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skybirdforever

Who's Here in 2012?

Hi Everyone!

For several years we did a Who's Here thread every year, and since it hasn't been done for a couple years now, and I keep seeing new names around here, I'm gonna start one this year so we can all get a better feel for who's hanging out around here!

So this is the 2012 Role Call for ALL Rocky Mountain Gardening Oldies, Newbies, AND Lurkers! We hope all of you will come start new threads with your questions and comments, and help answer other people's questions or comment on their posts to keep The Friendliest Little Gardening Forum in the West active and helpful.

Everyone, if you come here frequently--or just occasionally, please let us know you're here! Let us know where you're located--state and town, and if it's a big city area like Denver or Salt Lake, tell us roughly where you are in the urban area. It's always fun to find out there are other posters somewhere near us, and knowing where people are can definitely help when responding to posts!

And tell us a little bit about your gardens and what type of gardening you do. Veggies, perennials, annuals, trees, bushes! Pots, in the ground, raised bed, soil, water, sun conditions! What do you like -- what do you do--what do you WISH you could do? It's fun to hear about other's gardens and gardening efforts, and it can give us all ideas--and encouragement to keep on keepin' on with our High Dry Gardening!

I'm on the far north end of the Denver Metro area in Thornton. This will be my eighth summer in this house, and after many years of living in a rented house it was wonderful to have My Very Own Dirt--even if it is heavy Colorado clay! Little by little I continue to do what I can to improve the soil! My yard is small, but I squeeze in as much as I can and I'm totally addicted to perennials, so, with limited space I always vote a few things out each year so I have room to try new things! I also grow veggies in an Unfortunately Small garden that's somewhere between 200 and 225 sq. ft., and is on the east side of a two story house, so has limited sun--not the best conditions for veggies, but I'm not gonna give up! I'm not too into trees and bushes, though that's not because I'm not interested in them, just because I don't have enough space to plant any! Would love to be able to plant some fruit trees and other small fruits, but that's not gonna happen, unfortunately! I'm also big-time into composting--the Easy Way! Throw it all on a pile and Let it Rot! Of all the things I've bought to add to the soil since I moved in here, my Homegrown Compost is far-and-away the best for helping the soil!

I've been gardening in the high-desert of Colorado/Denver since 1964, and while it does lack the lush black soil of northern Illinois where I grew up, it WAY more than makes up for that with the wonderful dry climate, the almost daily sun--and all the friendly folks in the Rocky Mountain area! Denver is Home, and I can't even imagine ever living anywhere else again, most certainly not in the Humid Midwest--even with the good soil!

Who else is here these days? Belly up to the bar and sign in, even if you're determined to remain primarily in Lurkdom!

And--hopefully--this thread will wind up getting pretty long, so if you have specific gardening questions or comments in addition to telling us about yourself, please start a separate thread where there will be lots of room to answer them or post comments in reply, and since your questions/comments are FAR more likely to be seen when they're put in a separate thread, you will definitely get more replies and information about whatever you're wondering about. If some of you who rarely post or only lurk are hesitant to start a thread because you don't know how people will react to what you think is your "dumb question," please know that on RMG the ONLY dumb question is the one you don't ask! If you don't know the answer to something, it's NOT a dumb question! So bring them on! That's what we're all here for!

Enter and sign in, everyone! We're all glad you're here!

Skybird

Comments (78)

  • catnohat
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey there everyone-

    I'm still out here in Brighton. I live in old town, so my house is small, but my yard is deep for a neighborhood house.

    I have some big changes coming to my yard this year. I will be looking for new plants! (especially of the full sun variety!) We're cutting down an enormous old elm tree, taking down a fence or two, moving a bush, and reworking my main garden because it will be much more full sun after the tree is gone. I'm so excited!

    Oh if anyone out there has a tree cutting business, I'll be gathering a couple estimates in about 3 weeks. Let me know if you're interested.

    Treebarb-
    I have something interesting to tell you about repelling grasshoppers. Last year they were eating my tomatoes. Like whole tomatoes in a couple days. I tried the old wives tale of tying a dryer sheet to the tomato cage and that was it. There wasn't one more bite on that plant. (Snuggle I think.) They were still all over the ground though. I know Snuggle is not organic....shame it's not, probably something you don't want to eat..but it worked amazing.

    Bye everyone!

  • CoPlantNut
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Leslie,

    I have goumi 'Sweet Scarlet' and 'Red Gem' (two varieties are recommended for pollination, but may not be required). I only got them last spring and only got a few fruit off them last year, but they were fairly tasty. Both plants are looking great and swelling buds in preparation for spring with no signs of die-back.

    The plants themselves are fairly attractive, with dark green leaves with bright silver undersides, and they are closely related to the Russian Olive that grows quite well here, but should remain shorter and are supposed to not be invasive like Russian Olive. So far, I'd recommend them but I've only had them for one year!

