Garden Bloggers Geography Project, My Garden

Jodi, of bloomingwriter, has asked everyone to post something about where we garden. I currently garden in Riverton Utah, a small town of 30,000 at the far south end of Salt Lake Valley between the Wasatch Mountains to the east and the Oquirrh (pronounced ochre) Mountains to the west.

This is a photo of the Wasatch Mountains from my backyard. It is much easier to see this time of year without the trees in full leaf.





And, this is the Oquirrh Mountains from the front yard. They are pretty well obscured from the backyard by fruit trees.







What I like most about living in Utah is the availability of hiking, camping, skiing, snowboarding, and fishing available within a very short drive from home. Also, the community action network here is very extensive covering everything from getting food and shelter for the needy to co-op food purchase programs.

Hiking here is quite the challenge because almost all of it is mountain hiking. Hiking elevation changes of anywhere from 500 feet to over 2,000 feet makes for some pretty challenging hikes.

Of course we have what is billed as the greatest snow on earth and there are no fewer than thirteen mountain ski resorts within three hours drive.

Lake Powell, in Glen Canyon, is a six hour drive and offers house boat rentals by the day, week or month. It is truly wonderful to pull up to a seclude beach in your houseboat and barbecue, swim, fish and jet ski without seeing anyone for days.

Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, both within four hours drive from home, offers hiking and camping experiences that begs to be taken.






If you love to fish, Utah is heaven. Utah has what can only be described as the most excellent trout fishing in high mountain lakes and streams. We have trophy lake trout, tiger muskie, striped bass, walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, perch, crappie, channel catfish, etc. My wife and I love to fish and do often. We have not yet tried flyfishing but there is no shortage of opportunities here.

Salt Lake City has one of the most vibrant music scenes of any city I have ever lived in! Everything from Folk, Jazz and Salsa to Reggae, Blues and Classical concerts to attend year round.

Park City is host to the annual Sundance Film Festival.

We have five brewery venues in town where you can get some of the best hand crafted beer available.

With all of this ‘outside distraction’ it is a wonder that I get any gardening done at all.

We average an annual rainfall of just over 15”, this coupled with the fact that it is not uncommon to reach as many as ten 100 degree days every summer, makes watering the garden a bit of a challenge.

Creating a beautiful, wildlife friendly perennial garden has been one of my dreams for many years. Seeing so many successful gardens over the years and through these blogs has inspired me to finally start one. Last spring was my first attempt and I am anxiously waiting to see how it faired over the winter.

These are some of the better photos I have of one of my plots.



Utah’s climate isn’t one of the most hospitable to garden in, especially for a beginner, but, as the song goes, ‘if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere”.

Thank-you, Jodi, for the opportunity to show-off where in the Gardening World I am.