Click here to download the map for the 2025 Placitas Garden Tour.
Click here to download the 2025 Artists’ Schedules at the Gardens.
1. Bienvenido al Jardin de Viento
Subdivision: Homesteads
Owner/ Designer: Randy Martinez and Terry Timm
Garden Type or Features: The owners have used the design expertise of Judith Phillips for both concept and plant selection to upgrade this beautiful hilltop landscape for sustainability.
Artist in the Garden: David and Karen Croxton.
Description: Randy and Terry are on their second year of an extensive and nearly complete makeover of their landscape after moving into their Placitas dream home. Only a pear tree, a handful of shrubs, and a few Yuccas remain from the original landscape. The owners have used the design expertise of Judith Phillips for both concept and plant selection.
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2. The Oasis Garden II
Subdivision: Tierra Madre
Owner: Barbara Reeback and Del Packwood
Garden Type or Features: Well established oasis style garden.
Artist in the Garden: Katie Thomas.
Description: Barb and Del have lived on this corner property, easily recognized by the Model T and stand of junipers lining the driveway, and towering cottonwoods in the back, since 1992. They made significant changes to the landscape during the early years, to create an outdoor retreat. Their garden was on the inaugural Spring 2016 garden tour. Today there are fewer cottonwood trees, but the garden remains a cooling oasis.
The front entry sculpture is affectionately known as “Muffler Bitch”, replacing one of the cottonwoods. The front lawn bordered by perennial shrubs continues around the south patio, providing a cooling effect to the home’s passive solar construction. The iconic Mark White “Blooming Lily” remains a focus of the south garden. The glider, rebuilt with Canadian friends, enjoys a great view and a firepit made from a water heater top.
3. The Blooming Sanctuary
Subdivision: Tierra Madre
Owner/ Designer: Nina Amir Lacey and Ron Lacey
Garden Type or Feature: Spring-fall blooming, low water use landscape with labyrinth.
Artist in the Garden: Lisa Avila.
Description: Nina was influenced by her late mother, an avid gardener who loved roses. After her death, Nina commissioned an install of the landscape plan designer Judith Phillips created for them, which includes a memorial rose garden. The couple started planning for their high desert landscape in 2022, when they purchased the then 20-year-old property. Phillips created a spring-fall blooming, low-water use landscape complete with a labyrinth. In the summer of 2023, Jesus and Miguel Sotelo of MAS Landscaping carried out Judith’s plan, including irrigation.
4. Pollinator Fiesta
Subdivision: Anasazi Trails
Owner/ Designer: Sunel and Alwyn Vanderwalt
Garden Type or Features: Mature landscaping and trees, beautifully hardscaped patio courtyards, vignette planting, arroyo slope-side pueblo style erosion control
Artist in the Garden: Laura Robbins.
Description: Sunel and Alwyn have gardened on this property for a decade. You may recall that their garden was featured in the 2021 Placitas Garden Tour. At that time the owners had just completed on their own an erosion control landscaping project on their south facing arroyo slope using Zuni Bowl soil sponges and meandering constructed pathways to slow and divert the flow of landscape water. Sunel loves to sit on a bench in this area in late spring looking at the mountain view.
5. High Desert Paradise
Subdivision: Petroglyphs
Owner: Leo and Deb Basquez
Garden Type or Features: Beautiful conifer trees, fruit trees, cacti, grape vines, roses, and native plants.
Artist in the Garden: William O’Brien.
Description: Leo and Deb purchased this property 10 years ago as a place to retire. Leo just retired from his Bernalillo custom wood business this past year. Garden Tour visitors will be amazed at what Leo has accomplished during the last 10 years. Leo truly has a green thumb and an eye for good design.
6. Landscape, Community, Garden Art and Family Fun
Subdivision: 453 NM-165
Owner/ Designer: Placitas Community Library (PCL)
Garden Type or Features: Award winning native plant landscape with stunning labyrinth.
Artist in the Garden: Tom Salazar.
Description: The Placitas Community Library (PCL) has been an integral part of the annual Placitas Garden Tour (PGT) since 2016. With an award-winning xeric landscape maintained by Sandoval Extension Master Gardeners, library and community volunteers, this is a perfect setting for horticultural related activities. Recent garden certifications include the ABQ Backyard Refuge “Connecting Habitat” garden in 2024, a USDA “People’s Choice” garden in 2022, and a “National Wildlife Federation” garden in 2011.
