Ogden Botanical Gardens, Utah

Yes, manicured botanical gardens are not exactly community food projects but I am visiting my daughter in Utah near Hill AFB. My son-in-law is in S. Korea and we like to give her a helping hand when we get to come visit but we also get kinda garden starved too. Ogden is on the north end of Salt Lake and the yards are mostly well manicured - sprinkler systems go off in most neighborhoods according to the whims of the owners. Grey clay lays just under those sodded yards - yucky stuff.

Last year we were told that burmuda grass is not grown here - smartest thing I've ever heard anyone do. But it is on the dryer side here also. Some owners opt for zeroscaping - I think that's usually spelled with an x but you get my drift.

We did take a couple of hours yesterday to walk the Ogden Botanical Gardens - Utah Dept of Ag run - open from one hour before daylight to one hour after sunset - long hours. This runs along 12th Street that turns into Canyon Road as it starts out of Ogden and up the valley and there's a river - don't ask the name, I didn't catch that. But it's roaring cold water off the mountains - semi clear. Irises, poppies, staghord sumac, roses, that new black elderberry and lots of assorted plantings of brand new flowers in berms along with yarrow, columbine, hedges and trees line this first area and there's a bike trail/walking path along the river's edge. People were out with dogs, babies, buddies and bikes.

I planted a wisteria for my daughter that I brought from home - Oh, thank goodness my soil is so much deeper and richer and lusher - she has a toupee of grass on grey dirt lined with grey clay - no perk to it. I poured water into the hole - and stared - it stared back. I told my daughter according to my perk test her soil needed about 6000 feet of lateral line. Now the lawn looks good but some toupee's do if you don't know it's a toupee.

So despite the lovely gardens in Ogden, I'll take Okie dirt over Utah dirt anyday. Be back Monday - but it has been a great trip - watching grandson, taking in the end of year second grade class trip to the local aviary - etc. It's been fun.