Xeric Garden Club of Albuquerque

10/05/2026

Saturday October 10 | 10:30 – 11:30 am

The Xeric Garden Club of New Mexico hosts Susan Cersosimo, a Certified Permaculturist, Landscape Designer and Regenerative Farmer. She will give a presentation on “Practical Steps for Creating a Sustainable Landscape”.

Susan will speak on the principles of permaculture to design productive, edible, beautiful, and resilient landscapes that work with nature.
Topics include:
Permaculture Design Principles
Site Analysis & Planning
Soil Building & Water Harvesting
Plant Guilds & Food Forests
Sustainable Living Practices

Her goal is to make regenerative landscape education accessible to more people and strengthens our growing community of land stewards.

Albuquerque Garden Center, Piñon Room. 10120 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque NM 87112. Free admission, public welcome.

09/04/2026

Saturday, September 12 | 10:30 —11:30AM

The Xeric Garden Club of New Mexico invites the public to our presentation Gardening as We Age.

Gardening is often described as a lifelong passion, a rhythmic
dance with the seasons that nourishes both body and soul.

The physical demands of traditional gardening, the heavy lifting,
the constant kneeling, and the repetitive bending can begin to
feel like a burden rather than a joy. Sometimes our knees, back,
hands aren’t what they were.

We can lose a part of ourselves; our time, mobility, or patience.
Aging is an invitation to garden smarter, with more intension
and less strain. It is not about doing less. It is about doing things
differently.

We will explore some transformative strategies that allow us to garden as we age, while honoring your body’s changing needs.

The Albuquerque Garden Center Piñon Room, 10120 Lomas Boulevard NE
Admission is Free. Please join us.

08/14/2026

Saturday August 22 | 9 AM — 10 AM

The Xeric Garden Club of New Mexico hosts a docent led tour of Xeric’s Certified Wildlife Habitat Demonstration Garden. Docent Lu Lu Sage will speak about Sustainability Gardening: How Many Species Will This Plant Support. She will also provide information on how to create a wildlife habitat garden in your own backyard. Backyard wildlife habitats help support both the environment and wildlife while helping to prevent climate change. When you transform your garden into a native habitat you provide food, shelter and places to raise young including native bees, beneficial insects, lizards, a myriad of birds and mammals.

Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Boulevard NE. Free Admission

07/02/2026

Saturday July 18 | 9 AM - 10 AM

The Xeric Garden Club of New Mexico hosts John Rembetski, who will give a docent led tour of the Xeric Garden Club’s certified wildlife habitat garden and will speak on the topic “The Importance of Knowledge of the Provenance of Plants”.

John will cite many examples on how the native habitat of plants can guide successful choices for Albuquerque landscapes. Local habitats from within New Mexico and similar climates will be discussed.

John will also provide information on how you can create a wildlife habitat garden in your own backyard. Backyard wildlife habitats help support both the environment and wildlife while helping to prevent climate change. When you transform your garden into a native habitat you provide food, shelter and places to raise young including native bees, beneficial insects, lizards, a myriad of birds and other creatures.

John has been involved in gardening and horticulture his entire life including five different states. He is a member of the Xeric Garden Club of New Mexico, Native Plant Society of New Mexico, The Cactus and Succulent Society of New Mexico and is a certified New Mexico master gardener. John is also a member of the North American Rock garden Society, American Horticultural Society, and the American Penstemon Society.

John’s yard is a certified backyard habitat through the New Mexico Backyard Refuge program. His gardens are focused on plant diversity and providing habitat for wildlife and with an emphasis on pollinators. John’s focus is on growing xeric plants with a wide variety of native and non-native adapted taxa.

John volunteers at the Albuquerque city greenhouse and propagates native and other pollinator plants. At the greenhouse, he has overseen the construction of a crevice garden that utilizes recycled materials to grow a wide variety of plants. He has also volunteered for the Pollinators in the Neighborhood program in Albuquerque.

Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd. NE, Albuquerque. Free Admission

05/28/2026

Saturday, June 13 | 9 AM - 10 AM

The Xeric Garden Club of New Mexico hosts Christine Benefield who will give a docent led tour of our xeric, certified wildlife habitat garden. Christine will speak on the topic of “Garden Evolution”.

How does your garden evolve? Join Christine Benefield for this presentation about the evolution of our gardens. We plant small things, and sometimes we don’t plan for them to grow…how do we give our gardens a look of fullness without overcrowding? We lose a plant – to a pest, weather, or an irrigation issue. Now how do we fill that hole? How can our gardens adapt to “cover” for us when we can’t get to it all because of time constraints, mobility issues, or lack of patience? These are questions Christine looks forward to answering with a variety of options so you may pick and choose what might work best for you.

She will also provide information on how to create a wildlife habitat garden in your own backyard. Backyard wildlife habitats help support both the environment and wildlife while helping to prevent climate change.

After living in Phoenix for 20 years where she experienced heat, less water, and little plant variety in her garden, Christine Benefield moved to Albuquerque. Here she has a large garden and has dealt with troublesome plants and loss of plants among other gardening challenges. Christine is looking forward to sharing her experiences playing in and working with plants in her garden.

Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd. NE, Albuquerque. Free Admission

05/04/2026

Saturday, May 9 | 9 AM - 10 AM

The Xeric Garden Club of New Mexico hosts xeric member Dianne Rand who will give a docent led tour of the Xeric’s certified wildlife habitat garden. During the tour, Dianne will speak on the topic of “Integrating Medicinal and Culinary Herbs in Your Garden”

Join Dianne Rand for this presentation about planting useful medicinal herbs in your garden. Dianne recommends choosing “a few fresh herbs to cook with every day and a few medicinals for regular use in teas, infusions or tinctures. Native plants will easily cohabitate with herbs and herbs love the pollinators”. Join us and learn what other advice Dianne will have for incorporating medicinal herbs in your garden.

Dianne has been working with plants and plant medicine for 30 years. She will provide information on how to create a wildlife habitat garden in your own backyard, as backyard habitats support both the environment and wildlife.

The Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd. NE. Free Admission.

04/28/2026

2026 Parade of Gardens

Sunday, May 3rd 9AM-3PM
Iris and Spring Blooms in 14 lovely gardens

Celebrate spring in bloom at the Parade of Gardens. This self-guided tour offers a rare look at fourteen private gardens across Northeast Albuquerque, featuring irises, late bulbs, blooming fruit trees, and unique landscape designs.

Four gardens are located throughout the area, with a fifth site featuring ten themed gardens in one location, including a partially ADA accessible space. Along the way, enjoy live music and browse artwork and garden-inspired goods from local artists and craftspeople.

Tickets are $20 for the garden tour or $40 for the tour with lunch. Children under 12 attend free with an adult. Optional lunch tickets include a catered outdoor meal by City Treats and are limited.

The event takes place rain or shine. No pets or smoking are allowed. Start your day at the Albuquerque Garden Center in Los Altos Park to pick up your map and wristband, then explore some of the city’s most beautiful spring gardens.

For more information and to purchase tickets go to: Parade of Gardens ABQ Garden Center

03/26/2026

03/03/2026

March 7 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

The Xeric Garden Club of New Mexico presents “Invasive Plants and Native Alternatives” by Dr. Sylvan Kaufman. Join Dr. Kaufman for this presentation about common ornamental invasive plants in New Mexico. Learn why invasive plants are so successful, and about their environmental tradeoffs. In many cases, there are some great native alternatives that can be planted that sustain a healthier environment for all. The public is invited to this presentation.

Sylvan Kaufman has a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University. She moved to northern New Mexico from the east coast, where she was the land manager and curator at Adkins Arboretum in Ridgely, MD and served on the Maryland Invasive Plant Council and Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council. She has lived and gardened in northern New Mexico for more than a decade, where she is the president of the Santa Fe chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico and a volunteer with the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. She is the co-author of Invasive Plants: Guide to Identification and the Impacts and Control of Common North American Species, published by Stackpole Books.

The Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd NE, Piñon Room. Free Admission