Fire on the Mountain!

Yes, it was true, the words out of the mouth of my youngest son. Fire on the mountain! Cindy, myself and our son John with his friend Jeremiah had just left the Colorado Renaissance Festival near Castle Rock, Colorado. We were headed back to Colorado Springs and had just passed a bend near Palmer Park when we viewed a sickening plume of white smoke. We all knew immediately there was a wildfire.

Soon the interstate 25 was blocked with traffic near the Air Force Academy. We took a shortcut and turned on the radio learning of the fire that was only 3 hours old on Saturday. We arrived near Garden of the Gods road and I got out the camera in a parking lot. On the left is Pikes Peak and black smoke from pine trees burning, this is approximately 7 hours after announced.

Everyone was in a surreal mood, non believing I suppose. The day had been extremely hot in the 100's with winds soon to follow that night. On this day is was regulated to 120 acres. It was so early in the fire, plans were still being devised. That evening before sunset, Pikes Peak to left in photo below.

A little before sunset Saturday night.

Sunday brought more winds, forever changing directions. Containment was at 0%. Firefighters were fighting high temperatures and changing winds. Winds on Sunday were blowing from the north, somewhat holding the fire in place. Smoke was appearing in town. 

Monday was our day to go north to Wyoming. Firefighters were appearing in the hotel and this was the first morning I could smell pine wood burning. It was going to be a night people of Colorado Springs will not ever forget as 35,000 people were evacuated in the middle of the night. The winds caused the fire to jump two canyons to the foothills and come down on the subdivisions west of the city. I had previously lived a 1/2 mile from these homes. Soon the winds had moved the fire swiftly through the Shadow Mountain subdivision. Before that a popular tourist and local attraction, Flying W Ranch had been mostly destroyed. Having lived here and having friends in this area cause a sense of bewilderment in my soul. 

Please keep the people of the springs and the firefighters around the west who are fighting many fires in your prayers! Cindy and I are now in Wyoming and getting updates from my son. Unfortunately I am allergic to smoke. However I have been able to take medicine to overcome minor discomfort. Hope things are more cheery in you neck of the woods.

Photo courtesy of The Denver Post. Shadow Mountain Subdivision after the fire.

Link to other Photos.

Waldo Canyon Fire

In Conclusion: Xeriscape Demo Garden Part Three

 This is the third and final part of our visit to the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden in Colorado Springs. In review and to keep things short this post will be primarily photos. 
The Seven Principles of Xeriscape : 1. Plan and Design  2. Soil Amendment  3. Efficient Irrigation 4. Appropriate plant and zone selection 5. Mulch  6. Alternative turf  7. Maintenance.

In Greek Xeri means dry or dry enviroment; Xeric means relating or adapted to an extremely dry habitat. Succulents such as cacti, aloes, and agaves are xeric plants.

Reviewing the many comments I've received there seems to be a little confusion on what xeriscape means to each reader. I believe we all use many of the same principles in our "non" xeriscape gardens. So I am going out on a limb and choose principle #4 : appropriate plant and zone selection as being the best definition of Xeriscape. By planting plants with the same light/irrigation zone needs, we create an area that is more efficient in water use. For example, if we plant a high water use plant like the Ajuga with a low water use plant like Yucca in the same bed we have to irrigate the bed heavily to keep the ajuga alive and thus over watering the yucca excessively. Thus using more water than necessary. I hope this explains the principle better.

Xeriscape Rock Garden

Solar Powered Water Garden

Sorry the focus is off.

No to Low Water Zone/Full Sun

No/Low Water Zone/Full Sun-Alternative Lawn Zone-Buffalo/Blue Grama Grass

Yucca and Penstemon

Low Water Zone

Had to add a photo of a project I completed when I lived in the Springs in 2002. Xeriscape principles were used and many existing plants were left such as Pinyon Pine and Juniper. Initially there were only rotted railroad ties and noxious weeds and no rock. Needless to say we moved a few tons of boulders.

My son and I say adios.

Xeriscape Demonstration Garden - Part 1

Fallugia paradoxa-Apache Plume

Apache plume shows her positive side, her white blooms and silky swanky seed heads. What more could you want, maybe a little more decorative foliage? Donna from GTGW made a nice post this week on context. It's true the above photo is primarily focused on the blooms and seed-heads. However the photo really doesn't show the plant in it's full form. But, man!!!! Is that gorgeous or what?

This post is primarily focused on my trip to the Colorado Springs utilities demonstration garden near Garden of the Gods. I got this editorial off the gardenvisit web site:

The Colorado Springs Utilities Xeriscape Garden is designed to demonstrate the seven principles of Xeriscape in a wide variety of designs. The garden incorporates many different gardens styles that are arranged by water requirement so visitors can get a good idea of what styles can be achieved and what plants will thrive with different amounts of water. The garden displays more than 500 varieties of trees, shrubs, grasses, perennials, biennials and annuals that grow well in the Colorado Springs area. 

Throughout the garden there are several stations explaining the seven principles of xeriscape. 

1. Plan and Design  2. Soil Amendment  3. Efficient Irrigation 4. Appropriate plant and zone selection 5. Mulch  6. Alternative turf  7. Maintenance.  Xeriscape programs were initiated to save water in areas that are beginning to run out of water resources and need to conserve.

I really don't want to turn this into an encyclopedia post so I will leave a link for more info if you want to be more informed. Personally the main xeriscape principle for me is proper plant and water/light zone selection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeriscaping

These three photos were taken 'outside' the main garden, by the parking lot and water utilities office.

The garden is broken into light/water zones and labeled as such. These plants are in the Moderate Water Zone. Most everything is labeled well and explanatory

The garden is located just above the Garden of the Gods park, what a background for a garden!

 Does that wet you appetite? More on Part II