Patience, grasshopper. . .

When I worked in the field for a landscaping company, people with second homes here in Crested Butte would come from other parts of the country and want their garden to look like their one in Texas, Oklahoma, etc. . . and they'd want it to look like in NOW.  We'd do what we could to cram plants in to make the garden look full, fertilize the crap out of things to get them to bloom; basically force a garden to look 'mature'.  Without looking up some wise Asian quote about gardening and patience, I'll just tell you straight up, it takes time.  Part of the joy and satisfaction of these projects is finding out what does well, how different plants seem to do better than others certain summers, and moving things around to find the best spot for a plant, both for aesthetic reasons as well as finding the ideal exposure. 

June 29th, 2010

June 29th, 2012

I've been working my garden since 2009, basically from scratch.  There were a few salvageable plants on the outside of the fence, but I completely created the garden inside the fence (which used to be all grass).  My Siberian Iris in 2010 had a few blooms; this year it is packed with buds and blooms.  My golden Hops vine struggled the first couple of years and finally has some of the vitality my regular Hops vine has.  My Delphinium have thrived in their spot against the fence and should burst in the next week or so. 
I was incredibly lucky to have a mature Lilac when I bought this house.  It is such a treat to have these fragrant flowers and such a huge shrub.  It can take years for a new lilac to bloom up here.  There are plenty of mature Lilacs around town that bloom every year, but they are not nearly the size of Gunnison plants, only 30 miles away.  That shows you the difference of 1,000ft of elevation. . .

Nothing beats the smell of Lilacs

Planted in 1997 (I think)

Suki on the lookout for her friends coming down the street

One final note today to remind us all to love our dogs as much as they love us.  Suki lost a friend this week and although I'm pretty sure dogs in Crested Butte have the best life a dog could wish for, it never seems long enough.  We'll miss you, Chuck.

Dicentra Specta-cular!

Biggest Bleeding Heart in town. . .

I have walked by this Dicentra many times throughout the years and marveled at the size and vitality of this particular plant.  Seemingly resistant to the frost (we had a hard frost on June 10th), this particular plant thrives in its location.  This is planted on the east side of the building, probably doesn't get a lot of morning sun due to the buildings across the street, a couple hours of direct sun early afternoon, then protected from the intense afternoon sun.  I have tried a bleeding heart on the north side of my house, and have lost it repeatedly either to inadequate sun or it was the dog's favorite place to lay, not quite sure which.  I remember in the field bleeding hearts on due north exposures did not do as well as this.  I like the effect of this planting with just a large bushel of Dicentra with only some pansies for some color contrast (I think the combo of Dicentra and Gallium is nice) as it's a hard plant to mix into the perennial garden.  It's such a great plant on it's own.  

I guess we know why it's called 'Bleeding Heart'!

Keep the soil for these guys moist and maybe and extra bit of mulch to retain water.  I'm a big fan of the Back to Earth non-acidified mulch.  It really helps keep the moisture from running off, it breaks down and adds to your soil content, and it looks natural (not like red bark mulch--yuck.)

Bushing Clematis: What a surprise!

A couple of years ago, perusing the greenhouses at Rocky Mountain Trees and Landscaping, I came across a couple of bushing Clematis in the bargain bin.  Tempted only by the fact that they had survived a winter in a one gallon container in the RMTL yard, I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Why not give it a try?".  For a couple of years this plant did nothing but leaf out and just when I thought it may bloom, fall would come and nip it in the bud (quite literally).  I thought, 'Is this plant ever going to do anything?'  But this year, lo and behold, it has bloomed.  And early in the season, even.  

Worth the wait--Clematis

I have seen people struggle with the climbing vine variety around here and have yet to see one that looks truly vigorous, but this subshrub variety has come back year after year in my garden in a location that gets light sun in the morning, full sun mid-day, and filtered sun in the afternoon.  Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials describes these varieties as "not as showy as some of the woody-vined large-flowered hybrids, but they have a subtle, restrained beauty."  I concur; these may not be a show-stopper, but upon a closer look their delicacy and the intricacy of their petals is unparalleled in the garden.

Clematis-nestled in front of a Peking Cotoneaster

Early Bloomers

Full foliage starting in early June

 This bright orange Geum is one of the strongest performers in my garden.  One of the earliest bloomers, it seems to break from the snow with green leaves, buds out in early June and a steady performer into the summer months.  While other plants are struggling to leaf out and I wonder if anything made it through the winter, this Geum is tough and hardy showing its color with vitality and spunk.  Located in a spot with full sun, it has thrived year after year. 

Orange Geum

These pictures are taken the 3rd week in June, but I wish I would have taken some pics a couple of weeks ago when this plant was in full throttle.  As you can see, I'm a little behind on my deadheading.  I should note that I have two other red Geum (Mrs Bradshaw variety, I believe) that are no where near the size of the orange at this time.  They are only now leafing out and looking like they may do something this summer. 

Cushion Spurge:Euphorbia epithymoides

Another great early performer is this Euphorbia.  Again, I wish I would have taken a picture a couple of weeks ago when the bracts were bright yellow; it is another harbinger of spring after a long winter.  A nice architectural plant that fills in a good amount of space and a nice spray of unusual foliage.

Candytuft/Iberis

 Another early bloomer is the white Candytuft or Iberis.  This plant (around 3 years old) has finally reached a nice size and has about a 2 foot spread.  It's in a location that gets filtered sun in the morning and then full sun in the afternoon.  I have another one that was in a shadier location that just got leggy and didn't bloom as well. 

And of course, bulbs:

Grape Hyacinth

Allium

I have a mix of Daffodils, Grape Hyacinth, and Allium in my garden that give a nice pop of color even though snow may still be lingering.

Crested Butte Gardening Blog

Paradise Divide: Head of the Gunnison Valley

Gardening above 8,000ft is not for the faint of heart.  With a growing season around 3 months, a Zone 2 (maybe 3) classification, a  constant threat of frost, and relentless spring winds, there are still indomitable gardeners here who with years of experience have learned what works, and what doesn't in this high altitude mountain town.  Anyone who has dug a hole around here undoubtedly finds why it's called 'The Rocky Mountains' and realize it's not the most conducive area for the pleasant pastime of gardening.  But with some persistence and know-how, anyone can turn their plot into a thriving garden of foliage and blooms.  This blog is an effort to show what can be done with the dirt and weather conditions in this area, and while it may not be the most technical information (I'll try and be as specific as possible with Latin names), it holds years of practical experience of digging and deadheading.