Eva’s Delicious Veggie Egg Casserole

My running group meets several times a week and after an hour workout, we typically go out for coffee or breakfast.   When the good weather comes, we start to do potluck picnics and one of our members, Eva is always sure to bring something delicious.   This egg casserole is chock full of veggies and a hit with all — even my teenage boys.   I’ve made it quite a few times and stuffed everything in it — spinach, tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms and more.

Preheat oven to 350 F

12 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup Swiss cheese

1 tsp baking powder

1 large roasted poblano pepper, chopped

3/4 -1 cup of several veggies including onion, broccoli, tomato. Up to 8 cups.

2 handfuls chopped spinach

salt and pepper

Spray casserole 9 X 13 pan.   Whisk eggs, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, salt and pepper. Place veggies in pan first and cover with egg mixture.  Bake 45-50 minutes.

The Irises of Rosedale Garden

As the last frost, hail and unexpected late May snows bless our spring crops with moisture, the irises of Rosedale Garden burst into a symphony of color.   The blooming irises last only a few weeks but are magnificent.   If we’re lucky, some of the flowers will still be blooming when the planting of warm season crops commences around Memorial Day weekend.

Getting ready to plant tomatoes in Marilynn’s plot near her beautiful irises.

Marilynn’s irises

Over the years, irises have been split and spread throughout the garden and many new varieties have been introduced.   When the young son of one of my garden partners eagerly snipped some blooms from my neighbor Marilynn’s garden, his mom apologized profusely and as a goodwill gesture, gifted Marilynn several bulbs of multi-colored varieties from a local iris nursery.   For years, those special irises decorated the border of Marilynn’s beautiful corner plot.

Another spring, my mother came to visit from Wisconsin and marveled at the beautiful yellow blooms in Millie and Theresa’s garden.   Millie graciously allowed me to split her irises and share them with my mom who planted them along the side of her home in Wisconsin.  She loved those irises so much that I would bring her more every chance I could.  When Mom passed away several years ago, my sisters and I dug up her favorite irises and planted them in our gardens in Wisconsin, Kansas and Colorado.  Irises are a wonderful plant to share!

Here are some photos I took of the irises at Rosedale in 2018 and 2019.   I just love how beautiful the garden is in late May.  Come visit!!

May 2018

Marilynn’s irises

Getting ready to plant tomatoes in Marilynn’s plot near her beautiful irises.

May 2019

Millie’s Garden

Dave Conant’s old plot

Dave Conant’s old plot

Ana’s Garden

Butterfly Garden

Trish’s Garden

Brenda’s Garden

Carol’s Garden

Carol’s Garden

Entrance Garden

Entrance Garden

Meeting Area

Native Plant Master Training

The spring snow brings a brilliant display of flowers to the foothills of Colorado and I’ve always wanted to know more about them.   Each year, I hike the trails with my camera and take dozens of photos with plans to look up their names.   When I heard about the Native Plant Master program offered by the Colorado State Extension, I rushed to sign up.  Each county offers classes in local parks with three 12 hour courses required to earn the NPM certificate.   For enthusiasts like me, three courses is just a start!

In early May, I started this journey with a course at Deer Creek Canyon Park near my home.  The course met each Monday morning at 8:30 am for three weeks.   Our instructor, Amy Flanagan, a former Lockheed Martin engineer and native plant master in retirement, led the 14 of us on three hour hikes of the flora of the canyon.   To aid in our learning of both native plants and noxious weeds, we were treated to a variety of books, brochures and insider information.   The cornerstone of our studies has been the respected textbook “The Flora of Colorado”  written by Jennifer Ackerfield.   At $78, this text is an investment but well worth the expense to have the gold standard of plant identification in the state.

The first day, Amy handed us a spreadsheet listing the common name of the plants to review along with their plant families and Latin names.   During our hikes, we were introduced to at least 30 new plants.   I took photos of each one and tried to match each photo to the numbered list on the spreadsheet.   Familiarizing myself with what the plants looked like was just a start since we also needed to learn how to “key” each plant using the Ackerfield text.   By looking at the plant, we learned how to discern their unique properties — the structure of the leaves, the color of the flowers, the placement of the stamen and the sepals, etc.   The new terminology associated with plant identification is immense and sometimes confusing and admittedly, I have so much to learn.   But, I’m feeling good about learning new things and building some new pathways in my brain.