    I've had a couple honeyberry bushes for 3 years and was so impressed with them that I got another 8 different varieties last year to see which taste and perform the best in our climate. Two varieties are required for pollination, but they are fairly attractive small bushes that could double as ornamental landscaping plants. The fruit turn blue-purple before they are fully ripe and taste a bit 'green' at that point, but if you wait for them to soften a bit they taste almost like blueberries- perhaps a bit 'spicier'. Unlike blueberries, they seem to do OK in my alkaline clay soil, and unlike the goumi the birds didn't seem interested in eating all the fruit. I would certainly recommend trying honeyberries for fruit production in our area; hopefully this summer I'll be able to recommend particular varieties.

    About elderberries: they grow very well here and get 20'x20' quickly; the fruit (and birds eating the fruit) make a huge purple-staining mess, and I personally don't find them tasty enough to bother with. They are a common landscaping plant around Boulder, and it is very easy to procure as many fruit as you want from existing trees- most people don't bother to pick them and would actually consider it a favor if you wanted to pick their tree clean. You're certainly welcome to all the ones overhanging my yard from my neighbor's tree! Unless you already know you like them, I'd suggest trying them before dedicating a spot in the garden to them.

    Kevin

  • gjmancini
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you skybird for starting the thread. Its been a long cold, snowy winter and I have cabin fever really bad. On the nice days I go out and lurk under dead debri of my perrenials, happy to find to green growth starting to peep its head. This brings a smile to my face. A new year, a new beggining. Spring. How we all love it. I have been on GW for many years and so love to network with all the fellow RMG's. I love the swaps and look forward to them in the years to come. Coffee cups up, "to a happy and prosperous growing season everyone".

  • polygonum_tinctorium
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm still here! I live on the Palmer Divide. I'm in a new place with a new yard in a subdivision. So I get all the fun of starting up a new garden! I'm hoping that the voracious predators (rabbits, deer, rodents, etc.) won't be as much of a problem in the 'burbs as they were in my former rural home.

    I also have a fair number of houseplants, mostly in the hard-to-kill categories.

    Hey, amester -- do you still want to go in on a rose order together?

    It's good to see all the familiar and new names in this thread. I look forward to seeing everyone at the next swap!

  • david52 Zone 6
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm still here down in SW Colorado. In the next couple of weeks, as soon as the soil dries enough, I'm going to have a guy come in with a small back hoe and Bobcat. The first order of business is to erase all signs of my experiment where I heaped up the very rich soil down the hill from the house into raised beds and allowed the irrigation seepage that comes down the hillside to water it. This worked great for the first two years, the raised beds wicking up enough moisture that I never had to water, but then the evaporation began to concentrate all the leached salts, and the concentration became too much.

    So that will get flattened out and planted with a grass/clover mix, which will be mowed and collected as mulch for everything else.

    And then the Bobcat will scoop up some of the amazingly rich loam from the bottom of the pond and fill three new raised beds up by the regular garden, which are replacing the ones flattened out.

    And then the back hoe will go along and dig a trench all along the top of the pond and repack the soil, because the crawdads on the inside and the gophers on the outside have connected up, and the thing leaks.

    And then it will dig out the two almost-dead peach trees and make holes for the new ones.

    My peppers are up, tomatoes seeds go into the trays in - YIKES - two weeks..

    I am expanding the container garden for the peppers and eggplant, and will try using 'grow bags' instead of plastic containers, which are getting increasingly expensive. They look like those reusable grocery bags.

    Daylight savings begins in a week, so its time to awake from a long winter's nap....

  • jnfr
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm still here. I've always been a gardener, and have been gardening in Colorado since I moved here in 1990. First eight years were at 7500 ft in Coal Creek Canyon. Then my husband and I bought a house in Westminster, just a few blocks east of Standley Lake, where we've lived since 1998.

    I've reported here before that my first gardening act in this house was an attempt to rejuvenate what clearly had been a fairly large veggie area - about 45 ft by 15 ft. So I brought in a rototiller and prepared to plant in rows. I'd never met bindweed before, and that first year created a bindweed problem that haunted my veggies for many years.

    I think last year was the first time bindweed was almost completely absent from that area, where I now grow veggies in a few raised beds. The thistles, however, are still with me.

    We're in the middle of a multi-year project to replace the backyard lawn with buffalo grass. We have nearly a full quarter-acre lot, so have about eight grown trees, mostly conifers. I also keep several perennial flower and herb beds, and grow lots of house plants as well.

    By February every year I'm usually feeling crazed for spring to arrive. This year is no different. Nice to see all the people, new and used :)

  • luckybottom
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Still here in Kersey,mostly a lurker these days. The veggie gardens are doing good and have consolidated the herbs to a bed that only gets partial sun.

