Santa Fe Botanical Garden Grand Opening
 in July

The design of the Orchard Gardens on Museum Hill at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, the first of four new garden phases, is by American Horticultural Society award-winning landscape architect Gary Smith.

The Santa Fe Botanical Garden (SFBG) will unveil the first of four garden phases, the Orchard Gardens, at its new Museum Hill site during a three-day event, July 19-21, 2013.

The Orchard Gardens at Museum Hill occupy about 13 acres alongside the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum of International Folk Art, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. The orchard of fruit trees is the centerpiece and entry point for visitors. It is flanked by a meadow garden and a dry garden nestled into the hillside and surrounded on three sides by retaining walls.

The garden design is by American Horticultural Society award-winning landscape architect Gary Smith. The historic and rare 1913 Kearney Bridge, moved from San Miguel County, New Mexico, will serve as the centerpiece for the grand opening events.

The design of the Botanical Garden at Museum Hill maximizes the benefit of rainwater in Santa Fe's high desert climate. Careful grading, the use of berms and swales, passive water harvesting, infiltration basins, gravel mulch collectors, and permeable paving keep every drop of water within the garden. The irrigation is via a highly efficient drip system using city water.

Opportunities for rainwater collection from the neighboring parking lots and museum rooftops are under consideration.

The new garden will be a classroom for students and visitors to experience New Mexico's rich variety of plants, authentic culture, and the importance of water conservation. Contemporary sculpture in the garden enhances the natural setting and the dramatic views of Santa Fe.

Phase two (Naturalistic Gardens with ethnobotanical influence) for Museum Hill should begin construction in Spring 2014, followed by phase three construction of the Courtyard Gardens beginning in 2015. The final phase, the Arroyo Trails, which will be the largest single area on Museum Hill, has no set date for construction.