Springtime in the Rockies

What a beautiful Colorado day, and how the sun shone . . . just before the big storm blew in!Springtime is unpredictable in the Rockies with sunshine one minute and snow the next. Saturday may very well be a "snow day", with people staying home because navigating in the snow is too risky. That's a nice feature of Denver - there is a certain latitude for snowy days and safety factors. A number of businesses will be closed depending on where they're located, and others will operate with a minimal staff because some employees will be snowed in. It's all O.K. because customers will stay at home, cozy and warm, enjoying brunch with their families or nestled in their flannels with a favorite book. There will be those who brave the storm to make it to the ski slopes, although they couldn't possibly have made it in to work! Soon the snows will be gone, and there will be no weather excuses for a day off. I say, "enjoy this one - it may be our last snow of the season". It's just too bad it didn't wait until Monday morning to hit!

It's springtime in the Rockies and we're just itching to

plant our flowers. Try starting your seeds in cardboard egg cartons, or in these little, (biodegradable), newspaper rolls.

Using a cookie sheet, lay a foundation of small gravel, then

place your soil in the paper rolls, and plant. In six weeks

they'll be ready to transplant.

Wait until Mother's Day to put them in the garden though, so you'll be safe from those killer frosts!

I wouldn't mind receiving some little mint or herb or ivy starts like these as a Mother's Day present . . . so environmentally friendly!

Paper white narcissus are one of the easiest and most delightful bits of greenery you can grow in your home. Bulbs are easy to deal with, and very inexpensive. Use any container you have that fits the bulb. Fill it 3/4 of the way with gravel. Place the bulb on top and add water, just up to the bottom of the bulb. The trick is to not over water. Make the roots stretch downward for their drink. Place the bulbs in a sunny spot, or under a lamp, and watch them grow. They will eventually form a little bud which will burst into a fragrant bloom.

Enjoy the beginning of springtime, wherever you are . . .