    Winter sowed a few things and have tomatoes and peppers in the window facing south in the office.

    Made my potting soil for the first time and am quite pleased. Having ~25 head of horses on all natural pasture lends its self to some great compost!

    The offer to host the spring swap still stands, if anyone is interested in making the trek 8 miles east of Greeley?

  • aloha2009
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi again everyone!

    With the chilly cold weather, we drift into all the projects we need to do on the interior. We've been a Colorado resident since 88' but moved to our retirement home 2 years ago. Having to leave all my beloved plants back and start back with mostly a rough piece of land can get overwelming. The front yard is almost done so we get to enjoy it maturing.

    The side yard (3x the size of the front yard postage stamp), we've got it primed for plantings. We have a small patch of grass, one large tree (the only one planted in 15 years) and xeriscaping to go in behind it. My DH installed the drip system for the area (ya hoo). Before the fall set in, we found some Annabelle Hydrangeas 2 for 1, and some dead nettle to start propogating. I need to firm up what other plants, I'll be placing in the area. I'd like to have a small vegtable garden, but I'm hearing the wildlife is a real problem.

    The backyard will have 3 patios installed hopefully this spring. We're extremely tired of a mud pit for a backyard.

    Has anyone started ordering mail order items. There were a few plants I never did find around here locally though several recommended them on this site. I've only done plants mail order with Michigan Bulb 30 years ago and think I'll step it up a notch in quality ;)

  • cogardener2675
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Aloha-
    I did ALOT of mail order last year and Lazy S's Farm was my all time favorite. Family owned, fabulous selection, fast shipping and the plants arrive heathly and GROW. Some places came beautifully packaged, but some of the plants didn't survive to fall. I will order from Lazy S again (already started my list)
    They are a 10 Ten on Dave's Garden web site. Dave's Garden is a good place to check out mail order places. People give reviews. It could save you time and money. I'd give you links to their web sites, but I'm slightly "computer challenged".

  • h_geist
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi All:

    I'm mostly a lurker. I've been to some swaps over the years, so I'm not completely antisocial ;)

    I live north of City Park in Denver. My city lot is not tiny, but certainly not big. I grow xeric perennials (I promise I did it before I worked for Denver Water) as I'm an insanely lazy gardener and don't want to deal with anything that requires much babysitting or water.

    I also grow some herbs 'cause I like to cook. This weekend I found a number of little cilantro plants popping up in the herb bed. I usually can't grow it from seed and suddenly it happens in winter - inexplicable. H

  • marktrot1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've been periodically checking on the forum the past two years with very few posts. I am trying to become more involved this year.

    So, I live just outside of Flagstaff, AZ at about 6600ft in elevation. We are on the "dry side" of town, about 17" or so of moisture a year, mostly in the form of snow and heavy summer rains (august is our wettest month). We have 2.5 acres of meadow, the wind howls during the spring here and moisture in early summer is basically non-existent. We have been planting pines, poplars, and buffaloberry bushes for a windbreak on the southwest side of our property. We have two raised beds and will be drastically expanding this year.

    My wife and I lived in Wyoming before this, and the South prior to Wyoming. I am trying to make people realize there is more to Flagstaff landscaping than aspen, pine, and juniper and holly shrubs.
    -Mark

  • xaroline
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am lurking here on a corner lot in Calgary, Canada at about 3300 feet.
    I like to try starting seeds of all kinds. My gardening includes vegetables and
    ornamentals. Wildflowers also.
    Caroline

  • digit
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi!

    I have enjoyed following this thread as folks join in. It is of great benefit for me to learn what others are doing in similar gardening environments!

    And . . . there are those of us from outside of Colorado. Hey, Arizona and Alberta! Gosh, Caroline, 3300 feet elevation! There's probably no ground that low in Colorado but I'd sure find it challenging to garden at 3300 feet at 51 degrees North Latitude!

    As it is, I'm probably attempting to garden about where Mark is there in Flagstaff, except at only just above 2,000 feet. As far as local flora and fauna go: the Marmots and Mountain Cottontails are just about my worst garden varmints and the native trees & other plants beyond the garden here are very much the same as some locations in southwestern Colorado.

    Now that everyone has been thoroughly drug off topic . . . my gardens are very near the Washington Idaho border close to Hauser Lake.

    If Highalttransplant writes half the posts around here and Skybird writes another half that leaves me with a half! I want all of you reading this thread to know that there are several more halves to go around!

    Steve

  • mamasylvia
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Add me as a newbie to this forum. Not a newbie to attempting gardening, totally inexperienced at succeeding. I've even killed mint. Have 12 acres outside Cheyenne WY (about 6000') and planted some fruit trees from the farmer's market here last fall - we'll see soon if they survived the winter! I have an EarthBox on the way as I type, to try to grow veggies in, and I started a few seeds to go in it last night. It's on wheels, so even if I have to bring it in at night, I can set it on the south patio to take advantage of our current warm temps during the day!