For the exam, we needed to use the Latin name of each plant marked with a flag as well as describe identifying characteristics of the plant families.  There were questions about noxious weeds as well. Fortunately, we were able to write a key in the back of the Ackerfield and use the book as a reference during the hour exam.   In preparation, I spent at least 8 hours preparing my cheat sheet.   As I continue taking courses, I believe the absorption of the new knowledge will get easier and the exams will get easier.   So excited to learn more about the wildflowers I’ve appreciated for so long.   Can’t wait for my second course to begin in June at Chatfield Farms!

Below is a sampling of some of the May flowers I endeavored to learn during my first Native Plant Master Course:

Western Sand Lily, Redstem Filaree, , Bluemist Penstemon, Three-leaf Sumac, Sticky Willy, Nelson Larkspur, Miner’s Lettuce, Wavy Leaf False Dandelion, Western Wallflower, Death Camus, Spreadfruit Golden Banner, Chiming Bells, Fendler’s Waterleaf, Dalmation Toadflax, Boulder Raspberry, Mouse-eared Chickweed, Canada Violet, Western Wallflower, Narrow-Leaf Puccoon

 

 

Visiting a Family Garden in the German Countryside

Roof covered tomato plants, overloaded fruit trees bursting with apples, pears, plums and peaches, multitudes of blooming flowers, rows of freshly laundered sheets hanging on clotheslines next to a field of Shetland ponies and historic homes, barns and fence surrounded by lush green grass and stately trees — all vivid images of  my friend’s country home in Tornow, Germany.

My friends are film producers who spend much of their time living and working in Berlin with their family.   Weekends, vacations and summers are spent at their country house 60 miles north of the city.  During my visit this summer, I had the good fortune to accompany them to this beloved retreat.   While they worked, I harvested tomatoes, apples and plums in their garden.   Later, Marijke made a lovely meal from the fresh ingredients and afterwards, took me for a walk around the neighborhood, nearby farms, through the grounds of an old estate turned into a vacation escape for Berliners and the surrounding woods.

The tomatoes are covered by a roof to protect them fungi in the rain and are watered with an irrigation system.  The garden around the house is abloom with many flowers — lavender, huge nasturtiums, potted plants summering in a courtyard, salvia, sunflowers growing from seeds I’d given her last summer and more.   Near the barn, there are two new raised beds filled with a cover crop.   I urged Marijke to start a fall garden with cold crops — onions, lettuce, kale, spinach, carrots, garlic and beets.    Several fruits trees – peach, plum, pear and apples are surrounded by fallen fruits and loaded with ripened fruits which I begged to pick.   There is an incredible brick compost structure built from materials found on the property which my hosts filled with food scraps from the city and I with rotten apples collected from under one of the over laden trees.   Such abundance, color and fresh air blue sky peacefulness — easy to imagine why my friends love to travel here as often as possible.

A short walk from the house is a country retreat situated on the estate of an old mansion.   The property featured old barns converted into small apartments, a lodge house, a central dining hall with an outdoor sitting area, ponies and farm animals, a fire pit, fruit trees, a large rambling vine-covered mansion, an old chapel, paths through the woods, an expansive clothesline with sheets and towels blowing in the breeze,  farm fields, and lots of space for kids to play, dogs to run and places to simply relax in nature.   A couple lovingly manages the estate despite the challenges of making enough money to create a sustainable enterprise.   Charming and rustic — an idyllic place to escape to!

My day in the German countryside was very nearly perfect.   My only regret is that the drizzly morning made us skip a swim in the local river.  Just as we were packing up to return to the city, the sun broke through the clouds and brightened up the afternoon.  Phooey!  I hope there is a next time!

Managing Garden Pests the Organic Way: My Arsenal of Pest Weapons

There are many safe, non-toxic and inexpensive methods to manage pests in your garden.  Organic and natural pesticides can be very effective and are usually less toxic to wildlife, pets and humans rather than synthetic pesticides.

I’ve been gardening for nearly three decades and each year, there is always something threatening the bounty of my harvest.  Hail, rabbits, Japanese beetles, powdery mildew, aphids and more.  There will always be something but the key is to be aware, be flexible and be prepared to act.  Over time, I’ve assembled an arsenal of supplies and tricks to help manage the problem.   In this article, I am going to share what I actually carry with me to the garden and how to make most of them at home.

