New Beginnings

By Christy Rost, April 2007

Spring has arrived in Dallas. In our yard, pink azaleas and white bridal’s wreath are bursting with blooms, and roses as large as saucers are almost breathtaking in both their richness of color and intensity of fragrance. Blue irises have already come and gone, soon to be replaced by deep purple Louisiana irises in my English garden.

This year, I want to start reading and learning about high altitude gardening. In the fall, my husband, Randy and I purchased an historic home in the Colorado Rockies and I’m itching to plant new gardens. But before I can pick up a shovel or spade, I have a lot to learn about which plants perform well at an altitude of over 9,000 feet.

My new next door neighbor, Liz is a fabulous gardener and I plan to pay close attention once the snow melts and she’s outdoors in her gardens again. I’m also looking forward to many long hours this summer of strolling through local garden centers and hopefully bending the ear of some horticulturist who will take pity on me.

This will be our first summer spent entirely in the mountains. After many, many years of enduring hot Texas summers, I’m looking forward to a full summer of cool breezes, even when the sun is shining brightly. While Randy and I have a lot of work to do renovating and restoring our newly-purchased second home, I plan to take full advantage of the huge covered front porch that wraps the entire front of the house. Here, we’ll gather with new friends to enjoy casual dinners or sip frosty glasses of iced tea, homemade lemonade, or chilled wine. It will be entertaining at its best – fresh ingredients made into simple, satisfying meals and the joy of lively conversation. It doesn’t get better than that!