As we wind out of summer and into fall, it’s a time to reflect on our gardens and landscaping.

But if you made it through another summer and never got around to building that raised garden bed, or transition your landscaping to require less water, here are a few ideas…

Community Garden. Condo/townhome and small home living is great as it usually requires less maintenance, but sometimes there’s just not enough space for the vegetable garden of your dreams.  If that is the case, consider a community garden. Recently, CU researchers published that community gardens have a positive influence on both the individual gardener and the neighborhood.  The study finds that they “eat more vegetables, exercise more, weigh less and feel healthier than nongardeners—and even home gardeners—in the Denver-metro area.”

Landscaping.  For those who live in Boulder county, check out the Center for Resource Conservation’s Garden-In-A-Box.  These carefully designed xeriscape gardens are low-water landscapes, which utilize water-wise plants specifically cultivated to bloom in Boulder’s arid climate.

Container Gardening. If you have at least a porch but are otherwise limited with space, consider a container garden and plant your favorite herbs, flowers and small veggie plants.  It’s also great for keeping a garden as we get into the winter months.

Home Gardening. And, if you have the space, there is little more satisfying than producing your own harvest from your own backyard. David, a Colorado homeowner, blogger and gardener writes of his garden: “Even with all of that going on, our garden is still producing food like crazy! The weather is markedly cooler (no more 100 days!) and we’ve been having some fluctuation in the amount of moisture coming from the sky. Autumn is coming, but that doesn’t seem to stop our garden from tossing out the last of the season’s bounty.”

Just check out a few of his photos and you can’t help but want more garden space or start your own garden.

Garden with peppers ready to harvest, courtesy of NotQuiteHippie.com

Did you have a garden this season?  If you did, and your crops are growing strong, consider canning.

A garden's harvest turned to preserved food

And gather the cherries from the neighborhood fruit trees to make a delicious jar of cherry preserves with this recipe.

Remember it’s never to late to start planning your garden, whether it’s contained to a potted plant or a series of raised garden beds.

http://8z.com/articles/my-secret-micro-garden