 

 

In my garden bucket:

Soapy Water Spray (homemade)

Soapy Water Spray (homemade) or Insecticidal Soap Sprays are highly effective against mites, aphids, whiteflies, and other soft-bodied insects as well as the softer nymph stages of some tough-bodied bugs.

Recipe:  Mix together 1 tablespoon of dish soap (pure soap like Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soup) Mix the solution thoroughly and pour it into a clean spray bottle and add 1 quart of water, or 5 tablespoons of soap per 1 gallon of water if you have a lot of plants to spray. Mix the solution thoroughly and pour it into a clean spray bottle.   Apply in the morning or evening when it’s cool.

Hot Pepper Spray (homemade)

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Recipe:  1 gallon of water, 3 Tablespoons of hot pepper flakes (or 10 peppers chopped up finely if using fresh peppers (cayenne works the best – but you can certainly use jalapenos, Habanero’s or other varieties.)  Add the ingredients into a pan and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Heating the liquid will help to infuse the oils from the hot peppers into the water – making for a more potent spray.  Let the mixture sit for about 24 hours to absorb the hot pepper flakes – then strain and add a couple of drops of natural biodegradable dish soap to the gallon of mix.  (This helps the mixture stick to the plants better).

You can mix ingredients cold and let sit for 36 to 48 hours – occasionally shaking the jug if you prefer not heating.  You will need to strain the cold mix as well and add a few drops of dish soap and you are ready to spray!

Spray in morning and evening and wear protection on hands and eyes.

Deters mammals such as rabbits, squirrels, dogs, moles and insects.

Garlic Spray (homemade)

Recipe:   garlic, olive oil, dish soap and water.  Add 2 cloves of minced garlic to a one tablespoon of olive oil to 1 gallon of water.  Let the mixture sit and steep for at least 24 hours (48 hours is better) Strain out the garlic and add a couple of drops of natural biodegradable dish soap to the gallon.

Garlic spray doesn’t kill the beneficial bugs but its pungent odor simply makes the plants undesirable as a place to eat or lay eggs. This helps maintain the balance your garden needs to defend itself against ants, army worms, aphids, borers, slugs, beetles, white flies, mosquitoes.

BT Spray: (make it, solution only good for 24 hours)

The most common strain of the bacterium—BT var. kurstaki (sometimes called BT var. berliner)—kills hundreds of different kinds of caterpillars, including cabbage loopers, tomato hornworms, cabbageworms, corn earworms, European corn borers, and squash vine borers. BT var. tenebrionis (a new name—until recently this one was called BT var. san diego) kills Colorado potato beetles.

Purchase 12 oz solution of Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) (brands like Bonide).   About $12-15.  Mix in spray bottle with water according to directions.   Solution must be used within 24 hours of mixing to be effective.

Kills:  leaf eating caterpillars controls caterpillars, loopers, cabbage worms, gypsy moth caterpillars and leaf rollers.   Insects stop feeding and die within 2-3 days of ingesting BT Spray.

Diatomaceous Earth (purchased)

Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder.   It 100% consumable by humans but deadly to certain insects.  It can be purchased in 4 lb bags from local nursery for about $14.

Kills insects by ingestion/dehydration within 48 hours indoors or outdoors.  For ants, bed bug, cockroach, flea, earwig, silverfish, cricket, millipede and centipede control.   Must be applied when plants are dry to be effective.

Beer (cheap stuff or leftover)

Place small cup of beer to attract slugs on group near affected plants. The slugs will be attracted to the beer, go for a sip, fall in and drown. Don’t submerge the top of the tin even with the soil level or you might also kill ground beetles which eat slugs.

Lacto-Bacillus Serum (homemade)

Lacto-Bacillus Serum is an easy to make fertilizer that helps enable plants to absorb the good nutrients that promote healthy growth.   The ingredients you need to make “labs” are simple — rice, water and milk.   Directions to make can be found at this link:

Making Lacto Bacillus Serum (organic fertilizer) to Fortify My Garden

Flashcards

I keep a set of flashcards in my bucket with common pests and how to treat them and one set with each of the above sprays/powders/liquids and how its used.

 

In addition to the pest control methods I carry in my bucket, I also employ of mix of companion planting, barrier methods, trap crops and timing of planting to deter unwanted pests.  Stay tuned to a future blog post on these topics.