  • steviewonder
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you Skybird for starting this thread for 2012. I mostly lurk in an attempt to control my Internet Tourette's, which usually flares up late at night during bouts of insomnia.

    I live in Berthoud, CO, and have been gradually expanding my gardening efforts on a tiny suburban lot that slopes to the south but is surprisingly shady. Last year I had a ton of fun starting several flats of seeds in February (oops! too early- lesson learned). This year I ordered a mini-greenhouse cold frame setup and I'm hoping to treble my seed starts. That depends on how long it takes me to get the cold frame assembled! It's not complicated but it's awkward and my arms aren't long enough! DH is helping when he can.

    I do about 50/50 veggies and flowers, although I bought a few western gardening books and next year I plan to take the leap into perennial landscaping for much of the property (small as it is, it has some bare areas).

    Nice to meet you all! Here's to a good spring.
    Steviewonder

  • jclepine
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi all! Jennifer here from 8250. I haven't been on in a long while because I've gone back to school.

    I've grown far more than I had ever expected when we moved here in July 2006, mostly with the help of everyone on this forum!

    LesIsMore, I totally remember the posts about the blueberry bog!!

    Why did I think Amester lived in Leadville? Maybe I'm just not on here often enough!

    I'll be growing my last season here this year! We plan on moving to Oregon to be closer to my family and so I can finish my education at OSU in sustainable agriculture. Our tiny dog died in early February and suddenly I miss my family more! I guess that feeling of "anything can happen at any time to any one" is getting to me. My father is a stroke survivor and I just gotta be closer.

    Either that or I just wanna have a longer growing season! Haha!!

    So nice to see the familiar names and to read up on all of you. Welcome to the new folks!!

    I sure hope you do have a spring swap as I'd love to attend one more.

    Skybird, we should get together!!

    Jennifer (who plans on having a long, not-so-dry growing season soon)

  • digit
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    There's a "forum newbie" from Wyoming. I saw your post over on the hardiness zone thread. Yeah, I am hoping that Sunset changes my zone from 2 to 3. Hey, I'll take whatever I can get!!

    , Stevie!!

    Jennifer knows this isn't Pablo, just a picture of a little guy I once called, "Pablo Bunny." I hope it reminds her that there are more tiny dogs out there waiting for someone to take care of them:

    You know J, WSU has a sustainable agriculture program, too. And, if you end up living just a wee tad east of the Willamette Valley - a place like Sisters, Oregon couldn't be much more like Colorado than living there! (You might lose that longer growing season, tho'. ;o)

    Steve

  • Azura
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oldie checking in here. It's been a while but I am so glad to see many of my favorite gardening buds still here!
    I live in Littleton Colorado (South Denver suburb) and I grow veggies, perennials, herbs, bulbs and annuals.
    My potential 2012 gardening projects include planting a living willow fence/hedge (fedge?), tidying up my flagstone patios & paths, training my climbing roses onto a new arbor and perhaps planting a living succulent wall.
    Thanks for posting this Skybird :)
    Happy Gardening everyone!

  • steviewonder
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    LOL... fedge.

  • windwhipped
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    See, I knew there was more than one of us in Wyoming! Welcome, mamasylvia. Well, it's been a long, hard winter for me. Contracted antibiotic resistant pneumonia from my Mom while visiting her at the nursing home. Got rid of it with Augmentin, but the meds were so strong they knocked me on my butt even after the pneumonia improved. But I'm feeling pretty perky now and it is seed starting time so that's what I'll be doing this afternoon. Then if the weather holds for the rest of the week, and the wind calms down, I'll head for the backyard and begin spring clean-up. That is if the neighbor's two giant dogs don't come through the temporary barrier set up where part of the fence blew down last month. Yep, a long, hard, windy winter.

  • stevation
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey, I'm here! Back in action after a couple years in a townhouse recovering from the costs of divorce (can totally relate to msfuzz above!). Bought a great house with a view at 6,200 feet in Draper, Utah, and we're ready to do some gardening again, finally! I say "we" because I'm married now to a wonderful gardening partner. :)

    Thanks, Skybird, for renewing this tradition!
    Steve

  • polygonum_tinctorium
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm sorry to read about your dog, Jennifer. It hurts to lose beloved family members whether human or not.

    Moving to Oregon! No, don't go! We'll miss you!

    Your growing season will be longer, for sure. Twelve months, depending on what you try to grow.

    However, the summers are dry, dry, dry. Colorado's summers are much wetter.

  • jclepine
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Steve and Polygonum! Yes, it really does hurt. But, we do still have Lucy and Prof. Gordy, so they keep us company.

    I'm kind of looking forward to the weather. I don't like how musty it gets but I'm going to have fun growing things, that is for sure!

