Springtime in the Mountain Garden by Vicky Barney

Watching the snow melt is a wonderful time of year for the gardener.   It signals that it’s time to sharpen the gardening tools and stretch the muscles in preparation for gardening season, and it’s a treat to watch the natural world wake up, from the trees and bushes leafing out to the explosion of dandelions.   And remembering that the dandelions are beneficial to the pollinators will keep the gardener calm while waiting to see if the garden will shape up as envisioned during the long winter. Spring came early this year, or so we thought.   Then the subsequent snow flurries and cold temperatures reminded us that one must be patient before planting in the high country and wait for consistently warmer weather.   Guides to spring planting in Colorado may be misleading unless one remembers: “Higher elevation gardens generally run anywhere from three to five weeks later for seeding or transplanting unless using cold frames or tunnels.” ( http://www.denverpost.com/2017/04/14/colorado-garde