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GIANNANGELO FARMS SOUTHWEST
AVANT-GARDENING: CREATIVE ORGANIC GARDENING

ABOUT GIANNANGELO FARMS SOUTHWEST High Altitude Organically Grown Formal Gardens in Northwestern New Mexico

GIANNANGELO FARMS
We started in 1986 on San Juan Island, Washington - an island off the coast of Washington State, 10 miles from the bottom of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We started with a small vegetable garden plot in our back yard, which was nestled within a 2 acre cleared area surrounded by old growth Western Red cedar, Hemlock, Alder, and Douglas fir. Next we built a 60 x 80 concentric circular herb garden with interlocking paths, trellises, and a central focal point with a birdbath surrounded by creeping phlox, lilies, and different varieties and colors of creeping thyme.

The beds in between the interlocking circular pathways were filled with many varieties of each herb - sage, thyme, mint, rosemary, oregano, lavender, catnip and catmints, and others - including anise hyssop, hyssop, comfrey, horehound, ornamentals, French sorrel, and a Bay tree. All these herbs were set against a backdrop of bamboo planted behind an old cedar stump.

Local interest prompted building another garden area with fruit trees surrounded by more paths, beds, and trellises. The beds defined by these paths were filled with many varieties of annual and perennial flowers. Assorted berries were espaliered to 8 short trellises, which radiated out from an old red cedar stump. The third area was a terraced hillside and with beds made of red cedar rails. Here we grew raspberries, 34 varieties of garlic, saffron, artichokes, and strawberries, as well as annual vegetables.

All the garden areas were fenced to keep out the deer, which made themselves at home on the grass beside the three ponds below the gardens. Paths leading to the entrances of these gardens were lined with beds made in formal patterns. Soon, it became a business. We started making herbed vinegars, potpourri, dried flower arrangements, and culinary herbs and we sold them out of our converted front porch enclosed "store".

We serviced restaurants and resorts on the island, participated in the farmer's market on Saturdays. We were open to the public every day from 11-5 throughout the year and we sold fresh organic herbs, flowers, and vegetables right out of the gardens.

After expanding as much as we could handle without hiring anyone, we sold our business in 1993 and moved to Arizona, where we spent three years creating and coordinating the building of a large formal herb and vegetable garden for a private community.

We are now living in northwestern New Mexico in an area presenting many challenges, altitude, erratic spring weather, a short growing season, and a 7,300 ft. high desert environment, which is allowing us to use our experience and creativity to establish Giannangelo Farms Southwest.

A sustainable organic gardening CD Rom is for sale on our website, and we give Rockwork, Labyrinth, Strawbale Wall, Permaculture, and Sustainable Organic Gardening Workshops during the year.

You can suscribe to our monthly newsletter "Avant-Gardening Tid-Bytes" featuring insights into the creative
and spiritual aspects of organic gardening.

ABOUT NEW MEXICO The Land of Enchantment

New Mexico has:

A semi-arid subtropical climate.   There is light precipitation, abundant sunshine, and low relative humidity. Humidities range from 60% (mornings) to 30% (afternoons).  All of New Mexico receives at least 70% sunshine year-round, and is called the "The Land of Enchantment."
New Mexico is also known as "The Sunshine State."

New Mexico's climate:
Varies considerably. December-March snowfalls range from less than two inches annually in the lower Rio Grande Valley to as much as 300 inches in the mountains of north-central New Mexico.  Higher elevations tend to be cooler throughout the year.  Be prepared for cold weather in the winter, nights can reach -20.  In the early spring and late fall temperatures can vary from 20 degrees at night to 70 decrees during the day.  Total precipitation ranges from an annual high of 25.7 inches in Cloudcroft to a low of 8 inches in Las Cruces.  Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August.
New Mexico's population:
There are only 1.7 million people living in New Mexico, ranking it 36th of the 50 states.  A 300-mile corridor through the center of the state, running along the Rio Grande Valley, contains over half of the state's population.  Statewide population is growing - net immigration from 1990 to 1995 averaged 16,800 per year - a 10% overall population increase.  A population increase of 1.8% between 1994 and 1995 was the 7th highest in the nation.
New Mexico's:
STATE SONG      -      "O, Fair New Mexico"
STATE TREE      -      Pinon
STATE BIRD      -      Road Runner
STATE ANIMAL      -      Black Bear
STATE GEM      -      Turquoise
STATE INSECT      -      Trantula Hawk Wasp
STATE COOKIE      -      Biscochito
STATE MOTTO      -      "It Grows as it Goes"
STATE FLOWER      -      Yucca
STATE GRASS      -      Blue Grama
STATE FISH      -      New Mexico Cutthroat Trout
STATE VEGETABLES      -      Chile & frijoles (pinto beans)
STATE FOSSIL      -      Coelophysis dinosaur
STATE SLOGAN      -      "Everybody is somebody in New Mexico"
STATE QUESTION      -      "Red or Green?" (chilie)
STATE NICKNAME      -      "Land of Enchantment"

       VISIT OUR ORGANICALLY GROWN GARDENS
     An expression of personal creativity

        • Patterned raised beds
        • Trellises, ponds, vines
        • Culinary herbs, vegetables, berries, and fruits
        •Open to the public by appointment.
        • For information/reservations/lodging/travel arrangementscontact us

Website designed and maintained by Giannangelo Farms Southwest Feedback? Comments, questions, suggestions? contact us Created by Frank and Vicky Giannangelo, copyright (c) 2001-2008 by Giannangelo Farms Southwest

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