    The weather won't be too dry in the summer because we'll be on the coast which stays more damp and cool.

    I really wish I hadn't accidentally killed the pineapple mint that I started for you, Polygonum!! I kept hoping it would come back but it never did. The parent plant that I got the clippings from is under three feet of snow!! sigh

    Steve, if that little Pablo Bunny (which rhymes with Pablo Honey--my little guy) was within reach, I'd take him home with me!! Was he one of your dogs? Pablo had a lobster costume, a skeleton costume and he hated them both!

    I'm hoping you are well, Azura!!!!!!!!

    Jennifer

  • sorie6 zone 6b
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm here. I'm in Arvada.
    Also a Ks. transplant read some of you folks are from Ks. I was raised in Ulysses. Not far from Meade and Elkart.
    Been in Denver about 40 yr. so feels like its home.
    I've dug up all roses and started a bird and butterfly garden. Hope it gets bigger this yr. Planted lots of seeds last yr.
    Don't grow any veggies except tomatoes and cukes DH doesn't eat veggies.
    I have tree I'd like to give away if anyone wanted to come dig it. It is an pine of some kind. Don't know just what.(I think my big pine was planted when the house was built in the 60's.)
    I started it from a seedling from my big pine. If anyone is interested you can email me through my prolile. Oh the tree is about 4-5 tall an about 3ft. across and is easy to access.
    We've been in our house 36 yr. and the garden is always changing. Mostly sun plants as we've had to cut down the trees. We're on a corner lot.
    Nice to see every one here.
    Thanks Skybird for starting it.
    Happy spring everyone!!!!

  • colokid
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Still here. Just getting old. Moved from Kersey to LaSalle last year with very little garden space. I will all ways have a few heritage tomato plants extra in my little green house for friends.

  • rockymountainkat
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've been lurking for years. I transplanted myself from Michigan's Lower peninsula 9 years ago to the Boulder area but could not garden much there with no yard (apartment living). I grew up on a farm, we ate what we grew and that included animals. We are now north of Denver and I have just started overhauling this 50 year old lot that appears to have never been cared for, muchless landscaped. I believe my right arm has become bionic from digging in our super awesome clay (sarcasm). I firmly believe all healthy plants grow from healthy soil, and thus I am always willing to spend a great deal of time and effort to improve my soil. I hope this post makes sense, why am I writing this at 2am? Sometimes I just get engrossed with the reading on this site.
    Oh, forgot to mention, I mostly garden veggies and I really love peppers. I do tend to some roses that mysteriously started growing in my front yard the year we bought this place, we actually mowed over them before we saw roses were growing. Besides that I grow culinary herbs, had an awesome basil harvest last year (mmmm pesto).

  • mtny
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It certainly wasn't a zone 3 winter in south western montana this year more like a zone 6...an open winter...with less than 50 inches of snow in our valley although we got 3 inches yesterday it was gone by the afternoon... depending on where you are this being montana perhaps a lot less... bulbs are emerging and the snowdrops actually in bloom... just started sweet peas and have some divided perennials under grow lights...otherwise still in late winter fix it mode esp...fences in particular....lots of elk still in pastures...and the bear are stirring ...early for them to be up.

  • eastautumn
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi! I'm here, just east of Boulder, CO. I got into gardening after having to create a yard from a blank slate (new construction home in 2005), and love trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs; anything that provides blooms, color, or structure to the garden. My husband is the veggie & fruit gardener. We just did a major yard renovation last fall, including ripping out LOTS of lawn and adding lots of planting beds, so I'll be busy trying to fill up those beds starting this spring.

    Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather lately!

  • amester
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jennifer - we will miss you, but I'm so glad you have the opportunity to be closer to your parents. I grew up in Alamosa, maybe that's where the Leadville connect came in? They're both high mountain deserts and compete for cold spot in the state (with Gunnison, of course!). OREGON! I love Oregon, so green...so WET...did I mention I grew up in a high mountain desert?? :)
    Azura wins the 'new moniker of the day' award for 'fedge'!
    Nice to see and meet everyone!

  • Azura
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    In defense of my use of the word 'fedge' which I now know has a completely other meaning... I'm not the only one to use the term the way I meant it, lol:

    Use of the word 'fedge' on gardenweb forums

    More importantly: What Amester said. Jennifer, we will miss you. Oregon is beautiful! I vacationed in Portland and along the coast often as a child and I miss it.

  • Simne
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi everyone! I'm Simne and I live in Littleton, CO. I moved here last July from NYC. In NYC, we were lucky to have a window that wasn't blocked by another building, but there just wasn't enough natural light to grow anything. When we moved, I was so excited to finally have my own outdoor space and right away, we put in 4 2x8 raised beds for vegetable gardening. However, as it was my first year gardening, there were quite a few lessons to learn. I guess starting seeds in August is a little late in the season for Colorado. Still, that did not stop my new passion for gardening. Instead of cleaning up the beds as recommended by various gardening books, I placed a floating cover over my small seedlings and plants. After every snow storm, I was wowed by how resilient some plants were. Without this forum, I would have never even thought about using row covers. I've learned so much lurking on this forum and I look forward to learning even more as I continue to experiment and play in my garden this year!

