Best Bouquet Ever?

While we wait for the rains to abate and the return of sunshine and warmth to our gardens, we can scheme and dream about what we'll be cooking up with our harvest. How about a fabulous edible bouquet like this one which was the featured centerpiece at a recent graduation party for my lovely niece, Alex.  It was crafted by Kelle Lambert of Lincoln, Nebraska, and featured a huge array of fresh veggies including turnips, beets, fennel and leeks, to name a few. Sharpen your knives and start practicing now!

Play Time

Yesterday, while Jim and I were walking along the Clear Creek Trail here in Wheat Ridge, he spied this old, fallen tree trunk. He commented that it was just the thing that he would have targeted for his childhood adventures. No kidding! What a perfect object to climb on and under, add a swinging rope to, cover with tarps to use as a fort, etc, etc. I wish I could have this reproduced and shipped to all the kids I know.

Although Jim grew up in a rural area with lots of spaces like this one, I had the run of an overgrown greenbelt near my home in the "big city" of Colorado Springs. My grandmother's overgrown gardens and orchard in small town southwestern Colorado were also a great source of adventure for me.

Did you have a favorite play area or object when you were a child?
What are your landscape goals when it comes to providing fun and / or education for the young ones in your family?

Wordless Wednesday 1/21/2015

lichens!

Chihuly @ Denver Botanical Gardens: then and now

As many of my regional readers know, Denver Botanic Gardens has been hosting an exhibit of sculptural glass installations by renowned Seattle artist Dale Chihuly since June. I was fortunate to visit the gardens several times over the past few months and enjoyed seeing the juxtaposition of the vibrantly colored, hard and shiny glass forms within a variety of ever-changing garden settings.

June

November

 Red Reeds, above, features some of the longest hand-blown glass elements Chihuly and his studio team create. I like the sharp contrast of the red on green colors, while the vertical reed forms harmonize with those of the grasses in the Porter Plains Garden.

June

November

This sculpture is one of my favorites. The chunky, ice cube shapes are very different from the more linear or round forms that Chihuly so often works with, yet they retain an organic sensibility. The blue color added to the sense of coolness in the middle of a hot, dry garden full of plants with small, gray-green foliage. In the autumn photo the piece is set off nicely by the bright orange foliage of an oak tree.

June

November

Same installation, different view. The rustic rowboat full of colorful, shiny balls is just plain fun, Unfortunately, the entire lily pond was packed with different installations all vying for the visitor's eye. And on the other side of the spruce trees — in the Japanese Garden — yet another rowboat full of baubles. Hmmmm . . . sometimes more is just more.

A few of my favorites:

blue on blue

even the bees love it!

the ripples in the glass match the flow of water against the back wall

wonderful color echos in the autumn garden!

love the color / form match with contrasting texture. lively and elegant at the same time

Aconitum in the autumn sun

Summer Sun, composed of 1,901 individual glass elements

can't wait to explore the new science pyramid!

This exhibition was over five years in the making, and I think the attention to detail in siting the glass installations in the gardens resulted in some wonderful vignettes — through the seasons — that are truly memorable!

Brian Vogt, CEO of  Denver Botanic Gardens, with Dale Chihuly

The exhibit continues through November 30th. Don't miss it!

All photos copyright Jocelyn H. Chilvers, 2014

Wordless Wednesday 10.08.2014

Stocking up on fresh roasted chile peppers from the market - a favorite fall tradition!

Right Plant, Right Place

quaking aspen, Populous tremuloides

The right place for an aspen tree is not in your urban garden. It's here:

Leave aspen where they can thrive in cool temperatures, and moist soils.

Leave aspen where they can maintain their natural form as a large colony organism.

Leave aspen in their native habitat and let them be your siren call to explore and enjoy Colorado's great outdoors.

Clear Creek County and Park County, Colorado, September 28, 2014

Garden Visit: The Getty Center

The third and final garden that I visited during my recent trip to California was the Central Garden at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. Designed by artist Robert Irwin, the garden plays on the natural topography of the site. A path of switchbacks descends from the hill-top museum through a ravine, crisscrossing a conceptualized stream that pays homage to California's many canals. This "journey garden" (my term) is immediately engaging; the path is carved into the hillside bringing the plants up closer to the viewer. The craftsmanship of the sandstone paths and cor-ten steel walls is impeccable.

The path terminates at a plaza dominated by large, tree-like sculptures that serve as plant supports for brightly colored bougainvillea vines. The stream continues through the plaza before plunging down a  wall into a parterre filled pool. The pool itself is framed by paths and raised gardens that are both calming and intriguing to explore.

What did I like the most about this garden? Visitors from all over the world were engaged in moving through the garden, looking at the plants, oohing and aahing over the water features and enjoying the — spectacular! — vistas. (My daughter and I were sucked in, too. We only had 1 1/2 hours to visit the museum, and spent all but about 20 minutes outdoors.)

What didn't work? The planting design. With the exception of the excellent tree placement (and selections), the plant selection looked like an afterthought and did not contribute to a sense of place for the site. The plants were an odd hodgepodge of familiar (i.e. my zone 5 plant palette) and exotic. Mass plantings of single species were a more successful than cottage style plantings in complimenting the strong architectural features of the garden.

