Seems like every Colorado garden I visit has a few of these pots — rugged, stone-like troughs in shades of gray or pinkish red, some horizontally ridged like sedimentary layers. When I ask, the gardener inevitably says, “Oh, Domenique Turnbull makes those.” Tightly packed with mountain-evoking rocks and tiny alpine plants or succulents, they’ve come to epitomize the Colorado aesthetic for me.
Naturally, I decided I had to have some for myself.
So me being me, I invited myself to Domenique’s garden, and he graciously agreed. Cue up a Front Range road trip to Green Mountain Falls, about two hours south of Denver.
Tufa troughs
Domenique is a master of hypertufa. For years he crafted pots to sell at garden events and plant sales across the state. Rock gardeners and crevice gardeners snapped them up. Not only is hypertufa winter hardy and evocative of the Rockies, it’s also perfect for plants that need sharp drainage. (If you don’t know about hypertufa — I didn’t really either — here’s one plant expert’s review of a book about hypertufa gardening.)
But the days of toting tufa pots to events is over, Domenique told me. In fact, he only has a few remaining troughs to sell off. Boy, was I glad to get there before they’re all gone! I bought the big dark-gray one pictured above, as well as several smaller ones in different shapes. They’ll be the first part of my new garden.
A handful of big ones remain.
And now let’s tour Domenique’s garden, which is tucked against a green mountainside and absolutely packed with crevice gardens.
Czech-style crevice garden
I counted at least 7 crevice gardens around Domenique’s red-frame house, each built from a distinct type of stone. This one he calls his Czech-style crevice garden, with tightly spaced stones. Creeping and mounding plants keep the profile low, and flowers were abundant at the end of May.
Tufa tower
Nearby, a tufa tower — Domenique calls it a tufa wall — steals the scene.
The 6-foot-tall tower of tufa rock makes a cliff-like home to alpine plants, including a small pine perched on top.
There’s no soil. Domenique drills pocket-sized holes in the rock and tucks in tiny plants.
Bent pieces of chicken wire protect new plants from birds until they’ve anchored themselves in the rock.
Because there’s no soil, plants must be watered daily — a detail that surprised me. Domenique uses an irrigation system to automate a daily spritz.
Gardening in bare rock is an impressive skill.
Red rock crevice garden
Between the street and a greenhouse, a red rock crevice garden is studded with green cushions and spiny cactus.
Indian paintbrush reminded me of a Texas spring, while pink-flowering pussytoes was new to me.
Newest crevice garden
A brand-new crevice garden, with a path curving into the center, is newly planted and still mostly rock to my inexperienced eyes. But the rocks are impressive, with several blocky boulders that must have been challenging to site.
On one side, a tufa trough contains briquette-like chunks of stone. Domenique is a rock hound as much as a gardener, I think.
The rocks look like mountain ranges in miniature, or lava fields.
More troughs
Around the back of the house, the foundation is lined with troughs of cactus. Notice how Domenique artfully elevates some of his troughs to create a staggered display.
The biggest one is as long as a loveseat, with a weathered old tree trunk cemented in.
Gray stone crevice garden
Nearby, a pink speckled boulder leads the eye to a gently rolling crevice garden.
It’s a biggie, made of gray rounded stone — almost like a riverbed.
Fresh green foliage was springing up in the cracks. Aside from the artistry of the rocks and plants, I didn’t notice any art in Domenique’s garden — with the notable exception of bird art here and there.
Domenique said he felt birds are a natural fit with the garden. I agree.
Daphne was scenting the garden with its sweet fragrance.
Purple bellflower looking pretty against gray rock
Pine tree candles
Oldest crevice garden
His oldest crevice garden rambles along the road, with the mountain slope as backdrop.
I love this weeping Norway spruce — a shaggy Cousin Itt — which Domenique is training to crawl along an upright boulder.
Broken concrete crevice garden
Another crevice garden is made of broken pieces of concrete, aka urbanite.
As Domenique pointed out, recycling old concrete like this saves material from going to the landfill, and it works as well as rock.
