Gardening Power to the People: Insect Hotels Pt. 1-Getting Started (Video)

Insect hotels are all the rage in gardening now in honor of National Pollinator Week. don't you want to make one? Jefferson County CSU Extension Colorado Master gardeners show you how! Here's a link to part two: https://youtu.be/RBrTiZ8Doso

Gardening Power to the People: Insect Hotels Pt. 2: More Details (Video)

Here is part two for making your very own insect hotel. Here's a link to part one: https://youtu.be/0w1V6c3nsN4

Square Foot Gardening by Vicky Spelman

Square Foot Gardening photo University of Florida

As gardeners, we often see the term "square foot gardening". Unsure as to what it means? It is actually an excellent way to arrange a garden bed and can solve a number of problems. The University of Florida explains it this way:

Square foot gardening is the practice of dividing the growing area into small square sections (typically 12" on a side, hence the name). The aim is to assist the planning and creating of a small but intensively planted vegetable garden. It results in a simple and orderly gardening system, from which it draws much of its appeal. Since the beds are typically small, making covers or cages to protect plants from pests, cold, or sun is more practical than with larger gardens.

Love Birds and Pollinators? Don't Clean the Fall Garden by Carol King

lowes.com

Most gardeners love having birds and pollinators visit their gardens. Many of us are actively planting pollinator habitats, while feeding the birds just goes with the territority! As the garden season ends, most of us think fall is the time to tidy the garden. Recent science tells us this is not the case if we want to promote both pollinators and bird habitat.  Here are several things you don’t need to do in the fall:

Don’t Rake the leaves.

• Leaves rot and enrich the soil and they can act as mulch in your perennial beds. Mulch helps to protect the roots and maintains much needed moisture for winter survival.
• Birds forage for food in leaves because they harbor insects and their eggs and larvae. A healthy layer of undisturbed soil and leaf litter means more moths which in their caterpillar phase are a crucial food source for birds. Birds feed their young almost exclusively on caterpillars regardless of the bird species. They consume thousands of caterpillars and other pest insects as they raise their young every gardening season. Did you know the more insect-nurturing habitat you have, the greater the bird population will be?
• Leaves provide home for praying mantises, spiders, ladybugs, many butterfly species, and countless species of beneficial insects. Cleaning up causes casualties in these insects who eat the bad guys.
• Using a mulching mower on leaves and leaving them on the lawn will nourish your grass providing free fertilizer.

Rain Barrels Now Legal in Colorado

Photo by Carol King

As of Aug. 10, 2016 House Bill 16-1005 became law,  allowing most Colorado  home owners to use up to two 55-gallon barrels to collect rainwater from their rooftop downspouts. This spring appears to be a rainy one, so as a homeowner you might want to try your hand at capturing rainwater.  There are some caveats however so read the bill carefully before deciding to install barrels.

Highlights of the law are as follows:

1. Homeowners may use rain barrels to collect rainwater at single-family households and multi-family households with four (4) or fewer units.

2. A maximum of two (2) rain barrels can be used at each household and the combined storage of the two rain barrels cannot exceed 110 gallons.

3. The captured rainwater must be used on the same property from which the rainwater was captured, for only outdoor purposes, including to water outdoor lawns, plants and/or gardens.

4. Rain barrel water cannot be used for drinking or other indoor water uses.

5. House Bill 16-1005 requires the container to be equipped with a sealable lid.

6. Watering plants in a greenhouse where such a building is specifically dedicated to growing plants is NOT allowed. 

It is important for rain barrel users to understand that the capture and use of rainwater using rain barrels does not constitute a water right. The State Engineer will deliver its first report on rain barrels sometime in 2019 and if a water right holder can prove that those rain barrels have impacted their ability to receive the water that they are entitled to by virtue of their water right, rainwater collection will be curtailed.

