My New Adventure

May I introduce myself!

My name is Susanne & I am Your Garden Coach.

This is my new logo & my new adventure.

My connecting Website will be up soon. 

Stay tuned for more details.

Snow Designs

Finally, Moisture in Design!

After a very dry spell, it was a joy to see 4" of fresh new snow. Colorado has only reached 65% of it's normal rate of moisture this winter.  A sign that our summer shall be parched.  

I took to shoveling the snow off the deck right onto the plants for extra moisture.

 May the plants feel good in these next few days.  

Giant Sarcaton Grass

WOW Factor!!!!

Please agree with me that Native Grasses can add 

excitement and beauty to a dry winter landscape.

I found this while on a hike up in Green Mountains Estates.  

Here the contrast of color, textures and sun allow for a stunning exhibition 

of what this 

Giant Sarcaton Grass

can do for a yard when well placed.  

Winter Landscapes

Design in Nature

Who says the landscape is dull during Winter?  

Here is a perfect example of tree limbs forming a nature design in the landscape.

With the added color of Colorado's endless blue sky 

there is beauty in all that we take the time to see.

Imagine these trees ability to flourish with green leaves in the Spring! 

They look dormant during these winter months. 

 May the trees stretch into the sky & brings us green visions as the seasons change.

@ Bear Creek Lake Trail

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

May your Garden bring you hope and joy in the New Year!

Thank you for Blogging with me!

susanne@nativegardentextures.com

Photo @ Denver Botanical Gardens Blossoms of Light!

Pantone Color of the Year 2013

Emerald Green

For us, in the West, the plants and the landscape work hard to evoke the color Emerald Green.

Here in Moab, Utah a lone bush stands and graces us with a form of green. In this arid and dry climate this bush radiates with full power as it stretches into the sky.

In 2013 the following words support the Emerald Green Color of Design.

Growth, Renewal, Prosperity, Regeneration, Healing, Unity,

 while Promoting Balance and Harmony.

How will you find Emerald Green in your Landscape?

Nurture the plants and they will grow!

Photo courtesy John A. Wood

NATIVES IN WINTER

Light Textures in the Garden

This is the reason Native Plants look so nice in the Garden, here in Colorado.  After the last snow, which finally gave us a bit of moisture, the contrast of Grasses and Native Plants against the snow look stunning!  Here the early afternoon sun really makes these plants become dramatic.

All I can say is plant more Natives! Thy will delight your eyes during all seasons!

Holiday Garden Reindeer

Merry Christmas!

Can you find Rudolph in the plants?

This wonderful indoor animal was all decked out at Echter's Nursery in Arvada.  
So much attention to detail & so full of plant life in the deep dark moments of December.

Happy Holidays to all of you Gardeners!

La Flor de la Noche Buena

Mexico's Flower of the Holy Night

Did you know?

Their name derives from Joel Roberts Pointsett, US Minister to Mexico in 1825, who was a botanist and helped import the plant to the United States. 

For move 100 years, the Paul Ecke Ranch in California produces over 70% of poinsettias in the world, creating a 60 million dollar plant business world wide.

The bracts, or red leaves, are actually leaves not flowers.  They belonge to the spurge family of plants. They require abundant light during day to produce the  brightest color.  

The star shape is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem.

Add a bit of tradition to your home this Holiday Season.  Ring in some cheer!

Black Days and Nights

Long Darkness!

Once you learn how the garden grows 

you beginning to understand

the darkness of Winter.

You wake to darkness and come home to darkness!

Life cycles in the dark!

Plants become dormant!

Their cycle hibernates!

We adapt and find solaces in 

Candle light, Christmas lights, 

Warm Food, & Comfort under the Covers.

Our sense of smell becomes 

more important  as we find ourselves

adapting the the dark side of our Earth.

As the Earth opens up again the plants find life again.

No wonder we love Spring so much!

Bird Feeder Heaven

Visits from the Colorado Blue Jays

The excitement that comes into my garden, in the winter, is created by my Bird Feeders.

The activity is programmed by my filling the feeders with peanuts, superior seeds & water.

It is amazing how quickly the birds react once I have set out the food. The open feeder gets filled with peanuts. Within minutes the Blue Jays start to fly into the hoppers.  

Are they waiting for me? How do they know when to stop by?

They cackle, screech, & swoop across the hillside giving me a fantastic view to watch them.  Squirrels join in.  The addition of water, to my winter garden,  has added an increase in bird population at all 3 of my feeders. It is a wonderful sight to see all the animals enjoying themselves.  Not to mention my Sheltie, Nola,  sitting with eager eyes watching the drama unfold from within.  When she goes out she races after them like a cat & mouse game. It is so much fun too watch!

Plant Placement & Design

Rock Garden Textures & Design

At Kendrick Lake Gardens I found a perfect example of form, design, texture, &  color in the landscape.  These grasses play out very nicely against the red rocks in the Rock Garden. The grasses also created movement in the garden. The depth of the garden alsovery satisfying to the eye.
Interested in adding native plants to your garden? What can you do in your garden to add these elements of excitment?

Winter Cactus

Kendrick Lake Park & Gardens

Today was a cold morning! The chill required a hat & gloves. To warm my heart and explore a new place, I decided to walk through Kendrick Lake Gardens in Lakewood, Co. 

Over the course of the last year, I had read that this public space had a grand presentation of Colorado native plants.  Despite the cold, I wander throughout the landscape and came across the most beautiful cactus. In the dead of winter this plant glowed! There was no sun to illuminate this cactus, just a million stickers stretching out to form this special sight!

Again,  I marvel at how a native landscape comes to life, even in the dead of Winter.

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.