When we look at our backyard, whether we have a great view or a view of the house next door, we want to feel satisfied. But the truth is, the satisfaction we’re looking for depends a lot on where we are in life. Do we have kiddos chasing the family dog through the yard? Does your idea of the perfect evening involve a glass of wine and the crackle of a fire in the outdoor fireplace? Are you a gardener who loves to tend your plants against a backdrop of clucking chickens?
A natural backdrop of trees and open land is a perk of many properties here in Los Alamos!
Backyard Playgrounds
Kids love swing sets and playhouses. No doubt about it, many parents turn their yard space upside down and inside out trying to make it kid friendly. There are so many options these days for making play spaces in your yard for the kids, that you can run yourself ragged trying to decide how to fit Rocket Park onto your property. But the truth is, you probably need to think really carefully before investing in a lot of expensive equipment and elaborate buildings. Kids grow fast! You need to consider how many children you have, how many you’re expecting, their ages, and their interests before making a decision about backyard play equipment. Otherwise they’re going to outgrow or lose interest in your hard work and you’ll be left with a ghost yard instead of a play yard.
The playhouse kids dream of…The playhouse your kids probably need…This is a happy medium. Modular jungle gym for the kids, plenty of space left to run and play, and a nice high top table for mom and dad to enjoy on the patio!
Hobby Homesteading
If you’re interested in chickens, plants, and a spot of gardening before you kick back and enjoy your evening, don’t worry. With a bit of ingenuity, you can fit all of those things into one backyard. No problem. If you’re looking for some tips on chicken raising in Los Alamos, check out this post from a few months ago. Or maybe your idea of a perfect backyard is garden space. You might want to look back at this blog if you’re looking to garden here in Los Alamos. Gardens, chickens, maybe a few fruit trees, and you could be looking at a great way to turn your yard into a mini hobby farm in no time!
This particular chicken house was created from a playhouse sadly outgrown by the family’s children.A beautiful balance between lounging space on the patio and deck, garden boxes, and a chicken house in the background. Every backyard homesteader’s dream come true!
A Relaxing & Epic Space
Whether your style is simple or elaborate, the thing that really matters is to create a space that is both relaxing and uniquely you. Keep in mind if you want to enjoy a fire pit, it needs to be covered in order to prevent sparks from flying out and starting a fire where it wasn’t intended. A fire pit can be a very relaxing way to wind down on nice evenings. The crackle of flames makes a beautiful addition to any starry mountain night.
Not all of us have the opportunity to watch the sunset on a porch like this one in Pajarito Acres.
No matter what you choose to do with your backyard in Los Alamos, I know it will be epic. After all, half the fun of a new space is making it your own! Please feel free to drop me a picture of your very own perfect backyard in Los Alamos. And don’t forget, if you’re ready to buy or sell in Los Alamos, I’m your hometown broker! Give me a call. I’m always ready to talk Real Estate in Los Alamos.
If you’ve been paying attention to social media lately, you might have noticed that we’ve had more than a few bear sightings recently. Bears in trash cans in Quemazon. Mama bears and cubs hanging out in Rendija. Potentially another Mama bear and cub crew peeking into backyards along the edge of Bayo Canyon. It’s almost certain you’ve got bears on the mind!
So, how do we live side by side with bears wandering around in our backyards? It’s pretty certain that we can’t just wave them off with a simple, “shoo!”. In my last post I talked about motion sensor sprinklers to keep the deer from snacking on your favorite plants. Since bears aren’t likely to bother your plants, I suppose you could try rigging your trash cans with motion sensor sprinklers, but there are easier ways to make your property unattractive to bears.
According to NM Wildlife authorities, the most common bears seen in Los Alamos are New Mexico Black Bears. These bears can live up to thirty years and the females only mate every two years. They’re also very attached to their home territories, which is why there is less than a 30% chance of a successful relocation. The best way to keep a bear from becoming a nuisance is to never let the nuisance behavior get started.
Bears & Your Trash
The relationship between bears and your trash is a pretty strong one. Strong as in they LOVE nasty things that have a strong smell. That does include pet food by the way. If we’re in spring bear season, it’s not a good idea to leave your dog or cat food out where the bears can get to it.
Bears are repeat customers. They’re creatures of habit. Don’t let them get started on the rounds in your neighborhood. If you spot one or hear that one has been spotted, then the best move you can make is to prevent them from getting addicted to your trash!
Keep your trash cans secured.
If you live in a high bear traffic area such as Quemazon or another area with cliff side access, get in contact with Los Alamos County Environmental Services in order to get yourself equipped with a bear proof trashcan.
Another good thought is to keep your trash cans secured until the morning of trash pickup. Don’t put them out the night before. That’s just asking for a bear to come rummaging for a midnight snack.
