Month: May 2025

Gardening in high places

I am traveling in Colorado this week, so my thoughts naturally turned towards the mountains. Mountains affect gardening in a number of ways, many of which include a weather or climate component. They also provide some special challenges for gardeners because of the harsh conditions and short growing seasons that are often found in and near mountainous terrain.

Red Rocks Park in Autumn, MichaelKirsh, Commons Wikimedia.

How the mountains affect weather and climate

It is said that mountains create their own weather, and there is a lot of truth to that.… Continue reading this article “Gardening in high places”

An Ode to the Dandelion:

Deciphering fact from fiction for one of the most infamous plants in the world.

Dandelion in a lawn. Photo: Abiya Saeed

Dandelions can be a bit of a polarizing subject for gardeners. Some absolutely love them, while others may despise seeing these bright yellow bursts of unconformity in an otherwise ‘pristine’ lawn and garden landscape. Many often find themselves somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. Dandelions are also used as a symbol for resilience–growing despite all odds in some very harsh and unforgiving environments–often ones where few cultivated plants would successfully grow.… Continue reading this article “An Ode to the Dandelion:”