And so it begins. A little snow melt running down a crack in the rock, a little pooling here and there, and when all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, a native shrub germinates in a sea of rock. It’s not hard to imagine why this green plant is attractive forage for big game…
Tag: drought tolerance
Warm, Dry March
It seemed like March was really dry, but I’m in a new place, so I don’t have years of personal experience regarding March weather in this location. According to the maps below, my impression was correct. We had good snow cover all winter, then it was as if someone just turned the clouds off. Almost…
Gaillardia aristata
Sometimes I’m guilty of not wanting to grow what’s “already been done” as far as native plants are concerned, but I would do well to remember that folks who grow, propagate, and select native plants for use in the arid west usually have a pragmatic bent, and there’s a reason it’s “been done.” We had…
Natives Can Take the Heat
I’m sure you’ve heard the US has experienced the hottest July on record, and over half of the country is in drought. Corn farmers are plowing their crops under as they shrivel in the dry soil and intense sun. Food prices are expected to rise. I was not comforted as I hiked through our horse…
Wyoming. Land of Extremes
Last year the Wyoming headlines read: “North Platte River reaches record high at Saratoga” “Platte River floods still threaten; half of record snow pack has yet to melt” “North Platte River Flooding 2011” “Planning, weather help Casper avoid flooding” “River keeps rising” “Casper preparing for high water levels” And this year, in the recent headlines…
Saint Patricks Trivia and Gardening in the West
A very successful non-native species often seen in Wyoming and arid gardens is Artemisia ‘Powis Castle.’ It probably originated in the Mediterranean region, but it became popular when it was planted at Powis Castle in Wales, Wales being one of the leading best guesses for the birth place of St. Patrick. Powis Castle is a…
Winter Watering in Wyoming and the High Plains
Last week we had three days in a row above 40 degrees F. With no snow cover, this was a perfect time to water shrubs, trees and perennials in the yard. The forecast for Central Wyoming for the first week of 2012 looks good for another opportunity for winter watering. In the high plains, winter…
Climate Challenges and Vegetable Gardening
I moved to Wyoming from the Midwest over 20 years ago. I thought I understood what ‘arid’ meant, but it took two failed vegetable gardens to really get through to me. Sunset’s Western Gardens does a pretty good job of describing our climate: “…this zone sees January temperatures from 0-12 degrees F with extremes between…
Sedums, A Tough Beauty
As I have stated before, native plants are my passion as a gardener and landscaper, but I don’t promote the use of natives because I think it will save the world, or because hybridized and introduced species are evil. I plant, experiment with, talk about, and promote the use of native plants because I am…
Pricklypear Cactus; Look But Don’t Touch
Lewis probably said it best when he referred to Pricklypear as “one of the beauties as well as the greatest pests of the plains.”1 I usually see it with a pale yellow bloom, so this beautiful apricot colored version caught my attention. Opuntia polyacantha, Prickly Pear cactus, or Plains Pricklypear, is a common plant of…
Mountain Mahogany – Native Shrub of Wyoming
Native Shrub for Drought Tolerant Landscaping There are two common Mountain Mahogany species in Wyoming; Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) and True Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus). Both would make nice ornamental shrubs or small trees in low water use landscapes. The seeds of C. montanus, shown here, are expertly designed for catching on passers by,…
Liatris punctata Rewards the Patient
The USDA Plants Profile describes Liatris punctata as a slow growing perennial with a conspicuous purple flower. Conspicuous – I agree! There’s little wonder the common name Blazing Star was applied to Liatris punctata, although I’m not so sure how Dotted Gayfeather came about. Given the harsh locations in which I have seen this plant,…
Wyoming Life 