 

Recipe: Tasty “Superhero” Muffins

Shari brought these muffins to our post-run brunch at Suzanne’s and I thought they were the most delicious muffins I’d ever tasted.  I couldn’t wait to make some too!  They are full of delicious ingredients like nuts, raisins, zucchini, carrots, oatmeal and gluten free! Yesterday,  I picked up the ingredients at Trader Joe’s to make a batch at home and even my teenage boys loved them!

The recipe is from Olympic medalist Shaleen Flanagan’s Run Fast.Eat Slow website and cookbook.

http://www.runfasteatslow.com/blog/2015/9/25/superhero-muffins#comments-outer-wrapper

Yield: 12

These muffins were designed for superheroes like you. They’re packed full of veggies, and are sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugar. In addition, almond flour and whole-grain oats replace nutrient-stripped white flour. These are Shalane’s go-to muffins—nourishing and sweetly satisfying for an easy grab-n-run breakfast.

And don’t fear the butter. Fueling up with healthy fats is a great way to start your day. Fat helps transport important vitamins throughout your hardworking body and will help keep you satisfied longer.

As a bonus, these muffins are gluten-free.

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond meal
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free if sensitive)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup currants or raisins, optional
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 zucchini)
• 1 cup grated carrot (about 2 carrots)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• paper muffin cups

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, oats, walnuts, currants or raisins, if using, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, carrot, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling each to the brim. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 35 minutes.  

 

Tip: Keep a batch in the freezer for a sweet grab-n-run breakfast. Simply defrost on low power in the microwave

Making Lacto Bacillus Serum (organic fertilizer) to Fortify My Garden

Do you want to learn about a super easy way to increase the productivity and health of your garden?   This fertilizer called “labs” for short is easy to make and the results are amazing.  I learned about making lacto-bacillus serum from the head horticulturalist at the Denver Golf Courses who also heads a very productive donation garden at Harvard Gulch Golf Club in Denver.

The term Lacto-Bacillus Serum sounds fancy but in truth, this simple to make recipe provides a workhorse of beneficial bacteria for your garden and has multiple other applications including :

• Speeding decomposition in the compost pile
• Unclogging drains
• Treating powdery mildew on squash plants
• Eliminating odor in animal bedding
• Improves growth of plants when applied as foliar spray and soil drench.
• Improves their efficiency in absorbing nutrients so naturally, growth is enhanced.

“With the use of these microorganisms, the nutrients you spray or drench to feed your plants become more bio-available and are more easily absorbed by the plants. Technically, you can say that plants do not use organic nutrients directly. Microorganisms convert organic nutrients to their inorganic constituents which the plants utilize. Utilizing microbes, you will notice better plant growth and health.”   –The Unconventional Farmer.

Labs Recipe:

Ingredients:   rice, water, milk

Directions: 

1.   Day One:  Immerse a cup of rice in a quart of water.   Drain the water into a canning jar – filling it about 3/4 full.   Discard the rice.   Cover the jar with a paper towel but it should not be airtight.   Store it on top of the refrigerator and after a few days, the liquid will separate.
2.  Day Three:   Siphon off the center layer adding 1 part serum to 10 parts milk and put in another container, cover tightly and let sit for another few days.   Once curds appear, you can strain the liquid with a cheesecloth (the curds can be fried up and eaten).
3.  Day 5-6   For the Garden  Add 1 part serum to 20 parts water to spray in the garden.   Use on plants weekly Store in the frig or add molasses to store at room temperature.  Stable for about a year.

Sources of information:

The Unconventional Farmer:   http://theunconventionalfarmer.com/

Build a Soil:  https://buildasoil.com/blogs/news/8634877-gil-carandang-lactobacillus-serum-recipe

Hiking Kilauea Just Before the Eruption

In light of the recent eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano, I wanted to tell the story of our hike down to the lava flows on the East Rift at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.   It was a strenuous long hike – 2.5 hours out and 3 hours back – with the reward of seeing the lava glowing brightly as night descended upon the island.   During the hour we spent near the constantly shifting lava flows, I remember being nervous and feeling in the pit of my stomach that the earth was alive beneath my feet.   Could the volcano blow at any moment?  As it turns out, it did not that night in late March but just 5 weeks later, it did.

This year, it was my youngest son’s turn to go on a big trip so he accompanied me to the Big Island of Hawaii.   My plan was to take him on some great adventures while also competing in the Lavaman Triathlon a second time.   When a high school friend posted some cool photos of a lava hike they’d taken on the Big Island, I wanted to check it out.   How cool would it be to hike across dried lava fields to witness real live lava flows?

