The thermometer read 2⁰ but I waited until it warmed up to a balmy 9⁰ before dragging the dog out of bed and taking her out for her morning constitution. She was not happy with me. “Just think how toasty the house will feel when we go back inside,” I told her. She shot me a look and scooted back to the door as quickly as possible. Later, after our sunset stroll in a breezy 30⁰, I made a fire just for her and then curled up next to her with my seed catalogs. Like many people in cold climes, those seed catalogs get us through the harshest parts of winter. Oh, what to plant this year? How much can I cram into my garden space? Should we expand? Maybe slim down a bit? When do we plant? Want to plant seedlings or plant directly into the ground? Where do we put each plant? What was planted in each space last year? What worked/didn’t work last year? Do we already have seeds in storage? How old are they? So many questions to consider when planning your garden.  

My garden has ebbed and flowed over the years depending on how many people live at home, career and family demands, space and time allowance, and the changing weather. There are just two of us at home now, so the garden is a fraction of what it once was. Career demands mean that I just do not have as much time to preserve the harvests so that is also taken into consideration when planning the garden. 

Some crops are absolute: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cardoon, basil, zucchini. Professor Pepper has taken over the tomatoes and peppers somehow. He does a great job so that is his domain. Spring crops include peas, chard, lettuces and radishes. Those usually go in after Spring Break because they are hand watered and we tend to travel during the break. We don’t dare hook up irrigation systems until mid-May – the last frost date along the middle Rio Grande. These spring veggies go along the edges of the garden to allow ample room for the summer garden that will be planted around Mother’s Day. It’s a tough balance because the triple-digit days arrive a month after and the plants need to be well established with a deep root system to withstand the scorching heat. 

We have an organic garden so it can be difficult feeding the hungry crops like tomatoes and eggplant. The zucchini are usually dead by mid-July – the victim of endemic squash bugs. (Truth be told, I really only grow them for the flowers and the young fruits, and zucchini are pretty easy to find at the farmers markets or neighbors’ yards.) I’ve never been successful in ridding my garden of the squash bugs and have tried every remedy known without much success. Last year, as I yanked the bug infested plants, I pondered using a nasty pesticide the following year. Then I saw the toads and lizards coming from all corners of the garden to feast on the scurrying bugs and realized that I would have killed these creatures with that poison. So, back to the drawing board and letting the little critters and birds eat the bugs without worrying about poisoning them. 

The last two gardening seasons have been disappointing. Hailstorms, hotter days and nights, and soil issues all played a part. Also, there just were not as many pollinators – especially moths and butterflies. No pollinators, no crops. It’s pretty simple. A few years ago, I planted a milkweed garden to assist monarchs in their migration. My yard is filled with flowers from early Spring to late Fall, which provides food to all sorts of bugs and then birds after the blooms die. Usually, by late February, we prune the dead flowers back; they have been picked clean by birds at that point.

We are coming up with a new plan for this year. First, our compost bins just do not generate enough compost, and our soil just isn’t cutting it anymore – especially with the heavy feeders. We are ordering a truckload of compost from a local composting operation. (Soilutions collects food scraps from people around the city, composts it and sells it. Less waste in the landfill + gorgeous compost + creating local jobs = Win! Win! Win!) We will till this year, though there is ample literature out there extolling the virtues of not tilling – and our old backs agree. But, this year, we are going to work that beautiful, black gold deep into the soil. 

Next: we plan to erect a canopy of light material that will allow some sun to permeate down to the plants, but not enough to scald the leaves. Not only are daytime temperatures reaching record levels, but the nighttime temperatures are also higher than normal. We hope that by amending the soil and providing shade, we can grow a better garden this year. We usually cover the crops later in fall to eke out a few more weeks of tomatoes, so we already have the structure built. Harvesting and weeding might be a bit tough, but we will experiment with this as well.

The other strategy is to purchase plant starts at the farmers market from farmers who grow these crops right here in our community. They are experts in knowing which strains grow the best in these conditions. Another win-win: plants proven to grow well here + help a local farmer. Maybe that beautiful, overripe tomato in the seed catalog grows great in New Jersey, but not so great in New Mexico. With the changing climate, we have to change our growing practices and expectations. 

Fingers crossed that our extra efforts yield mighty plants, delicious vegetables, juicy fruits and absolute, culinary joy!

Pepper – February 2025