Welcoming spring in the Rio Grande Valley
Spring is always unpredictable in New Mexico, and this year we’ve seen record breaking warm temperatures early in the season. Buds and bees have been waking up almost three weeks earlier than usual. A late freeze or March snowstorm is always possible, but our farm and landscape teams are preparing for a warm, dry growing season ahead.
As farm and gardens awaken, our farmers and gardeners work alongside nature, tending soil, sowing seeds and shaping the landscape to ensure the health and beauty of Los Poblanos in the months ahead.
Spring planting in the greenhouse, hoop houses and fields
In the greenhouse, trays are filling with cabbage, parsley, peppers, basil, tomatoes and cilantro. Each seed is tucked into warm soil and monitored closely as it pushes upward. Parsley seedlings, started earlier in the season, are now ready for transplanting, their roots strong enough to settle into prepared beds outdoors.
Our flower program is taking shape as well. We are seeding amaranth, ammi, asters, bee balm, calendula, celosia, centaurea, cosmos, echinops, gomphrena, marigold, nigella, safflower, scabiosa, statice and strawflower. These blooms will shape the visual rhythm of the farm in the months ahead, drawing pollinators and bringing color to garden beds and pathways. We can’t wait for abundant fresh bouquets in common areas and the Farm Shop.
Much of the work happens at ground level. Early spring is devoted to bed preparation and compost making. Soil is amended and enriched with organic matter created right here on the property. This quiet, foundational work shapes everything that follows.
Lavender fields and rose gardens in early spring
This time of year, you will see our team carefully pruning the lavender fields. Pruning encourages strong, balanced growth and helps each plant maintain its structure. We are also installing irrigation lines and refreshing mulch, ensuring the fields are supported as temperatures rise. By mid to late April, we will transplant new lavender plants from the greenhouse into the fields.
Across the property, bare-root roses are being planted, especially around Greely Garden and La Quinta, replacing any plants affected by age or blight and expanding our formal gardens. Their roots are set deeply into prepared soil, and established roses are fertilized to encourage healthy new growth.
Herb drying and natural crafts on the farm
Winter’s materials continue to inspire our craft. Coyote willow gathered from the pond is being used for weaving projects, and this season we are attempting baskets, building on the tradition of working with natural materials grown on the land.
Inside the greenhouse and hoop house, parsley, Sicilian oregano and lemon verbena are drying in small bundles. Their fragrance fills the space as they cure slowly and naturally. Drying herbs now allows us to preserve the flavor and use in the kitchen and distillery throughout the year.
Beekpeeping and the apiary in spring
The return of the bees is one of the clearest markers of the season. As plants begin to leaf out and bloom, the bees respond. Hives that were quiet through winter are stirring. Queens have been laying brood for several weeks, and new generations of worker bees are emerging. With populations increasing, some hives may even begin to swarm, a natural sign of strength and growth.
Early spring at Los Poblanos is both preparation and anticipation. Beneath every bloom is careful stewardship and patient work. As the landscape shifts from winter quiet to spring abundance, we are grateful to tend the process and to witness the farm coming back to life once again.