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AVANT-GARDENING: CREATIVE ORGANIC GARDENING
Welcome ! " You Can Grow "
VIRTUAL PHOTO TOUR I
Formal Tea Gardens; Main Gardens
Hay Bale Wall; Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers
...one picture is worth 1000 words...
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Virtual Photo Tour photos are copyrighted (c) by Frank and Vicky Giannangelo.
For permission to print or use any photos please contact us.
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The photos below are of gardens we created in New Mexico from 1997 to May 2010.
FORMAL TEA GARDEN
The Formal Tea Garden was a part of a series of organic sustainable gardens nestled within a stucco hay bale wall containing three patios for private teas, and were constructed from 1997-2005.
 
Tea Garden Entrance Garden Path
 
Rock Raised Bed Gate to Labyrinth
 
Tea Garden Tea Patio
 
Triple Trellis Pond Triangle Bed & Pond
 
Hop Vines Rain on Pond
 
Goldfish Pond Fountain
 
Rock Steps Triangle Bed
 
Green Frog Sunset Reflection
 
Baby Toadlings in pond Hop Flower
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VEGETABLE GARDENS
Organic gardening in New Mexico was a real challenge, because of the altitude (7300'), an arid desert environment, and harsh spring winds. The main gardens were used for growing organic produce for the Ramah farmers market from 1998-2005. These gardens are now returning to their natural state, which in New Mexico does not take long!
“Basic to an integrated life is a dominant ideal. To plow a straight row one must keep his eye on the goal rather than the plow.”
J.M. Price
The first three photos depict the state of the land before we started the main organic garden. The rest of the photos are a series from the beginning, to the gardens as they were in 2005.
 
Prickly Pear Wild Primroses
 
Native Shrubs Beginning the Garden
 
Garden Entrance View North
 
April Garden Garden Pond
 
June Garden July Garden
 
Garden Flowers August Garden
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HAY BALE WALL
“All that I have accomplished or expect or hope to accomplish, has been and will be by that plodding, patient, persevering process of accretion which builds by the ant-hill, particle by particle, thought by thought, fact by fact.”
Elihu Burritt
In the summer of 2002 we started a hay bale wall around the house in order to enclose the yard gardens. Because the climate is so severe, we wanted to create a "micro-climate", which would be warmer from the reflected heat of the wall, and provide wind protection.
Within this wall were two pools, four sets of trellises, and rock lined raised beds around native Pinon trees interplanted with perennial flowers and herbs. The raised rock beds were also planted with artichokes, herbs, vegetables, and flowers. The temperature within these walls was 10 degrees warmer than the main garden.
 
Foundation Foundation Forms
 
Foundation Corner Stacked Hay Corner
 
Stacking the Bales Cemented Corner
 
Cement over Lath Cemented Entrance
Metal Gate
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VEGETABLES, HERBS, AND FLOWERS
“Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect's view of its plain.”
Henry David Thoreau
The quality of the food that was grown in these gardens was unbelievable - we think it was the altitude (7300 feet) and the warm temperatures during the summer months (around 85 with afternoon clouds and thundershowers during July and August). Food grews so fast that cabbage melted in your mouth it was so tender.
There were no wire worms, slugs, or pests, which were unrelenting in our pacific northwest gardens. There were a few grubs, but they didn't seem to do any damage. Once in awhile there was a grasshopper explosion, but they were easily controlled by using Semispore Grasshopper Biologicals.
We placed window screen all around the perimeter of the garden outside of the chicken wire, which kept the baby grasshoppers out. Aphids were rare, probably because of the dry heat and low humidity. Gophers were kept at bay by an diging and leaving open a "gopher trench" 3 feet deep all around the edge of the garden. (As they tunneled they broke through the side, and upon seeing light, turned and went back.)
The soil was tested and balanced every spring and fall, and became sustainable over time by regularly adding our own compost layered with the garden soil.
 
Chamomile Chive Blossoms
 
Long Spur Columbine Radicchio
 
Purple Cauliflower Tomato blossom
 
Green Tomatoes Curly Endive
 
English Thyme Rosemary Flower
Pink Cosmos
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Website designed and maintained by Vicky Giannangelo
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Created by Frank and Vicky Giannangelo, copyright (c) 2001-2011
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Home Page About Us Mossy Knoll Garden & San Juan Island Botany Basics "You Can Grow!" Workshops Composting Soil Building
Hardiness Zone Map WebRings "You Can Grow" CD's "Tid-Bytes" Insights Garden Pests & Organic Controls
Biodiversity and Genetic Engineering New Mexico Companion & Intensive Planting Permaculture Labyrinths
Seed Starting Guide Creative Garden Design The Greenzbox Culinary Herb Gardens Xeriscape
"Growing with the Seasons" Photo Tour I Photo Tour II Photo Tour III Photo Tour IV Photo Tour V
Organic Products Gardening Books Gardening Supplies Recommend This Site Resources & Links
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