There ain't nuthin' better'n a rock garden!

Late April...daphne and draba time

Same berm, a month later, Aethionema and Iberis spreading cool pink and lavender matlets and Daphne alpina blooming at right...

June has a conflagration of delosperma, orange Anagallis monellii from Morocco, and more...

July adds more poppies and dwarf verbascum joining the mix...

August is cooler, with pastel Origanums and blue gentians just out of sight: but still trim and appealing...why on earth doesn't everyone have rock garden?

A closer look at the neoclassical extravaganza of oreganos and Inula verbascifolia, recreating Mt. Olympus in my back yard...makes me feel positively Zeusian! There ain't nuthin' better'n a rock garden my friend!

Three cheers for Helen!

Two vignettes from Helen Nelson's magical garden in South Metro: the big blue mat center and bottom is none other than Veronica thymoides var. pseudocinerea. It was collected in Turkey by Jim and Jenny Archibald nearly a quarter century ago, and we've grown it several places at Denver Botanic Gardens and at my homes since then. But I have never seen it bloom as prolifically as it does for Helen. In fact, everything in her garden seems just a little brighter, looks just a little fresher. She's one of these natural talents who seems to know just how to grow and show off a plant.
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She has volunteered at Denver Botanic Gardens since the 1990's and is treasured by all the staff who works with her for her uncanny knack at gardening. Her magnificent garden will be featured in this year's Garden Conservancy tours on May 22: you can find out more about these tours at: Garden Conservancy Open days. Come to think of it, my garden will be showcased as well: I better go out and weed a bit more!

Wondeful albino form of Omphalodes verna, a gorgeous borage from Europe at Helen's garden.