Gardening At High Altitude

2009, September. This is what the back rectangular garden looked like at the Pine Post Office when the HAGS first starting working on the gardens there. Notice the weed barrier fabric showing in several places. And you can see how well it worked - not at all.

2009, September. The front rectangular garden was even worse. Notice how overgrown the prostrate juniper was and the thistle growing by the wall. That thistle still comes up every year and every year we pull it out again. Thistles are very hard to eliminate.

2009, September. Here's the area along the sidewalk and front of the Pine Post Office building. Hidden in the weeds are three triangular beds that had the weed barrier fabric with dead prostrate junipers.

2012, June. The HAGS cut the prostrate juniper back severely and added rocks to the rear rectangular garden at the Pine Post Office. Acre sedem (blooming yellow) grows abundently here as does Snow In The Mountains.

2102, October. The front rectangular garden at the Pine Post Office after several frosts. The Red Dragon Sedum and Snow-In-The-Summer still look pretty good as do several Pansies.

2014, October. The front gardens at the Pine Post Office after the HAGS finished a final fall cleanup. The garden next to the building is mostly in the shade and the HAGS planted several flowers there that are very shade tolerant but quite beautiful.

2012, June. My side rock garden. I never had any flowers in my open rock gardens until this year. Chipmunks, ground squirrels, rabbits, etc. ate every plant to the ground. But several years ago, I discovered Garden Gold. Refer to the Conclusion Page for Garden Gold.

2009, July. This is Freda's, a member of the HAGS, flower garden. Freda lives less then 1/2 mile from me but look at the difference. Your property may have several microclimates which you can take advantage of to grow flowers with many different requirements.

2104, August. The most beautiful Delphinium I've ever seen grew in Geri's, a member of the HAGS, garden. I could never grow a Delphinium like this in my gardens, they are all too hot and soilless. You need to be realistic when you garden at high altitude.

And a lesson learned. Never ever sit on a Prickly Pear plant. Those spines really hurt and are hard to get out, especially from your backside. I know, unfortunately, from experience.