I saw this recently. It might help.

Here is a link that might be useful: abq gardeners book

Hi John. With an average rainfall in Albuquerque of 8.5 inches per year, you won't have to worry about that rain shadow. You'll just miss it a lot. LOL

I like this site when I'm curious about a town. Lots of good information. I didn't see any on gardening but noticed they do have a city forum and the Rio Grande Botanic Gardens.... gardeners can't be far behind. I'd get on the forum and ask questions.

Also, a search of plant nurseries came up with a few places. http://www.abqonline.com/albuquerque/homeandgarden/nurseries.htm

Good luck with whatever you do. Texas is gonna miss ya!

Here is a link that might be useful: City Data.com

Thanks for the leads and ideas. I will try to get a copy of the book, although I cannot find a way to get it mail order from that site.

I know Daisy from some plant exchanges and a visit to her amazing gardens awhile ago. She is sort of in between both climates (ABQ and AUS) and this made me realize there were a lot of interesting plants I could not grow as well in Austin that do well in her climate. I look forward to rediscovering these sort of things in ABQ.

Any other ideas or advice is very welcome! I may try to post some additional questions as I go through the process, assuming this is the best place to do that.

Thanks!

I also recommend the book Gardener's Guide to the Albuquerque Area. It has some great descriptions of the climate and the variability of conditions around the city. The Page One bookstore has this book and has mail order online.

I am fairly new to gardening and live on the westside of town.

Here is a link that might be useful: Page One Bookstore

Thanks for the book recommendation, and I did find it online at Page One.

Can anyone comment on a typical last frost date, and/or when it is fairly safe to set out non-hardy or borderline plants in the spring in the ABQ area?

Thanks!

Hope you find a good place to live in Albq. A quick and dirty summary on Burque horticulture:

Sources of plant info (none are exact for Albq, as they cover many areas; look at 0-10F for the avg annual winter low & at 100F for a summer high, and you will be off to a good start):

• New Mexico Gardener's Guide-Judith Phillips (and anything else by her)
• Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes-Judy Mielke
• Growing Desert Plants...-Ted Hodoba
• Sunset Western Garden Book

Some folks will tell you Albuquerque cannot be defined into a particular climate, but that is usually due to not looking at all the readily-available climate data and observing the many, many plants in cultivation & in the wild.

Ponderosa pine, blahgrass, spruce, potentilla or aspens do poorly in town, unless they are using one's water pipes, so "forget that noise"---but southwestern oaks, desert willow, 3 species of mesquite, chaste tree / vitex, etc-etc. MORE than make up for those species that wish they were in Atlanta or Norway. Add lots of shrubs, succulents (and beargrass, yuccas, sotols and agaves galore!), and multitudes of dryland grasses and wildflowers, and there are probably more plants that thrive in Albuquerque than ANYWHERE in NM, compared to "Fanta Se", esp. Taos and even Las Cruces---we are mild more than wild, and rarely too hot or cold.

Simply put, there are two main areas of Albuquerque: 1) the city / middle Rio Grande Valley / foothills = warmer, best called the upper Chihuahuan Desert---AND---2) the East Mountain areas outside of Albq (the east side of the Sandias, NOT the foothills along Tramway) = cooler, best called the Arizona-New Mexico Mountains, much like the Rocky Mountain foothills around Santa Fe or Colo Springs, getting more snow and freezing weather, but less summer heat than us in town. But being from Austin, I bet anywhere in NM will feel more pleasant in the summer!! (and we are sunnier, too)

Albuq climate zones:
USDA 7 / Sunset 10 cover most of Albq-Rio Rancho-Belen, the coldest spots in the valley are probably USDA 6 / Sunset 3b, and thermal belt areas like UNM-Coronado Mall-Glenwood Hills-Ladera seem to be USDA 8 / Sunset 10) East Mtn areas are mostly USDA 5-6 / Sunset 2-3.

Most of Albuquerque is ARID (desert grassland and mesa sand scrub) @ 6-10" of precip / year (6-12" snow). The foothills are often semi-arid (des. grassland-shrub live oak-chaparral) @ 10-18" precip / year (10-20" snow). The East Mountain areas are semi-arid (pinon-juniper-deciduous oak-plains grassland) @ 10"-20" precip / year (20-40" snow).

The closest thing in Texas to Albq would be Marfa or Ft Davis, or better yet, a cross of Amarillo and El Paso!

It is easier and far more satisfying to embrace our high desert environment and totally divorce oneself from wetter places in most of the garden. That is just starting to happen on a decent scale in town, and it is refreshing.

Again, good luck! (and be prepared for spring winds---62 straight days without measurable rain & 122 consecutive days without a soaking rain in Albq---the record-setting rainy winter of last year is definitely in the past)
David

A few more things:

I also recommend the book by local master gardeners titled, "Down to Earth". I bought mine at the Albuquerque Garden Center book store, which is on the S side of Lomas, between Wyoming & Eubank. I think I have seen it elsewhere, too.

Also check out these plant sales:
1.
4/22 AND 4/23 10AM - 4PM
CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY SHOW AND SALE.
CONTACT BRADY WOMACK FOR MORE INFO - 343-9335

2.
Native Plant Sale

Friday, April 28, 12 noon to 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 29, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
in the patio and patio room of the
Albuquerque Garden Center
10120 Lomas NE
Located in Los Altos Park, between Eubank and Wyoming

Drought-tolerant plants
Native plants, unique and unusual plants
Books and landscaping tips
Professionals available to answer your questions