textures and colors

During this fall I've begun to turn my attention in new ways to plants, flowers, and trees. Tim and I recently got a book about "Xeriscaping"--have you heard of it? The basic concept is to plan landscaping in a way that conserves water and brings diversity to an area. My nose has been in this book for a couple weeks now and I am fascinated to learn about different soil types, how microclimates influence the way plants and flowers grow, what types of plants are drought resistant and how to design an area that please the eye with different textures, shapes, and colors.
Tim took me out for a special time at the Botanic gardens in Denver where we took pictures of all the intersting plant life that we would like to try growing in our yard someday. Did you know that the artichoke plant produces a beautiful purple flower?

I really want to take a gardening class next summer to learn more from some experts and experiment with our yard. I'm definitely a novice when it comes to growing things in the soil--so it should be an exciting learning process. I'm reminded of the long hours my stepfather would spend in our garden growing up. He would come into the house with a bright red back from the sun beating down on him while he was bending over the vegetables and planting new seeds. At the time I never gave it much thought, but now I wish I spent more time with him learning about how to work the soil and grow food. Do you have any gardening tips? What are some of your favorite plants and flowers?