Time Flies

Christmas is over.. coming up on a New Year.  I look forward to a new year and a new season.  I put in a lot of plants this past summer and am excited to see what comes back and what doesn't.  I tried to fence in my plant areas in the backyard to deter the dogs from trappling all over my flower beds.  It has helped, but not all the time.

In looking back over the past few years, I have tried to determine where I falter in my gardening.  I have learned what plants work best in what areas of my yard.  Trying to match watering needs to areas of the yard where I can water and where I don't water as much.  That seems to be a big help in keeping the garden growing.

I also will be watering more consistently.  Watching rainfall and where and when I need to supplement my garden.

I got my first garden catalog for the season.  High Country Gardens, which focuses on perennials flower gardens.  It keeps me focused on plants that work for Colorado and also shows water needs so that I can make better choices for what plant should go where.

So this season will be WATERING and FERTILIZING.  Two things that I am inconsistent about doing.

For my garden journal I want to put up more pictures... especially this time of year there is a lot of enjoyment in looking at the pictures of what my yard looks like at different phases of the growing season.  It is so easy to forget how full the garden is when it is always changing.  Time to peruse the seed and plant catalogs and plan for the upcoming season.  I think I look forward to Christmas, not because I can't wait for Christmas, but cause once it's past, it is time for looking forward to the changing of the seasons once again.

November?

No way, it can't be November already.  Worse yet... it can't be the end of November with just a few days to December.  Wait, let me check my calendar......

...... Yep, it's correct... November with December just around the corner. 

Spent the month of August painting my house. It looks great. 

And now it's July

The calendar is slipping by... one day becomes the next before I know it. This summer has been busy. The rain has started coming again. It has it been raining. Like clockwork, afternoon, here comes the rain. The garden is growing... green everywhere. (Weeds, included). Time for vacation, leaving in a couple of days. I won't have time to weed. I won't have time to plant the last of the plants.

I took back a pile of empty pots to recycle. It is scary how many pots I gather up in just one season. I am really happy with how the garden has progressed this year. The rain has helped. I want to keep the momentum going for next year... (what, already planning for next year? isn't that what gardeners do?).  When I get back from my trip I will post pictures and progress photos. The side garden is filling in nicely. The pond area has been replanted. This year I put up a fence to keep the dogs from trampling over everything... so hope that helps everything survive.

Cleaned the east and west side of the yard. And this fall it will be time to manicure and prep for next year. Put the yard to bed with a nice layer of compost and mulch.. to enrich the soil for some fruit trees on the east side of the yard.

Also prepping to paint. And have lots of ideas in mind for splashing color all over the garden. I spend too much time at my other jobs so much so that I don't get enough time to work in my yard. So little changes here and there are the best I can do... for now.

Have a great rest of July... Later.

June

First weekend in June. May went by in a blur... it has been so busy that I haven't had time to post anything on my garden blog. But not for lack of doing anything in the garden. The garden center has been BUSY also. I am working five days at the center this summer... three are part time after work at the school. Sounds like I'll be able to increase my hours on those three days once school is out.. which will be just fine with me... extra hours will help a lot. The first full weekend in May was packed at the garden center as that was Mother's day, the next two weekends were quiet due to the weather turning cold and wet... nice to have the moisture tho. The last weekend in May was busy again. Memorial day was hopping also. Glad to see the customers come in.

I can't wait for school to finish for the year so that I can have some full days off to spend time in the garden right now I have been working a few hours here and a few hours there to get my work done in the yard.

I have put in about half of the perennials that I brought home. I have a whole lot more to put in. Hoping to plug away at it over the next week. I plan to work on the rock garden this summer as quite a few of the plants that I picked up are for the rock garden. I also put in two more raised beds in the veggie garden. I decided to use blocks that are laying around the yard instead of buying lumber. The money saved will go for picking up soil. Now I want to lay landscape fabric and stone in the walkways between the beds.

I did a walk through of my garden and there are so many plants from last year that have come back and are looking so good. I am fertilizing the plants this summer, something I haven't really paid attention to in the past. I am using Age Old Bloom; 5-10-5. and compost side dressings. As I am planting my new perennials I have been adding compost to the hole and then fertilizing foliage. I am curious to see how much better my plants grow and bloom with the added nurishments.

My Immortality Iris has bloomed. It looks gorgeous in the garden next to the kneeling fairy. I hope the other Iris that I put in last fall bloom this year, they are living and growing but no blooms yet.

Hoping for a great growing season this summer.

May 2011

Okay... no more wasting time... May is here. I have a driveway full of perennials waiting to go into the ground... Planted two roses today... Climbing Iceberg and replaced Precious Moment. (But as I was digging up the "dead" one.. I noticed a small leaf growth on the base... wonder if it survived after all or if that is a suckier coming up from below the greaft? I am going to replace it with the new one I bought and plant the other one somewhere in the yard and see what happens.

