A Celebration of Irish Plants by Donna Duffy

You probably know that in Ireland, all shamrocks are considered lucky and are worn and given as gifts on St. Patrick's Day. However, there is some disagreement among the Irish as to the exact plant, but most Irish growers will tell you that Trifolium repens, White Clover, is the plant most commonly known as a shamrock. In Colorado, this Irish shamrock grows in our lawns, in prairies, pastures and foothills. If you enjoy clover honey, you can thank this lovely little plant.

White Clover, Trifolium repens, the Irish Shamrock

It’s Time to Prune Your Summer Flowering Shrubs by Elaine Lockey

Rejuvenation pruning on an older Potentilla. The one on the left needs similar work.

Get out your pruners and loppers - it's time to do some pruning. Summer-flowering shrubs bloom on new growth from this year. Some examples are Potentilla, butterflybush, blue mist spirea and Rose of Sharon. They should be thinned or rejuvenated in the late winter or early spring before growth starts.  

Growing Plants From Seed

Photo courtesy Carl Wilson, CSU Extension

Finally March has arrived and it's time to begin starting plants from seeds!  When to start them is determined by their growing needs.  Here is a great CSU Extension Fact sheet that will set your seeds on the right track!

Read about it here.


And good luck with this growing season.

Daylight Savings Time! Turn the Clocks Forward!

Today's the day.  You either love it or hate it but turn those clocks forward one hour.

Here's an interesting article from Organic Gardening Magazine about the history of Daylight Savings Time.

Much of what you believe about it is false!

Read it here.

Caring for Backyard Chickens by Elizabeth Buckingham

Backyard chickens have become a popular trend over the past few years, and for good reason: chickens are a great source of entertainment, fertilizer, and of course fresh eggs. Chickens are relatively low-maintenance and low-cost, and unlike many other types of livestock, chickens can be kept in a modestly-sized backyard. As with any animal, it is imperative that you first honestly evaluate your household and lifestyle to ensure that you can devote the time, energy and money necessary to keeping your animals healthy and safe. Although chickens require very little effort relative to other household pets, they do still require care and protection.

Wicked Bugs!

Join Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Bugs, in a lively video as she highlights insects, like the mosquito, that have changed the world (and killed a lot of people).

And the 2012 Academy Award Winner is...by Elaine Lockey

http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Rafflesiaceae/Raff.arn.page.html

Don’t you wish there was a category at the Academy Awards for best botanic movie? Most stunning landscape background?  Best use of a plant in a scene? Me too.  So since there isn’t, I went in search of a plant with star power that I think could shine in a future movie.

And so my selection for the winner of this year's award for most movie-worthy plant would be the Rafflesia arnoldii.  Its common name is Corpse Flower.  It also happens to have the world's largest flower.

Flower Grown From Siberian Permafrost Seed

Approximately 30,000 years ago, a squirrel burrowed into the ground in Siberia and stored its hoard of fruit and seeds. Russian scientists found the treasure chamber in the Siberian permafrost and managed to reproduce an entire plant.

 Meet Silene stenophylla, the oldest plant ever to be regenerated.

Silene stenophylla

 It is fertile, producing white flowers and seeds. What does a gardener ask except "How soon we can order from a seed catalog? "

Read more here.

Pothole Gardening!

Guerrilla Gardening at it's finest!

2012 USDA Hardiness Zone Map by Carol King

Exciting news for all you plant nerds! On Jan. 25, 2012 the U.S. Department of Agriculture  released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map,  updating a useful tool for gardeners and researchers for the first time since 1990. The new map (developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service and Oregon State University's PRISM Climate Group)—is available online at www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.  Long-awaited changes in the climate zone guide show northward warming trends, while also targeting a few colder areas in the mountains.

Hardiness zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum temperature during a 30 year period in the past. It is not based on the lowest temperature that has ever occurred in the past or might occur in the future. Each zone is based on 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Two new zones were added in hotter climates this year for a total of 13 zones.

Roses for Your Valentine by Carol King

How about giving your Valentine a rose for Colorado.  Rosa "Ruby voodoo" is a new, 2012 selection for Plant Select. It’s one of six new plants that the consortium of Colorado State University and Denver Botanic Garden experts have tested for growing conditions in  Colorado.

