A New Chapter for Our Lavender Fields

Every season tells a different story in the lavender fields. This year, alongside the familiar purple blooms and summer harvest, we're also beginning an important new chapter—one focused on renewal, resilience and the future of lavender at Los Poblanos.

In Memory of Mouse, Beloved Farm Cat

For many years, guests arriving at Los Poblanos were often greeted not only by lavender fields, gardens and cottonwood trees, but by the unmistakable presence of Mouse. Whether stretched out in the sun, making his rounds through the farm or accepting affection from admirers, Mouse became a beloved part of daily life here and a familiar companion to countless visitors and staff members alike.

This month, we said goodbye to our dear farm cat and friend. We invite you to join us in remembering Mouse and the joy he brought to Los Poblanos over the years.

Farm Journal: Shearing Season

Long before Los Poblanos became known for lavender fields, gardens and hospitality, this land was a working farm shaped by the agricultural traditions of the Rio Grande Valley. In its earliest years, the property grew alfalfa, oats, corn, barley and sugar beets. At the base of the Sandia Mountains, purebred rams were raised to help New Mexico sheep herders improve the quality of their flocks, a reminder that animals have always had a role in our story.

Arbor Day on the Farm: Celebrating the Trees of Los Poblanos

The DNA results are in, and our oldest fruit tree has a name. She is a Black Twig apple, a variety that dates to the 1830s, discovered as a chance seedling on a Tennessee farm. It is a tart apple, excellent for fresh eating, cider and baking, and one that grows sweeter with time in storage. Today it is considered a rare specialty variety, largely edged out of commercial production by modern cultivars. To have one standing here, planted likely during the Simms era of the 1930s, is something worth marking.

Farm Journal: Fresh Pastures

Good land stewardship sometimes means taking a step back to look at what the land is telling you. Last spring we took some time to evaluate and re-seed our animal pasture for the health of our sheep, alpacas and the soil itself.

Farm Journal: Early spring in the hives

In early spring, we watch the hives wake up as fruit trees blossom and daffodils emerge from the soil. As early flowers offer their first pollen, worker bees venture out on warmer afternoons, a welcome sight after months of winter quiet.

Welcoming pastry chef Natalie Basarov

At Los Poblanos, the bakery is an extension of our Rio Grande Valley cuisine, shaped by the seasons, guided by the hands that tend it and rooted in a sense of place. We are pleased to introduce Pastry Chef Natalie Basarov, whose return to New Mexico brings both a personal homecoming and a thoughtful vision for the bakery and pastry program.

Seeds of Generosity: Growing for Grandpa’s Community Farm

We will be starting seeds for Grandpa's Community Farm again this year, and we couldn't be more excited to be part of something so meaningful to our local community.

Garden season and Women’s History Month at Los Poblanos

Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms, Rose Greely and Penny Rembe are among the inspiring women whose creativity and vision have shaped the beauty of Los Poblanos for nearly a century. From architecture and garden design to present-day farming, their innovation and stewardship continue to guide how the land awakens each spring.

Early Spring Rose Care: Pruning and Feeding Tips

Roses of every color, scent and shape are one of the most beautiful markers of spring at Los Poblanos. From the historic Rose Greely Garden with its abundant beds, to the climbing roses, formal plantings and looser heirloom varieties that surround La Quinta and wind throughout the property, we anticipate their blooms all year.

Behind that display is careful early spring rose care.