In a daze in Denver…lessons from a cocktail napkin

July 2, 2019July 1, 2019 ~ queenofthedirt ~ 3 Comments

THE GARDEN OF ROB PROCTOR AND DAVID MACKE IN DENVER

A few months ago my husband outlined the inspirational message he was to give at our youngest son’s wedding to his long-time love on a polka dotted cocktail napkin–you can actually see the napkin in his hand in the photos taken of him with the bride and groom at the altar. In the garden notes about Rob Proctor and David Macke’s phenomenal garden, I learned that 25 years ago Rob drew a layout of the garden on a cocktail napkin as he and David celebrated the closing on their new home. The cocktail napkin’s role in new beginnings and big decisions is starting to take on new meaning for me!

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Rob and David invited us to enter their back garden through their 1905 brick home which displays an eclectic collection of David’s antiques and Rob’s watercolors. Rob Proctor is part of Denver’s horticultural royalty. He is a past Director of Horticulture for Denver Botanic Gardens and has written sixteen gardening books on topics from cutting gardens to how to create beautiful gardens on a shoestring budget. Rob has written for the Denver Post and is the resident gardening expert for Denver KUSA-TV. He is also a noted botanic illustrator and watercolor artist. This garden has been featured in many books and magazines and is open annually in August (at its peak bloom) for the Proctor’s Garden tour which benefits a local nonprofit community-based animal shelter/humane society.

A Denver Garden Bloggers Fling would not be complete without a chance to see Rob’s garden. Caveats to this post which simply does not do the garden justice, even in its first few weeks of the season; you get the light you get based on the time of day we are scheduled to be in any given garden and MY photography skills can’t do much to alter that; we have about 35 minutes in any single garden to not just take it all in but also photograph it. If you are a YouTube viewer, there are multiple videos over several years of this garden, several including interviews with Rob. Especially engaging is a June 18, 2019 YouTube upload set to music by fellow Flinger Janet Davis who blogs at The Paintbox Garden–unfortunately my platform doesn’t support links to video but any of the videos can be found by Googling. Your search engine will also offer you a series of Rob’s own video clips at http://www.9news.com on a variety of gardening topics. All of these are worth watching.

On with the show…

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The brick patio opens to a series of very long and lush perennial borders within a formal structure “walls” provided by brick columns and lathe fencing. The garden’s folly is the visual focus from the seating area and draws the eye to the into to the depths of the garden.

GBF Proctor 2 — Flower filled intimate seating spot just a step or two away from the kitchen door

GBF Proctor 6 — Turf plays the role of pathway between the borders

GBF Proctor 52 — A spot to relax on the way to the herb garden

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The parterre herb garden as viewed from several angles. Again, Rob has used formal structure but let the plants fill it in a blowsy, live and let live fashion. The herb beds are actually sunk below grade to collect water in a technique employed by the Native Peoples which Rob describes as the way a waffle collects syrup.

GBF Proctor 7 — This climbing rose anchors the center of the parterre

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GBF Proctor 8 — Cobalt cushioned seating along the fence line overlooking the herb garden

GBF Proctor 14 — A pair of potted clematis flank the loveseat

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The gravel allee is actually the old driveway, now transformed into a long border completely composed of pots. This is perhaps a good place to note that this garden is home to over 600 planted pots. that’s 6-0-0! They are small and large, tall and squat, mostly but not all blue or terra-cotta. Holy moly–I’m doing well to not let the ivy left behind in last year’s abandoned container croak over the winter…

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GBF Proctor 13 — Rob and Dave snuck this red seating area in to see if we were paying attention

GBF Proctor 11 — Lots of crimson and chartreuse in these terra cotta pots

The next border over–they all extend from the back of the home sort of like tines from a fork–is quite shady due to the tree cover directly behind the herb parterre but chock full of emerging perennials. Pots of color are placed in the borders to add pops of interest at strategic spots.

GBF Proctor 20 — Succulents planted in hypertufa boxes rest on a wooden bench at the base of a large shade tree

GBF Proctor 21 — One type of pot, one type of plant= big impact

GBF Proctor 19 — Looking down the border

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This magnificent plant that is sited on both sides of the border at its sunnier end (look to the very end of the lawn strip in the next to last photo for the billowy clouds of white) was the subject of much interest to many of us–finally identified as Crambe cordifolia, sometimes referred to as giant sea kale. It sort of looks like airborne baby’s breath floating six feet in the air. Even in a smallish garden it could be used as the backdrop for other more colorful perennials and annuals.

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The white lathe folly at the end of the center border is filled a variety of containers potted up with succulents, ferns, tropicals and houseplants needing a little protection.

GBF Proctor 23 — Cobalt blue pots are again prominent, many with yellowy-chartreuse foliage

GBF Proctor 25 — Matched hanging baskets of a huge coral hued begonia flank the folly’s doorway

GBF Proctor 26 — Another cluster of blue pots are nestled at the base of a spiral staircase

Remembering that this garden is just now in its opening weeks of Denver’s relatively short growing season, I am not sure I can imagine all 600 of the pots bursting with blooms at the peak of the season.