Would I return? Absolutely!

Conservatory Gardens at Castaic Lake

After my visit to the Santa Clarita Community Gardens, I headed over to the other side of Central Park to see the Conservatory Gardens and Learning Center at The Castaic Lake Water Agency. I have visited numerous xeriscape display gardens in Colorado's Front Range communities and was curious to see what this small, desert community had to offer.

this view greats you from the entry plaza; a classic California vista

Though not a true botanical garden — very few plants had identification labels — there is educational signage and welcoming pathways that lead you through both formal and informal gardens.

The emphasis is on water conservation, and the plantings are most heavily geared towards trees and shrubs. Native plants mingle with introduced favorites such as palms, cypress and especially, roses.

The palm trees, above, mark a cross-axis that follows a rill and then terminates with a grouping of cypress and a fountain, currently not running due to the drought.

The presence of water here would have been welcome on the hot day I visited, but I get it and applaud it; a good example being set for consumers during a prolonged drought.

A more informal path leading through fields of sage and gaura, 

A mass planting of Gaura with no explanation...?

up through terraces of roses and daylilies,

I was interested to see these retaining walls; adobe or rammed earth? Sadly, starting to deteriorate.

and finally back to the water agency offices and entry plaza.

It's a beautiful site for a garden and an asset to the community (as I was arriving, a school bus full of children who had been on a tour was just departing), but it looks like a victim of not only the drought, but a bad economy as well. More plant identification labels, some fresh designs with herbacious plants for infill, and more attention to general maintenance (pruning! fresh mulch!) would bring this garden up to its true potential.

Community Gardens — Santa Clarita Style

This stunning, flowering artichoke is very California! No?

I  recently took a whirlwind trip to Santa Clarita, California, and made a brief visit to their community gardens in Central Park. The one acre-plus garden area  features an attractive tool shed and a large, pergola shaded gathering space. Pathways were heavily mulched, and the entire space was neat, well tended and obviously appreciated by the member gardeners.

I was struck by two things: The garden area was open and welcoming to the public, but each plot (maybe 8'x12' in size) was enclosed in a knee-high fence of hardware cloth. A great idea to keep the bunnies at bay.

I was also impressed at the diversity of the gardens. Some were very utilitarian veggie production sites, but most of them showed individual character and featured both edibles and flowers.

hollyhocks already in full bloom

A fun take on "square foot" gardening.

And some plots looked like miniature backyard or patio gardens with paths, seating, and ornaments.

Three cheers for the gardeners of Santa Clarita for making the most of their community gardens.

Free Tickets!

Kick start the summer gardening season with a fun and inspiring garden tour. The Conflict Center presents the 14th annual Enchanted Gardens Tour of Northwest Denver. This tour is one of the largest in the region and has something for everyone — water features, chickens, edibles and beautiful flowers galore!

The courtyard garden at The Denver Puppet Theater is a perennial tour favorite!

When:  Saturday, June 7, 9am-4pm   Rain or Shine!
Where: The Conflict Center: 4140 Tejon Street, Denver
             Pick up your tour map, check out the huge silent auction, and purchase a snack.
Price: $15 in advance, $20 day of event includes tour and admission to an exciting after party.

Win! Leave a comment on the blog between now and midnight MST June 4th to be eligible for a random drawing. I'll announce the winner on June 5th. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you've won (I won't do anything with those email addresses besides notify the winner). If I do email you, I need to hear back from you within 24 hours or I'll pick a new winner and contact them.  

The Conflict Center is a real asset to our entire community; this garden tour benefits their school programs, which work to reduce violence and bullying in schools. Please join me in supporting this great cause.

         

Wordless Wednesday 5.14.2014

Love this cactus and pot combo at Timberline Gardens, Arvada, CO

Let's Chat!

I can't wait for tulips to start blooming, can you?

This weekend I'm hosting a booth at the Spring Gardening Echxpo at Echter's Garden Center.  Stop by and say hello — I'll be there to answer your questions about landscape design and gardening.  On Sunday afternoon at 1:00 I'll be giving a presentation on great perennials for multi-season interest.

It's fun and it's free. Follow the links above for all the details.

Hope to see you there!

Wordless Wednesday 1.29.2014

Have you visited Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield lately? It's a lovely place for a winter stroll.

Photo Friday from Taos, New Mexico

I recently spent the weekend in Taos, New Mexico, visiting with family and enjoying the beautiful sites and sounds of one of my favorite places.

hollyhock, Alcea rosea

courtyard outside my room at Casa Benavides

blue, blue sky and bright yellow chamisa (aka rabbitbrush), Ericameria nauseosa

Russian sage, hollyhocks and dwarf asters   photo courtesy of Allison Hooper

adobe, ironwork, and blue trim reflect the architectural heritage of the region

Here are some of my favorite places and a look at the larger landscape of the region, and more garden views and links, here.

Hope you enjoy the tour, and have a great weekend!