I have just moved to a new environment, but still within my home state of Colorado. I needed to find out my Plant Hardiness Zone (It is a 4). I needed to find out about my Soil Tilth (I have by now run my Soil Texture Test, and I have a Sandy Loam, on a rocky Soil Sub Structure). I had done some digging, before freeze up occurred. My porosity is good, and even too good, where there are boroughing animals. My soil organisms are poor. The soil temperature is too low, most of the very short growing season, to encourage soil microorganisms.) My Soil PH is Alkaline. All soil in Colorado is Alkaline.

I need to work in organic matter to anything I plant. I am so short on water, I fear I will dig little planting holes, and fill them with decent soil, only for the planting hole to become a bathtub the roots can't get out of. I will pay attention to scratching the sides of the planting holes, so that there is a soft, rather then hard (abrupt) interface between the planting hole, and the rest of the terrain. I will plant with collars double the dimension the plant came in. These collars will serve to get the water to the roots, rather then just run off (my well couldn't cope with any wasted water). I will be using roofing flashing as the collars for the bigger plants, and heavy roofing felt paper as the collars for the smaller perennials.

Am I missing something? You bet! Whether a plant prefers sun or shade matters greatly where I live, so I need to be sure and pick the right plant for the right spot. Anything else? You bet! I need deer resistant plants, as I have seen whole herds of Elk move through my yard.

Anything else? You bet cha! I wonder if I will be able to get anything to grow, other then the native Ponderosa Pine population? Won't know, if I don't try. I'm giving it a try.