May 8—Waterwise Gardening will be closing May 27 after the Spring Planting Sale, ending the nearly 40-year Santa Fe legacy of horticulturist David Salman.

Waterwise, 2902A Rufina St., was the third Santa Fe business for the Salmans after launching Santa Fe Greenhouses in 1984 and the High Country Gardens mail order catalog in 1993 and selling both in 2012 to American Meadows.

The Salmans launched Waterwise Gardening in 2014. David Salman died June 5, 2022.

"The main focus was plant breeding and introducing new plants into horticulture and growing plants that do well in our high desert environment," said Ava Salman, David Salman's wife. "David was a pioneer in xeriscaping."

Waterwise was only open for public planting sales a few times a year, such as this final spring sale from April 20 to May 27.

"We're transitioning the rest of our business to High Country Gardens," Ava Salman said. "It's just been a process. Things have been going really well, but it was a lot for me to do on my own. David was the horticultural genius."