Building an artificial river bed at a client's property.

Today we've been working on creating an artificial river bed at a client's property in Santa Fe.

Building an artificial river bed pic.twitter.com/nNfHQN7T45

— Santa Fe Gardens (@SantaFeGardens) July 25, 2013

It's meant excavating a channel, then laying river rocks along it, and moss rock along the side. Some heavy lifting! But thankfully the day isn't quite as scorching as yesterday... Some moss rock: I managed to get hold of these really nice moss rocks last year. They're always popular with clients, and add a special touch to the organic look of any garden or pond.

Food forests.

This guy has something special to say about keeping a garden... I've been growing vegetables and fruit in my own garden for years. Something that's becoming more and more popular today is the idea of an edible garden. There are all kinds of edible plants. More than just vegetables. And some foods we know very well have the most wonderful flowers. This is a photo of an artichoke that we let go to flower last year: Isn't it spectacular?

Video on water catchment systems in Santa Fe

We're making a video about water catchment systems in Santa Fe. Living in the desert, water is very scarce here in Santa Fe, and we have to be careful how we use it. Perhaps even more so, we have to be careful how re re-use it, because much of the water we use can be recycled as "gray" water for plants and trees. Wise people in Santa Fe have learned how to catch not just what nature gives us in rainfall, but to store and keep gray water that's been used in baths, washing machines and dishwashers, etc. We'll be exploring some of the methods you can use so that your flowers and plants can thrive in desert conditions. We'll keep you posted as the video progresses. Here's how one works in Africa! : African water catchment system