Column: Santa Fe in Bloom

Botanical Garden prepares to flourish

By: Carole Langrall
Published online: Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Appeared in: Home, Santa Fe Real Estate Guide
Edition: January 2012 Vol. 14 No. 10

Santa Fe has a very rich history. Just ask the plants. One example is the Santa Fe Botanical Garden (SFBG), where ground is being tilled to prepare for the organization’s newest garden. It will offer visitors unique insights into the region’s floral past, present and future.

SFBG is leasing a 13-acre lot on Museum Hill that will house four diverse gardens: The Orchard Gardens, The Naturalistic Gardens, The Courtyard Gardens, and the Arroyo Trails. Each garden is interconnected, yet features a distinct multi-sensory journey into Northern New Mexico’s plant world.

Executive Director Linda Milbourn says the staff and volunteers are euphoric. “We see the gardens as an organic opportunity to preserve an important history of Santa Fe botanicals while connecting with local artists and exhibitions,” she said.

The design and construction process will take place in several phases into 2013.

Ground was recently broken, on Nov. 4, 2011, to plant an orphaned bridge rescued from Las Vegas, New Mexico. The Kearny Gap Bridge, a once-abandoned structure, was purchased by the SFBG from private owners. It is nearly 100 years old and spans 62 feet long by 16 feet wide. The bridge will connect the area between the Arroyo de los Piños to the rest of the gardens and will be positioned in such a way that passersby can catch a glimpse of the Jemez Mountain range.

To access the gardens, visitors will walk through a bountifully lined path of heirloom fruit trees, including apple, apricot, peach, pear and plum. The tree cultivars were introduced to Santa Fe by original settlers to the area and tell the history of Santa Fe’s prolific yet diverse gardens. The Orchard Garden will begin planting in the spring of 2012.

Follow arbors laden heavy in fragrant wisteria and you’ll come to the Courtyard Gardens, where there are plenty of places to admire the view. The Heirloom Courtyard will feature plants such as hollyhocks and lilac that are evocative of earlier days. The Fiesta Courtyard will host concerts and events. You’ll find folkloric murals and painted walls by santero Ramón José Lopez in the “Jewel box,” while the Alexander Girard garden will teem with lush succulents, including sedums and agave, all complimentary of Girard’s textile genius.

Cross the bridge and experience the Naturalistic Garden on the far side of the arroyo. Sweeping grasses and natural, native plants dot the landscape that includes an ethnobotanical garden. Tom Joyce will create an artwork that will emerge from the earth, reflecting the soul of the garden.

Walk down to the Arroyo Trails and experience a diversity in wildlife and native plants such as chamisa and sages. Follow the bike and walking trails, and be sure to bring your dog, as he or she is welcome. Large, organic boulders will provide seating for nature gazing and meditation. The trails are projected to be open by 2012.

If you fall in love with the flowers the Botanical Garden is planting, you will have the opportunity to purchase them in May 2012, when organizers offer a sample plant sale. Private walking tours of the site are available by appointment. For memberships, donations, or more information, visit www.santafebotanicalgarden.org, or call 471-9103.

Carole Langrall has worked in the flower industry for more than 22 years and recently moved her award-winning floral design studio to New Mexico. She often lectures on the importance of buying locally grown flowers and is a consultant for beautification projects with local communities, encouraging the use of native flowers and plants. Find her at agardenofearthlydelights.net.