COMMUNITY News:
CORRALES — The Corrales Garden Tour will be from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., May 16 and will feature five properties that offer helpful approaches to sustainable growing in the New Mexico challenging environment. Information on the various aspects of sustainable gardening at each property is provided by Sandoval Extension Master Gardeners serving as docents, and experts in sustainable growing will be on hand to give talks and answer questions. Each tour-goer will receive a color booklet containing helpful articles about sustainability as well as property descriptions.
Tour-goers will have an opportunity to learn about smart watering at one of the properties – linking their irrigation systems to a smart controller and weather app. If the winds are high, the smart controller can delay the use of pop-sprayers. If a freeze or rain is expected, the controller adjusts the watering schedule. The irrigation system on this property has been developed very thoughtfully for each of the 12 watering zones – much can be learned here.
Another property demonstrates rainwater capture. Multiple rain barrels capture rainwater runoff and direct overflow to two 2500-gallon in-ground cisterns for future use. In other areas on the property, rainwater is channeled to flow into stream beds and retention areas. Mulch is spread on open areas for moisture retention. Careful plant selection allows for the most efficient use of rainwater on this property.
If pests tend to get the better of you, the tour features a property that attracts specific beneficial insects to handle the problem. This practice solved the problem of flies that can become a nuisance when owners have horses on the property. The approach worked so well that when thrips became a problem, Minute Pirate Bugs were brought in and a habitat for them was created. The thrip problem went away. Enlisting Mother Nature’s support to solve garden problems is a useful approach as gardeners can avoid the use of harmful chemicals.
A two-acre property provides an abundance of fresh food for its residents as well as habitat for wildlife. Situated on the Bosque, this location features an orchard, raised beds with a variety of vegetables, and numerous meadows and planted areas for the honeybees that are kept on the property, along with the wide range of pollinators that call the property home.
If food production is of interest, a farm on the tour is housed on a residential acre providing an outstanding example of intensive growing. Using regenerative practices, this farm sells an abundance of fresh produce at two farmers markets during growing season. The farmer focuses on soil health to create his abundant harvests while using a large variety of sustainable practices.
All properties on the 2026 Corrales Garden Tour offer beautiful spaces with an abundance of native and locally adapted plants chosen for visual interest, to attract pollinators, and improve the soil, or for all three reasons. Tour-goers will find creative use of shade and unique solutions to the various challenges faced when growing in this desert southwest. There will even be aliens!
For more information on the tour and how to purchase tickets, go to: visitcorrales.com