Introduction to my Backyard

So let's get things started.

These are some pictures of my backyard. They were taken on the 4th of October. While they look awesome (in my opinion), it took two growing seasons to get this far. So how did we get here?

When we found we were going to PCS to Albuquerque, I knew I had a numbers of design goals in mind for the backyard:

Patch of grass for the dogs

Desert/Xeriscape design bordering along the backyard.

As many plants for hummingbirds as possible. 

Part of the yard dedicated to growing vegetables and fruits. 

Most importantly... lowest possible water usage for the backyard.

I emphasize the last design goal because Albuquerque on average receives 9 inches of precipitation a year. 9! The worse part... Albuquerque has been classified as being in exceptional drought for the past 5 years... which means even less water. The situation is so bad, that Elephant Butte Reservoir to the south of us is at 3% capacity. Most of the other surface lakes the Rio Grande feeds, and Albuquerque relies on, are not much better. I can probably dedicate a completely different blog just talking about the water situation in New Mexico, but I digress. I'll probably occasionally rant about water abuse, but not often. My ultimate point is when it comes to water, I'd much rather bathe in it, poop in it, and have water to drink then waste it on a huge lawn that has no business growing in a desert.

Next post... how I installed irrigation in my backyard (and how I made it 3x as difficult as it should have been).

The two shrubs are naking cherry bushes. The wife insisted on getting them.

The tree is a mimosa tree. Put it there for hummingbirds.

Most of the green on the fence is Cardinal Climber

Fescue grass yard for the dogs. Going to add buffalo grass next year to help fill in where dogs kill grass urinating on it. 

Purple Autumn Sage 

Texas Sage

Red Autumn Sage

West Texas Grass Sage
note Bumble Bees and Carpenter Bees love this stuff, if it weren't for this, I don't think I'd have a good tomato crop this year. 

Lavender

Vege beds with Marigold in foreground 

Cosmos I added to one of the Vege Beds to attract pollinators 

I have 4 indeterminate tomato plants, 4 bush tomato plants, green beans, okra, squash, jalapeños, lettuce, and basil 

Peach & Apple Trees