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The central border is alive with bright and dark foliage colors and many blooms. While more is not yet quite blooming than is, the overall effect is staggering. Another plant drawing a bit of attention is this huge leafed perennial which is present is all the borders in various stages of maturity. Several Midwest gardeners recognized it right away and referred to it ask hogweed, cautioning unwitting novices like me not to touch it! David Macke identified it for us as Heracleum maximum, commonly called cow parsnip. It is a genus of about 60 species of perennial herbs in the carrot family. Apparently it can deliver a nasty rash if you handle it and then the affected areas are exposed to sunlight.

GBF Proctor 33 — The umbels on this cow parsnip tower least 8 feet in the air

GBF Proctor 30 — Another favorite in this sunny border Kashmir sage, *Phlomis cashmeriana*

The most Westerly border ends in an arbor leading to the vegetable garden which spans the entire back of the property, mostly shielded from the view of the more ornamental borders.

GBF Proctor 32 — A huge weigela is an explosion of blooms

GBF Proctor 34 — *Clematis recta* billows at the base of the arbor

GBF Proctor 27 — Things get a little wilder as you approach the veggie area.

GBF Proctor 37 — A little potting up space

GBF Proctor 38 — Once again having structure and organization firmly in place allows for freedom within the planting beds

GBF Proctor 39 — The “waffle” scheme is repeated here, allowing valuable water to flow into the below grade planting square

GBF Proctor 40 — Each square of edibles has a terra cotta potted succulent centerpiece–art in its own right

GBF Proctor 41 — *Malva sylvestris*, zebra mallow snuggles up against the base of a bench

GBF Proctor 44 — Clary sage pops out of the gravel in abandon

GBF Proctor 43 — Creative succulent containers abound

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I am practically on a dead run from the far back veggies to the house as last call for the bus is made-fortunately I am not alone!

GBF Proctor 31 — Looking back to main patio from central border path

GBF Proctor 50 — Blue pots explode with pansies, succulents and more

GBF Proctor 51 — How could I have missed this patio water feature–hidden amongst the myriad of pots!

The lush back garden Rob and David have planted, nourished and nurtured over 25 years after its initial plan was rendered on a cocktail napkin was beautiful on June 18th, the day of my visit. I expect that each day of its season, while different, is equally as stunning. Layer upon layer of plants will come and go through out the borders, beds and pots, rewarding anyone who is lucky enough to spend even 35 minutes amongst them. The “bones” and fundamental framework planned out on that cocktail napkin have made it possible for diverse plant materials to flourish in both contrast and harmony with one another–bits of interesting chaos resting safely in the arms of the garden’s structure. The message David delivered to the soon-to-be newlyweds was one of building a framework of confidence in one another through caring and communication. The goal being a relationship in which both can flourish individually and as partners, in times of contrast and harmony, but always in a safe space. Didn’t think you could get all that on a cocktail napkin, did you? A huge thank you to Rob and David for their generosity in sharing their garden with us on this day.

‘Princess Diana’ comes to town…

July 1, 2019 ~ queenofthedirt ~ 7 Comments

A May blog post by Pam Penick who writes at Digging introduced me to a royal clematis that looks perfect to ramble and scramble around my two new purple tuteurs. See Tuteur-ial… and Les deux tuteurs sont finis! for their story.

Once I had my heart set on Clematis ‘Princess Diana’ I had no choice but hunt her down on the internet. Several sources I have previously ordered from with good results have it listed on their sites but marked SOLD OUT. I finally found a couple at Joy Creek Nursery in Scappoose, Oregon–not exactly plant material grown in conditions similar to mine but beggars can’t be choosers. I am hopeful their claim of healthy 2 year old roots is true as I grit my teeth at the $25 per plant price tag. Of course, they arrived the day before I was to leave for the Denver Garden Bloggers Fling. They were really well packed and looked no worse for wear when I finally got all the packing off them. Probably the best looking plant material–size especially–than anything else I’ve received from a mail order source.

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With high temps in the forecast and my husband off on our church mission trip to Paradise I didn’t want to chance leaving them in their containers without even a pair of eyes to check on them daily, I decided they were better off in the ground where they would get a some sprinkler water at least twice in my absence. With a good layer of peat moss at their bases and my fingers crossed, I left for Denver. Nagging self doubt at the airport prompted me text my neighbor with a pleas to pour a pitcher of water on each in a couple of days. I’m sure she thought I was nuts but hey, $50 is $50.

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Before I kissed my husband hello and looked at the accumulated mail, the first stop on my return was to check on my two princesses. Woo-hoo! Looking good with new growth starting to wind up the extra string support inside the tuteur.

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Kathy Kreitman of Joy Creek Nursery was kind enough to give permission to use their website’s archive photo to show you the beautiful flowers on this clematis hybrid. Some sites list it as a Clematis texensis and I can certainly see that species in the upward facing bell shaped flowers. This is a summer flowering clematis in pruning group 3 so it needs a good bit of new year’s growth to get late summer/early fall flowering. Still keeping my fingers crossed til I see those raspberry blooms!

In a daze near Denver…tough plants, easy smiles

June 28, 2019 ~ queenofthedirt ~ 7 Comments

THE GARDEN OF JEAN MORGAN IN LOUISVILLE

Jean Morgan’s garden doesn’t take itself too seriously. She strives to offer food, water and refuge for butterflies in all their life stages (including the eating your plants to a naked stem phase) and rest plus a sip of water for her bird visitors within a native landscape that can get by when it needs to with virtually no supplemental water.

