Summer Begins...

* Disclaimer:
My husband has been telling people about my garden blog. I'm touched that he would do that and also a bit intimidated! I created this blog with the purpose of journaling my garden progress, mishaps, discoveries, and to document my journey. I never post with the thought of an audience other than myself. So if you are reading and wondering where the 'good stuff' is for the reader...it's probably not here! I don't have any tutorials about how I did anything, and don't get very detailed. I guess if I ever acquire followers, I'll rethink what and how I write this blog. For now...I'm just talking to myself, for myself. 

Summer Begins...

Ah... June! School's out! I'll miss the kids and staff, but am SO excited to have some time in my garden! I had the last week to play (have to return to work for the next two weeks... but I'll be back!)


Here's how the garden is looking on June 10th.

I headed home on Friday, June 1st and was very excited that I would be able to stop at 'Diggin In the Dirt' in Woodland Park on my way home. Tina, owner of 'Diggin in the Dirt' is going out of business (sniff, sniff) and afforded me the luxury and opportunity to stop and shop before her official sale. As you can see in the pictures below...I got a little carried away! I couldn't fit much in the VW bug, so went back Saturday morning to pick up my loot.

I purchased a variety of goodies...and 48 plants! Gasp...I know...very decadent...but I won't be able to go again! 

Cone Flower, Snow-on-the mountain, Joe Pye Weed, Lilac, Peony, Crane's Bill, Lupine, Veronica, Maltese Cross, Gayfeather, Poppy Mallow, Echinops, Tanacetum, Black Eyed Susan, Potentilla, Sedum, Helenium, Hens & Chicks, Monard, Stone Crop, Foxglove Penstemon

I cannot adequately express my joy and excitement with the task ahead to plant and play!


I had plans... I had a flower bed that was nothing but grass and was just plain ugly. The weekend before, I hauled eight wheelbarrow loads of dirt from my raised beds that I had been in the fenced vegetable garden (now gone), so I was so relieved to know I had dirt! I worked this up in preparation, so I got busy planting.

Here's how it looked after I got the plants in their new home. This new garden bed will be christened 'Koby's Korner' after my grandson.  Since I had created 'Hadley's Patch' I had to provide equity!

Next task...I hunted our property for rocks to create a border...and placed some of the items I got from Tina (watering can and dutch oven). I also moved a dead stump from another area to the back of this bed. I had to dig a deep hole for the post (a broken piece from the garden we took down) and treat it with sealer to hang the sign.

Here are a few other views of 'Koby's Korner', though I admit, my photography skills really need some work!

What's planted in Koby's Korner:
(1) Cornflower, (1) Lilac, (2) Lower Walker Catmint, (1) Russian Sage, (3) Cashmere, (1) Gayfeather, (1) Snow-on-the-mountain, (1) Poppy Mallow, (3) Lilies, (1) bunch of Maximillian Sunflowers transplanted, (3) Campanula, (3) Veronia, (3) Maltese Cross, (3) Echinops, (1) Verbascum, (2) Joe Pye Weed, (1) Liatris, (1) Peony

Why does the blue flax insist on growing only in areas outside of the flower beds? Guess it hates water. Go figure...

The sign I created to name this bed. I have a couple of buckets of rusty junk I keep 'just in case'... finally a purpose for it! Thank goodness for E600 Glue! I tried a variety of ways to secure the rusty metal and in the end, the glue did the trick. Thanks Danneen for steering me onto this solution!




'Koby's Korner' didn't require all 48 new plants. Where did the rest go? They are tucked in a variety of other spots within established beds.

This is the list of plants that have successfully come back for me at 9,200 feet:
*Delphinium, Siberian Catmint, Lower Walker Catmint, Cone Flower, Lovage, Columbine, Snow-On-The-Mountain, Jacob's Ladder, Joe Pye Weed, Hops Vine, Silver Lace Vine, Clematis, Lilac, Poppy, Phlox, Bleeding Heart, Yarrow, Peony, Lupine, Crane's Bill (Johnson's Blue Geranium), Veronica, Lilies, Blue Flax, Cashmere, Maximillian Sunflower, Maltese Cross, Echinops, Obedient Plant, Campanula, Tanacetum, Potentilla, Sedum, Cornflower, Iris, Rhubarb, Helenium, Penstemon, Monard, Lady's Mantle, Stone Crop, Russian Sage.
*Bulbs: Allium, Tulips


That's 44 different kinds of plants that are happy at 9,200 feet!


* New for me this year so we shall see:
Liatris, Black Eyed Susan, Hens & Chicks, Poppy Mallow, Gayfeather, Geum (Lady Stratheden), Gaura, Foxglove Penstemon

I'm starting to have a 'crowding' problem. I have plants I need to mark and then transplant next spring. The delphiniums have grown so large they are crowding out other plants and smothering them...we can't allow that!

Update on 'Hadley's Patch'...
Here it was a month ago in May freshly planted...

Here it is in June! You'll also see a few more of the goodies I got from Tina...the dutch shoe and the cement bird bath...Tina made that!

What's planted in Hadley's Garden:
(8) Delphinium, (3) Columbine,  (3) Creeping Phlox, (3) Phlox, (3) Lupine, (3) Jacob's Ladder, Poppies, (3) Beard-tongue Penstemon, (3) Shasta Daisies, (these don't always come back for me)
 (3) Geum, (3) Gaura, (1) Bleeding Heart, Hops Vine at each end.

What's blooming in June -

Low Walker Catmint

Poppies...yeah!

Allium

Delphinium, which seem to thrive here...
I'm considering myself extremely lucky because these are one of my favorite flowers!

Lilies

A bulb I planted in the fall and can't remember the name....help!

Penstemon

Columbine

Daisies

Bleeding Heart...
this plant is waist high!