Bird & Deer Feeders
Ever think to yourself that certain souet bird foods are stinky? Well, the bears think that too. Even seed feeders can be attractive to a hungry omnivorous NM Black Bear. During bears season, bring in any feeders intended to provide a snack for animals like squirrels, birds, and deer. Don’t let your bird feeder become a pit stop on a local bear’s food route. Remember, these bears spend their entire day going from one snack spot to another. The idea is to make the loop not worth their time.
Feeding the Bears
The last thing that you should EVER be doing is intentionally feeding bears. Think those cubs are adorable? Feeding baby cubs creates nuisance adult bears. Cubs learn to expect handouts. Expecting a handout means a cute baby bear becomes a serious grown bear problem. And, just so you know, it’s illegal to feed bears.
So next time you hear about a bear sighting in Los Alamos, remember that living alongside the wildlife is part of what it means to live here in Los Alamos County. And don’t forget to do everything you can to set some boundaries for our bear population to avoid the collision of urban sprawl and curious hungry bears. And if you have any questions, give me a call!
Gardening in Los Alamos isn’t the easiest of tasks. Our topsoil isn’t terrific. Our growing season is notoriously short. And don’t forget the weather tends to be unpredictable at best. These things never stop me from trying though. I LOVE to garden! I enjoy being outdoors digging in the dirt and begging my little green sprouts to grow. In 2020 our garden managed to produce a massive crop of the strangest looking cucumbers you’ve ever seen! Not only were they more yellow than green, but they tasted awful! However, a friend of mine diced them up and fed them to her chickens. Apparently the chickens LOVED them. Since the taste of the cucumbers didn’t bother the hens or affect the eggs, I call that a win! But one thing we’ve always had pretty good luck with is our jalapenos. Until this year…
Considering the unseasonably cool weather we’ve been having, (can you actually say that when it’s perfectly reasonable to get several inches of snow in May?) I finally got around to planting my garden last week. It felt good to get the plants in. Normally our dogs spend quite a lot of time in the yard, but less than a week after my garden was planted, we spent a day in Albuquerque and left the dogs inside.
Let’s just say Bambi went hog wild while my dogs were helpless to intervene.
This is what was left of my garden…
See the telltale hoof prints? Ugh! Who knew that mule deer would eat jalapeno plants? So, with my recent garden failure in mind, I’ve set out to find more information on how to keep deer out of the garden. Here’s what I’ve discovered:
All Deer Are Not Equal
What I understand from doing a bit of research on the topic is that different deer herds like different plants. This is not limited to breed of deer either, just because we have mule deer in this part of the country and you might have dealt with white tail deer somewhere else, that has nothing to do with successfully keeping them out of your garden.
For example, what the Bayo Canyon deer avoid might be completely different than what works to ward off the deer who live in Urban Park. However, most experts universally agree that if you can populate your garden with fuzzy, spiny, or strong smelling plants, you’ll have a better chance of convincing the four legged snackers to go elsewhere. Deer don’t like leaves that are furry. They also don’t like strong smelling plants. They avoid herbs like sage, thyme, lavender, and even dill. Things that are tough to digest like Elephant Ears are good deer repellants as well.
Even if you don’t want to choose your plants based on what deer dislike, you can sprinkle a few things throughout your garden just to try and get Bambi to browse elsewhere. For example, the next time I plant my jalapenos, I’m going to stick some strong smelling oregano plants right alongside them.
Unfortunately, Bambi Jumps Pretty Well
Fencing for deer can be costly. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re attempting to nudge Bambi to take his case of the munchies elsewhere.
Privacy fence, cinder blocks, and coyote fencing are excellent deer fencing. Deer can jump upwards of 8ft to clear a fence, but they don’t like to jump into an area where they can’t see a landing spot. While it isn’t likely to keep them from hurdling into your yard if they’re fleeing a predator, they aren’t going to come browse your garden if they can’t see what’s on offer.
Double layers of fencing are unattractive. According to some animal researchers, deer have less than perfect depth perception. They don’t like the appearance of layered fencing. So if you have a chain link fence or other see through fence, try fencing individual sections of your garden with some kind of mesh netting on a wood frame. Even the brightly colored orange plastic mesh fence wrapped around some T-posts could do the trick. While not the most attractive way to decorate your yard, it could well save your garden from Bambi and his buddies.
Rock barriers are strikingly effective! Hoofed animals like deer do not like uneven, rocky terrain. If you have a terraced yard or even sections of your yard where you have xeriscaping, you might consider adding some larger porous rocks as a decorative and effective way to suggest to Bambi that he might break his spindly legs if he attempts to eat your plants. The rock barriers have to be a combination of wide and tall in order to truly deter the deer. Think rock walls at Bandelier National Monument. Perhaps not 8ft in height, but at least waist high and too wide for a human to step across without climbing.
Treat Bambi Like a Naughty Kitty!
