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
Mixed tactics work best Despite gardeners’ best efforts, deer will damage landscape plantings. The two questions most frequently asked are: “What can I plant that deer won’t eat?” and “How can I stop deer & rabbits from browsing on my favorite plants?” The simple answers are that there are very few truly deer-proof or rabbit-proof plants and that, if they are hungry enough, repellents, scare... Read More
A well-designed garden provides interest from early spring through late autumn, and beyond if you also select plants for winter structure. But, for the main growing season, much of that interest comes from flowering and foliage plants. Gardeners who want a lower maintenance landscape would be wise to look for perennial plants that are both easy-to-grow and offer a long blooming period. Most perennial plants flower... 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
Are you planning to build and/or install a raised bed? Raised beds can go anywhere that gets six to eight hours of sunlight a day. And they can be any size you like. This article is mainly about the standard rectangular raised beds that are generally built from untreated wood or concrete blocks, as well as what you might want to think about when preparing a raised... 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
A little understanding of our weather conditions and working in our dry, limiting soil properties will help you improve your garden soil and make smart plant choices this gardening season. Soil is a fascinating mixture of microscopic to larger forms of life (earthworms are good), plus varying amounts of air, water, decomposing living matter, aka organic matter, and different-sized soil texture particles or pores (there... Read More
These are some favorite tea herbs that are easily grown in the home garden and the reasons why to consider growing them. When planning what you will grow this year, why not include some herbal tea? Bee Balm (Monarda) Brew the leaves into an aromatic, medicinal tea that tastes like mint but milder. It is purported to combat colds and flu, and the tea is... Read More
Gardening in Colorado can be challenging. Hot and Dry Due to the high elevation, sunlight is frequently of high intensity and the humidity generally is low. This will require more frequent water applications to your lawn, landscape and flower pots. Poor Soils Most population centers are on heavy clay soil. These soils have poor aeration that limits root growth. The best solution is to improve... Read More
Are you interested in growing your own produce but don’t know where to begin? Some fruits and vegetables are easier to grow than others so are perfect for those just starting out. Avoid getting overwhelmed by keeping it simple and sticking to tasty varieties that give a lot for the least amount of effort. Many of them are perennial, which mean that they come back... Read More