Read more about it here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Black Oil Sunflower Seed – preferred by birds everywhere by Elaine Lockey

With almost 3 feet of snow descending from the skies at my house in the foothills, I worry about the wild critters who are scrounging for food outside.  I am very glad that I filled my birdfeeders the day before the snowstorm so there would be plenty of abundant food for the birds.  Juncos, House Finches, Chickadees and Stellar Jays all compete for room on my feeders and what falls below them.  

The favorite birdseed of most birds?  Black oil sunflower.  This bird seed provides high calories for birds and supplements their usual diet of insects or other seeds.  The shells are thin making it easy for birds to crack them open. And this type of sunflower seed has the highest fat and protein content providing a valuable food source for birds struggling to stay warm in winter.  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology estimates that a chickadee may eat 35 percent of its weight in food each day while a Blue Jay may eat only 10 percent of its weight and a Common Raven only 4 percent—but they all need more calories on colder days than warmer ones. 

All-America Selections Announces The First AAS Winners For 2012

Watermelon Faerie F1 is the All America Selections 2012 winner in the vegetable category. / Photo courtesy of All America Selections

Are you starting your list of new flowers and vegetables to try in 2012?  Here's a place to start:

All-America Selections Announces The First AAS Winners For 2012

 

 

Only those entries with superior garden performance are granted the honor of an AAS Award.

No More Latin Descriptions for New Botanical Species!

I'm sure all you plant nerds will have an opinion on this one.  Botanists who discover new species no longer have to provide descriptions in Latin and can publish their information on line!

And why is this important you might ask?

Read all about it here!

The Supertrees of Singapore by Elaine Lockey

photo by Wong Maye-E, AP

 Singapore is currently constructing an astonishing botanic park, integrating massive tree sculptures in with their gardens.  Dubbed “supertrees”, they range from 82-164 feet and weigh hundreds of tons. These mega trees are made of concrete and metal rods, with steel frames on the trunks to host huge vertical gardens.  

The Supertree Grove will support flowering climbers, epiphytes, ferns and other plants that can do well in such an environment.  Eventually when the supertrees project is complete, there will be 18 trees covered in over 200 plant species, giving the feeling of a woodland grove. Huge built tree canopies will provide shade to the live plants and ground areas. There will be rainwater catches added to the trees and some of the trees will have solar panels to provide lighting to the gardens. Aerial walkways will connect two of the trees and a treetop bistro will give visitors a great view of the gardens and the bay. 

Ice-melt Salt and Magnesium Chloride Cautions by Carol King

The winter season is in full swing along the Front Range.  Using ice melt to clear pathways seems like a good idea.  However there some cautions.  Here's a good article from Horticulture Magazine.


If you live near a roadway where magnesium chloride is routinely used, here's another caution from CSU Extension.

Seed Savers Exchange for Heirloom Vegetables

I know many of you are vegetable gardeners who are interested in growing heirloom vegetables. You might want to consider becoming a part of Seed Savers Exchange.  It is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Its members have collected and distributed thousands of samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners since 1975.

Here's the site with all the info on how to join.

Sudden Aspen Decline Explained

A mysterious malady has killed off nearly one- fifth of Colorado's aspens. But forest ecologists have struggled to explain the widespread die-off, known as Sudden Aspen Decline.
A new study from researchers at Stanford University and the University of Utah may provide a breakthrough in understanding the decline and how it kills trees.

Read the whole story here.

Challenges of Mountain Gardening by Molly Nevin

 “ The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.”  Michal Pollan

Is this a true statement for the residents of Jefferson County that reside in the Front Range Mountains? Is a vegetable garden possible in the Jefferson County Mountains? Several questions must be answered before turning the first spade of soil.  Since most mountain residents are on wells drilled after 1972, a must do requirement, is to research what kind of a permit you have for your well.  Most wells are restricted to household use only, no outside irrigation or watering of livestock. This water restriction alone makes a traditional vegetable plot a non-viable option. Besides water restrictions, other issues are faced by our mountain gardeners: a short growing season, cool night temperatures, wind, slopes, foraging wildlife, and creating defensible space around your house for fire protection – an important priority.

Welcome 2012!