GBF Morgan 1 — A raucous clump of huge, bright orange poppies greeted us as we got off our bus just around the corner from Jean’s home

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Jean is standing at the ready to greet us but most of us have stopped to take in the shallow plant filled front yard which runs the length of her cottage.

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While there are quite a few permanent plantings, including this rose, the overwhelming sense of this front bed is that of masses of freely seeding wildflowers. Blue love-in-a-mist is everywhere, including cracks in the asphalt surface of the street. There are large colonies of both pink evening primrose and yellow sundrops–both of the genus Oenothera. Although Jean has both natives and non-natives, she admits that in a conflict where one must go–the natives win every time.

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From the Denver postcards–this chocolate guardian angel watches over the yellow flowered Berlandiera lyrata, chocolate flower. The flower heads of this plants were used by native Americans to flavor their foods. Jean shares that passersby often pick up the Hershey’s wrappers she has used to highlight the plant’s fragrance and bring them to her with apologies for the actions of a careless litterer.

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Jean’s home is one of Louisville’s historic miner’s cabins. The left photo shows its original size and the right photo is of the miner who built the cabin. Jean has lived and gardened here since 1972 when her passion started with a few hens-and-chicks given to her by a neighbor.

GBF Morgan 9 — Jean’s love of found objects is obvious–especially those with a vintage Colorado feel

GBF Morgan 22 — Ants “mine” for crystal near a swath of cranesbill

GBF Morgan 11 — Colorado’s state cactus *Echinocereus triglochiadiatus*, or claret cup cactus

GBF Morgan 6 — Every nook and cranny has something growing out of it

GBF Morgan 12 — *Stanleya pinnata* or desert prince’s plume puts on a show of yellow blooms

GBF Morgan 7 — Jean identified this hardy geranium as the North American species *G. fremontii* AKA G. *caespitosum fremontii*, or Fremont’s geranium

GBF Morgan 13 — Bloggers are pretty much shoulder to shoulder in the rock garden between the cabin and its garage

GBF Morgan 14 — This old tub planted with succulents is called Barney Bazooka De Chomp III–I wonder what happened to I and II?

GBF Morgan 16 — The paths are narrow and there are few places to step without crushing some small vignette

GBF Morgan 18 — Jean IDs plants and answers questions–she has prepared reference sheets because she knows we’re going to want the names for everything

GBF Morgan 17 — The back garden’s focal point is a whimsical pond

GBF Morgan 19 — Bubbles the hippo peeks up from the water

GBF Morgan 21 — Tiny and tight succulents fill the rocky crevices

GBF Morgan 20 — Jean welcomes all to visit her garden, then come back again and again

Jean believes that every garden belongs to the gardener who tends and loves it. She clearly enjoys her garden every day and revels in seeing the birds and butterflies who make it their home. She is active in community causes including the preservation of other miner’s cabins in danger of demolition. Jean is also involved in annual Boulder County butterfly inventories conducted by Jan Chu, author of Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range. Her cabin and very personal outdoor space shines in a small, clearly aging neighborhood only a block from the railroad tracks–the only thing brighter I saw was her enthusiasm for sharing her garden with us.

Doing the West Coast whack…

June 26, 2019June 26, 2019 ~ queenofthedirt ~ 4 Comments

One of the most satisfying things about participating in the Garden Bloggers Fling the last several years has been the opportunity to meet gardeners from all over the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. We are all proud of what we grow but there is no denying that we all lament over what we just can’t get to perform well (or even stay alive til season’s end) given our region’s cultural conditions.

When I lived in the deep south our hydrangeas were big, blue and fabulous and spring days were awash in color from the winter’s remaining camellias, azaleas of all colors and blooming ornamental cherry trees. I could not, however, grow a decent rose that wasn’t covered in blackspot by the time it formed buds. At the Capitol Region Fling in 2017, gardeners with massed blooming perennials and annuals mourned their lack of gardenias as evergreen shrubs rather than annuals lost to cold each year. Clematis and peonies are always wept over by those of us whose fate they are not while I’m pretty sure they grow unattended in fields in the Midwest. A fellow blogger mooned over a single agapanthus in a Denver garden as if it was the second coming; in Southern California we grew those by the freeways. Don’t get me wrong–all of us have gotten a round peg in a square hole with enough effort but more and more gardeners are concentrating on growing well what grows best in their garden’s natural culture.

There is also a lot of time to cuss and discuss various the cultural practices we use to get the most from what we’ve got. In front of an amsonia standing very tall in a Denver garden I commented that I had planted one in my Georgia garden but could never get it not to flop. UK blogger Michelle Chapman asked, “Do you Chelsea chop?” I was momentarily without words. She went on to explain that cutting the amsonia, along with many other herbaceous perennials, back at a certain point to encourage branching would produce a sturdier plant less likely to flop. Michelle gardens in Chippenham, England and blogs at Veg Plotting. For her area that optimal spring cutback takes place around the time of the famed Chelsea Flower Show–hence it is called the Chelsea chop. As I enjoy a longer growing season, my perennials generally have been blooming for 2+ months by May when CFS takes place. My early spring cutback to encourage branching is more like early to mid-February but I have no equally descriptive name for it. My Central Valley’s commonly 8 month growing season does benefit from a mid-summer cutback of most herbaceous and woody perennials. After they take a brief rest, I am rewarded with another full bloom cycle which carries my garden through fall. I’ve decided I’m going to call my early July cutback the West Coast whack! There is always more than binds gardeners together than that separates them–we are pretty good world ambassadors, I think.

walk 2 — *Salvia* ‘Mesa Azure’ is ubiquitous in my garden and so is rarely the center of any photo!

