New
Mexico Gardens - An Historical Vignette
Nestled against
a dramatic backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
at El Zaguan (Bandelier Garden, Santa Fe), stands an impressive
Victorian cottage garden crammed with old-fashioned flowers.
The grand hacienda and garden at El Zaguan was established
in the late 19th century by James Johnson, a successful
Santa Fe trader. In 1890 to 1891, Adolph Bandelier, an
enthusiastic gardener and anthropologist, also made contributions
to the design of the garden.
When restoration began in the early 1990s, two rectangular
beds divided by crisscross paths were uncovered. The restorers
carefully replanted these beds with old-fashioned flowers
inter-mixed with newer varieties which were painstakingly
selected to recapture the spirit of the early garden.
In the style of the legendary English garden designer
and colorist Gertrude Jekyll, warm, pastel colors are
grouped together near the house. Many of the plants associated
with northern climates survive the heat of Santa Fe because
of its high altitude and cooler nights.
Bibliography
and Acknowledgments
Shown: Yucca flower ( Yucca
glauca )
