Starting a balcony garden

The weather has been so beautiful lately and it seems like everyone has been playing in their gardens. For the past couple of weeks I have been admiring the flowers planted by others. On my way to work I drive by a cute, little yellow house with a front yard full of gorgeous, tall purple orchids. I slow down so I can take a good, long look at those happy blooms before I have to continue on. One of my neighbors has the most beautiful and simple patio garden consisting of several hanging pots with a variety of multi-colored, annual flowers and there are beautiful globe-shaped, white string lights hanging from the ceiling. She is often sitting at her bistro table with her husband enjoying a glass of wine. It makes me smile every time I see it. It is such a perfect little space. It inspired me to create my own. 

There are 2 balconies in our apartment. The larger one is connected to our living room and it is where we have our grill currently. The smaller one is connected to our bedroom and the only thing on it is my bicycle and two metal plant stands left by the previous tenant of our apartment. Unfortunately, neither balcony gets much direct sunlight. I decided to make the smaller balcony my own little space.

My husband and I took a trip to the garden center at Home Depot and soon discovered that we were not the only ones who would be planting today. The place was packed! We grabbed a cart and picked up 3 six inch terra cotta pots, 3 saucers, and 2 bags of Miracle Gro potting mix soil to start. Then we headed to the herb section. We cook pretty much every night of the week so being able to go out on the balcony and pick the fresh herbs we need will make our dishes tastier and will also save us some money at the grocery store. A win win! We decided to start with basil, as we use it in many of our  Italian and Thai dishes, and mint for summer cocktails. I wanted to use my last pot to plant flowers. There are so many beautiful ones to choose from, but my eyes went immediately to the orange marigolds. I have happy memories of my Oma planting marigolds in her garden and since orange is my favorite color it was an easy decision. 

As soon as we got home we transferred our plants into the terra cotta pots. It was very simple with the Bonnie plants we purchased. Bonnie’s biodegradable pots can be put into the soil “pot, plant, and all.” You just remove the label, tear off the bottom of the pot, and plant the whole thing. As the pot disintegrates it becomes part of the soil. These pots prevent transplant shock by allowing the roots to remain intact from container to soil so that plants make a smoother transition to the garden. It doesn't get any easier than that and using biodegradable pots helps prevent pounds of plastic from entering our landfills. Another win, win! 

Sweet basil- I love rubbing the aromatic leaves between my fingers and taking in the spicy scent

Happy, orange marigolds that remind me of my Oma because she always plants them in her garden every summer

Spearmint that I plan to use for mojitos this summer :)

So I have a mini balcony garden now and I love it. I spent the afternoon enjoying my new little space by laying out my manatee beach towel (a gift from my Oma years ago), reading my borrowed library book, and sipping a glass of pinot grigio. It was very relaxing! My cats even came out to join me for a little bit. We had a screened in lanai when we lived in Florida so they were used to being able to hang outside with us. Here the balconies are not screened in so I only let them out when my husband and I are there to supervise as I am afraid they may jump off....you never know with Mugsy and Zepplin! :) They enjoyed the fresh air today too. 

Mugsy and Zepplin are exploring my new little space

I am looking forward to adding on to my container garden. Jim got me some wildflower seeds that I will plant once I get the right planter for them. I also found a cute bistro table set and some outdoor lights on Target.com that I think would be perfect for my little space. I think it is important to have a place in your home to call your own where you can relax and feel at peace. My husband uses the second bedroom in our apartment as a music studio. It is his creative space. I am hoping this balcony will be mine. :)

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul"- Luther Burbank"

If you are a beginner to herb gardening check out this video from Home Depot on how to start an herb garden:  http://howto.homedepot.com/videos/watch/1496369598001/How-to-Start-an-Herb-Garden.html

For more information about Bonnie Plants check out their website: http://bonnieplants.com/our-story/the-greener-grower/

I would love to hear about your garden or see pictures of it! :)

Mallory Cave Trail

It sort of feels like we skipped spring and moved straight into summer. The weather has definitely warmed up, the grass is tall and green, and I feel like I blinked and the trees sprouted leaves. Happy little white and yellow flowers are popping up all over the place. Dandelions are everywhere this year. I know they are weeds, but I have always thought they were pretty. With all the moisture we have had and the sudden temperature change it makes sense that everything started to grow at once. The late winter left the spring with a lot of catching up to do! It is just amazing to me how quickly things change here.

Make a wish!

