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Category Archives: gardening
Isn’t This a Long One?
January last seems impossibly distant. Memories from back then are round-edged and worn, like relics of a lost civilization. The pandemic was dawning, of course, although few of us in this country had a clue what was to come. Lockdowns, … Continue reading
This Fall Interval
In this interval, we hauled the hay, stacked the wood, stowed the cushions from the outdoor furniture. We transported the flowerpots that spent the summer adorning the decks around the house down the hill to the greenhouse. If the plants … Continue reading
Posted in change of seasons, color, fall, gardening, spring, summer, winter
9 Comments
On Tomatoes
Revolting. If you had asked me when I was a kid what I thought of tomatoes, that’s probably the word I would have offered—or “gross” maybe, or “disgusting” when I was a little older. Actually, you probably wouldn’t have had … Continue reading
Posted in cooking and recipes, fall, gardening, summer
Tagged cooking with tomatoes, gazpacho, high altitude gardening, José Andrés, romesco sauce, tomatoes
7 Comments
Groundsels
Senecio species I’d need to dig deeper to narrow down the name, since we have a couple of variations in leaf shape/wooliness and some differences in the ray shape and arrangement. Based on the habitat here, chances are pretty good … Continue reading
Posted in color, gardening, summer, trees and plants, wildflowers
Tagged Colorado wildflowers, groundsel, Rocky Mountain groundsel, Senecio streptanthifolius
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Thought About
I thought about writing about these fall days: the glossy blue skies, the serene air, the landscape golden and splashed with umber and gilt. The temperature hovers in that curious cool-mild zone, so you go out wearing a jacket but … Continue reading
Posted in animal communication, birds, fall, gardening, horses, procrastination
Tagged Colorado autumn, fall foliage, horses, juncos, late season gardening
11 Comments
Summer Got-away
I promised myself last spring it wouldn’t happen again: the summer, this year, would not spiral out of control. I would manage my time, balance my obligations, ride herd on my expectations. But the summer got away from me. Again. … Continue reading
Hope Springs
Every year it’s the same: as temperatures start creeping up, offering reassurance that winter is winding down, I start obsessing over color. This is a spring thing for many of us living in the world’s temperate zones, I suppose, but … Continue reading
Posted in change of seasons, color, gardening, spring
Tagged Colorado weather, drought, high fire danger, spring snow
6 Comments
Late Season
Years ago, reflecting on our move from the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado to the more rural center of the state, I wrote about planning the space that would be our garden in the mountains: Despite the high elevation, short growing … Continue reading
Posted in color, fall, gardening, humans and wildlife, rodents, weather
Tagged gardening with wildlife, high altitude gardening, mule deer, walled gardens
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Landscaping in Slow Motion
Most of the landscaping around here came with the place. Contracting crews working on the house in 2002-03 were flustered that we were such sticklers about maintaining a tight construction envelope around the site, but I’m glad every day we … Continue reading