Talked to the neighbor lady.. Pat.. She told me that Doris the previous owner is coming to Denver sometime this summer... I hopw I can get a lot of work done in the yard and make it look somewhat awesome cause she wants to see the yard. I am looking forward to meeting her and talking with her... I think it will be fun to share my appreciation of all the work she put into the yard... I hope it's a positive meeting and she is not offended by some of the changes I have made in the yard. I know if I sold this house and came back and found olts of changes I might be a little put off. But thankful that the person kept up the work. Rather then let it go to hell. So I have some work to do cause I want to the yard to look fairly nice.

Posting pictures later in the week.

I think that Gardeners are some of the most optimistic people... every year I work my garden with every intention that the plants I put in the ground will thrive and grow.. working with the weather conditions that comes to the garden. Always hopeful that the weather will work with me and not against me. Every year trying to bring my garden closer to the envisioned garden plan that I have created. And every year I sit in my yard and embrace my garden as it is and how it is evolving. Enjoying the process of creating my 'dream' garden, even when it creates in its own way.


The last couple of weeks I have been out in the garden cleaning up for summer. Looking over last years plantings, checking out which ones made it and which ones didn't. So far it would appear that most have made it through the winter. Lost one newly planted rose, Perfect Moment. It is such a beautiful bloom that I had to replace it. It is right now in the garage slowly acclimating to the outdoor weather and soon I will put it in the ground.

I also bought a climbing white rose, Iceberg. And another new rose, Eureka, this rose has the most beautiful blooms... yellow, rimmed with orange and the petals are scalloped. These roses are planned for the new rose bed that I put in last year. I have several trays of perennials to put out in the yard, fill in some of the blank spots that are still out there.

Worked the waterfall. It is now up and running and looking good. Will need to check it for leaks and then stablize and add rock foam to a few areas. Plant some plants around the rocks to settle in the structure and make it look like its a part of the landscape. The marsh marigold is blooming like crazy, lily and iris are growing. Love the look of the bright yellow flowers as they brighten the spring days, feels the gap of waiting for the other plants to make their showy display of flowers.

February 2011

January went by in a hurry. Cold and snow has finally come for Colorado. Earlier part of the winter it was dry and above average temperatures... some days highs in the 60's. Now we are finally in the midst of winter weather. Which is a good thing. I was getting ready to bring out the garden hose and water the trees and shrubs since it has been so dry. But now we are getting snow and too cold to water. Might need to water a little come warm up and early spring.

My commitment for this year, 2011, is to focus on creativity. To include; painting, drawing, colored pencil and ink, stained glass, mosaics, tiling, handmade paper, sewing, quilting, photography, scrapbooking/photo display, and whatever other creative projects come up as the year progresses. Whether these projects focus on the garden or the house, whether it is for practice, display, or to sell...  I want to create and explore self expression. I can and will be creative in my life. Expressing beauty and joy that surrounds me. Embracing the wonders of nature and the beauty of my world... and emphasizing that beauty by creating representations of that beauty and by bringing that beauty into my world, whether by capturing it in a picture or by planting it and making it grow.. my commitment is to embrace my life with beauty.

Already I have been working on the art table that is going to go in the backyard. And have several other plans for incorporating color and design in the backyard, independent of plants... allowing the plants to compliment and enhance the artwork.. yet in the winter, the art work can stand on its on... to bring color and shape into the garden in the "dead" of winter/ fall.  Color will surround me.. both indoors and out.. year round.

This is also the year that I will paint the house... and then add touches of art to the wall, my backyard wall is a big canvas of wall that is barren and without anything hanging on it... it is a wall, albiet an outside wall, it is bare and needs some art displayed.. to make the backyard a "room" of its own.

Looking forward to another great garden season.

January 2011

I love January, cause it means its okay to start dreaming and planning for the new year in the garden without appearing like I am a total nuttso about gardening. I feel like I got quite a bit done last year. But fell short in a few areas. My big plans for this year is putting in a wooden deck outside the back door. And I am going to breakdown and pay someone to clear out the junk in the east yard. I chipped my way through a lot of stuff this summer, but I still have a lot of debris and garbage to clear out. I want to start getting the soil ready for fruit trees in that area of the yard. AND I want to plant the back yard this summer. Thoughts of grass is just not going to make it.. instead I want to put in a path that winds through the back yard and then plant plants. Groundcovers and flowers. Want to make sure and include plants that will cover the four seasons. I am excited. Need to put in a better watering system so that I can grow a productive veggie garden. Lots of plans and lots of work.
Suzie and I are hoping to start a garden business this spring. SOIL SISTERS. Would love to bring in some extra monies. Also plan to post more often on my garden blogging site. Love, Kristi