Peace Gardens ( Introduction)

Welcome to the Katka Mtn Peace Gardens where a young conifer forest and rockery flower garrden rest on 6 acers of a peaceful meadow on the sunny slopes of Katka Mtn in the Rocky Mtns of North Idaho.

You are invited to visit the peace gardens and enjoy the flower garden and views of 3 mountain ranges while relaxing in a peaceful mountain meadow. A map and contact information at at GENERAL INFORMATION

A history of the peace gardens and plans for it's future are at ABOUT US

At the PHOTO GALLERY are pictuers of the flower garden from the last year and the mountains ringing the peace gardens.

Information about Seasonal Flowers, Mountains Wildlife, Stones and Forrest Bones, Confier Forrest, River Valley, Mountain Views and Starry Dome is in the following text.

Weather you visit in on line or in person, I hope you will enjoy your visit to Katkta Mtn Peace Gardens.

BILLIE JO FOR MICHAEL, STEPHEN AND EVA MOLLY KLANIECKI

IF I HAD A FLOWER

FOR EVERY THOUGHT OF YOU

MY GARDEN WOULD BLOOM FOREVER

KATKA MTN GARDENS

528 GLACIER RD

KATKA MTN

PURCELL MTN RANGE

ROCKY MOUNTAINS

N. AMERICAN CONTINENT

PLANET EARTH.

SEASONAL FLOWERS...

Meadow wild flowers and bedded herb and flowers compliment each others seaonal display at the peace gardens.

While snow drops, purple and yellow crocus and blue violet brighten stone bordered beds growing among clusters of tiny meadow flowers.

New growth freshens evergreen lavender, sage, and creeping thyme when daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths bloom. Apple-mint and oregano emerge under flowering bridal veil, lilacs, and fruit trees. Forrest grass, flowers, and bushes florist beneath young conifers and woodland fruit trees.

Fragrant roses and peonies flowers in late spring with columbines, geraniums, and iris. Diathus and Johnny Jump Ups spill out of beds to mingle with clovers and wild flowers blooming all over the meadow.

In early summer, lambs ears, hen and chicks and other sedum flower with bee balm, mint, and evergreens. By midsummer, lacy flowered, silver-mound, lady mantle, and crinkled geremanders bloom with costmerry and butterfly bush.

Winter savory, Russian sage, and clumps of crocus flower in late summer. Wild aster bloom among seeding meadow flowers and wind blown drifts of golden grass.

The red and yellow of leaves on flowers, bushes, and trees in early fall contrasts with new green of northern grass. Summer growth matures on evergreens and seed-heads dance on breezes all over the meadow.

Plants in beds, meadow, and forest are ready for their winters' rest by mid autumn. Winter is a quiet season at peace gardens when roaring winds sculpts the snow covering stones, evergreens and driftwood resting below snow mantled mountains.

MOUNTAIN WILDLIFE...

Indigenous animals and their habits must be considered when growing flowers in their habitat.

There is no way to prevent elk, moose and herds of deer from growing in a mountain meadow. One can only discourage critters muching plants in beds.

Low growing herbs and flowers are planted level with the stones bordering their beds. Each bed is covered with chick-wire lifted high enough by tree limb knots to discourage critters from stepping into the evergreens, blooming bulbs, and sprouting perennials.

Roses and flowers shrubs, perennials with tasty spikes, and fruit trees grow in narrow beds enclosed by parallel strands of chicken wire 4' tall and 6'' apart, that nibblers can't reach over. They are also not inclined space to feast.

All the beds must be protected, starting in early autumns through winter and early spring, from moose and elk who migrate to high pasture for the summer and return to winter on the lower slopes and in the valley. Some years a cow and her calf will stay until late spring.

Many beds are planted with flowers. The residents deer don't want to eat and can be uncovered for the summer.

Birds, bees, and butterflies visit the garden and wild flowers as they bloom and set seed in this mountain meadow.

Successfully growing a mountain meadow flower garden means understanding and respecting wildlife so we can peacefully share our mountain home.

STONES and FOREST BONES...

Slabs of shale and glacier rolled stones, made handsome borders fro flower beds.

As the glaciers advanced down mountain slopes made of inland's seas folded into mountains ranges, they carved not blocks of shale and cut through seams of granite, quartz and composition stones. The rocks wore smooth as they sank though the glacier to it's leading edge. The heaviest stones were dropped first, with their grinding send and gravel , when the glacier began retreating up the mountain slopes

The peace garden gardens are on several seasonal deposit of large stones mixed with loamy soil that was created when early forests were ground fine by the glaciers.

The twisted roots and gnarly trunks of forest giants were collected from the Pack River and now stand among clusters of stones. Knots from ancient trees support chick wire laid over low growing flowers.

Stones, plants, and the bones of ancient trees compliment each other and form a mosaic that harmonizes with the forest landscape.

A Young conifer forest of fir, pine, and larch covers most of the peace gardens' 6 acres.

The seed and starts that floated to the top of the receding glacier have grown into carpets of moss and grass with perennial flowers and creeping knickaknick. Lichens grow on stones and colonies of moss and tiny flowers giants sheltered by young trees.

Sprays of wild roses and syringa arch amid clumps of mock orange, june berries, and choke cherries
growing and larch. Honeysuckle vines drape low growing limbs.

The peace gardens' forest plants have been thriving since damage and diseased trees were removed and debris from careless logging has been cleared.

Healthy forests border the gardens.

The conifer trees framing the peace gardens rustle and sway with the mountains and valley winds rushing over the forest mantled

mountain slopes.

 RIVER and VALLEY...

The Kootenai River cuts through the Purcell Mtn Ranger as it flows from Montana and through north Idaho on its way to Kootenai Lake in Canada. The river can be seen in the west of the peace gardens where it cuts through at Katka Mtn and flows down stream to the bridge in Bonners Ferry.

The peace gardens over look Paradise Valley which separates the southen ends of the Purcell and Selkirk Mtn Ranges. Grain planted its length ripples green in spring before ripening to gold and waving on the winds of summer.

The County road from Bonners Ferry to the peace garden follows the western banks of the kootenai River, loops around Paradise Valley and goes up Katka Rd to an over look with a panoramic view of the river and Paradise Valley east of it and Pleasant Valley west of it stretching south toward the Cabinet Mtn Range.

MOUNTAIN VIEW...

Katka Mtn Peace Garden is ringed by Purcell, Cabinet, and Selkirk Mtn Ranges.

The Purcell Mtns rise east of the peace gardens and are divided by the Kootenai River into Northern and southern branches. Katka Clifty, and Black Mtns are the southern arm and visible south and east of the peace gardens. The northern mountains are visible in winter.

The northern end of the Cabinet Mtn Range is clearly visible south west of the peace gardens between the southern tips of Purcell and Selkirk mountains.

The majestic Selkirk Mtn Range stretches north to south across the whole western horizon of the peace gardens. The setting sun silhuettres the range as it seasonally sinks behind each mountain.

STARRY DOME...

The starry some arching over the peace gardens is filled with planets, stars and galaxies bright and clear above a lightless landscape. As the colors of sunset fade and the sky darkens, planets can be seen glowing over mountains while stars and galaxies slowly fill the nigh sky with light.

Orien arches east to west over the southern mountains while the Big and Little Dippers circle the North Star. In the deep dark cold of early winter, the sky is crystal clear and the Milky Way Galaxy is so bright overhead that the snow glows and ice crystals glitter.

If I had a flower

For every thought of you

My garden would bloom forever