That’s right! The number one suggested method for convincing deer that your garden is NOT the local farmer’s market is to use a motion sensor sprinkler. Most sources seem to agree that a taller model is better than a shorter one because it doesn’t get triggered by every bit of waving foliage and the spray manages to clear the plants and hit Bambi right in the nose. It is also suggested that the battery operated version is better than the solar option simply because the spray of water is more powerful. Deer aren’t all that easy to scare these days. If you want proof of that you can either check out the deer trotting down Diamond Drive or go take a peek at the Sportsman Club in Rendija Canyon where it isn’t unusual to see the buggers hanging out on the archery field watching rifle and shotgun practice across the dirt road. Their expressions are almost amused instead of afraid. Suburban life has changed them for good. But a nice blast of water is enough to make me want to turn and run. Seems like it should work nicely to tell Bambi NO!
If you’ve got other ways to save your garden from our local deer population, I’d love to hear them! The research I’ve done so far seems to suggest that nothing works forever and sometimes you have to switch it up in order to keep on top of the issue. But that’s part of living in Los Alamos County isn’t it? Wildlife abounds and unfortunately they’re not shy about sharing the amenities! Drop me a line if you’ve got deer repellents to share and don’t forget to give me a call if you’re ready to find your forever home in Los Alamos! I’m your local real estate expert and I love to talk about life in Los Alamos!
If you’ve been bitten by the home garden bug, there are a few things you might want to keep in mind if you’re planning to garden here on the Pajarito Plateau. Home gardens have certainly come back into fashion lately. With the pandemic causing stores to run out of food and forcing us to find things to do in our own backyard, it has been the perfect time to get back to basics. Not that I’m suggesting anyone go full on “farm mode”, but this could be a really fun family project!
Where to Garden?
It’s tempting to look at your yard and tell yourself that you’ve got “the perfect spot” for a garden. Keep in mind that the climate here in Los Alamos County doesn’t necessarily make that a good idea. Sure. You can find a spot out of the way where your kids and pets aren’t likely to trample your plants. But there are some really important factors to keep in mind when you’re choosing a spot to garden.
Soil
Let’s be honest here. High Arid Desert doesn’t necessarily scream fertility. Be real with yourself and be prepared to do some soil prep for your garden. This might even involve raised beds which have the benefit of being easier to cover during that last freak snowstorm we’re likely to experience in May. Whether you’re wanting to grow herbs or vegetables or flowers, you need to research what sort of nutrients those plants need to thrive. Start with one or two varieties. You might get a bumper crop of carrots, but being successful with one thing can lead to success with other items next year. It’s a bit much to ask your starter garden to become a farm to table operation in one season.
Temperature
Once you’ve figured out what you have in your soil and what you need to add, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the potential temperature of the soil. Seeds need a certain amount of warmth in order to germinate properly. If your in ground garden plot gets good sun during the day, there’s a chance it could be ready to support seeds in late April and early May. If your preferred location is in the shade, you might need to create a raised flowerbed situation in order to provide soil that is the correct temperature. Don’t forget that you can germinate seeds and get your garden started indoors too! See this homesteading article for more information on that.
Keep in mind that full sun might be fantastic for germinating seeds in spring, but by July and August our scorching summer sun will have your plants withering away. Being able to provide some kind of temporary shade over your garden is a real bonus. Whether you use a picnic awning or a pergola, your plants will thank you!
Plan Ahead!
It really pays to think about WHEN you’d like your crop to be ready. If you’re trying to get pumpkins in time for your own private pumpkin patch in October, pay attention to the information on the back of your seed packet. Do the pumpkins take 120 days to mature? Then keep that in mind when you plant and start your pumpkin patch in June. It’s not necessary to plant everything at once. Think of your garden in terms of crop rotation and you’ll find yourself with less to do at once.
Wildlife Woes
It goes without saying that we have some serious wildlife population here in Los Alamos County! Where else do you nearly step on a rabbit when walking outside your front door only to spot deer grazing in your yard before locking eyes with a bobcat on your morning jog? Everything from rabbits to bears can ruin your home garden. The visitors most likely to cause you grief are going to be rabbits and deer. If your yard is prime territory for these visitors, you might want to consider adding chicken wire to your garden plot. You might also think about adding a salt block or corn for deer to distract them from your plants. Or, you could go all out and invest in a “Garden in a Box” complete with raised garden beds and a pest fence to protect your plants from all but the most determined of visitors. It depends on your yard situation, who and what sort of pets live in your home, and just how determined you are to have a successful garden.
No matter what you decide, I’d love to hear from you! Post your garden photos and tag Kendra Ruminer Real Estate Los Alamos. I’d love to get a peek at what you’re growing this year. Get outside and enjoy Los Alamos! And don’t forget to give me a call if you’re ready to buy or sell your home. I’m your Los Alamos Local Real Estate Expert!
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