Spring comes to the mountains

Spring Brings Celebrations!

April 30, 2012

I have to start with a few pictures of my granddaughter, Hadley Grace, who was born on Monday, April 23rd. Yikes! Almost a week ago now! What a joy and she is so beautiful!

Hadley Grace, 2 days old

Hadley Grace, 2 days old

And here is a picture of both of my grandchildren...sleeping!

Koby and Hadley... sleeping angels.

Plants are coming up in the garden! Spring arrived very early to Colorado this year, but unfortunately, it arrived without much moisture. Several weeks ago I got the hoses out and started watering. I'm trying to water once a week and keep the ground moist. I also bought ten bags of Cottonburr compost to layer on top to serve as mulch to keep moisture from evaporating. I use this compost rather than using the bark mulch as it breaks down to amend the soil, and Lord knows, this soil can use all the help it can get.
These photos aren't too inspiring, but exciting to me. The garden looks like it usually does the middle of June and today is the last day of April! I'm optimistic that we'll have a longer growing season this year. I post these pictures for myself, to serve as journal and to watch the progress.

Lower rock garden bed with very happy delphinium! There is even a Lupine poking it's head up too. More allium!

Upper tock garden bed. The yarrow is spreading everywhere. (I actually have plants sreading! Also see iris and day lilies coming up and the tips of the peony plants. I moved the rhubarb from the raised beds to the back of this flower bed and moved the Helium sunflowers.

Top rock garden flower bed looking down on lower bed. Red bed tree in background budding.
No flowers on the tree yet though. Grass looks pretty good too!
Catmint on hillside.

The Aspen trees are about to bud, and the Red Bud tree has budded out but isn't blooming yet. The last three years the Aspen didn't bud until the very end of May.
I look forward every year to going to a local nursery, "Diggin' in the Dirt" to buy my plants. I am so bummed as when I called to see if they would be opening earlier this year, I found out that she is quitting the business! All the plants I have purchased from her have always come back and have always done so well for me. I'm anxious to purchase some new plants this year for the new flower bed I created last fall. I located it next to the log arbor I installed in October. Guess I'll be going to Home Depot and Lowes instead. I'm hoping to get my hands dirty planting that bed soon! I want to fill it with Delphiniums and Lupines. I've been very successful with Delphiniums and am curious to see if they'll like this location as well as they like the lower bed against the rock wall. I haven't been very successful with Lupine, but the few I planted last year are poking their heads up this year! I got those Lupine at the Farmer's Market in Woodland Park from a greenhouse from Pueblo. I'll be sure to seek them out at the Farmer's Market again this year! I got some Poppies from them last year too, but so far, no sign of those coming up.
The allium bulbs I planted in the fall are up and so are a few tulips. For the last few years the tulips didn't do much, so we'll see if they are stronger this year! I will definitely be buying more allium bulbs again in the fall and need to remember to plant them in groups instead of spreading them out.
I transplanted the Helium sunflowers to a new location from the back of the top bed. They took over the top bed by the end of the summer. I see that the yarrow has really spread up on that top bed too and not sure that I'll be able to reign it in. So...might have to move some of the plants on the top bed and let the yarrow take over. I'm afraid to dig around in there at all right now as it's difficult to know what is still coming up. I'll wait until spring next year to move anything and be sure to mark it.

Delphinium on the rise and more allium!

Top rock garden flower bed...allium everywhere!

Giant allium and hops vine coming up!

In the fall, I used pieces of silverware I got at the goodwill to mark where plants were so that I could better track where I should see things coming up this year. The silverware worked great and didn't fall apart like some of the other markers I've used.
I am going to take the 'corral' down this year. We put that up the first year we were here as I was so gung-ho to have a vegetable garden. We constructed it out of logs to blend in with our house and landscape, but in the end, it looked more like a corral than a garden. It was our great effort to construct something that would keep the deer out. Not sure what I'll do with the posts and rails when I take it down, but I'm sure I'll come up with some idea! Initially, I wanted to build a small patio in the garden area with a pergola type cover (was going to use the logs for that) but now I'm thinking I don't want to do that after all. I'm sure it will take some getting use to once it is down as I'm so use to looking at it.

Here is the garden 'corral' that will be coming down.
It just takes too much watering to keep these raised beds moist and
I just don't get enough vegetables to make it worth it.
I think I'll do some vegetables in the flower garden area.
Over time, I'll use the soil I brought in to use in these raised beds in the
fenced flower garden area.
I've transplanted the rhubarb and raspberry bush that were in raised beds.
There is still a raised bed full of strawberries. I might leave it there and cover
it with chicken wire and see if the deer will leave it alone. Yeah...right.
I wonder what I can use the posts and rails for???
I'll also have to take out the wine bottle border I put in.

 In a week, we are putting up a privacy fence that will run between our property and our neighbors. Our home, and theirs, is located right on the edge of our property lines. Too bad...we have 10 acres and are neighbors are right there! Guess both homes were built where they are to take advantage of the views. Initially I balked at the idea of a privacy fence...thought it would be really ugly. But over time, I've decided I don't want to look at their house and they are now starting to pile junk outside. I'm sure the fence will take some getting use to, and we'll have to stain it to blend in with the house. Eventually, I'd like things planted in front of it, maybe hang things on the fence...I'll come up with something!
With the exception of the new flower bed next to the log arbor I'm trying not to create or add anything that will require watering. The first year we were here, it rained every single afternoon but since then, we've had almost no rain in the summer. So, that has required a real water regimen and I worry every time that I'll turn on the water and nothing will come out! Wells in this area are fickle and so far, we've been very fortunate. Seems ridiculous to use precious water to have a flower garden - but it is my one indulgence and a true joy for me. I will use the soaker hoses again this year in attempt to be frugal with watering.

Bleeding heart up 10 inches!

This is the upper flower bed that is new and that I am anxious to get started planting.
I want it to be full of delphinium, lupine and phlox.
There are a few allium to the left and some poppies I transplanted from raised beds.
You can see the giant allium to the right and the hops vine.
I want to put down some bark mulch in the path.

Hops vine and silver lace vine coming up...also Jacobs Ladder and allium...this is to the right of the gate.

So glad that spring has sprung!