As we are spending next week in the cool of the Sierra Mountains and my plants are ready even if I am not, this is my week to whack. In years past, I have spent more time laboriously making the perfect cut on each stem but life has gotten too short for that and many of the twiggier plant groups like the Salvia greggii, of which I have many selections, seem to respond just as well with a less precision prune. Roses are getting another mass dead heading also–not much escapes this mid-summer madness.

wack 1 — The iris is finished and the salvias whacked!

It will take me the rest of the week, working in the cooler early morning hours, to cut back the salvias, agastache, penstemon and shrub roses. Other perennials can be dead headed and tidied up as time permits. We’ll take a rest from the garden next week as the garden starts its summer afternoon nap.

In a daze near Denver…600 tons and what do you get?

June 22, 2019 ~ queenofthedirt ~ 4 Comments

THE GARDEN OF TATIANA MAXWELL IN BOULDER

Six hundred tons is the tally for the Colorado sandstone used to build the walls, ponds and waterfalls in the garden of Tatiana Maxwell. This post will be photo rich–every time I went through the 75+ pictures I took of this beautiful and peaceful property trying to decide what I could eliminate…well, you get the idea!

The Maxwell home is on about 1/2 acre corner lot in the Old North Boulder neighborhood and was completed in 2010. Tatiana’s original vision for her garden was a more traditional English cottage garden but brainstorming with a friend, Thea Alvin of myEarthwork and local permaculturalist Marco Lam opened her eyes to more possibilities. Even after reading a bit about permaculture I am still not sure what its principles are but here’s how I’m going to sum it up: using perfect plants for the climate and only what works in the local environment and cultural conditions rather than starting your design process with the plants you want to use and trying to adapt your site and cultural habits to them.

We started our ramble on the driveway. I will admit I had been in the garden for almost 30 minutes before I realized there actually was a front door. I thought she had no back garden even as I was actually already in it. Let’s just walk right up the driveway which runs from street to property line near the back of one side of the lot.

GBF Maxwell 2 — A sunny raised veggie bed is the front garden for the Maxwell guest house

GBF Maxwell 3 — Attached to the guest house is Tatiana’s greenhouse/sauna

GBF Maxwell 12 — More refuge than potting up spot-the sauna is in the back left corner

GBF Maxwell 13 — This beautiful swing is one of many pieces of Indonesian influence throughout

GBF Maxwell 14 — A little succulent color brightens up the sauna’s exterior wall

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Between the guest house/greenhouse and the fenced vegetable garden is the family’s handy bike storage. Tatiana’s plan was to create an urban oasis where she would be “cocooned in nature.”

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The two vegetable gardens produce a broad array of vegetables through three seasons. There are also fruit trees and berry bushes plus a couple of fig trees which live in the greenhouse.

GBF Maxwell 7 — Catmint softens the edge where the stacked stone wall meets the gravel floor for the strip west of the driveway

GBF Maxwell 9 — Raised beds have drip irrigation and pots for color–warm season veggie gardening is just getting started here

GBF Maxwell 11 — A cold frame provides space to start seeds earlier than they could be directly sown

GBF Maxwell 10 — Colorful perennials massed at the north end fill in at the feet of trellised vines

The garage is tucked on the east side of the driveway with a detached studio then nestled between the house and the driveway, a narrow walkway separating the two. As with the greenhouse and gardens no detail was spared on this charming little building.

GBF Maxwell 16 — These galvanized gutters are like wall art

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This colorful trio lights adds interest to a very narrow planting space between the studio and the driveway. I believe the upper left is a contorted filbert, Corylus avellana ‘Red Majestic’; upper right is one of the lime leafed barberries; below them is a red hot poker plant.

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The front door of the studio is protected by a unique glass and iron awning. The door frame has this southwestern influenced tile work and the same rustic wood found on the window frames.

GBF Maxwell 22 — A small walkway and ample tree cover makes it hard to distinguish the studio from the house

GBF Maxwell 23 — A purple clematis scrambles up the gutter

Yes, it’s true that I’ve been basically hanging out on the driveway til now. Let’s dive deep into the garden!

GBF Maxwell 26 — Approaching the garden secret entrance from the driveway–you just know you want to be in there!

GBF Maxwell 25 — This unbelievable rock pond is a natural watering hole for pollinators

GBF Maxwell 28 — Lots of plantings, like this *Euphorbia*, soften the junction of the driveway surface and the massive rock walls

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GBF Maxwell 32 — Neither the first nor the last clematis envy I experienced in Colorado

GBF Maxwell 31 — A quick left turn allows visitors to step underneath the huge slab of rock forming the base of the waterfall

GBF Maxwell 34 — Stepping out into a path which circles the pond offers a different perspective of the greenhouse…

GBF Maxwell 35 — …and a up-close view of the pond’s impressive rock structure, depth and waterfall

GBF Maxwell 33 — Back through the rock tunnel and I step out into the expanse of the garden

Tatiana Maxwell wanted to have a garden space in which she could host events for causes she is passionate about and the broad lawn provides ample space several hundred people to be seated.

