Subdivision: La Mesa
Address: 27 Calle Corvo
Owners: Jim Peters and Bev Nagy
Garden Type or Features: Whimsical garden landscaping features, green house, all types of growing beds and potted plants organized in groups in the courtyard.
The following artists will be at this garden:
Bev Nagy – 9am – Noon
Bev Nagy – 1 – 4pm
Description:
Jim Peters is the engaging conversationalist, avid seed starter, and vegetable garden grower. You will see great varieties of peppers, melons, and tomatoes growing in raised beds and pots, groups of which are configured in growing areas throughout the back courtyard. Ask Jim anything about starting seeds and growing vegetable plants, and you will come away with lots of ideas for your own vegetable growing endeavors. Jim is known for his generous donations of plants to the Sandoval Extension Master Gardener volunteer garden projects and plant sales.
You will meet Jim’s artist wife, Bev Nagy, in the front portal weaving baskets throughout the tour day. There will be a display of different sized baskets woven from a variety of natural fibers and plant material, and all hand made by Bev.
History of the Garden, Changes Made, Challenges Encountered: By Jim Peters
When Bev and I first moved to NM, we were renting and we had no where to garden. We bought what we call garden pickers. Grow boxes that can be moved around on wheels and taken with you when you move. Today, they form a large part of our garden and are raised up because the older I get the more difficult I find it to genuflect. We now grow almost everything in containers or raised beds.
We wanted our garden to be practical, whimsical, fun, functional and different but still provide us a selection of wholesome fresh vegetables. To achieve our goal, we decided to reuse and recycle ordinary items that we no longer needed from the garage and the house. (Be sure to find the gargoyles, aliens, old painting items, restaurant items, etc. that have all been transformed to use in the garden or protecting the crops from all forms of wildlife and domesticated animals.) We tried to think outside the box in purchasing the items at flea markets, various internet marketplaces and of course year end sales. Yes, I bought all the leftover tomato cages (we had 19 varieties of tomatoes in 2021) for ten cents apiece and never regretted the purchase. We buy potting soil at the end of the season when it goes on sale. This may not work for everyone but as an old retired guy, it works for me.
One of the smartest purchases we made was a 6’ X 8’ greenhouse three years ago. It allowed us to extend our growing season and deal with the Placitas winds. Additionally, it allows us to start our plants from seeds, experiment with new items you don’t see at nurseries and even have two yearly crops of tomatoes (our last fresh tomatoes we had at Christmas) and other vegetables we love.
We would like to thank our parents, grandparents and the Sandoval County Master Gardeners for teaching us about gardening and even allowing me to graduate. The Sandoval County Master Gardeners routinely hold classes that allow you to continue learning or even help solve gardening problems.
