I'm a life member of NARGS, New Mexico Native Plant Society, and member of several other botanical and horticultural societies, but have been absent from the social scene for several years.
I've been living in this house for about 10 years and have done little actual gardening, except for the entry way, much of which had to be removed prior to last year's construction. Instead, I've been trying to restore my 1.75 acres of native grassland from a couple hundred years of overgrazing. This entails removing weeds, shrubs and a much-too-dense population of Cylindropuntia imbricata, and introducing forbs that should be here. It's slow going. Most of the native dryland species don't like being transplanted, and direct seeding is inefficient. I think I have a few species finally established, and will spread locally-collected seed again this year.
I had some pretty decent rock gardens and perennial beds associated with my previous home. Perhaps some of the NARGS and Penstemon Society old timers saw it. I'll try to find and digitize slides of it.
Last year, I had some major renovations performed on my home and have several new garden areas as a result! I need help with the hardscape and hard labor now, but hope that I'm still a pretty decent designer and grower. I have at least one rock garden planned, and another area that will include perennials and mat-forming plants along with plenty of local stone. In some areas, I will keep to color schemes and try for a sequence of bloom throughout the growing season. In others, I'll probably fall prey to "plant collector syndrome!"
I have a passion for photographing native plants in habitat. This is the first year when the southern New Mexico desert received enough winter moisture to bloom. I've taken one road trip already, and am heading down again this weekend. Since I still use film, I'll have to develop and digitize slides before posting photos both here and on my Facebook page.
See y'all at the annual meeting, and maybe Eriogonum and Penstemon Society meetings too!