There is a new fenceline now that ash is gone. Its a sunny east facing spot. Without irrigation and with poor soil, the plants must be xeric. So although I like switchgrass, it might not like just how dry the site could end up. I intend to give them a good mulching in case. Switchgrass… Continue reading Fall planting the fence and more
Category: Back Plant List
Keeping track of what I have planted – and what lives / dies.
Andropogon gerardii – Big Bluestem
Originally posted 5/2019 Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem (F,D,Md,A,N) 4-5ft w x 4-8 feet h. Native warm-season perennial clump grass. Found int both short and tall grass prairies. Grayish green stems in spring, turning a copper red in fall. drought tolerant. Base of plants are often purple. In the gardne bed it tends to flop, best… Continue reading Andropogon gerardii – Big Bluestem
2021 A Colorado fall to remember
September 2021 As fall begins to settle in I have time to reflect on the highlights of the year’s garden. Side-oats grama is blooming with little red blossoms and big bluestem’s turkey feet soar above the darkening seedheads of Echinacea purpurea. Every year is different in Tidy Chaos. This year so much changed as I… Continue reading 2021 A Colorado fall to remember
Elymus trachycaulus -Slender wheatgrass
Elymus trachycaulus – Slender wheatgrass (Su,DM,A,N) 12-40″ Tall x 12″ Spread, light blue-green wide leaves. Slender wheatgrass is a perennial, cool-season, short-lived, coarse, tufted bunchgrass. Leaves are from 3 to 13 inches long and upto a half inch wide, with basal leaves longer than upper leaves. The culms are erect, ranging from 6 to 48… Continue reading Elymus trachycaulus -Slender wheatgrass
Claire Austin rose is planted
I probably shouldn’t have waited until July to plant. But better late than never. This rose and another Austin were purchased as bare root. While determining where they would go, I put them into a temporary pot in potting soil. They took off and the Claire had four bunches of rosebuds by this morning. The… Continue reading Claire Austin rose is planted
Miss Bateman Clematis
Originally published 5/30/2011 Clematis are part of the Ranunculaceae family. I very much like my Miss Bateman Clematis, a deciduous perennial climber. I planted two last year in my Colorado garden and both are faring well. They have reached a height of about 3 feet and are growing vigorously. They need a better attachment to… Continue reading Miss Bateman Clematis
Roses in the garden
Planting a rose in a Colorado garden. Roses do great in Front Range Colorado, partially due to the dryness of the air which discourages the fungal diseases you see in eastern roses like black spot. You just need to ensure you have your clays well mixed with organic matter to create space for air and… Continue reading Roses in the garden
Helianthus Annuus
Helianthus Annuus Sunflower (Su,D,AE,N) 2 – 8 ft H x 2 – 4 ft W. Annual. Bright yellow ray flowers surround a composite (many flowered) center. Blooming mid summer to fall. Great plant to bring in wildlife. Blooms: Mid Summer to early fall (Su) Moisture: Dry (D) Soil Type: All soil types when local ecotype… Continue reading Helianthus Annuus
Back Yard Plant List
The plants I track in my Colorado garden. Zone: 5 Light: 2020 – 30% sun, 35% part-shade, 35% shade. Looking out my patio I face northwest and the majority of the yard is shaded by numerous trees throughout the day. A large maple was removed in 2019 at the southwestern edge that has created more… Continue reading Back Yard Plant List
A five-year-old peach’s shape four months after a big buzz
Does this peach look right? Not the look I was going for. But perhaps from this we’ll get and even better shape for a very loose espalier. Definitely looking bushy. But underneath I might just see the fan I was hoping for. Below is where we started. Spring trimming 2020