Just moved to Colorado Springs from Parker. Both places I planted xeriscape, all grew so quickly it took me by surprise. Raspberries have been great too. This spring I am redoing the back yard which is half shade due to huge/old trees, a new challenge. Thanks to all of you for the heads up on plantings which work, some I have not used....fun to look for and try this spring. One thing I will caution on is buying decidious trees from the two tree nurseries off of Parker Rd. I bought 3 15' trees, one died and the other lost half it's life. They replace, but charge you the replanting fee which is half the cost of the tree itself. And try not to buy them in Spring....the year warranty ending in spring will not tell you if they made it through the year. Trees planted won't bud til later...which is usually after the warranty. All of you may hate this, but my successful trees have been from Lowes at 20/30 a piece. For some reason they are just happy growers and I'm pretty sure they don't grow them locally. I love Red Buds, have continued to try them but they either don't make it or become a bush from my cutting off dead branches. Think it is a gamble and one I keep playing. There are Red Buds in Cherry Creek shopping area which have done well, planted about 2 feet from store fronts. Maybe they need the warmth and shelter of the buildings. Any suggestion for success would be welcomed.

Looking at all the plants that have scapes, i expect my season to start fairly fast these two are usually the first along with Bill Watson that has scapes. I really expected Fernstone to bloom first, but it was slower than Colorado Moonstone once it scaped. I am spending large amounts of most days working outside. Not being able to work last fall really left me in a hole. Of course, the first areas I weeded had to be redone this week. We are supposed to have a one day cool down, but it has been near 90 all week, and this is April. I fear a very hot summer is coming here....and we are dry again.

Hannah, Nancy is right, my blooms started a couple of weeks earlier than last year, but mainly, Fernstone. It, Colorado Moonstone, and Bill Watson always race to be the first to bloom, I did think last year was also a bit early so it may be creeping along. I usually have two peaks of blooms now; the early and mid blooms, then the mid and lates. I do usually have a hundred or so that re-bloom,but it will often start as instant re-bloom. It is not my gardening skills that cause it, other than perhaps the mulching which they love and need here as hot as it gets. It is the climate I think. I do put out slug killers, and ispar on rare occasions. If I am really indiustrious and can find it, I scatter alfalfa meal or puut out fish emulsion prior to bloom season. I have put out time release fertilizer and they seem to like it, but not tremendously. Nancy, my plants do the same thing yours are doing...One or two buds get ready and the others hold back while from blooming. kay

Seaside, I appreciate where you're coming from. It's just that I have truly been a victim of the mob mentality of particular socio-political groups and demographics within this forum, and I do believe that I have handled the hatred and ill-will with far more grace, respect, and tolerance of these transgressions against me than what I received from them to begin with. It's part of true maturity to accept the experiences, opinions, and observations of others. This is what freedom of speech truly is. It's not permitting ONLY what oneself agrees with. Unfortunately, I don't experience such tolerance, intelligence, reason, and maturity in return. I can accept that. Certainly no one is perfect, either, and never will be. I can assure that my points of view are not somehow "evil" or nearly as barbaric and people-threatening as I've been accused of! Without respect of others and willingness to accept another's opinion and real experiences, there will never be progress made socially or otherwise. We have clearly slid backwards from where we were at in the 1990's. Today's world is not the one that I experienced or was promised growing up. Straw, thank you for your support, respect, and informative feedback regarding the situations we experience today. I appreciate and value it very much. It can be so stressful being the pariah, but I consider it to be one of the important life burdens I must bear and why I continue coming to this forum to view everyone's gorgeous photos and listen their stories and experiences. We certainly wouldn't be telling someone what they're experiencing their own microclimate is wrong because of our own gardens' climate being different now, would we? I've been here over ten years, many others longer than that, and I will continue to visit, share, and get my warm and fuzzies from ALL y'all's beautiful gardens that fill me with inspiration!  'Albertine' cloaking a dead plum tree... No matter the disagreements, never forget I still value you! Steven