Subdivision: Rural Area North of 165 & West of the Village
Address: 26 Camino Del Torreon
Owners: Suzanne Maxwell and John Kail
Garden Type or Features: Permaculture; rural; large geodesic dome green house for three season gardening; shared food growing “Co Grow” project concept.
The following artists will be painting at this garden:
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- AM – Connie Falk
- PM – Carol Ordogne
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Description: Suzanne and John promote the principles of “Permaculture” or “Sustainability” in garden practice and philosophy through interaction with their landscape environment and other gardeners. They employ gardening practices that use water and other resources sparingly and yet manage to give back to the earth to rebuild. Their planted gardens co-exists with the area native and adapted plants and animals. They love the art of slow cooking using their organically grown produce.
A highlight of this garden is the predominant geodesic dome greenhouse with climate management for sensitive plants, raised three season garden beds, a worm composting farm, and an ingenious recirculating tank watering system. There is enough room for a small bistro table with two chairs in the dome. This is a favorite spot for Suzanne and John to sit, relax, and enjoy a glass of wine after gardening on nice evenings. Other garden features include a large kiva shaped, top view yin and yang outdoor garden designed with pruned plant growth, covered vegetable growing beds, a tranquil pond and garden pathways bordered by tall Chamisa and Four Wing Salt shrubs with vignettes of garden fantasy figures. Suzanne tends to several fruit bearing shrubs and trees planted on her property.
Suzanne, Vicki Peck and other volunteers from the CoGrow organization, a Sandoval County Master Gardener volunteer approved project, will be on site to inform tour guests of organic gardening methods and help in growing,
harvesting, and trading plants and seeds. CoGrow currently represents an expanding group of growers who are working together in a cooperative manner to grow local organic produce. CoGrow members cooperate among themselves, share heavy tasks, tools, seeds and trade the produce that is harvested. CoGrow has four local sites: a two-acre farm in Algodones, plus two growing sites and an orchard in Placitas. This garden property is one of the Placitas growing sites.
Small Potatoes Garden Tour Features – RECYCLE, RE-PURPOSE, RE-USE
All that we have done here stems from a conscious decision to re-frame the concept of wealth from accumulation of properties and things, to sustainability and thrive-ability. We believe our world is crying out for this shift and that together, we are all responsible.
Household Energy
- Passive solar designed home (adobe, interior mass, south facing windows and trombe walls); minimal northern exposure
- Windows and doors on all sides of house for flow-through ventilation/cooling
- Active solar tracker and photovoltaic panels (PNM program – and available from Positive Energy/Sun Power)
- Energy efficient evaporative cooler – Breezair (rebate from PNM and available from TLC Plumbing)
- On-demand domestic water heating – Rinnai (available from Brothers Plumbing and Electric)
- Some low-flow plumbing
- White membrane heat-reflective roof that cools in summer and holds warmth in winter (available from Lone Mountain Roofing)
- Wood-burning stove
- Water heater-based perimeter heating in addition
- Good seals around windows and doors
- Energy-saving light bulbs
Construction Materials in Home Addition
- Recycled materials from Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store, other projects and original house (windows, doors, moulding, vigas, tub, sink, faucets)
- Non-toxic paint, sealers and stains
- Concrete floors stained and sealed with polymer instead of acid washing
Gardens
- Raised growing beds use mostly a medium developed from existing soil, composting, straw bales, ground covers and local manures as well as organic fertilizers when needed
- Most areas are watered by drip in the wee hours of the morning; others on-demand, but using low-flow delivery systems
- We use organic, open-pollenated seed and collect/save seed whenever possible
- Garden perimeters are constructed from re-purposed fencing, railroad ties covered with re-cycled pond liner to prevent creosote leaching and from lumber scraps found at local providers of vigas, latillas and construction beams
- Benches were gleaned from local dumping in the arroyos (“rural dumpster diving”)
- Bark ground cover/mulch obtained from the local county landfill
Greenhouse
- Solar designed by Growing Spaces/Pagosa Springs, Colorado
- Pond pump, airflow all operating on small solar panels
- Designed with a 1200 gallon water tank to regulate temperature (warms in winter and cools in summer)
- Bayliss windows that open and close automatically with the use of expanding or contracting beeswax in cylinders
- Watered by timer and drip system
Water Catchment
- Canales from the roof that provide water for perimeter plants and shrubs
- French drain to direct water to tree/shrubs
- Swales to hold water on the property and prevent further erosion into the arroyo
- 500 gallon cistern to collect water from the garage roof
Community
- Co-Grow Master Gardener sponsored project – collaborative, community growing practices, where our participants grow food and share the abundance with each other, as well as our successes, learnings and even failures
- The most profound effect of this home/garden is as an example of what’s possible. When people see the site and ask questions, our hope is that they become inspired to find ways to put these ideas to work for themselves and for our planet.
Plant Lists: Small Potatoes
Attracting beneficial insects
Agastache/Hyssop
Artichoke
Baby’s Breath
Coral Bells
Chocolate Flower
Currant bush
Datura
Dill
Dragon’s Breath
False Indigo
Flax
Fruit trees
Goldenrod/Soldago
Marigold
Nasturtiums
Perky Sue
Rugosa Rose
Salvia
Sunflowers
Herbs/Medicinals
Artemesia
Basil
Catmint
Celery
Chives
Cilantro
Herbs/Medicinals cont’d.
Dill
Garlic Chives
Horseradish
Jupiter’s Beard/Valerian
Lamb’s Ears
Lemon Grass
Mint
Mullein
Oregano
Parsley
Rue
Sage
Tarragon
Thyme
Yarrow
Edible Greens/flowers
Arugula
Asparagus
Chard
Collard
Cosmos
Day Lilies
Egyptian Onions
Kale
Lettuce
Marigold
Nasturtiums
New Zealand Spinach
Natives/Wildflowers
Anil del Muerte
Cut Leaf Germander
Desert Penstemon
Natives/Wildflowers cont’d.
Evening Primrose
Little Yellow Zinnias
Mallow
Mexican Hat
Snake Grass
Verbena
Wild (Desert) Four O’Clock
Winterfat
Wolfberry
Water Plants
Watercress
Water hyacinth
Water lilies
Grasses
Bush Muhly
Fescue
Little Bluestem
Muhly Grass
Rice Grass
Side Oats Gramma
Thread Grass
Ground Covers/Vines
Euphorbia
Mint
Plumbago
Sedum
Trumpet Vine
Cactus
Claret Cup
Cholla
Prickly Pear
Yucca (narrow leaf)
Yucca (red)
Shrubs/Bushes (some native)
Apache Plume
Bird of Paradise
Chamisa
Currant
Dogwood
Fern Bush
Four-wing Saltbush
Juniper
Lilac
Rabbit Brush
Smoke Tree
Three Leaf Sumac
Trees
Apple
Apricot
Arizona Cyprus
Ash
Crabapple
Desert Willow
Locust
New Mexican Privet/Olive
Chinese Pistache
Russian Olive
Siberian Elm
Wild Cherry
Placitas Garden Tour 