Happy little dandelions

This beautiful weather has definitely given me the hiking bug. All I want to do is play outside! Yesterday my husband and I decided to explore more of Boulder's big backyard. We chose the Mallory Cave Trail. This trail begins at the far west end of Table Mesa Drive at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. There is no fee to park in the NCAR lot which is great. We weren't exactly sure where the trailhead began when we arrived so we wandered around the large sandstone building before we found it. Turns out it was on the backside of NCAR. We followed the Walter Orr Roberts trail for about 0.6 miles before hitting the Mesa trail. The path to Mallory Cave was not clearly marked at this point. We were not sure if we needed to head right or left. Now my husband that I adore probably would have rather taken a guess before asking for directions, but a man was heading back from the trails toward us so I simply asked him which way to Mallory Cave. He told us to turn left on the Mesa Trail and from then on the path would be clearly marked the rest of the way. Turns out he was right. The lesson here is that it is ok to ask for help sometimes. :)

 

As soon as we turned on the trail toward Mallory Cave, the hike became very steep. The trail switchbacks up Dinosaur Mountain through towering sandstone formations with beautiful views of Boulder and the eastern plains. We commented on the way that the rolling green hills of the plains reminded us of the Shire in the Lord of the Rings. We paused in one of the open areas towards the end of the trail to rest on some rocks and soak up the mountain sun. In the 4th photo below you can see NCAR in the distance where we started. It looked so tiny from the trail. It was amazing how quickly we felt so far away.

Looks like the Shire doesn't it? :)

So close to the cave entrance!

Near the end of the hike is a steep red rock staircase that leads you to Mallory Cave. The final 75 feet of the ascent to the cave is very steep and you have to scramble up the sheer rock face to get to the top. Because the cave is closed off to the public we did not go all the way to the top. The closure stems from an epidemic of white-nosed syndrome, a fungal disease that has destroyed bat populations across the country. In an attempt to limit the potential spread, the U.S. Forest Service closed the cave.  Because the disease is primarily found in human-accessible recreational caves, people are thought to be the main cause of spreading. It is too bad because it would have been neat to be able to explore the cave! It is still a great hike that I would recommend to others because of the spectacular views and it is an excellent workout. The trail is only 2.8 miles round trip, but the steepness of the hike makes it a challenging one. 

Entrance to Mallory Cave which is closed off

Although we did not encounter much wildlife on this trail, we did see lots of dogs! Wildflowers were scattered throughout the trail. I took pictures of the ones that I did not recognize so that I could identify them later at home with my field guides. I love doing that. However, if you are not going to take the time to identify the plants on the spot, you need to make sure to take multiple photographs of them. It can be difficult to recall details when you are at home and if your photograph doesn't capture characteristics like the plant type, flower or fruit/seed shape, leaf shape, arrangement or texture, then it can make it very difficult to identify the plant later on. I took a photo of some beautiful flowers I saw on this hike but am now struggling to remember if they were from a tree or shrub and I cannot tell from the picture I took. I sent the photo to a friend who is a master gardener and also to the person who manages the Wildflowers of Colorado Facebook page to ask for help. I think we may have it narrowed down to a Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa)or some other member of that genus. Again, another fine example that sometimes it is beneficial to ask for help! :) I will keep you posted if we figure out what it is for sure! Check out http://www.wildflowersofcolorado.com/ if you are having trouble identifying Colorado wildflowers! This website has been a great tool for me!

Look close to see the dog!

This is the flower I am having trouble identifying because the photo I took does not clearly show the plant type. It is important to take multiple photos of any plants you want to identify later that show the plant type, color, height, flower shape, and leaf shape and arrangement.

Have you done this hike before? I would love to hear about your experience or see your photographs! 

Until next time, keep calm and hike on! :)

Another great hike completed! :)

 

A Peace Piece

So to address the "Peace" piece of my blog I wanted to share with you that I tried something new today- yoga! I have always wanted to do it and in the past I let my head get in the way. I was never an athlete or gymnast and I can't touch my toes without bending my knees so I figured yoga was out for me. Luckily, a lot of people I have met here in Colorado do yoga regularly and convinced me that I could and should do it. I listened.

The timing seemed perfect to try it out, as a new yoga studio just opened up right down the street. Still feeling intimidated, I called to ask about beginner classes and was pleasantly surprised to learn that most of the classes offered are suitable for beginners. The woman on the phone was very reassuring, positive, and welcoming to a yoga newbie. I could feel the tension leaving my body already! :)

I was so excited about it that I asked my big sister if she would like to join me. She shared that she had the same fears and reservations about yoga as me, but has also been wanting to try it. Ahhh, the bonds of sisterhood! We looked at the schedule to see what worked best for both of us and decided on the class called "Lunch Vinyasa." For all the foodie readers, there was no lunch involved. The class is offered at noon, hence the name. :) Vinyasa means the linking of body movement with breath. This was to be the focus of the class. 

