The Urban Landscape

Vegetables vs. Flowers

Lat week, as I visited my daughter Kelly's new Chipolte Grill, in Lodo Denver, 

I found vegetables growing as flowers. 

Here someone took the time to add them to the planter outside the store. 

Is this a new trend for Urban Landscapes? 

 If substainablilty is to be part of the future this is a great start.

LA Style

Plant Design

What a great use of space, color and textures!

Here someone connected the dots by pulling the colors together between

 the garage door, the pots and the flowers. 

 I walked by this wonderful example of someone else's fantasy in Los Feliz, CA.

Let Plants be part of your daily Fantasy!  They are for me!

Fashion Pumpkins

Happy Halloween!

This was the year the Pumpkin Patch moved forward with a new look.

Growers in Spring of 2012 must have been bored with the orange pumpkin. 

Color, Texture & Form brought a new look to The Patch all over the country.

Growers started the trend & the design world moved forward. 

Step Out & plant a Fashion Pumpkin this coming Spring!

Photo courtesy of my daughter Jenny's Pumpkin Patch Adventure in Oxnard, California! 

  

First Front Range Frost

The First Frost

Yes, the first bit of snow has come. October 5th, 2012. And very much on time. 

Temperatures have dropped into the low 50's during the day & at night they are hovering at 34 degrees. 

 It is time for the landscape to find it's quieter moments!  

Colorado Aspens

Golden Colorado Aspens

Fall would not be complete without an annual photo of the splendid golden Aspen trees. 

A Colorado Native in our High Country.  Over 

A Jeep Trail ride created this photo of Aspens on Brown Mountain, near Fairplay, Co.

Please be reminded that Aspens are not well adapted to the dry conditions of the Denver Metro area. Aspens do best in elevations over 7,000 ft and above & strive in moist soil.  At lower elevations Aspen tress are vulnerable to a wide range of problems including insects, pests and diseases.  They require major soil amending to reduce stress on their growth cycle.

Take a hike through the trees, at any time of the year, and you will find that a grove of Aspens standing tall where soft moist grasses grow around their trunks. Enjoy them throughout the year in the High County!

Fall Textures

"Karl Forrester "Grasses

These grasses are 4 years old.  Grand, magnificent & beautiful as a Fall Garden texture. The early morning sunlight add texture & color to my east facing garden. Grasses keep their beauty & stand up to snowfall finding new native textures in the winter landscape.  Get one! You will enjoy it!

Native Sucess

#1

#2

Planting Natives in the Fall

I am trilled with the growth of two native plants in my garden.  My Datura, from Santa Fe, and my Mexican Sage Bush are flourishing this fall.  Having learned that Fall is the best time for planting perennials & natives I gave it s try. I am amazed by the plant size, considering they have only been in the ground 5 weeks. 

I  decided not to amend the soil in this location.  Just dig a hole, set the plant in the hole, and water every 4 days during this first season. The soil was hard & clay filled. To see the plants grow in native soil is a wonder! They really are adaptable. 

In photo #1 you can see how the Datura has grown from 3 small leaves to many. I envision the Datura lying across the rocks adding big green leaf texture to the planting bed.  In photo #2 the Mexican Sage has already filled the space.  I look forward to the white & red flowers next Spring. This garden bed will take on a new shape in my front yard.  It may also have to grow as the plants do.