🌱🌸 Creating our High-Altitude Food Forest 🌸🌱

I’m excited to share our journey of transforming our yard into a high-altitude food forest! At 8600 feet, in zone 5a, it’s been a labor of love and dedication. We’ve designed an entertainment and grazing area filled with a diverse array of plants that thrive in our unique climate, surrounded by native pines and aspens on our 0.75 acres of land. We also have a small garden cabin and a greenhouse to support our gardening efforts.

Here’s a glimpse of what we’ve planted:

🍇 Currants, plum trees, espaliered apple trees, elderberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes
🌻 Zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, nasturtiums, hollyhocks, wildflowers in an old wheelbarrow, snapdragons (both wild and cultivated), bee balm
🍅 Tomatoes, peas, potatoes, squash, asparagus, lettuce
🌸 Lilacs, pink and white honeysuckle, wild roses, peonies, horseradish, hostas
🌿 Rhubarb (already harvested some this year!), tulips, irises, borage, chives, thyme, wild/planted yarrow, succulents
💜 I miss my lavender – I lost all 3 plants a few years ago, so it’s time to plant more!

Our garden includes raised beds, 2 benches, a sitting area, and a deck with seating, a firepit, 2 hammocks, an umbrella, two storage bins, and rock and mulched pathways.

This project has been a labor of love with my partner Tim, who sadly passed away from cancer earlier this year. This is my first season without him, and I miss him dearly, but I’m so proud of what we’ve created together. I will continue to nurture our garden and add plants we talked about.

Creating this space has been healing and fulfilling, and I hope it inspires others to take on gardening projects, no matter the challenges. 🌿💚

For more information and inspiration, check out myBackyardHomestead.com.

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