Garden Share Bristol

Allium porrum, culinary leek

Here are some photos of what's happening on our rooftop garden at SPEC.

I recently spent some time vacationing in Telluride, Colorado. This old silver mining town (designated a National Historic District ), located in a box canyon high in the San Juan mountains of southwestern Colorado, has successfully maintained its character while surviving in a modern economy.  How?  Most of the development necessary to support their ski resort is located out of sight in the adjacent Mountain Village, accessible by a free gondola.  The core of Telluride maintains it's small-town ambiance with independent retailers and small residences.

The backdrop for main street is the stunning Bridal Veil Falls, visible in the photo above and in a closer view, here:

I enjoyed strolling down the streets and alleys, looking at the small pocket gardens and the architecture of this  active mountain community.

I loved this color scheme of palest lilac, periwinkle blue and soft, acid green.  Which came first, the paint or the plant ?:

This tiny back yard is well designed  to use every bit of available space for both function (parking) and relaxation.  Check out that ski lift swing!






Metal has become the building material of choice in Telluride. I think it speaks well to the town's mining past.  It's usually left to rust, and integrated with wood, stone, or brick. Here, corrugated metal and "hog wire":

Flat metal "shingles" for a less rustic look:

Metal sheathing over a cast concrete retaining wall carries the architectural detailing into the landscape.


Corrugated metal integrates with brick for a durable fencing option:




Sometimes it's a good exercise for the eye to focus on the non-plant materials that build our outdoor spaces and let the plants take a backseat.  Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Last Sunday June 20th SPEC hosted a booth on Commercial Drive to tell more people about our organization's work. We chatted with many many folks about organic urban agriculture, renewable energy and waste reduction. SPEC shared our booth with Earth Heart - a new endeavor by Gareth Ward who builds cedar container boxes among other food garden services.

It was a very busy and very inspiring day. Thank you to all who stopped by to say hello!

- marnie

Hi there!

Yey for summer!

Here are our upcoming volunteer times:

Wednesday June 23rd 530pm-615pm - Cambie Square Communal Garden (West side of Cambie between 10th and 12th, up the stairs)

Friday June 25th 93oam-11am - SPEC Rooftop Container Garden (2150 Maple Street)

Sunday June 28th 11am-12 - Cambie Square Communal Garden

Wednesday June 30th 530-615pm - Cambie Square Communal Garden

We hope to see you!

- marnie

What's so special about designing small spaces? Every inch counts! Today, the following members of the Garden Designers' Roundtable are sharing their tips and tricks for making the most of your small outdoor spaces.  Follow the links and enjoy!

Today’s topic:

Today  I'm being even lazier than my usual Friday afternoon self; I'm in Telluride, Colorado, enjoying the annual Bluegrass Festival. Last night I listened to Alison Krauss while gazing at the Milky Way --- at an elevation of over 8,400 feet!

'll be back next week with photos from my high country adventure.  In the meantime, happy gardening!

. . . Sans Photos!

I've been patiently waiting to participate in this monthly event that celebrates what is currently in bloom in gardens around the world (created by Carol ---visit her blog, May Dreams Gardens, to link to more).  All winter and spring I could only sit back and wait, while drooling over pictures of lush, floriferous gardens in warmer climes.

Unfortunately, late last week my computer suffered a viral attack and is still in the repair shop. So, no photos.  The best I can do is give you a "preview list", and promise pictures in the future!

Now blooming in The Art Garden:
Centranthus
Rosa
Geranium
Iris
Achillea
Dianthus
Allium
Penstemon
Clematis
Papaver
Lychnis
Hemerocallis
Tradescantia
Heleanthemum
Phlomis
Verbascum
Veronica
Thymus
Delphinium
Salvia
Coreopsis
Stachys
Ephedera
Lilium
Cerastium
Scabiosa
Callirhoe
Syringa
Crambe
Galium
Sedum
Helictotrichon

I hope you're enjoying long summer days amongst the flowers in your garden!

PS, the blog spammers have gotten pesky, so comment moderation has been enabled...sorry.

Early summer means garden tour time! (Saturday, June 12th, I'll be attending The Enchanted Gardens Tour of Northwest Denver.) I've gone on many, many garden tours over the years and would like to share some tips on getting the most out of a garden tour:

The obvious:

1. Hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Sun exposure time can really sneak up on you, best to be prepared.

2. Water. Some sites provide cold drinks, others do not, and it's easy to get dehydrated.

3. Food. Time flies when you're having fun, so why waste it trying to track down some place to eat? Carry a light snack instead.

The practical:

1. Bring a good street map of the tour area. Tour maps are notoriously light on information and rarely to scale. A real map allows you to organize the tour sequence in a way that works best for you.

2. Park and walk. Often times several gardens are within a few blocks of each other - really no need to drive from site to site. Plus, you never know what you may discover along the way.

3. Better yet, ride your bike!

Extras that enhance your experience:

1. Bring a camera. I find that a camera makes me slow down and look at the details, even in a garden that doesn't capture my interest initially. Select a theme or two for your photographs for that day: flower portraits, container plantings, hardscape details (fences, arbors, retaining walls, etc), lifestyle/decorating ideas, etc., etc. It's always best to ask permission before taking photos --- especially of private spaces.

2. Plan to take a few notes. Plant names, plant combinations, a particular hardscape material (where to buy it!), color combinations, or the name of the designer/contractor will quickly fade from memory!

3. Garden tours can be a fun activity with a like-minded friend, spouse, or older (10+?) child, but large groups or very young children can make it difficult to stay focused on absorbing and learning from everything you see. (Know what your priorities are going into the activity.)

More Garden Tours to visit:

Saturday, June 19 - Jr. League of Fort Collins 28th Annual Garden Tour

Saturday, June 26th - 2010 Evergreen Garden Tour

Saturday, July 24th - Summit County Garden Club Annual Garden Tour

Did I miss anything?

Have fun!

Angie and Mamoon!

Please contact me: jhcstudios at yahoo dot com by noon on Tuesday, June 8 (tomorrow!), so I can mail your tickets to you or give them to someone else...thanks!

The good news is: I'm eagerly anticipating the first ever (as in 20 years ever) bumper crop of apricots on my favorite tree.
The bad news is: we've already got a bumper crop of squirrels.

This could get ugly.

What are your worst garden pests? How do you manage them?

Spring is in full force and all the hard work and planning from the previous months is truly paying off.

School Gardens


Students from a nearby school recently brought seedlings they started in their classroom to plant on our rooftop container garden.

Rooftop Garden


Fava beans are flowering on the roof!

Lettuce is harvestable!

Tomato seedlings are in! (Started in Carole's backyard greenhouse)

Cambie Square Communal Garden

New lovely signage care of Jodi Mayne!

We've got bees! Mason bees have moved in to our mason condo (thanks EYA!) you can see they've filled the holes with mud.


- marnie

. . . Uh, make that The Enchanted Gardens Tour of Northwest Denver!