Looking back at summer

Winter is closing in and I can't resist looking at garden photos taken when the richness of plant life and sunlight washed over us daily. I was suffering the absence of family and friends, the horror of the pandemic, and endless ignorance from leadership; but was lucky to have an abundance of beauty nearby.

At 7,000 feet summer temperatures vacillate between forty and ninety degrees, often in the same 24 hour period. During the peak of the day, leaf temperatures breech 150 degrees and no amount of water, which is scarce here, can heal the torment of the plants. Shade from other plants, healthy layering of the landscape and ultimately, some shade cloth for the most delicate species is a requirement. But looking back, it was worth it.

Today, swirls of thin snow accumulate outside the door and Salida has assumed its late fall wardrobe colors of brown and pale straw.

I will return to garden images again this winter. ... a good time to explore what works and what falls short when documenting the gardens we love.

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