  • gardenbutt
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hmmmmmm part of the minority, here I guess,,LOL,,, not from Colorado..Nice to see some variation in the group...Think we will add to it..
    So checking in from the Happy House , an alternative built home and the Alan Westerman Memorial gardens.Where we share our gardening knowledge as well as many plants and produce with others and the local food banks. Located in between Kalispell and Polson on beautiful Flathead Lake.Home of a few garden micro climates....
    Think most people know us on here by now ,, even if we go missing now and then..
    Guess we are probably one of those oldies from the group(been here since it originated) and to gardening since we have been at it since we were children..The gardening knowledge we share and demo covers a wide array from sustainability,permiculture based, to the alternatives of using recycled greenhouse materials to bio-intensive planting in straw bale and containers.Our gardens are home to the green roof garden which is sedum based, the water garden/aqua culture, wild garden, the herbal/medicinal mixed into flower beds the straw bale gardens, the greenhouses, the herbal tea beds,the moveable containers we use for demos away from home as well as containers for teaching here..We also teach seed saving, seed starting, and how to process the goodies...etc when asked..We also teach gardening therapy for healing, beginning gardening for adults and children and on and on at no cost.Because everyone needs to play in the dirt and learn to produce their own healthy foods..
    Guess that explains a enough about us so new members have a clue..
    We are always looking for anyone in our area to trade plants,seeds and garden chat with...
    So if your this away give a shout...
    Ya may even find yourself sitting in our gardens enjoying a glass of homemade peach wine(from our tree) and wood fired pizza from the garden oven covered in fresh veges fresh picked from the garden,, hmmmm
    Hugs,Laughter,Light,Love
    Mary in Montana

  • captivatedlife
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here in Denver - Hi all! I'm new to gardening, new to homeownership. I've container gardened fruits and veggies for 3 years now but this will be my first full season putting an in-ground garden together.

    I'm putting together (eventually) a potager / urban homestead. I'm talking my husband into chickens ('Well, the'd make a good pet... you wanted to have a pet, right?!), starting to compost, and digging into our wonderful CLAY soil and putting in lots of beds, while trying to keep a fun atmosphere/play area for our 5 year old.

    Nice to be a part of the group!

  • smdmt
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Looking forward to moving to the Boulder area sometime this year. Have been living in MT and will love the change to a "milder" climate! Used to live in VA and have been to Lazy S many times. So until the big move can happen, I'll continue checking in and gardening here in MT!

  • b2alicia
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi, I'm Betty, and I live in Westminster near 92nd and Wadsworth. It's been several months since I've been around GW. My sweet Frisco, who would have been EIGHTEEN! in March, passed away the week before Christmas. He wasn't really sick during his last few months, just very frail, and needed lots of attention. I was happy to do whatever I could to make him comfortable, but it was pretty draining.



    I lasted two days before calling Poodle Rescue, and the owner Jeannie said she only had one silver standard male at the time. She said that he had been sent back to her three times, and was very close to being put down. He had bitten someone three times, but had been seriously neglected in the past. The organization had some funds available to pay for several sessions with a trainer, so Percy came home with me on New Year's Eve.

    My friend Barb telling him hello.

    Soaking up some rays in the back yard.

    The second week I had him, I took him to the vet's to sniff around, get a treat, and leave...I intended to do that a few times so he wouldn't hate going. The vet walked in, a big guy, and just sorta stared him in the eye. Well, Percy attacked. I was so upset, and thought he would have to be sent back. I contacted the trainer right away, and we had several session over the next few weeks. The plan was to have lots and lots of big guys act threatening, and desensitize him to it. It worked, and when we went back to the vet's, Percy was very polite.

    It was a lot of work, and I sure worried a lot, but he's wonderful now, and I think I can relax a bit. He stays with me in the back yard when I clean the flower beds and pull weeds. Planning to do my yummy summer squash again this year, and maybe add some coneflowers to the perennial bed.

    Happy Spring!

  • jnfr
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a beautiful dog, and bless you for taking the time to teach him better behavior. I hope you make each other happy for many years!

  • b2alicia
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, jnfr!
    I'm hoping that he will start relaxing a bit when people go by on the sidewalk behind my fence. He's getting better, but sometimes he still gets worked up!

    Luckily, my perennial bed backs right up to the same fence. When I'm puttering around out there and someone walks by, I can sometime calm him enough so he feels safe.

