Join us for the annual Corrales Garden Tour!
Thank you for coming!! See you next year!
This year’s tour will featured five properties that offered helpful approaches to sustainable growing in our challenging environment. Sandoval Extension Master Gardeners will be on-hand at each property to talk with you about specific sustainable features. In addition, there will be experts available to answer questions about topics such as integrated pest management and creating wildlife habitats. During the tour there will be talks on topics such as soil health to provide more information about sustainable growing. New this year for tour goers will take home a booklet featuring helpful articles about sustainability as well as property descriptions.
All properties on the 2026 Corrales Garden Tour offer beautiful spaces with an abundance of native and locally adapted plants, planted for visual interest, to attract pollinators and improve the soil or for all three reasons. Tour-goes will find creative use of shade and unique solutions to the various challenges we face when growing in the desert southwest. There will even be aliens!
A big thank you to this year’s sponsors!
Janet Arrowsmith
Features of the 2026 Garden Tour
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Tour-goers will have an opportunity to learn about smart watering at one of the properties — linking your irrigation system to a smart controller weather app. If the winds are high, the smart controller can delay the use of pop-sprayers. If a freeze or rain is expected, the controller adjusts the watering schedule. The irrigation system on this property has been developed very thougthfully for each of the 12 watering zones — there is much to learn.
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Another property demonstrates rainwater capture. Multiple rain barrels capture rainwater runoff and direct overflow to two 2500-gallon in ground cisterns for future use. In other areas on the property, rainwater is channeled to flow into stream beds and retention areas. Mulch is spread on open areas for moisture retention. Careful plant selection allows for the most efficient use of rainwater on this property.
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If pests tend to get the better of you, we have a property that attracts specific beneficial insects to handle the problem. This practice solved the problem of flies that can become a nuisance when you have horses on the property. The approach worked so well that when thrips became a problem, Minute Pirate Bugs were brought in and a habitat for them was created. The thrip problem went away. Enlisting Mother Nature’s support to solve garden problems is a useful approach, as you can avoid the use of harmful chemicals.
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A two-acre property provides an abundance of fresh food for its residents as well as a habitat for wildlife. Situated on the Bosque, there is an orchard, raised beds with a variety of vegetables and numerous meadows and planted areas for the honeybees that are kept on the property as well as a wide range of pollinators that call the property home.
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if food production is your interest, there is a farm on the tour that is housed on a residential acre and is an outstanding example of intensive growing. Using regenerative practices, this farm sells an abundance of fresh produce at two farmer markets during growing season. The farmer focuses on soil heath to create his abundant harvests while using a large variety of sustainable practices.
Join us at Sandia Bar after the tour and find out if you are a raffle winner!
Come on by Sandia Bar after the tour at 3pm for drinks and socializing with fellow tour-goers and volunteers. You’ll have a chance to bid on silent auction items and buy more raffle tickets. You must be present to win!
We would like to extend another big thank you to all of the wonderful businesses listed who have donated items in support of this year’s tour. Be sure to visit them when you’re in Corrales!
Would you like to become a supporter of the Corrales Garden Tour and education toward sustainable growing?