More of his planters
Trough garden
The showiest of his trough gardens sits at the end of the driveway — a big collection of tufa planters, each its own ecosystem of rocks and plants.
I love how the mountain landscape is brought down to human scale with the crevice planters.
Crevice planter with bird
A broken pot tilted on its side shows off striated rock and crevice-loving plants.
This red trough has a wall at the back corner, offering vertical planting space.
Pipes and concrete slabs elevate the troughs in a pleasing display, and they keep the hypertufa from freezing to the ground in winter, which can damage it.
Another pretty trough with spring flowers
Bird and rock
Moss crevice planter
I’ll leave you with a moss crevice planter basking in the occasional over-splash of a rock fountain.
What fun it was to see how Domenique has turned a passion for tufa troughs, alpine plants, and crevice gardening into a landscape that blends so well with his mountain home.
To learn more about Domenique’s garden, watch this video tour I found online.
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Digging Deeper
My new book, Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State, is here! Find it on Amazon, other online book sellers, and in stores everywhere. It’s for anyone who loves gardens or the natural beauty of Texas. More info here.
Cloud buns are a great no-grain alternative to hamburger buns. In this recipe, they hold juicy homemade salmon burgers for a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids (1). Chilling the salmon cakes after forming them makes them less fragile and easier to flip in the pan, so don’t skip this step. Serve with sliced cucumbers sprinkled with rice wine vinegar for a complete meal.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Separate the eggs, putting the egg whites in a medium mixing bowl and the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites. Beat with a handheld mixer until the egg whites form stiff peaks when you stop and lift the beaters. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese and nutritional yeast (optional) to the bowl with the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula, making sure not to knock the air out of the egg whites; the mixture should still be foamy and fluffy. Spoon the mixture into 8 mounds on the prepared baking sheet, spreading the mixture into 4-in rounds. Sprinkle 4 of the rounds with the sesame seeds. Bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer the buns to a cooling rack and set aside.
Cut the salmon into 1/4-in chunks. Working in small batches, chop the salmon into smaller bits with a sharp knife until the mixture is in tiny pieces, about 1/8 inch. Put the salmon in a medium bowl and add the green onions, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Divide into 4 portions (about a heaping 1/2 cup). With slightly moist hands, press each portion into a 4-in wide patty. Put the patties on a parchment-lined plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce by combining the remaining 3 tbsp mayonnaise with the lemon juice and pickle; set aside. Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add the salmon patties and cook without moving them until golden brown on the first side, about 4 minutes. Gently flip the burgers with a silicone spatula and cook on the second side until the burgers are just cooked (the center will be opaque pink), about 2–3 minutes. Do not overcook, or the burgers will be dry.
Put the salmon burgers on the bottom side of the 4 buns that don’t have sesame seeds. Top each burger with tartar sauce, lettuce and the remaining buns, sesame side-up. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 bun, 1 burger and 1 ½ tbsp tartar sauce
Cloud buns are a great no-grain alternative to hamburger buns. In this recipe, they hold juicy homemade salmon burgers for a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids (1). Chilling the salmon cakes after forming them makes them less fragile and easier to flip in the pan, so don’t skip this step. Serve with sliced cucumbers sprinkled with rice wine vinegar for a complete meal.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Separate the eggs, putting the egg whites in a medium mixing bowl and the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites. Beat with a handheld mixer until the egg whites form stiff peaks when you stop and lift the beaters. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese and nutritional yeast (optional) to the bowl with the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula, making sure not to knock the air out of the egg whites; the mixture should still be foamy and fluffy. Spoon the mixture into 8 mounds on the prepared baking sheet, spreading the mixture into 4-in rounds. Sprinkle 4 of the rounds with the sesame seeds. Bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer the buns to a cooling rack and set aside.
