moisture, and we're facing a predicted twenty - five year drought in most parts of North America. Keeping our tractors off our soil therefore saves water.
I've written a children's book which looks at this recommendation from a different view and I'll be posting it on the Internet sometime soon. The graphics on this page aren't large enough to display a book-sized picture, or I'd put the complete book up as an article. But, I thought you might enjoy seeing the cover of the future e-book which takes a slightly humorous look at water conservation techniques.
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