I met my sister at the studio 15 minutes before the class started. We were immediately welcomed by a friendly face and given a tour. I fell in love with the yoga space right away. They call it the Tree studio because it is decorated with greens and blues and there are beautifully hand painted trees on the walls. The ceiling is softly lit and draped in white to give it the appearance of clouds in a forest. Perfect for someone who loves spending time in nature! :) I felt relaxed and calm the minute I stepped foot in there. They provided everything we needed for the class including mats, blocks, bolsters, and eye pillows. 

The beautiful and peaceful Tree studio at Rise Yoga in Erie. This picture is from their website: http://rise-yoga.com/

Because the yoga studio is so new we were informed that class sizes have been small. There was actually only 1 other woman signed up for the class we were taking- not too surprising considering it was noon on a Monday I guess! It was nice having a small class because as a newbie it was less intimidating. This also meant more one-on-one time with the teacher. We had talked with the instructor when we arrived and informed her that it was our very first time doing yoga so she taught the class at a very beginner level for our benefit. We learned how to move and breathe in a sequence of simple to more complex flowing postures. Our teacher was fantastic- very calming, assuring, and patient. We used muscles that we never used before! It was nice to turn to the side and share a smile or laugh with my sister when we were in a more strenuous posture, and luckily our teacher encouraged this. It was a great beginner experience and I am so glad we went. We both felt rejuvenated immediately after.

I am planning to take more classes at Rise Yoga studio. They offer one in the evening called "Relax and Restore Yoga" that is supposed to be great for stress relief. I am hoping yoga will increase my flexibility, strengthen my back muscles to keep aches at bay, and give me a sense of calm similar to that I have when I am hiking. I think these are goals I can achieve through yoga. 

If anybody who is reading this has refrained from trying yoga because of similar fears or concerns like I had before, please ignore your head and try it! You will be grateful. Just go at your own pace and don't be intimidated by others.  For anyone who has been practicing yoga for awhile I would love if you shared your first experience with me! :)

Check out Rise Yoga's website for more info and class schedules!
http://rise-yoga.com/ 

“The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences.”
― Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

Cinco de Mayo Hike- Anne U. White Trail, Boulder CO

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here in Colorado it has felt a little more like Cinco de January with all the spring snow showers! I was excited to get out and hike today, but I wasn't really sure how great the trail conditions would be, given all the precipitation we have had lately. A little mud never hurt anyone though right? :)

Because it was already close to noon and we weren't sure what to expect on the trails, we picked a local one- the Anne U. White Trail in Boulder. Anne Underwood White was a local writer and open space advocate who donated 20 acres for the creation of this trail. The path follows Four Mile Canyon Creek through a narrow canyon hemmed in by dense forest and steep rock walls. The trail is shaded by a variety of trees including ponderosa pines, Douglas firs, cottonwoods, and willows. I recommend taking deep breaths while hiking here- it smells amazing! 

There were definitely some muddy areas on the trail, but overall it wasn't too bad. There are about 20 places on this hike where you cross the creek to continue on the trail. Some of the spots were easier to cross because there were large stepping stones, but other areas were trickier because the rocks were spread farther apart and many of them were very slick. This kept some people we saw from even finishing the hike. Not us! We made it until the end! :)

Muddy trail conditions from late spring snow storms.

A more difficult area to cross the creek. Jim has triumphed! :)

Large stepping stones made it easy to cross safely in other areas of the trail. :)

  
Highlights from the hike:

-We stumbled upon natural art! On a trailside stump somebody put together a collection of rocks, pine cones, pine needles, twigs, some kind of bone, and a little frog key chain. It was like finding treasure! :)

-Near the end of the trail there is a small waterfall that empties into a pool. It was marked by cairns, man-made piles of stones used to help mark hiking trails. It was a very pretty spot that had a very Zen-like feeling to it. Would be a great place to have a picnic, meditate, or read a book.

-We spotted a couple of wildflowers even though it is early in the season. I am sure wildflowers blanket the ground here in the summertime.

Star Lily, Leucocrinum montanum

Yellow Prairie Violet, Viola nuttallii

This was a relatively easy hike. I brought my pedometer hiking for the first time so I know we took exactly 8,349 steps from start to finish- about 3.4 miles. I loved that it was close to home, yet offered that secluded wilderness feeling. I definitely want to come back here in the summer. It would be great for a hot day because of all the shade provided by the trees and it would be fun to splash and wade in the creek! I am sure it is much busier in the summer months so we would have to leave early as parking is extremely limited. There is only room for 5 cars to park! Keep this in mind if you plan on hiking here and I hope you do! :)