Growing flowers in Calgary is not for the faint of heart.

Learning how with Chinooks and high altitude is an art.

Rewards are plenty in this place we call home. 

Our little oasis to relax,  ponder life as we roam.

With worries,  distractions and minds full of clutter. 

Our happy place where bees buzz and birds flutter. 

Cup of coffee in hand, checking on each flower in bloom.

Primroses, Peonies, Potentilla under the daytime moon. 

++++++++++++

I grew up in a family where gardening was a team effort and we all pitched in. Roses were our passion and in addition to several rose bushes we all looked after together, we 3 girls each had one of our own. I chose the beautiful Queen Elizabeth rose, with it's lovely pink flowers. We had climbing, bush, hybrid, tea and floribundas in several gardens throughout the yard. Mom and Dad taught us how to plant, water, prune, fertilize, winterize and manage mildew. 

My family continues to grow roses on the west coast, but my move to Calgary was a game changer. There are few varieties that can withstand deep freezes interspersed with Chinook thaws throughout our long winters. There are on average only 100 frost free days in Calgary. Best are varieties that are grafted on to hardy wildrose roots that have adapted to this challenging climate over the centuries. As a matter of survival, our roses don't flower until well into June. We fill our gardens with earlier blooming plants such Primroses, as we patiently await for our first roses to bloom. 

I find gardening and time spent taking in the beauty of our gardens good for mind and heart,  and for body and soul. 

First photo was taken in our North Vancouver yard about 45 years ago by our Mom or Dad. My photos include flowers from our yard, along with pictures I took in my sisters' gardens on Vancouver Island ... one of the best places in the world to stop and smell the roses.