    {{gwi:1190655}}

  • cinderspritzer
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My name is Candice and I live in the booming metropolis of Erie, Colorado. I was here a little last year and I'm here again this year, but mostly been lurking so far.

    We tore out some thorn bushes on one side of our house and acquired about 300 square feet more of garden space, and haven't yet decided what to put it (veggies and herbs, most likely).

    Also working on building a two-level tiered flower garden on the other side of the yard, but that means moving lots of weeds and boards and weird stuff from the previous owners of the house.

    The two gardens in front of the house aren't even finished, and some days I feel like I may never get caught up. I do have an enthusiastic seven year old who can carry twenty pound rocks though, so he's a lot of help most of the time (even if he keeps trying to dig up the wrong stuff).

    :)

  • treebarb Z5 Denver
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    alicia,

    So glad to hear from you! I was wondering what you were up to. Congrats on saving a life. He will forget the mistreatment in time.

    Cinderspritzer, nice to meet you! I'm glad you have a helper. Just keep plugging away, you'll get there!

    Barb

  • b2alicia
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you, Barb!
    Do you have any new photos of your horses?

  • mtntina
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a great thread! I'm so happy to have found this wonderful community.

    I'm Tina, we moved to Castle Pines (south of Highlands Ranch, north of Castle Rock) from Minneapolis three years ago. I can tell you, gardening at 6600' is quite a 'culture' shock as compared to 830' and 10,000+ lakes! Everything did well in my perennial and vegetable garden in south Minneapolis. Not so much here, but, I am committed to learning, experimenting and growing. ☺

    Like many of our members here, my roots go back to a very early farming family (emigrated from Norway & Sweden) in MN. My childhood memories include splitting irises with my mormor (grandma), she fancied the old fashioned beautiful blue and yellow (like the Swedish flag, go figure) varieties. She also had a huge raspberry patch in her yard which she carefully covered every season with netting. Rather than pulling weeds, I could often be found hiding under the netting eating the raspberries in the summer.

    Before my mormor passed away, my mom retrieved the beloved blue & yellow irises and divided them among family members. I have one blue one and two yellow ones that I transplanted from my Minneapolis garden into my garden here in Castle Pines. They are planted in fairly poor clay soil that I've doggedly tried to amend. So far, so good! It makes me so happy each spring that they come up, really warms my heart. Today (Easter Sunday) I can see the green leaves and am looking forward to the blooms soon.

    Our home is on a corner lot, and is a focal point as one enters our small neighborhood. So, I am thoughtful about making it pleasing to the eye. Unfortunately, I've apparently made it pleasing to the deer and elk as well! So, have been researching and studying plants that are resistant to our four-legged visitors as well as waterwise and full sun capable. I've been successful with native perennials, including columbine, hummingbird mint, colorful yarrow and others. I put in a large coneflower last year, I hope it will return. Also happily visible this spring are my large white phlox and chocolate cosmos that are on the east (front) side of the house. YAY!

    I look forward to being a part of this group and learning so much! ~Tina

  • sunnyaz
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm here again...used to be on alot when I lived in AZ..Moved to Pueblo West,Co a couple of years ago and so far have just been container gardening. Not liking the wind we get here to much! Also have a small pond with 13 Wakin goldfish. They spawned this morning so, babies on the way!( =

  • NoCoGardenGirl
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm a newbie to the forum and to gardening. We bought our first home last June in Windsor, CO and since it's a new build, the only landscaping in the backyard was some dried out sod and way too much river rock. As a renter in the past, we were lucky enough to have a few homes with established gardens that originally sparked my interest.
    I've spent the last three days putting in flower beds around the border of our entire back yard and planting hostas, ferns and a bleeding heart in the north facing front of the house. So far, I haven't planted anything in the new beds, just hauling compost, top soil, mulch, etc. My 14 year old son and 16 year old daughter were a big help but the 10 and 6 year old, not so much. :) My hubby has promised to help me put in a walking path in the back and to clear lots of rock so I can put in more planting space.
    I've enjoyed learning from everyone over the past few weeks and I'm looking forward to learning much more. I have a small (3 x 6) raised veggie box that I planted last year, with some success. Hoping to put in lots of perennials, roses, lilacs, and shrubs. With any luck, we'll be able to enjoy our newly installed patio this summer while overlooking our lush flower beds.

  • thistlebloom
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi, I'm new here, though I've been checking in off and on for a few years. I garden in beautiful north Idaho, zone 5 officially, but my microclimate can be a bit 4ish.