GBF Maxwell 36 — Red rose climbing up the side of the pond wall

GBF Maxwell 37 — Another contorted filbert–‘Harrry Lauder’s Walking Stick’

The entire south side of the lot is enclosed with a massive very high stacked stone wall which turns the corners on both the east and west sides, allowing for several elevations of planting places on the interior of the walls. These beds are lushly panted with a variety of foliage colors, shapes, sizes and textures.

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I literally stood mid-lawn and turned 180 degrees right to left to photograph the interior borders. They are well kept but not fussy–looks to me like a gardener who likes to be out in her garden snipping and picking here and there.

GBF Maxwell 45 — Looking back toward the home, a shady patio is a wonderful place from which to observe the garden goings on

GBF Maxwell 17 — Iron hardware supports the arbor

GBF Maxwell 24 — Rustic bell shaped light fixtures on both the home and studio

GBF Maxwell 46 — Looking back at the pond

GBF Maxwell 48 — Looking back at the patio from the east lawn

It was not until I had walked out far enough to take this photo that I recognized that this patio was not the front of the home–that we had actually entered at the back of the property.

GBF Maxwell 50 — Around the corner from the driveway and looking back into the garden–really the only side open to street view

GBF Maxwell 58 — Tatiana’s green roof through the tree branches

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I love this somewhat understated front entrance into a home which I’m sure is very large and beautifully appointed. It says to me that this home is about Tatiana’s connection to her family, garden, neighbors and friends rather than that she needs a “grand entrance” to make a statement about who she is to those who don’t know her. Again, old world and international details set the tone.

GBF Maxwell 54 — Lovely tracery of the vine on the stucco wall

GBF Maxwell 56 — Just north of the front door is an almost hidden entrance to a walled secret garden

GBF Maxwell 51 — Bold Indonesian lanterns flank French doors leading to? I would want it to be the master bedroom!

GBF Maxwell 55 — A mix of colorful foliage

GBF Maxwell 57 — These steps make a statement–I think they are basement access

It’s time to walk back to our buses, still parked by the driveway. Now I get to see what I would have normally taken in first on any garden tour–the street view. Behind its stacked sandstone walls, Tatiana’s home is virtually invisible except for a the space open to the lawn on the east side.

GBF Maxwell 59 — The raised beds resume and round the corner

GBF Maxwell 60 — The set back raised beds in front of the higher walls result in three planting levels–this is the point where the two streets of the corner lot meet

GBF Maxwell 61 — Flowering trees, shrubs and perennials fill all levels–this lemon yellow pine leafed penstemon contrasts brightly with the catmint and lily-of the-Nile

GBF Maxwell 62 — Corner of the street and the driveway–I’ve come full circle (square?)

I found both this home and its garden very appealing. I have never seen so much rock in any other garden anywhere but many lush plantings soften it throughout. Equally suited to a young family or empty-nesters, this property could meet most everyone’s desire’s for ornamentals and edibles plus a wide swathe of lawn. Gardens that look so casually beautiful are not without maintenance but the permaculture nature lends itself to the need for less water, less fertilizer and lower energy requirements. Every garden requires maintenance and I think working in this one would be a great pleasure.

In a daze near Denver…a prairie meadow

June 19, 2019July 24, 2019 ~ queenofthedirt ~ 10 Comments

THE GARDEN OF MARY AND LARRY SCRIPTER IN NIWOT

Mary and Larry’s rural Niwot garden occupies about a quarter of their 5 acre lot. With roads on two sides of their property and fields on the other two, you couldn’t ask for a more serene location. Unless you could also have an unobstructed view of the Rocky Mountains–did I mention that they enjoy that also?

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Adding to their sense of privacy, a long driveway well treed on both sides brings us to their neat 70s ranch home. Mary notes in her garden profile that they started their garden in about 2011 challenged with bindweed, thistle, quack grass, dying aspen trees and clay soil. I don’t even know what those first three things are but I’m sensing they are not good.

GBF Scripter 11 — The island in the driveway is only a couple of seasons old and filled with a variety of perennials, small scale shrubbery and iris

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The barn takes on a quasi desert look with this colony of shapely yuccas. Larry recounted that plants in this group have all descended from a small one he found out in the field and stuck in the dry ground. When asked what species of yucca they were (as garden bloggers do) he replied dryly, “field yuccas”.

GBF Scripter 12 — Looks like a field yucca to me…

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This sprightly little pine had a spot just at the end of the field yuccas. It is one of the lodgepole pines, Pinus contorta ‘Taylor’s Sunburst’ and should reach 12 ft. high and 8 ft. wide and sports those new bright yellow needles for about two months each spring. Although this pine was new to me it would not be the last time I saw it during my Denver stay.

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Mary’s front porch adjacent plantings were colorful and traditional–roses, salvia, and a number of other low fillers not yet in bloom.