Cut the salmon into 1/4-in chunks. Working in small batches, chop the salmon into smaller bits with a sharp knife until the mixture is in tiny pieces, about 1/8 inch. Put the salmon in a medium bowl and add the green onions, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Divide into 4 portions (about a heaping 1/2 cup). With slightly moist hands, press each portion into a 4-in wide patty. Put the patties on a parchment-lined plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce by combining the remaining 3 tbsp mayonnaise with the lemon juice and pickle; set aside. Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add the salmon patties and cook without moving them until golden brown on the first side, about 4 minutes. Gently flip the burgers with a silicone spatula and cook on the second side until the burgers are just cooked (the center will be opaque pink), about 2–3 minutes. Do not overcook, or the burgers will be dry.
Put the salmon burgers on the bottom side of the 4 buns that don’t have sesame seeds. Top each burger with tartar sauce, lettuce and the remaining buns, sesame side-up. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 bun, 1 burger and 1 ½ tbsp tartar sauce
Cloud buns are a great no-grain alternative to hamburger buns. In this recipe, they hold juicy homemade salmon burgers for a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids (1). Chilling the salmon cakes after forming them makes them less fragile and easier to flip in the pan, so don’t skip this step. Serve with sliced cucumbers sprinkled with rice wine vinegar for a complete meal.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Separate the eggs, putting the egg whites in a medium mixing bowl and the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites. Beat with a handheld mixer until the egg whites form stiff peaks when you stop and lift the beaters. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese and nutritional yeast (optional) to the bowl with the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula, making sure not to knock the air out of the egg whites; the mixture should still be foamy and fluffy. Spoon the mixture into 8 mounds on the prepared baking sheet, spreading the mixture into 4-in rounds. Sprinkle 4 of the rounds with the sesame seeds. Bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer the buns to a cooling rack and set aside.
Cut the salmon into 1/4-in chunks. Working in small batches, chop the salmon into smaller bits with a sharp knife until the mixture is in tiny pieces, about 1/8 inch. Put the salmon in a medium bowl and add the green onions, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Divide into 4 portions (about a heaping 1/2 cup). With slightly moist hands, press each portion into a 4-in wide patty. Put the patties on a parchment-lined plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce by combining the remaining 3 tbsp mayonnaise with the lemon juice and pickle; set aside. Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add the salmon patties and cook without moving them until golden brown on the first side, about 4 minutes. Gently flip the burgers with a silicone spatula and cook on the second side until the burgers are just cooked (the center will be opaque pink), about 2–3 minutes. Do not overcook, or the burgers will be dry.
Put the salmon burgers on the bottom side of the 4 buns that don’t have sesame seeds. Top each burger with tartar sauce, lettuce and the remaining buns, sesame side-up. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 bun, 1 burger and 1 ½ tbsp tartar sauce
Cloud buns are a great no-grain alternative to hamburger buns. In this recipe, they hold juicy homemade salmon burgers for a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids (1). Chilling the salmon cakes after forming them makes them less fragile and easier to flip in the pan, so don’t skip this step. Serve with sliced cucumbers sprinkled with rice wine vinegar for a complete meal.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Separate the eggs, putting the egg whites in a medium mixing bowl and the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites. Beat with a handheld mixer until the egg whites form stiff peaks when you stop and lift the beaters. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese and nutritional yeast (optional) to the bowl with the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula, making sure not to knock the air out of the egg whites; the mixture should still be foamy and fluffy. Spoon the mixture into 8 mounds on the prepared baking sheet, spreading the mixture into 4-in rounds. Sprinkle 4 of the rounds with the sesame seeds. Bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer the buns to a cooling rack and set aside.
Cut the salmon into 1/4-in chunks. Working in small batches, chop the salmon into smaller bits with a sharp knife until the mixture is in tiny pieces, about 1/8 inch. Put the salmon in a medium bowl and add the green onions, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Divide into 4 portions (about a heaping 1/2 cup). With slightly moist hands, press each portion into a 4-in wide patty. Put the patties on a parchment-lined plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce by combining the remaining 3 tbsp mayonnaise with the lemon juice and pickle; set aside. Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add the salmon patties and cook without moving them until golden brown on the first side, about 4 minutes. Gently flip the burgers with a silicone spatula and cook on the second side until the burgers are just cooked (the center will be opaque pink), about 2–3 minutes. Do not overcook, or the burgers will be dry.