Amy highly recommended the guide they’d used so I checked out the website – Active Hawaiian Lava Tours, liked what I saw and booked my son and I on the expedition.   Active Lava Hawaiian Tours, https://www.activelavahawaiiantours.com  It was a somewhat pricey tour at $135 per person but well worth the opportunity to see this awesome natural wonder.  Later, my two daughters decided to meet us for the trip and joined us on the lava hike.

The map above shows the two main area where the Kilauea Volcano can be viewed.   The caldera at the visitor’s center to the north and about an hour’s drive south, the east rift.     Our tour at the east rift started just south of the small town of Pahoa, near the south entrance to Hawaii’i Volcanoes National Park.    We were headed to Kalapana on the southern coast – a drive that is surprisingly rural with beautiful dense palm forests lining the narrow roads.   As we approached the rendezvous site,  barren black lava fields stretched out several miles toward the ocean beyond.   Getting to the tour site was a bit confusing with directions like “turn just past the bike rentals” and “look for the yellow house down a block or two” and we thus, made a few wrong turns.   Turns out that the modest yellow house/cabin we were looking for was located down a bumpy dirt road in a black lava field surrounded by a few dozen squatter shacks, piles of seemingly abandoned vehicles, water tanks, construction materials and just an occasional tree or plant rising from the uneven black rock.   Talk about at the end of the road.

At the Kilauea Visitor’s Center in front of the caldera.   Photo 1:  Tristan and me.   Photo 2:  Tristan and Madelaine.  March 23, 2018

 

Surprisingly, we arrived early and waited on the lanai with several other people while our guide Matthew introduced the plan and let us use the bathroom.   He was very bubbly, informative and friendly.   Unlike other tours groups, he informed us that we would not be biking to the entrance of the park tonight but rather, driving and then walking about a mile to the gate.   That’s cool, I thought.   I was happy to walk a little more since my triathlon was just days away.

After making sure that our water bottles were full, snacks were packed and our day packs secured, we were ready.  By 4 pm, eight of us boarded a van for the short drive drive out of the black lava neighborhood and down the stark uninhabited road toward the entrance to the national park.   Along the way, there were several tents set up to rent bikes but little else.   I surmised that one could do this expedition without a guide but since parking was several miles away, renting a bike to ride into the entrance was more expedient.   At the park gate, several dozen bikes were locked to metal posts nearby.   We stopped to take photos and continued our walk down the road; perhaps a mile or so.

About a half mile into the park, we entered the lava fields.   The surface of the dried lava was black, gravely, uneven, hilly and full of cracks.  There was no established path or direct route.  Each step was a challenge to avoid tripping or twisting an ankle.   I was especially careful and unfortunately slow, since I didn’t want to injure myself before my triathlon that weekend.   I worried that my young son Tristan might have difficulty but at 13, he’d recently grown 6 inches, slimmed up and magically transformed into an energetic and strong young man.   He was a billy goat on this trek — no problem!   My daughters Megan (21) and Madelaine (30) were similarly light on their feet.

The hike was long and rocky.   The kids taking a break for me, the slow one.

 

Our guide used GPS to set the trail but as dusk fell, we could see lava glowing in the distance — a worthy destination to aspire too.  We were joined by other small groups of people – couples, tour groups, families with small children and grandparents, college kids – hiking in the same direction.   In truth, the going was tough and the hike took hours.  By 6:30, we finally reached the fresh lava flows.   Arriving at sunset was the prime time so we could really relish the glow of the lava in the dark.

The lava flows weren’t like the rivers you might see in films, however.   They were little flows of maybe 2-6 feet extruding from crevices in the black rock.   At places, you could look over at the ridges of rock rising next to you and see the lava glowing deep inside the cracks.   There were many such extrusions and you could walk around and take photos.  Nothing was moving too fast that you couldn’t get out of the way.

At one point, my kids headed over to a larger flow about 30 feet away which required that I climb over a few mounds of loose rocks.   I hesitated since I was nervous about all the lava around me.   I took a few deep breaths and finally heeded their calls to join them.   As we posed for photos, the heat of the lava was so intense we tried to hurry.   When I turned around a few minutes later, I saw that a new small river of lava had emerged right over the path I had just crossed.   My heart palpitations had been justified!

This is how I felt inside the whole time I was near the lava. A premonition? Perhaps!