Blue Flax...in the morning.

Fixin' to bloom

A plethora of different plants, the largest being
the delphinium.

One of the lilac bushes might actually
do it this year!
(They were very tiny babies a year ago)

Peony???
This will be it's third year...so maybe it will!
It's looked like this before and never opened.

Iris

Giant allium

Here's the giant allium and
the hops vine which is making rapid growth
up the arch.

My Garden Partner:

Before I can move on, I have to include a note of appreciation for my husband.

He has been INCREDIBLY supportive, encouraging, helpful and indispensable. 

He is such a good sport: he 'ohhs and ahh's'

He has put up the deer fence for me.

He just smiled when I showed up with 48 new plants.

He keeps things watered for me when I am gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He may not be comfortable with it yet, but he is allowing me to use his power tools.

He hugs me when I am covered in garden dirt.

He buys me work gloves.

He rigged up a hose system for me.

He goes fly-fishing and leaves me alone to putter.

He loves me.

Projects 

Here is the view from our property (in May) looking east and you can see the neighbors house.
This has always really bugged us and was the sole reason we decided to try a privacy fence along
the property line.

A view a bit further back, but you can see that the privacy fence has done the trick!
We love it!

Here is the fence before I stained it.

Stained in cedar.
Took me 10 hours to stain both sides.
Whew...glad that chore is done!
In the foreground you can see the raised beds left
from taking down the vegetable garden. Once
I used up all the dirt, I'll get rid of the boxes.

Bottle tree I created using one of the left over poles from the vegetable garden fence.
I made two of these.
Thanks Danneed for the inspiration!
I see myself figuring out a way to rig this with lights!

Another recycled bottle idea...
stole this from Pinterest!

Outdoor Room

Unfortunately, Jaime Durham from HGTV's show, The Outdoor Room, did not select my entry, I submitted last summer, as a winner. Darn. 

So, I'm taking baby steps to create a sense of that on my own.

Started with the purchase of a large picnic table and some adirondack chairs. Still beginning, but off to a start!

I'm open to suggestions! 

That's all for this post. I won't be able to play outside for several weeks, but looking forward to getting back to it. Looking forward to lots of company and lots of outdoor time! I'm working on my porch next, so will feature some photos of the porch on my next post.

Weekend fun!

Hadley's Patch

Sunday afternoon....

Monday morning...

What a wonderful weekend...gorgeous warm weather and the perfect day to plant the new bed in honor of my new granddaughter, Hadley Grace. I created this flower bed back in the fall and with the unusually warm spring, I've been dying to purchase plants and get started! So, with only rain (and my fingers crossed that it would come) in the forecast, I indulged myself and spent Saturday and Sunday in the garden.
Gasp...awoke this morning to snow on the ground and it snowed all day. Sigh...I'll take the moisture in any form it comes and hope that the freshly planted flowers will 'spring' back! Good 'ole Colorado weather!



In the fall I created a new flower bed and let it sit and 'cook' over the winter. Anxiously awaited the big day to plant this new 'patch'. I was able to swing by Home Depot on my way home Friday and was thrilled when I found they had Delphiniums, Shasta Daisies, Pentstemon, and some phlox. Filled the little VW bug to the brim and drove home joyfully.
Popped out of bed early Saturday morning and got started! First, laid them out and thought about the future...tall ones in the back, and leave some room for Lupine, which I haven't found yet.

Flower bed after 'cooking' over the winter
before planting.

Laying them out until I found the groupings I wanted.

Leaving some room for Lupine.
The spot in the back (small plant coming up in back) is the tall Catmint I transplanted to that spot in the fall.
It should get big, full and tall.
Can you see the wire mesh deer fence at the back of the flower bed?

Planted!
Added some polymer crystals as an experiment to see if they help hold the moisture.
Finished up with a deep layer of Cotton Burr mulch on the top.
Added a few bark cookies for stepping through the patch.

Then, decided that I wanted to balance things by putting in a small bed to the left of the log arbor. So, moved the wagon, put in a border made from wine bottles, added soil, compost. Will have to get some tall plants for this area.

You can't even see the mesh deer fence that runs through the middle.
Barely can see it, but there is a hops vine in the right corner that has come up
and hopefully will begin to climb the arbor.


Now, to make a sign.
Found a couple of old boards, painted them a light green, then a coat of blue, used a paint marker to add the words, sanded it lightly, and sprayed it with a coat of sealer.
Screwed the boards on the post and added it to the garden.
I think it will blend in great when the delphinium start to bloom.

Hadley's Patch

One thing led to another and I decided I really wanted to get some bark down on the walkway and see if it would look better. I think it does!

After adding bark

Before bark

I found this old birdbath base but it didn't have a top. I've had it sitting around unsure just what to do with it, but didn't want to throw it away. So, today I spray painted it red, and used epoxy to fasten this galvanized bucket to the top. Filled it with water and waited for the birds. It's kind of funky...not sure I like it, but will keep it for awhile.

Re-purposed birdbath

Moved wagon and planted with wave petunias
(which probably will die from the snowfall...sigh...)

For two years the tulips have never come up, but they did this year.
Hmmmm?

Bleeding Heart starting to bloom!

Added four wheel barrow loads of soil to top of the rock wall. Ugly now...just wait!
Thinking of using some succulents here and also put down some seeds...
Haven't gotten to the pot or the box under the window.

Added petunias and planted lavender in wooded pot.
Wonder if they'll survive the snow?

Bleed Heart and also down by the birdbath.

Leaves are out on the Red Bud tree and it's getting ready to bloom.
I love the way it smells when it is blooming!
I hope the snow doesn't knock the blooms off.
In a month or so, this tree will be a solid red.

It was a great weekend outdoors! So happy to be back in the garden..it was worth the sun burn! 

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!