May flowers expect no help this year! The April showers are absent and the warm temps arrived in March.
March in Colorado delivered an extraordinarily warm surprise this year. Denver recorded its hottest March on record with an average temperature of 51.6°F — a staggering 10 degrees above the normal 41.6°F and even warmer than the city’s typical April average.
Multiple all-time March heat records were shattered, including a new monthly high of 87°F on the 25th, with several days soaring into the mid-80s (nearly 30 degrees above normal at times). This early heat wave, driven by a strong high-pressure ridge, jump-started the gardening season but also heightened concerns about drought and fire danger heading into another dry Colorado summer. It definitely accelerated my plans which we’ll get into next.
April is hands-down one of my favorite times of year. Gardening season is officially here, and honestly, it’s half the year I look forward to the most. My second-favorite half? When the garden is resting and I get a break! This year, like every year, we’ve got some exciting new projects rolling.
Last season my pumpkin patch got completely shaded out by the grapevines, so I decided it was time for a change. That old spot is now home to four brand-new 4×8 raised beds I picked up on Amazon (sold in two-packs, basically $50 apiece). They’re 8 feet long by 4 feet wide and about a foot deep—perfect size for a productive little garden with some shade. Because the pumpkin patch already had drip irrigation lines in place, I was able to position the beds right over the water sources. In-bed watering is a total game-changer; the garden basically waters itself!
🥕 My Raised Bed Soil Layering Process
Here’s exactly how I built each 4×8 raised bed for better water retention in dry Colorado summers:
One bale per bed (~$7.50)
3–4 inches of fluffy organic matter to start the base.
4–5 inches hauled from the yard
Holds minerals and retains water perfectly for our dry summers.
Free “green” material
Kick-starts the soil biology.
Great all-purpose base
100% organic
Super rich — the perfect nutrient-dense finishing touch!
You can see the progress in the photos below ↓
The beds aren’t 100 % planned out yet, but I’ll definitely be putting lettuce in a couple of them and adding a third strawberry patch. We’re big strawberry fans around here—they’re ridiculously easy, they spread like crazy, and they come back every year. Low-maintenance is my love language!
Project #2: The Peach Orchard
Three years ago we brought home a box of juicy Palisade peaches from Colorado’s Western Slope. Instead of tossing the pits, I stratified them (cold cycle to trick them into thinking they’d survived winter), sprouted them, babied the little trees all summer, overwintered them in the greenhouse, and this spring I finally planted all 14 survivors out in the new orchard area. Most are peaches, but I think we’ve got a nectarine or two and maybe even a cherry in the mix—I kind of lost track!
They’re all in the ground now and looking happy.
The same area is bordered by a brand-new trellis system I built for future grape vineyard (a mini vineyard) taken off my five existing grapevines. The grapes are in the earliest stage and so it’s unknown yet whether they will be planted out this year or if I’ll pamper them in the hoop house through the winter and capitalize on next spring to give them a better chance of survival.
New Experiment This Year
I’m planting corn and pumpkins together for the first time. I’ll get the corn started two to three weeks (maybe even a full month) ahead of time, then tuck the pumpkin seeds right in between the rows. The theory is the corn will give the pumpkins a little shade and structure while the pumpkins act as living mulch. We’ll see how it goes—if it doesn’t work, I’ll know exactly what not to do next year. That’s pretty much my entire gardening philosophy in a nutshell.
Companion planting is the practice of growing different plants close together so they can support each other through physical structure, nutrient exchange, pest management, or environmental improvements. It’s an ancient technique used worldwide, with one of the most famous examples being the “Three Sisters” method developed by Native American tribes: planting corn, beans (often pole beans), and squash/pumpkins together in a symbiotic polyculture.
🌱 Key Benefits of Companion Planting
Companion planting offers several evidence-based and traditionally observed advantages over growing crops in monocultures. By growing diverse plants together, you create more resilient, productive, and sustainable garden systems — just like your corn & pumpkin experiment!
Pest and Disease Management
Diverse plantings confuse or deter pests by masking scents or creating barriers, attract beneficial insects (like ladybugs and parasitic wasps), and reduce disease spread through better air circulation and biodiversity.
Weed Suppression
Sprawling plants act as “living mulch,” shading the soil and blocking weed growth — perfect for your pumpkin vines in the raised bed.
Soil Improvement & Nutrient Efficiency
Legumes fix nitrogen into the soil for heavy feeders like corn. Other plants improve soil structure and support beneficial microbes.
Water & Moisture Conservation
Ground-covering leaves (like your pumpkin vines) reduce evaporation and keep roots cooler — very useful in sunny, dry Colorado gardens.
Space Efficiency & Higher Yields
Tall vertical growers like corn pair perfectly with ground-sprawlers like pumpkins, maximizing space and often giving more food per square foot.
Pollinator Support & Microclimate
Taller plants provide shade and structure while others create humidity and habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects.
It feels good to have the new beds filled and the orchard planted. The backyard is starting to look like an actual food forest instead of a dirt patch with random projects. Can’t wait to watch everything grow—and to share the harvest with you later this season.
Key ingredients: Contains sphagnum peat moss + added organic matter. The exact blend is regionally formulated and may include composted forest products, aged rice hulls, or similar materials. It helps improve soil structure, adds organic content, and retains moisture.
Key ingredients: Compost, wheat straw, animal bedding, cotton seed hulls, gypsum, sphagnum peat (some versions also mention perlite). It’s rich in micronutrients and trace elements.
🍄 Benefits of Permagreen Pro Mushroom Compost Blend
Perfect for dry Colorado summers — helps the soil hold moisture longer so you water less.
Especially effective when mixed with heavy Colorado clay. Creates better drainage and aeration.
Boosts soil life without the high salt levels often found in traditional spent mushroom compost.
Helps balance the challenging soil conditions common in the Denver area.
This rich, 100% organic blend was the perfect finishing touch for my new raised beds!
This serves as a top dressing or final amendment in vegetable beds, raised gardens, or around fruit trees/orchards. Many users praise it for boosting plant growth and soil health without burning young plants.
🌱 Building Soil, One Layer at a Time
It feels incredibly satisfying to look at these new raised beds and know exactly what went into them — straw, native clay, fresh clippings, quality topsoil, and that rich mushroom compost on top. Instead of buying expensive pre-filled beds, I built living soil that’s tailored for our dry Colorado climate.
In just a few weeks these beds will be bursting with lettuce, strawberries, and whatever else I decide to tuck in. The peach-pit orchard is already in the ground, the grapes are climbing the new trellis, and the backyard is slowly turning into a real backyard food forest.
Gardening in Colorado is never just about growing plants — it’s about building better soil year after year.
If you’ve tried layering straw and clay, using mushroom compost, or starting trees from pits, I’d love to hear your results in the comments! What’s your favorite soil-building trick for dry climates?
Happy gardening, friends!
🌿
Happy gardening, friends!
If you’re in Colorado (or anywhere facing drought), layering clay for water retention and using mushroom compost has been a winner for us.
Drop a comment if you’ve tried any of these techniques or if you have your own peach orchard success stories—I’d love to hear them.
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