In the distance, lava was visible on the slopes of the volcano as it rose up miles toward the caldera.   Other, more adventurous hikers made their way up there but we were content to wander around closer flows take our photos.   Our guide advised us on the most dramatic poses to maximize the affect of the lava.  As night fell, it dawned on me that the hike back might be even more difficult in the dark and rallied for an earlier departure.   Unfortunately, being the laggard in the group, my entreaties fell on deaf ears.  I  had to wait for everyone eager to see the glow of the lava in the dark.   After an hour, we set off with headlamps on and flashlights.   Although the hike back took more than three hours, everyone arrived back uninjured and full of tales of a once in a lifetime expedition.

My three travel companions, Madelaine, Tristan and Megan.

 

After nearly seven hours on the trail, we were starving and hoping to treat ourselves to a hearty dinner.   Unfortunately, the nearest town of Pahoa literally closes down by 10 pm so we resourcefully found dinner at the local gas station — yogurt, milk, sandwich wraps, cheese sticks did the trick.   It is sobering to see the news of the continuing eruptions of Kilauea and the destruction occurring in the area that we visited.   The roads we drove to reach the tour no longer exist and quite likely, the little yellow house and its neighbors are also gone.  Perhaps, even the gas station where we found our dinner is also gone.  Our thoughts are with the residents of Pahoa, Kalapana and the area near the volcano.

A little video of the lava flow:

Iris Love

Yellow irises in my community garden

I’ve had a love affair with irises for a long time.   They are easy to grow, easy to trade, and their colorful blooms signal the end of spring and the promise of hot summer days to come.   When my mom would come to visit in the spring, we’d visit the local iris nursery and appreciate the blooms scattered around my community garden.   She especially loved the yellow ones growing in Millie’s plot.   She LOVED it when I brought splits to her on my trips to Wisconsin.   She lovingly planted them around her home and over time, amassed quite a collection of those yellow blooms!   When she passed away last fall, her spirit came back to one of my sisters talking about yellow flowers and I knew that she wanted us to have her yellow irises.   We dug them up and split them among her four daughters to grow in our gardens.  I will always think of my mom when I enjoy the irises of spring!

After this afternoon’s sudden hailstorm – a relatively common spring occurrence in Denver, I rushed back to my community garden to check for damage to my newly planted tomatoes and was struck by the vast array of blooming irises all around.   Despite the rain, I couldn’t help but walk around and take photos of the beautiful blooms.  Here they are:

Deep purple and yellow in Brenda’s Garden. May 28, 2018

Two toned yellow in Carol’s garden.

Light pink irises in Carol’s Garden.

Carol’s garden

Jackie’s Garden

The Herb Garden

Millie and Theresa’s Garden

Charlie’s Garden

The south border next to the orchard and Brad’s Garden.

The east border along the fence.

I love how gardeners at Rosedale settle in and plant beautiful perennials for all the enjoy.   After looking at all the possibilities, I would love to expend my collection and just might be offering to help people split their irises in the spring.

The Flowering Fragrant Trails of Spring

Just days after our last snows in Colorado, spring flowers start to emerge to brighten up the landscape and fill the air with lovely fragrances.  During this time of year,  I make it my mission to get outside as often as possible to fill my senses with the joy that spring has to offer — and actually surprised myself with how many wonderful many blooming trails I’ve visited lately.   Here are some of the highlights of my recent adventures in Jefferson County:

Crab Apple Route, Littleton,  April 23, 2018 – Blooming Bike Ride

A group of us got together to ride the 7 mile Crab Apple Route in Littleton — a 40 year old loop lined with crap apple trees that bloom for a few beautiful weeks in April.

 

South Platte Trail, April 29, 2018 – Crab Apple Trees just North of Hudson Gardens

The Sunday Run I attend with the Columbine’s Running Club is secretly known at the LTR’s (Love to Run) and we meet at Carson Nature Center every Sunday at 8 am, 7:30 in the summer.   About two miles down the trail, there is a tunnel of crab apple trees that bursts into white and pink blossoms at the end of April.    Running through this fragrant stretch of the trail is a worthy goal for my Sunday workout.   Once I reached the trees, I had to stop, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths to saturate my senses with the heady aroma of the sea of flowers surrounding me.

