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.