It’s Friday so that means it’s time to feature lovely flowers. Today we’re going to take a little different tack by showcasing one of the most gorgeous flowering trees in the Denver area…the show-stopping Linden tree.
A reliably large shade tree (they can reach 50-130 feet at maturity), they adapt well to Colorado’s wide-ranging climate and alkaline soils. Linden’s have a very flexible wood making them ideal as wind breaks. In late spring/early summer, they burst with tiny yellow, fragrant flowers and right now they are at their peak. The heart-shaped, green leaves will turn yellow this autumn.
Linden trees are not particularly bothered by most common tree pests and are somewhat slow-growing with slender, upturned branches creating a dense, uniform crown with a conical shape. They are easy to grow, hardy to -40°F with maximum elevation at 7,000 ft. The trees can discharge a fair amount of nectar which attracts bees so you won’t want to park under them for long since the nectar can damage the finish if left on too long. But the scent is heavenly and a highlight of our morning walks. Sometimes I just stop and inhale that sweet fragrance for several moments. It’s a wonderful zen moment in the early morning quiet.
Close-up of Linden tree flowers
In addition to today being Flower Friday, it’s also “Take Your Dog to Work Day” so Sam and Elsa will be hanging out with me in the studio today. Will you be able to take your pup to work with you? Have a great Friday and an even better weekend!
Office mates
Live, love, bark! 🐾
There have been a number of articles of late about the virtues of and various issues having to do with dogs sleeping with their uprights and Sam wanted to weigh in on the topic. As Sam and Elsa are around 50 lb., that can pose some interesting positioning in a queen sized bed if there are any plans to spread out, but mostly with regard to who gets the pillows. But that’s another issue. Some people think dogs are just too dirty to sleep in bed with their owner. Have you ever had a toddler sleep with you? You suddenly wake up from a dead sleep and gasp…’Oh my gawd, what the heck is THAT smell?” That theory doesn’t hold much water with me. Besides I brush the dogs frequently (even if they may object at the grooming they sure strut their stuff afterwards). Frankly, they’re probably cleaner than me some nights and rarely drool.
While some of you may be knee-deep in the white stuff, there are others who are already baking in 80+F (27C) degrees of sunshine. Isn’t it intriguing to see how seemingly conflicting or opposite forces may be parallel or coupled, and yet interrelated in the natural world as well as they are around our Ranch. This yin and yang duality of current weather conditions seems a little like these two knuckleheads, “Pete and Repeat” ~ otherwise known as the Sam and Elsa show.