GBF Scripter 37 — *Centranthus ruber*, also known as red valerian or Jupiter’s beard is a tough prairie perennial very attractive to butterflies

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It was impossible not to gawk at the exquisite woodwork around the front door, not at all usual for the style and age of the home. Larry shared that one of Mary’s many endeavors had been dealing in European antiques and that this piece was from a French cathedral.

GBF Scripter 33 — Our first glimpse of Mary’s sense of garden whimsey: busy iron ants amongst scrambling poppy mallow

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The garden slopes down at the end of the home and as we descend the stairs, Mary’s numerous fairy gardens, both sun and shade, come into view.

At the northwest corner of the garden work began in 2011 to add privacy from the road and increase bird habit. The design was done by Lauren Ogden Springer, an internationally known garden rock star who lives and gardens in nearby Ft. Collins. She and her husband, Scott, have written two books together: Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens (Timber Press 2011) and Plant-Driven Design (Timber Press 2008). Lauren also authored The Undaunted Garden: Planting for Water-Resilient Beauty (Fulcrum Publishing 2011). She is currently overseeing the planting of a newly designed public garden named the Undaunted Garden at The Gardens at Spring Creek which is on our tour itinerary. The Scripter privacy screen contains over 60 trees and shrubs planted with the help of their backhoe and 600 blue grama and little bluestem grasses. To deter the weeds and keep the new plantings moist they were covered with free mulch from tree contractors. Now established, the area is only watered about four times per year.

GBF Scripter 16 — Looking into the privacy screen from the end of the Scripter home

GBF Scripter 15 — Sort of an organic “Please don’t walk on the grass” sign

GBF Scripter 31 — My first view of the prairie meadow–in the foreground, masses of columbine

In 2012, Larry prepped the area behind their home which was destined to become their own personal prairie meadow using 800 pounds of alfalfa pellets and 10 cubic yards of compost, working it into existing clay soil with his tractor. With Lauren Springer Ogden’s meadow design in hand, Mary spray painted the ground, laying out the matrix of plants, section by section.

From Mary’s garden profile, “Over a period of three weeks, we planted 1,800 plants, including 70 types of perennials, shrubs, native wildflowers, and 13 types of grasses. In the fall of the same year, we planted 1,500 bulbs–daffodils, camassias, tiger lilies, eremurus, gladiolus and various alliums plus many flowers for cutting.” Using a shovel and a wheelbarrow, Larry spread 25 tons of pea gravel around all the precious plants to deter weeds from the hayfield and retain moisture. They had realized their goal of having a prairie meadow with a view of the Rockies.

GBF Scripter 18 — Wide gravel paths allow easy access for maintenance

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Keep in mind that this meadow was covered with snow a short three weeks ago. While it is mostly green now, it has many diverse plant colonies which will come into bloom throughout the summer and probably reach its peak in August.

GBF Scripter 21 — *Eremurus* (desert candles) just rising up

GBF Scripter 22 — Waning *Papaver somniferum* ‘Lauren’s Grape’–named after garden designer Lauren Springer Ogden

GBF Scripter 9 — *Sanguisorba,* I think–commonly called burnet and endowed with astringent properties

This prairie meadow under the big Colorado sky lies not much more than a hay field away from the Lagerman Reservoir. Mary had laid out several bug spray options for us on the deck and you only had to venture out into the meadow to understand why–it was swarming with mosquitoes. Many of us, including me, just weren’t able to spend much time photographing plant groupings because you couldn’t stand too long in one spot before they found you!!

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This striking bird bath was one of my favorite meadow elements. Mary shares that the ever changing meadow landscape is full of life year-round, including hundreds of birds. The entire meadow is a certified Pollinator Habitat, feeding wild bees and the bees from neighboring farms.

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Viewing the meadow from the southwestern end of the back garden. This area is shaded and planted with many traditional shade loving species.

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The shaded back deck is perfect for relaxing and enjoying the view of the meadow and the Rockies beyond.

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The back deck bears witness to another part of Mary’s collecting life when she dealt in cowboy and western items. This vintage Americana seems just right for Colorado decor.

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This delightful photographic essay on the meadow development which also included photos of the Scripter’s family and friends was available for us to enjoy.

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Although the meadow is now well established, the Scripters concede that no garden is ever done. A meadow this size requires significant maintenance with weeds, weather and critters all being unpredictable factors from year to year. Regardless of the work involved to maintain their stunning long range view from the meadow to the mountains, they express that they are very grateful to live here. I am very grateful that Mary and Larry were willing to share their garden with us.

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In a daze near Denver…art and experimentation

June 18, 2019June 17, 2019 ~ queenofthedirt ~ 9 Comments

THE GARDEN OF CAROL AND RANDY SHINN IN FT. COLLINS

Newcomers in 2006 to the Front Range, Carol and Randy Shinn retired to Ft. Collins and have been experimenting in their garden ever since. Both are artistic by nature, Carol in the visual arts and Randy in musical composition. It was not until the next day that I became aware that this was the garden of THE Carol Shinn–a rock star in the art quilting world who is internationally known for her photo-based free motion machine stitched images.

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Their new Colorado home came with an outdated lawn, uninteresting flower borders and juniper everywhere, including block the front windows. The new garden has a small puddle of lawn and now the perennials, conifers and collection of ground covers winding through and tucked amongst the rock paths and large rock outcroppings are the stars of the show.