    I'm looking forward to joining the conversation and learning
    more. I am particularly intrigued by wintersowing, that was a new one to me, and here I thought I was pretty familiar with
    most techniques!
    Kristi

  • sister_k
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Greetings! I was on here a bit a while back and even made it to a spring swap, which was wonderful. I have been so busy and probably haven't posted in a couple years or close to it! Anyway, I was quite a newbie, but have gotten into a bit of a groove with container gardening on my balcony and small space outside my condo in Lafayette. I got so much good information here and loved seeing everyone's ideas and passion for gardening. Skybird and Bonnie, good to see you are still doing such great things! :)

    I love wintersowing (which I learned here), and started saving seeds each year for some easy flowers, which lets me create a nice (at least I think it is!) and plentiful haven on my balcony with lots of morning glories, four o'clocks, cosmos and petunias. I also grow lots of herbs that I use for cooking on a daily basis and I do some tomatoes each summer. I usually buy the petunias and some of the herbs to get things started until the seedlings take off. I will try to post some pictures here to show the results from last summer. I really love pink flowers, so you will see a lot here!

    Early Season:


    Grew into this:

    These are the morning glories I grew from harvested seeds:

    And from the street before the blooms really got going:

    South end of the balcony where the herbs catch the afternoon sun, and some MGs up in the corner:

    Morning Glories started volunteering downstairs in the landscaping rocks and climbing up my basket hanger stand:

    And nearly took over the neighborhood!:

    Anyway, this has me excited for what is to come! I'll post some seedling pics over on the wintersowing thread. Good luck and happy spring to everyone, it's nice to be back and see how everyone's doing! - Sister

  • steviewonder
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sister, beautiful pics and great use of your space. I never thought of 4 o'clock as a container plant but it seems to be working well for you.
    Steviewonder

  • billie_ladybug
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi all. I am still around. Really busy between two jobs, volunteering with 4-H, the ranch and trying to have a life in between. Our extension does not seem to understand what it means to volunteer and thinks that all of us should quit our jobs so we can dedicate more time to them (lol).

    Had a rough winter. Had two cars totaled and two large storage units. Cleaned up the storage units but the cars are still at the house. Everyone is good though. Eldest son moved back from Gunnison to Pueblo, got engaged and they are moving into an apartment on May 5. Daughter graduates this year (we had our doubts but see the light.) Younger boy is scoping out colleges and scholarships. He graduates next year.

    Billie

  • digit
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What does this mean, Billy:

    "Had two cars totaled and two large storage units. Cleaned up the storage units but the cars are still at the house."

    ??

    Steve

  • Celestron2000
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi, I'm new here and pretty new to gardening too. I live in Aurora and just started gardening for the first time when we bought our house 4 yrs ago (my first own dirt!) It started when we inherited a dead lawn and I discovered Aurora water�s xeriscape rebate program. With the help of one of their landscape architects I did our small front yard in all xeric perennial plantings that first summer, and officially caught the bug! Gradually I started incorporating herbs into the landscape and have branched out from there to more edibles.
    I have a lovely row of asparagus planted in my front yard that has been my most reliable producer by far (I try to convince my picky neighbors it's an ornamental grass ( ; .)
    My backyard is really too shady for true veggie gardening, but I have a small raised bed there that I do manage to grow a little spinach and peas in (maybe 4-5 hrs of sun), this year I'm experimenting with swiss chard, Kale and beets as well... we'll see. I also have a strawberry patch in back that really doesn't get enough sun, but at least makes for a relatively pretty planting. I also usually try some tomatoes in pots out front and am also adding some potatoes in a grow bag this year.
    This past weekend I put in some raspberry bushes (which I've never grown before) along the back of my front yard where they get good sun, but aren't too visible to the neighbors). I also bought my first rose... a cute yellow miniature which is currently hardening off.
    Also I've been pretty successfully worm composting for about 3 yrs, but not too successful with standard composting...
    One other big project this year for me is going to be helping my parents� xeriscape their new home, which they just built near Salida -we'll be starting from scratch, and compare to them I'm an expert gardener! LOL. ( :
    -Celeste

  • Big_Sky_Blooms
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Howdy to fellow "hardy" souls
    from Bozeman in Southwest Montana.
    Too early to start many new garden holes,
    but seeded Sweet Peas and Lantana.

    Twas summery last week,
    Now snow - 3 inches, not feet,
    I dream of sun, pool and cabana!

    I grow shrubs, flowers and trees,
    trial new perennials for zone 4,
    with a focus on butterflies and bees,
    I take some out to try more.

    My lot is so small,
    I just can't try them all,
    But that's ok, at my age I'd be sore!

    Heucheras, hardy geraniums delight.
    Brunnera, phlox and bulbs for spring,
    Ornamental grasses for cover and height,
    What pleasures this season brings.

    The lawn needs de-thatching,
    the chicken eggs are hatching,
    My hands turn to so many things.

    I'm dividing, double digging in dirt,
    In good conscience i should call it soil,
    Applying Bayer, depending on tree's girth,
    It's a great workout this gardening toil!

    Forgive the poor attempt at poe-tree,
    I'm a gardener not a writer you see,
    To introduce me i use this as a foil.
    B