Put the salmon burgers on the bottom side of the 4 buns that don’t have sesame seeds. Top each burger with tartar sauce, lettuce and the remaining buns, sesame side-up. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 bun, 1 burger and 1 ½ tbsp tartar sauce
Mini muffins that are as nutritious as they are convenient — these banana bran bites deliver a satisfying combination of fiber, whole grains, and natural sweetness in just a few bites. Ripe banana and light molasses keep things sweet while wheat bran adds a hearty texture and a boost of dietary fiber. They bake in just 10 minutes and store beautifully, making them one of the easiest meal prep wins you can add to your routine
Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes
Mini Banana Bran Muffin
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup (52g) unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (55g) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 large (50g each) eggs
1 cup (244g) skim (1%) milk
1 medium (126g) ripe banana (about 1/3 cup mashed)
1/4 cup (80g) light molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat 32 mini muffin cups with cooking spray, or line with paper liners and spray the liners with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the wheat bran, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, banana, molasses, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
Mini muffins that are as nutritious as they are convenient — these banana bran bites deliver a satisfying combination of fiber, whole grains, and natural sweetness in just a few bites. Ripe banana and light molasses keep things sweet while wheat bran adds a hearty texture and a boost of dietary fiber. They bake in just 10 minutes and store beautifully, making them one of the easiest meal prep wins you can add to your routine
Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes
Mini Banana Bran Muffin
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup (52g) unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (55g) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 large (50g each) eggs
1 cup (244g) skim (1%) milk
1 medium (126g) ripe banana (about 1/3 cup mashed)
1/4 cup (80g) light molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat 32 mini muffin cups with cooking spray, or line with paper liners and spray the liners with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the wheat bran, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, banana, molasses, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
Mini muffins that are as nutritious as they are convenient — these banana bran bites deliver a satisfying combination of fiber, whole grains, and natural sweetness in just a few bites. Ripe banana and light molasses keep things sweet while wheat bran adds a hearty texture and a boost of dietary fiber. They bake in just 10 minutes and store beautifully, making them one of the easiest meal prep wins you can add to your routine
Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes
Mini Banana Bran Muffin
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup (52g) unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (55g) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 large (50g each) eggs
1 cup (244g) skim (1%) milk
1 medium (126g) ripe banana (about 1/3 cup mashed)
1/4 cup (80g) light molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat 32 mini muffin cups with cooking spray, or line with paper liners and spray the liners with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the wheat bran, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, banana, molasses, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
Mini muffins that are as nutritious as they are convenient — these banana bran bites deliver a satisfying combination of fiber, whole grains, and natural sweetness in just a few bites. Ripe banana and light molasses keep things sweet while wheat bran adds a hearty texture and a boost of dietary fiber. They bake in just 10 minutes and store beautifully, making them one of the easiest meal prep wins you can add to your routine
Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes
Mini Banana Bran Muffin
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup (52g) unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (55g) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 large (50g each) eggs
1 cup (244g) skim (1%) milk
1 medium (126g) ripe banana (about 1/3 cup mashed)
1/4 cup (80g) light molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat 32 mini muffin cups with cooking spray, or line with paper liners and spray the liners with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the wheat bran, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, banana, molasses, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
Mini muffins that are as nutritious as they are convenient — these banana bran bites deliver a satisfying combination of fiber, whole grains, and natural sweetness in just a few bites. Ripe banana and light molasses keep things sweet while wheat bran adds a hearty texture and a boost of dietary fiber. They bake in just 10 minutes and store beautifully, making them one of the easiest meal prep wins you can add to your routine
Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes
Mini Banana Bran Muffin
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup (52g) unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (55g) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 large (50g each) eggs
1 cup (244g) skim (1%) milk
1 medium (126g) ripe banana (about 1/3 cup mashed)
1/4 cup (80g) light molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat 32 mini muffin cups with cooking spray, or line with paper liners and spray the liners with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the wheat bran, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, banana, molasses, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