GBF postcard 3 — A small stream bed runs left to right under the rock path

GBF Shinn 8 — Bearded iris are an important feature in the garden

GBF Shinn 4 — View from the street side near the property line

GBF Shinn 3 — The same poppies from a different vantage point

GBF Shinn 11 — Color and textures weave through the diverse plant materials

GBF Shinn 15 — Greeting visitors near the front door

GBF Shinn 14 — One of several peonies in the garden–this one softens the front walk

Rock gardening has become Carol’s passion after adding the first granite and sandstone boulders to anchor her developing beds. She says the growth of the garden has been organic rather than that of a rigid structure based on a plan. Her experimentation with a bed of horizontal layers of sandstone, then later a bed of vertical basalt has cemented her love of crevice gardening–no pun intended.

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The largest of the crevice gardens as viewed from several angles.

GBF Shinn 5 — Another crevice garden with a bright lavender aster peeking out

All of the crevice gardens are anchored with conifers which will, in time, provide more vertical interest. A wide variety of alpine ground covers and perennials are tucked in all the crevices. Colorado natives make their presence known everywhere. So much of this plant material is unfamiliar to me but I’m sure if I’d had a decent alpine/steppe plant reference book I could make sense of it. This was not the only garden we visited that compelled me to text my husband the message, “I need more rocks!”–by the end of the Fling I was texting simply, “What I said before, DITTO.”

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This most recently planted crevice garden was designed by Kenton Seton, a rising star in this gardening style. Along with this bed Carol is developing a collection of miniature conifers. Central California gardeners tend to have conifer lust and so it’s unimaginable to me being able to grow both full-sized and miniature selections–other than a few pines, our dry air just crisps most conifers to brown sticks.

Carol’s gardening goals have grown organically also. Their pick of Ft. Collins as their retirement home was, in part, due to the belief that water was more plentiful here than other nearby cities. Her original garden goal was to create the beautiful and lush perennial garden we all covet in magazines and garden catalogs. Many of her original plantings, including a huge collection of daylilies from Randy’s father, remain but are gradually being replaced as needed with more xeric plants.

GBF Shinn 42 — A rose scrambles over an arbor topped gate leading into the back garden

GBF Shinn 41 — This beautiful burgundy clematis is tucked in the corner where the fence meets the house

GBF Shinn 23 — A small flowered white climbing rose distracts from the basement window well

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A narrow brick path leads into the back garden which has more traditional elements, especially in the shaded areas like this one along the fence line. Hostas, hardy geraniums and hellebores are seen here.

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On the opposite side of the path, creative pots combined with diverse foliage colors light up the shade.

GBF Shinn 40 — Look back down the garden path

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As the tree cover gives way to open sky another arch forms the perfect frame for the Shinn’s rusted iron water feature.

This island of plantings buffer the house from the lawn and sunnier garden areas.

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In the open and sunny center, conifers and sun loving perennials thrive. Multiple paths using a variety of hardscape materials give the garden floor interest and easy access to working beds many vantage points.

GBF Shinn 33 — A crevice garden in the works

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A vegetable garden occupies the back corner of the garden, mostly obscured from the view from the house and main patio area.

GBF Shinn 30 — Runaway chives in the rose bed

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This large raised bed runs almost the length of the back of the house, allowing for trees and shrubs to become garden walls. We had a sudden rainstorm a few minutes after this photo was taken and I was sitting at the far end where you can see fellow blogger Noelle already resting–we did not get a drop of rain through the tree cover while other standing on the back patio were soaked.

GBF Shinn 34 — The same bed as viewed from the sunny lawn side

GBF Shinn 32 — Stately bearded iris in full bloom

GBF Shinn 35 — The backside of the same bed is adjacent the patio and perfect siting for this subdued pond

This garden is the one of the best looking works in progress I have ever seen. There is tremendous plant diversity–running the gamut from peonies to cacti and everything in between. It all is working well together supported by an eclectic group of year round structural elements including a diverse selections of conifers and a few deciduous trees.

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The stress that goes along with making your garden ready for a tour was not borne by this little copper haired neighbor–a budding entrepreneur who had set up a lemonade stand (plus cookies) hoping for thirsty garden bloggers. We gave her lots of business and I’m sure she was sad to see us go!

Postcards from Denver…

June 15, 2019 ~ queenofthedirt ~ 8 Comments

Hello friends! In the short 32 hours since visiting the High Plains Environmental Center (In a daze near Denver…High Plains Environmental Center), the traveling Garden Bloggers Fling 2019 participants have toured nine private gardens, one public garden and the home of Botanical Interests, a family owned seed company known to gardeners across the US. All were in the communities outside of Denver proper. Tomorrow, on our last full day of touring we will stay closer into the city visiting the Denver Botanic Garden and one of its extensions, Chatfield Farms plus six more private gardens.

With over 500 photos to sort through already to do each garden justice, I am going to tease you with just one snap of each garden–sort of a postcard from me to you just to show you what I’ve been doing on my vacation. Each garden will get a full post over the next few weeks.