 

 

Writer’s Vista Park, Highline Canal, April 30, 2018 – Pam’s Last Marathon Training 

During my sister Pam’s marathon training this winter and spring, I often agreed to accompany her on the trail.   At her last training run before the big race, we met at Writer’s Vista Park to run one of our favorite trails.   It is a relatively flat tree-lined crushed gravel trail that winds through the backyards and horse pastures of Littleton.   As an added bonus, the crab apples trees were in full bloom.

South Valley Park, May 5, 2018 – Trail Running Practice

Pam and I decided to participate in a trail running program this spring and so far, the training has taken us to a variety of beautiful trails in Jefferson County.   I ended up missing the group on Saturday morning (since it was rescheduled to the evening) but hit the trail at South Valley on my own and enjoyed the pleasant weather, spectacular rock outcroppings and many flowers.

 

 

Hildebrand Ranch Open Space Park, May 10, 2018 – Fly Girls Flower Run

The leader of our Thursday morning running group (Suzanne Buntrock) selects a different trail every week depending on trail conditions, weather and this time of year, flowers.   One of our favorites in the spring is the Two Brands Trail at Hildebrand Park. The park is accessible in two spots — in the Trailmark neighborhood near my house and from a parking lot just past the Denver Botanic Gardens on Deer Creek Canyon Road.   It runs along the hogback and wraps around my neighborhood of Trailmark.   This week, the flowers were blooming!

 

 

Deer Creek Canyon, May 12, 2018 – Training Running in the Rain

Our trail running group meets rain or shine and despite the morning drizzle on Saturday, we all met at Deer Creek Canyon Park.   The run up the trail was damp but fragrant and beautiful.   Many of us “power hiked” up the slippery trails but when the the path evened out, we jogged.   Dashing up the “stairs” was challenging and fun but definitely an exercise I might have skipped if alone.   The jog down was a nice reward after the two mile ascent.   We heard about a very challenging half marathon called “Fear the Deer” being held at the park next weekend.   Pam and I are committed to train and sign up to do it next year.

 

Chatfield State Park, May 16, 2018 – Walking Bennie along the River

My friend Suzanne is a naturalist guide at both Chatfield and Roxborough State Parks and we often meet to walk.   I always enjoy our get together’s because she is so familiar with the flora and fauna of the area and I inevitably learn something new.   On this day, we were walking her grand dog Benny who poked along while we looked at trees felled by beavers, enjoyed new flowers, found plum trees and choke cherry bushes and marveled at the running water in the river.   A beautiful day for a leisurely stroll in the park!

 

Massey Draw in Ken Caryl, May 17, 2018 – Fly Girls on the Private Trail

Thanks to Kim, a resident of Ken Caryl Valley, our Fly Girls group, could enjoy a morning workout on the Massey Draw Trail in her neighborhood.   Our hike/run started with blue skies and a warm morning.    The dirt trail ascended quickly and was decorated with mobs of bright flowers all along the route.    I was too busy snapping photographs and chatting with Jan to run too much.   We still worked up a sweat climbing up the trail and down.    A lovely prelude to our coffee talk at Atlas Coffee down the road.

 

 

Roxborough State Park, May 17, 2018 – Naturalist Wild Flower Training Hike

 

When my naturalist friend Suzanne mentioned that she had to attend a wildflower talk this evening, I was immediately interested.   How can I go?   Do I have I have to sign up?   It was a training for naturalist guides, she said, but she’ll call and see if I could tag along.   Yes, I was in.   She picked me up at 5 and we headed to Roxborough State Park and there, met about ten other naturalist guides.   The leader Ann handed me a sheet with a list of about 50 wildflowers and told me that we’d be attempting to see almost the entire list in the next two hours.  Wow!   What a treat and a mind bender.   We hit the trail with our list, pens and cardboard squares for note-taking.   The tree-lined trail was chock full of blooming flowers of every color — naturally growing in this spring forest.  Ann shared scientific detail of each flower we observed, the family name, species identifiers, uses by native Americans, color, etc.    Rather than being overwhelmed, I took great notes, many photos and left with the urge to come back tomorrow to solidify the new knowledge I’d gained.

 

Whew!    Its hard to believe I’ve been on so many trails and enjoyed so many flowers during this busy time of the year!   My gardens are keeping me very busy after all.   I’m within days of planting warm season crops so have been prepping plots, tending to seedlings, planting the last of the cold crops, weeding and shopping for garden provisions.   But busy or not,  I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to inhale the beauty of the season!