As a recent transplant from Colorado, we are excited to see our Maryland garden blossom and grow. These entries are dedicated to the plants, shrubs and tress which cause us delight each and everyday.

To begin with, realize that a native Coloradoan has probably never seen a magnolia tree, or most of the other shrubs and trees we find in our yard. A southwest garden is typically xeriscaped because water is so scarce. When annuals are planted, they require constant watering, particularly to get them established. Soils are usually sandy and drain fast. Adding compost, mulch, peat moss or anything else organic is a must, and requires years to build a viable flower bed. The sun is hot, with UV at 5000 feet intense. In many parts of Colorado the wind is hot and rather constant, and starves plants of their moisture in a day or two. Add low humidity, and you can begin to see why Colorado has experienced so many devastating forest and grassland fires in recent years. When people come to visit we hand them lip balm and a bottle of water as soon as they get off the airplane.

As new Marylanders, Cathy and I have been working to identify the many plants in the garden, while at the same time doing some basic garden maintenance. Our split rail fence needs repairs, and we need to provide some pathways for the dogs. There are several good sized trees and shrubs which need to be moved to new places, and there are three dead trees in the yard which will need to be removed. It is a project, so much so that we had to make a big to do list and prioritize it.