Below are some great gifts for that homeowner who likes to tinker in their yard and also save water. Practical gifts are always in style!

Favorite Garden Books:

A local favorite author, Judith Phillips has been writing garden books for decades. The book is Growing the Southwest Garden, Judith Phillips. “Plant selection and garden style are deeply influenced by where we are gardening. To successfully grow a range of beautiful ornamental plants, every gardener has to know the specifics of the region’s climate, soil, and geography.” This book introduces plant species that will thrive with our changing temperature patterns. The rise in temperatures here in Albuquerque are making it hard for some of the higher elevation plants to survive and thrive. The plants in this book are chosen to last during those irregular years of abnormal temperatures.

Down to Earth, A Gardeners Guide for the Albuquerque Area, Albuquerque Area Extension Master Gardeners. This local favorite is not exactly a quick guide. Quite the opposite, this book dives right into all the details of gardening, from pest management to pruning. If you like to know everything there is to know about growing tomatoes in Albuquerque then this book is for you. It is an extremely thorough guide for growing many of the traditional plants and vegetables you grew up with.

Tree Watering System:

This drip irrigation system attaches to your hose, allowing you to easily water your established trees. The tree gets watered efficiently and directly where the roots need it. The systems comes with 1gph emitters that are spaced every twelve inches. This allows the water to drip consistently and efficiently directly into the ground, deeply soaking the roots of the tree.

Make your own using the Bernco tutorial.

Once you have your system installed, a good rule of thumb is to set up a 45-minute run time. To know how often to water, follow the Seasonal Watering Recommendations .

Hose Irrigation Timer:

A timer that attaches to your hose is great for homeowners who aren’t ready to install an in-ground irrigation system and need an inexpensive (under $100) way to water. The hose timer attaches to your house near the spigot. You can then attach a simple polyline irrigation system to it or the tree watering system listed below. You could set up an above or below ground irrigation Polypipe with drip emitters to water all your plants. The irrigation dripline can stay in the ground year-round and be easily connected to an automatic in-ground irrigation system in the future. 

To learn how to assemble the system, check out this article.

Xeriscape and Irrigation Information Booklets:

Xeriscape Guide and Irrigation Efficiency Guide: Check out the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s FREE xeriscape and irrigation guides that you can download for your stocking stuffers.

Learn more here:

Great Books to Read

Garden Gifts – Staff Picks

Irrigation Equipment for Your Holiday Gift List

Author: Jill Brown, ASLA, is a Landscape Architect and owner of My Landscape Coach in Albuquerque. Have a question about the article? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org