Urban and Community Forestry: Improving Our Quality of Life by Lindon Wiebe

Urban and Community Forestry: Improving Our Quality of LifeBy Lindon Wiebe

Political Yard Signs as Plant Supports by Stan Ames

If your candidate won and you’re “wired” or if you candidate lost and you’re droopy you can still have fun and do something practical with the remnants of the campaign.

Remnants? Yes, the left over yard signs are a valuable source of materials.  If your candidate had a lots of funds and used the plastic corrugated signs you can make a fairly decent tomato, bean  or pea plant cage out of three of the wire supports and six plastic wire ties. 

Growing Broccoli in the Fall by Jennifer Verprauskus

Photo from Urbana Extension

After a mid-summer move into our new house, I realized I had missed my opportunity for growing some of my favorite vegetables. It was far too late to start growing eggplant, tomatoes or peppers so I kept with the excellent produce from my Community Supported Agriculture. I had many conversations with my husband about transforming our front and back yards into xeric wonders hydro-zoned with abundant vegetables but I knew it wasn't going to happen this season. Adding a new landscape wasn't our summer/fall priority. As I was getting the mail one day it dawned on my I could still grow a hardy vegetable crop. Broccoli and cauliflower love cooler temperatures, 40-70 degrees, and can withstand a light frost. They are an excellent Colorado early spring crop but can be grown in the fall as well.  

Simple Structures Can Change Your Garden's Appearance by Keith Hamlyn

How about adding a vertical element without planting a tree?  Do you need a visual divider to change the look of your garden?  Try one of these relatively simple structures – an Espalier frame for your fruit trees or a permanent structure for your vertical plants. 

And What a Great Year it Has Been! by Steve Sherwood

On October 12^th, five members of the Jefferson County CMG program took part in a Health and Wellness Fair at Lockheed Martin.  Over the course of the day we talked with an estimated 500 to 600 employees about gardening and the CMG program.  What made our booth special was the way we actively engaged people.  While many of the people staffing booths sat behind their table and waited to be approached, we waded right into the crowd and asked people if they had any gardening questions. 

Needle Drop in Evergreens by Mary Small

Spruce trees are getting a lot of attention this fall. Their inner needles are turning yellow or brown and dropping off. 

To put your mind at ease, it’s not unusual for these conifers to shed interior needles beginning in late summer and continuing well into fall.  This is normal evergreen behavior.

In fact, all conifers (“evergreens”) including spruce, pine, fir, juniper and arborvitae lose their oldest needles every year. Contrary to what the name implies, “evergreens” are not really green forever. Their needles generally have a 2–4 year life span, although spruce tree needles live about 5-7 years.