Adapting to Climate Change in the Garden
Create climate resilience in your yard
There’s no better way to plan your garden season than looking at the previous one. Last year, here in Taos, New Mexico, the last frost was June 8, and our first frost was Sept. 8, accompanied by snow. That’s a pretty short growing season! This is not the new normal, because some years are warmer, extending the growing season on each end by weeks. Either way, the weather is more and more unpredictable and gardeners are increasingly frustrated.
Over the last five years, I’ve seen summer days and nights get warmer. The overnight lows used to be 40–45 degrees, and daytime temperatures were 80 degrees, with 85 degrees being a heatwave. Now it is consistently 50–55 degrees at night, and 85–90 degrees is a typical daytime temperature.
Winds blew strong in March and April. Winters are now warmer and drier, giving us stronger winds late into the spring, even into June when we are planting our gardens.
It used to be that monsoon season started in late June with daily afternoon rains drenching the landscape and dropping the temperature. Monsoons are now spotty with less rain and hotter afternoons. Less snowpack means less ditchwater, forcing us to use our wells, which get lower every year.
