The Santa Fe Botanical Garden Orchard Garden was opened to the public on July 20, 2013. It is located on Museum Hill across the road from the entrance to the museums. It is not part of the New Mexico Museum system, but is operated as a non-profit organization. The majority of the people working in the gardens are volunteers. The focus of the garden is on plants selected for their beauty and adaptation to the Santa Fe environment. Some plants are local and some are not.
My wife, Susan and I became docents to the garden in January, 2014. We worked at the garden most Sunday afternoons in 2014 from February through November and on many Monday mornings in 2015. During both years we recorded the blooming schedules of the various plants. Blooming in the Santa Fe area is usually from the beginning of March to the end of October with the majority of plants blooming in the spring and summer months.
The second phase of the garden opened on October 22, 2016. This section, "Ojos y Manos" (Eyes and Hands), is a teaching ethnobotanical garden dedicated to growing the plants used by the area's Native Americans and early Hispanic settlers.
The Pinion-Juniper Woodland was the third phase opening in June, 2021. It is 3.25 acres and is accessed through a gate at the right-hand corner of the Ojo y Manos Garden. It is a good demonstration of the local ecosystem.
If you have comments about additions or improvements of this site please let me know at klbower66@gmail.com