THE GARDENS ON SPRING CREEK IN FT. COLLINS

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THE GARDEN OF JAN AND RICHARD DEVORE IN FT. COLLINS

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THE GARDEN OF CAROL AND RANDY SHINN IN FT. COLLINS

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BOTANICAL INTERESTS SEED COMPANY IN BROOMFIELD

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THE GARDEN OF JEAN MORGAN IN LOUISVILLE

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THE GARDEN OF JIM AND LAURA STROUSE IN LAFAYETTE

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THE GARDEN OF LAURA BOLEY IN BOULDER

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THE GARDEN OF TATIANA MAXWELL IN BOULDER

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THE GARDEN OF MARY AND LARRY SCRIPTER IN NIWOT

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THE GARDEN OF SCOTT AND PAULA DEEMER IN NIWOT

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THE GARDEN OF JUDY SEABORN IN NIWOT

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In a daze near Denver…High Plains Environmental Center

June 15, 2019June 14, 2019 ~ queenofthedirt ~ 3 Comments

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The High Plains Environmental Center (HPEC) is a non-profit (501c3) organization located in the Lakes at Centerra neighborhood in Loveland, Colorado. HPEC manages open space for the Centerra Metro district, homeowner’s associations and other landowners. In the simplest terms, revenues from those management fees support the operation and projects of the center. The organization’s website http://www.suburbitat.org has a wealth of information about the vision that inspired the center and the road it has taken to result in the current method of operation.

THE MEDICINE WHEEL GARDEN

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The under-construction Medicine Wheel Garden is an ethnobotany garden which features plants that are used by Native American tribes of the Great Plains for food, medicine, and ceremony. The site also hosts powwows with regional third grade classes. The plants in the slightly raised, cut stone bordered beds which form a circle are just recently planted and very small.

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Looking back toward the HPEC’s office building it is obvious that this is not a manicured garden space but a natural space whose primary goal is that of environmental stewardship and education. They are focused on community outreach rather than elaborate structures. Executive Director Jim Tolstrup shared that everything on their site, save the actual buildings, has been built by volunteers.

The geographical area known as the High Plains or Front Ridge enjoys 300+ days of sunshine a year and rarely more than 15″ of rainfall. It is a rich habitat for both wild life and plant life.

Centerra is a 3500 acre mixed use, master planned community in which people can live in harmony with nature, work and play. Seventy-six acres of land, three miles of trails and two lakes totaling over 200 additional acres are managed by HPEC. They work to create sustainable landscapes, restore native plant communities, and provide habitats for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. In addition to the Medicine Wheel Garden, the site includes a Native Plants Demonstration Garden, an Heirloom Fruit Orchard, a Community Garden, a Native Plant Nursery and a kids area they call the Wild Zone.

NATIVE PLANTS DEMONSTRATION GARDEN

GBF HPEC 3 — We don’t always co-ordinate our outfits to the border colors!

The Native Plants Demonstration Garden showcases Colorado native plants and promotes a regionally appropriate style of horticulture that celebrates the natural beauty of the state, conserves water, reduces reliance on pesticides and fertilizer, and provides habitat for birds, butterflies, and other pollinators.

This very long double border contains trees, shrubs and perennials. This area had snow only a couple of weeks ago and thus is having a very late spring. Lots of healthy foliage throughout the border but not as many blooms as I had hoped for.

Although the Falugia paradoxa, commonly called Apache plume, on which these flowers and seed heads were born was pretty well past its prime, there were still many of the clear white blooms and even more of the fluffy, plume-like developing seed heads. I first saw this shrub in Austin and have lusted after one ever since.

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The mountain ninebark, Physocarpus monogynus, was in full bloom.

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Picea pungens ‘Montgomery’, the Montgomery spruce, is not only structural and sturdy but also provides a pop of blue gray to the border. Denver gold columbine is seen in the foreground.

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Several nice colonies of showy milkweed caught everyone’s eye.

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A logistically lucky shot caught its flower in all stages.

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I think the penstemon were the stars of today’s show. I think this is Penstemon strictus, the Rocky Mountain penstemon.

THE HEIRLOOM FRUIT ORCHARD

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Northern Colorado was once a significant fruit growing region. Apples, plums, cherries and blackberries with historic significance have been collected and are grown here, celebrating and preserving a piece of Colorado history.

THE COMMUNITY GARDEN

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GBF HPEC 16 — The Jeffers barn at the far end bears this banner–*Nourishing Children Through Nature–*what an inspiring thought

Garden plots here are cultivated by local families and the garden serves as an outdoor classroom for instructional the cultivation of food crops.

GBF HPEC 19 — A living willow tunnel connects this garden to the Native Plants Demonstration Garden

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GBF HPEC 23 — Talking red wigglers with staff member Lauren

THE NATIVE PLANT NURSERY

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The NATIVE PLANT NURSERY works in conjunction with the demonstration garden to help local homeowners establish their own native plant focused landscapes–they can see what mature plants look like and how they perform and then purchase their own small starts. The nursery grows over 80 species and propagates much of what is planted throughout the center. Plant sales provide an additional revenue stream for the HPEC.

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THE WILD ZONE

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The Wild Zone is an area dedicated to letting kids be kids in an unstructured natural environment. The signage says, “Please DO climb on the rocks, wiggle your toes in the water and create your own art projects using natural materials found here. Go Wild!

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The High Plains Environmental Center is both proud of and passionate about its commitment to the community and Colorado’s natural world. Jim Tolstrup shared that Centerra has been registered as Colorado’s first National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat–way to go!

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