Garden Meister and Crevice Crafter....

The artist who created the garden I feature below: Kenton Seth

The picture was taken last June at the Yampa River Botanic Park: this remarkable young man has actually built nearly 30 gardens in the last few years--the one I feature below is just north of 80th and Simms in Arvada--tucked into a Recreational Center called APEX (if you go looking, be aware there are two such Rec Centers not far apart. Kenton's amazing crevice garden is at the one with the world class pickle ball courts (I kid you not)...

I have taken a lot of pictures over the last few years: these are all taken on October 2--not usually a great time for gardens! This one was amazing today--although the pictures are a bit contrasty due to the bright light. It will give you a taste. By the way, I was here right after a devastating hail storm a few months ago: it really did flatten things. But today you'd never have suspected that had happened.

There is some inspired landscaping nearby that's technically not part of the garden...this agastache was amazing.

Yet another long view...

Magnificent specimens of Salvia greggii 'Wild Thing' next to the parking lot.

I'm not sure which cultivar of Panicum virgatum--but it was quite compact.

Little Pickles--appropriately near the pickle ball court: my introduction from the Drakensberg was looking stunning. This came through last winter, I believe: Othonna capensis.

Little powder puffs of seed AND flowers on Townsendia incana.

Notice the Santa Fe phlox in front--it's been blooming for MONTHS here!

The Joshua tree made it through last winter (upper right)...

I was there with Jan, Liberto Dario (Eleftherios Dariotis) and Bob Beer--all of them impressed.

A magnificent dwarf form of Anthemis hosmariense--also hardy in this very cold spot.

Yes, Virginia, you CAN grow Castilleja. Notice the incredibly dense Eriogonum kennedyi in front--possibly the host plant.

Maihuenia poeppigii. A very primitive cactus that keeps leaves...

The compact matting hybrid of Heterotheca villosa x jonesii.

A closeup of Santa Fe phlox; (Phlox nana)

More overviews...

Eriogonum pulchrum from northern Arizona.



A very cool haplopappus from South America: there were a number of shrubby verbenas around as well from the same continent--very intriguing!



The wonderful Muhlenbergia reverchonii.

Notice a red spot in the middle?

A tad closer...

TA-DA! Here it is--a fabulous specimen of Monardella macrantha 'Marion Simpson': still blooming in October! (I photographed it last May as well here)...

And for the grand finale, a perfect specimen of Agastache rupestris...

This garden is about as perfect as a garden can be: I didn't see a single weed. Full of treasures that bloom for months and months--and with very minimal watering. I think this is a lesson that should stick! Bravo, Kenton! You're an inspiration to all of us!