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As the weather warms and the wind (sort of) dies down, the shelves at local plant nurseries start to fill up in anticipation of hard-core gardeners, eager to get fresh dirt under their nails.
Just around the corner from the state fairgrounds sits a decades-old nursery that just about everyone and their grandmother has at least heard of. Rehm’s Nursery and Garden Center has been around for more than 80 years and is a well-recognized alternative to corporate home improvement stores where there often isn’t a helpful face in sight. Owner Tammy Hayman took the reins in 2005, but recently brought on her son Tyler Leslie as a business partner. The mother and son duo shared with The Paper. some quick tips on how to get those gardens planted and flourishing.
The Paper.: Can you talk a little bit about how long Rehms has been around and a little about its history?
Tammy Hayman: We started in August of 2005. This place is pushing almost 100 years old. I was initially the fourth owner. Tyler two years ago bought in and now he’s my business partner. He’s also my youngest son, but we are our business partners now. I’m trying to phase out and he’s bringing this place into the 21st century.
It seems like you can order anything online and of course there are the big box stores. What sort of things do you all do to stay relevant in the community?
Tammy Hayman: We pride ourselves in our customer service and our knowledge. I think the big box stores, they just bring in a lot of things that their part personnel have no clue whether they will grow in our sun or shade. Our sun can be very intense without humidity. I do think that we have five stars on our customer service, and we’re just really blessed with a really great staff. Some people come in here with some plant knowledge, but truly, you learn something new every day.
Speaking of learning things, what are some common mistakes that people should try to avoid when they’re planning or planting their Spring garden this year?
Tyler Leslie: We always warn people about over watering. It seems like our soils around here can have a hard time draining. People can have a lot of clay and stuff like that, that the water just doesn’t drain. So, we just tell people to make sure to check the soil and make sure it feels dry to the touch. Make sure to be conscientious of not giving it too much—not killing it with too much of a good thing.
Tammy Hayman: Nine times out of 10, our customers over-love their plants. Our soil is really crappy, so they really need to amend it. But they think when the plants wilt, that means more water, and that’s not necessarily true. We try to tell customers to see what the plants are doing in the cool of the eve—if they bounce back up.
Do you all help people find drought resistant plants or help people figure out how to create a garden that is not so water intensive?
Tyler Leslie: It seems like the gardening community here, between our local growers and the Albuquerque [Bernalillo County] Water Authority has really encouraged people to plant things that are for this area [that] that can tolerate drought and harsh conditions. So yeah, we get a lot of plants that are grown in the greater Albuquerque area that are more acclimated. I think a lot of those big box stores get things shipped from Texas to California, and they just kind of drop off whatever at each location, and don’t consider the different zones and the different climates. I think that’s what’s really important about the local garden centers is they do get something more suited for our area.
One thing that I’ve purchased from you a number of years ago, was worms for composting. Is that something that you’re still doing? Do they go fast?
Tyler Leslie: We usually stop ordering them in the middle of the winter, even when we get people requesting them then. But right now, we’ve definitely started ordering them on a weekly basis. It seems like they definitely are a popular thing for a number of different uses.
Tammy Hayman: We also sell beneficial nematodes and ladybugs. We do try to encourage more beneficial insects and worms, as opposed to chemicals.
Is there a wrong way to use worms? When I tried them, I used layered bins with holes to feed them. Can people more or less put them straight into their garden?
Tyler Leslie: As far as I can tell, you can definitely just throw them in your garden beds and they’ll go to work in those areas. You just need to make sure they’re not in too poor of soil or too rich of soil, that they’re in kind of a happy medium, something kind of lighter and in an area that is going to get regular water.
Tammy Hayman: I wouldn’t recommend putting them into a composter. I think those composters get way too hot and they just cook them.
What sort of tips do you have for folks who want to start a compost pile? I know there’s lots of different ways to do it, but I also know there are a lot of things you shouldn’t put into your compost.
Tyler Leslie: We kind of just stress that the big three you’re supposed to avoid are any kinds of meat or poultry, any kind of dairy products, and anything that’s been cooked. Even breads and pastas and things like that—even your cooked veggies if there have been a lot of oils. Fresh fruit scraps or egg shells are definitely really good, and coffee grounds are another big one. Any of your paper products, as long they’re not too heavy with ink. It is a really conscientious way of making sure that things don’t just end up in a landfill if they don’t have to.
Rehm’s Nursery and Garden Center
5801 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 266-5978
www.rehmsnurserynm.com