Santa Fe in Bloom

03/24/2026

Petal Pushers, Santa Fe. March 2026, . Read about how a retired school administrator followed her dream of being a flower gardener and is making a difference in her community.

01/06/2026

“In winter, our arid steppe climate shows us the value of leaving things alone. Grasses left standing become shelter. Seed heads become sustenance. Evergreen shrubs offer cover from wind and predators when the world feels most exposed. What looks untidy to us is, in fact, a carefully balanced system of protection and patience. The garden does not ask us to fix it in January—only to witness it.”

Read more in January Home Magazine,SFNM, Santa Fe In Bloom

10/10/2025

Cempasúchil: The Marigold of Remembrance and Celebration

At the heart of Día de Los Mu***os blooms the marigold, or cempasúchil, from the Nahuatl word cempohualxochitl, meaning ‘twenty flowers.’ These blooms have long been part of ritual life in the Aztec world. The number twenty suggested abundance, so the name was not meant as a literal count, but rather as a symbol of ‘many petals’—a flower overflowing with life.

Marigolds’ brilliant golden orange color was seen as a symbol of both life and death, embodying the sun’s power to sustain, renew, and transform. But what about that distinctive fragrance? It, too, plays a rolel—the pungent scent was thought to guide spirits back home to the living, who created altars (ofrendas). To those unfamiliar, this ritual may sound eerie, but in truth it is deeply spiritual—turning remembrance into celebration. Rather than dwelling on death’s gloom, Mexicans honor their loved ones with reverence, joy, and a spirited sense of community. And at the heart of it is a flower.

Read more about this symbolic beauty: https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/real_estate/santa-fe-in-bloom-cempas-chil-the-marigold-of-remembrance-and-celebration/article_24914425-65e5-44f3-8832-37af02ca5d4a.html

09/17/2025

Wild lettuce, Lactuca serriola. Santa Fe, NM.

Like many plants — even w**ds — there’s the good, the bad, and the ugly. On the positive side, Lactuca serriola contains lactucarium, a milky latex once valued for its sedative, analgesic, and antispasmodic properties. Though more commonly associated with its cousin Lactuca virosa, lactucarium earned the nickname “poor man’s opium” in 19th-century Europe, where it was used to treat insomnia, pain, coughs, and nervous disorders. In addition, young leaves of wild lettuce have long been consumed as foraged greens in Europe and the U.S., particularly during times of scarcity. For some, that same white sap signals w**d status — tough to pull, quick to bolt, and uninvited — but in folk medicine, it was considered a plant of healing. Some local herbalists infuse it into tinctures or teas for calming the nervous system, easing headaches, or gently helping with sleep. Others swear by a few chopped leaves in a salad — bitter, yes, but complex, like arugula with an attitude.

Now for the bad: L. serriola thrives in disturbed areas — roadsides, vacant lots, overgrazed fields, and the edges of cultivated land — where it outcompetes more desirable native plants for sunlight, water, and nutrients. Its ability to germinate and spread quickly makes it aggressively opportunistic. And the ugly? In agricultural settings, wild lettuce can significantly reduce crop yields and even interfere with mechanical harvesting. It is considered a noxious w**d in several states and countries due to its impact on commercial farming operations.

09/15/2025

Where do you find beauty?

- Parking lots
- The side of the road
- Disturbed areas
- Your neighbor’s garden
- Your own garden

One of the best part of living in Santa Fe is spotting botanical beauty in places you don’t expect. This is Jimsonw**d- in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). The most common Daturas found in Santa Fe are Datura wrightii and Datura stramonium. I’ve spied this wild growing datura in back of Maria’s restaurant for the past 4 years. How happy it makes me to drive by this in the late summer. How sad it makes me to see (probable landscape company?) cutting it down every September.

Neglected beauty is prolific in Santa Fe- despite the arid climate. I hope you agree. these gorgeous white blooms are simply captivating. I know agreed.

**d

09/15/2025

What beauty do you see in:

- Parking lots
- The side of the road
- Disturbed areas

01/04/2025

Sunrise and sundown on a Siberian Elm. Winter 2024. Who says Santa Fe is devoid of beauty in the winter.

12/21/2024

This Winter Solstice, as we mark the turning of the year, we are reminded of ancient traditions rooted in the heart of Ireland, where this longest night has long symbolized the rebirth of the sun. Though the plants may be frozen, they still glisten in the light- this moment forward, the sun will stretch its rays a little longer each day, heralding a quiet, steady return. Winter, in all its stillness and dormancy, offers a beauty all its own-soft, serene, and undeniably breathtaking. There is grace in the crisp air and the silence of the earth, a subtle reminder that every season holds its own magic, even in the quietest of times.

09/16/2024

If you’re in Santa Fe, you’ve likely admired the stunning window boxes at The Inn of the Governors, created seasonally by McCumber Fine Gardens. Each summer, sweet alyssum spills over like soft, billowy clouds, stopping locals and tourists in their tracks. Just wait till they create the fall/winter boxes!

Look for an article on the inspiration of these windows boxes in the Oct. or November “Santa Fe in Bloom” column in the SFNM Home Magazine.

09/16/2024

09/03/2024

The end of summer and fall in Santa Fe is truly unparalleled with a landscape that is uniquely diverse. Late blooming jewel-toned perennials and grasses begin to fill the natural terrain with texture and vibrance. Even during droughts, the region presents a striking and rugged beauty, highlighting the resilience and stark elegance of its dry climate. For readers who may not be aware, the climate in Santa Fe is called semi-arid steppe, as classified by The Köppen climate classification system, and not “high desert” as many proclaim. It is an easy misnomer due to Santa Fe’s high elevation and desert-like landscape.

One of the best parts of our autumn scenery is the wildflowers that flourish from mid to late August through October. A standout among them is the aster, which predominantly blooms in vibrant bluish-purple (and occasionally white) and can be spotted virtually everywhere, from roadsides to abandoned fields to parking lots. Asters are also a popular choice for fall gardens, though the cultivated varieties may differ from the wild ones you encounter.

To read more about these colorful fall blooms, go to the Santa Fe New Mexican Home Magazine, “Santa Fe in Bloom.”

-aridsteppe

Photos: David Phillips . Nature Abhors a Garden.

07/16/2024

Beautiful Shasta daisies at the Couse-Sharp Historic Site and Gardens, Taos, NM.