Enriching Your Life

Slugs are one of the most common garden pests, though unlike most other chewing critters you find in your garden, they aren’t insects. Instead, slugs are land-dwelling mollusks that are more closely related to clams than beetles or caterpillars. Facing a slug infestation is serious business, filled with slime trails, damaged leaves, and missing seedlings. But effective organic slug control is both manageable and affordable,... Read More

Lavender is a terrific mid-season summer perennial in our Colorado climate.  Loves the sun, the heat and a little opportunity to dry out in between irrigation applications.  Enjoy the flowers and share with the pollinators.  And/or harvest the flowers to create scented crafts. Lavandula angustifolia is a small shrub native to the Mediterranean, despite its common name of “English lavender”.  Lavender likes cool winters and... Read More

If you already have your flowers, now is the time to make plans for keeping them happy and beautiful all summer long: Establish a routine daily watering schedule.  Early in the day is best, but early evening is OK as well.  Consider investing in a professional water wand or water nozzle.  It will help make this job a little easier.  We would be lost without... Read More

Tomatoes are easy to love and easy to grow. Here are a few tips for planting them, getting you on your way to this summer’s bumper crop. Get Off to a Great Start Choose healthy starts. Grow your own from seed or pick them up at Creek Side Gardens offering small, medium, large and extra-large plant selections. Know where you’re going to plant and prep... Read More

Container gardening is very popular, especially for gardeners with no yards or limited growing area in the ground.  All types of plants may be grown in containers.  Annual flowers, herbs and vegetables work very well because their growing will be over at the end of the summer season.  Your containers can then be replanted the following season with a fresh planting. Perennials, shrubs and trees... Read More

While there’s been a lot of interest promoting pollinators in the news lately, let’s not forget about supporting all the other beneficial insects that reside in our yards and gardens. There are thousands of species of predatory and parasitic beneficial insects who help us control many common garden pests by consuming them or using them to house and feed their developing young. Beneficial Insects in... Read More

Adding flowers to the vegetable garden not only adds colorful interest but will help your garden stay healthy by attracting beneficial insects or discouraging harmful insects. While there are many good reasons to go natural in the garden, the resounding reason that every gardener can get on board with is that it just makes gar­dening easier and more abundant. When flowers are coupled with all-natural... Read More

Mulch is any material placed on top of the soil to suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture, add organic matter, and provide an attractive backdrop for plantings. Mulch can also reduce erosion, improve the soil’s structure and fertility as it breaks down, and stabilize soil temperature fluctuations. As you can see, there are so many good reasons to make mulch a part of your garden. But,... Read More

“Hardening off” may sound like some sort of difficult preparation for a college exam. Take heart. It isn’t. It isn’t even hard! Hardening off refers to the process of acclimating plants from indoor temperatures to the outdoors. Because plants usually are grown in greenhouses (or, as seedlings in our kitchen window!), they’ve been pampered. They need to be introduced slowly to the elements of wind... Read More

One of the best things about gardening and working with nature is the change of seasons.  And with each change of seasons brings new hopes, attitudes, and opportunities. Springtime Springtime is arguably the most exciting of all the season changes because it really feels like a new beginning.  We can wipe last year’s experiences off the map and begin anew.  A fresh start for fulling... Read More