Barney Ranch

Tracy checking on her veggies

My friend Tracy has a habit of picking up neglected and otherwise unwanted plants or animals and nurturing them to healthy, happy beings.  Whether it be dogs, donkeys, or shrubs, she can take the most dire cases and somehow helps them become fully realized beings.  In the plant world, she also has a habit of getting things to grow that really have no business living at 8,500ft.  In a windy spot at the head of the Gunnison Valley, she has an impressive spread of trees, shrubs, and an abundance of Nepeta (cat mint).  Of course, her favorite color is purple, so it makes sense. . .

On a purple note, after having posted earlier that I've never seen a climbing vine Clematis do well up here, I was stunned to see one on the east side of her garage:

Climbing Vine Clematis

It's completely protected from the wind and gets a pretty good dose of morning sun and mid day sun, but shielded from afternoon sun.  She claims she never waters it and it took about 3 years to get fully productive, but now, after 5 years, it must have over 100 blooms on it.

I like being surprised. . . it keeps me on my toes.  And I should have known that if any one can get a Clematis to grow up here, it's Tracy.
Another one of my favorites in her garden is a Mugo 'Tannenbaum', a cute little pine that stays relatively short:

Pinus Mugo 'Tannenbaum'

Tracy is a perfect example of someone who is dedicated and determined to have a garden up here, fearless in her experimentation, and constantly reading and researching helping her grow in a somewhat inhospitable environment. 

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