Other considerations for the homeowner who choses to capture rainwater and use it in the landscape include the following cautions:

• Untreated rainwater collected from roofs is not safe to drink, due to concerns surrounding microbial contamination of harvested rainwater. 
• Because of the infrequency of rainfall there can be an accumulation of bird droppings, dust and other impurities on rooftops between rain events. Roofing materials, pitch, and heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, and chromium may occur in high concentrations when it does rain. 
• Acid rain can also cause chemical compounds to be leached from roofing materials.
• Filtering  and screening out contaminants before they enter the storage container can help to mitigate this problem. Dirty containers may also become a health hazard or a breeding ground for insects and other pests.

For complete information on use of rain barrels in the state of Colorado, please refer to Colorado State University’s Fact Sheet. http://tinyurl.com/CSU-rainwater

The complete House Bill can be found here: http://tinyURL.com/rainwater-bill

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.

Real Christmas Tree Industry Needled by Growing Artificial Tree Sales by Elaine Lockey

Christmas tree farm

There has been a downward trend in real Christmas tree sales in the US, from 40% of homes purchasing one in 1991 to just 23% last year (National Christmas Tree Association). The main reason? More people are buying artificial trees. In the recent Wall Street Journal article, "Fir Real? Christmas Trees in Crisis", changing demographics are contributing to the decline - baby boomers are less inclined to buy real trees as they get older. Buyers of real trees are buying smaller trees now which are less profitable. The economy is also playing a role as tree growers planted a surplus of trees when the economy was doing well but now there is an oversupply of trees with fewer buyers.

Real Christmas trees have a long and illustrious history.  The first known decorated tree was in Latvia in 1510.  Since then, Christmas trees have held a place in countless homes and outdoor displays. A Christmas tree has been displayed in the White House annually since 1914, when President Franklin Pierce began the tradition.

There are over 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the US that employ 100,000 people.  Almost half a million acres of land are grown for Christmas tree production. So what is the industry doing about the decline in sales? 

The Science Behind Your Christmas Tree by Elaine Lockey

photo courtesy of SeattleTimes.nwsource.com

Going to pick out a Christmas tree is always an exciting holiday tradition.  It’s one my family never really took to though.  My father preferred the variety of tree that didn’t drop needles or require watering.  Once I had a home of my own, I decided that I wanted a “real” tree from then on – I sought the fresh smells and natural beauty that an artificial tree just can’t provide. 

As I perused the tree lots looking for the right tree, I have to admit, it never crossed my mind to think about why the choices are Douglas Fir, White Fir and Scotch Pine for the most part. What makes them the tree of choice to adorn my living room?  And once I brought the tree home, what can I do to keep it greener longer?

It turns out, there is an incredible amount of research behind the selection of trees specific for growing as a Christmas tree, and another whole body of research into how trees can behave more to our liking when growing in a tree stand - way more than the time that it takes me to pick out the perfect tree.  Just who is doing the research?  One such place of research is the Christmas Tree Research Center at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.  

2011 Annual Flower Trials at CSU

Salvia 'Summer Jewel Red'

Dr. James E. Klett,  CSU professor and Extension Landscape Horticulture Specialist,  invites us to come view the 2011 Annual Flower Trials conducted by the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture in Fort Collins. The trial garden consists of approximately 1100 varieties of annual bedding plants, both in the ground and in containers. Twenty-five plant and seed companies are participating in the 2011 trials.  The site, located at 1401 Remington Street, in Ft. Collins, Colorado, is also an official All American Selection Test and Display Garden.

Compare many new bedding plant varieties against some of the standards. The best viewing time is now through mid-September or first killing frost. Visit the website for photos of last year’s winners and other updates: www.flowertrials.colostate.edu



Here's the 2011 AAS Winners.

Espalier: The Art of Plant Training by Elaine Lockey

Espalier at Denver Botanic Gardens

Espalier, pronounced esp-al-ee-er or esp-al-ee-ay, is the practice of training and pruning a plant to grow on a flat plane against a wall, fence or building.  This can create a beautiful focal point in a garden, can save space in small areas, and help fill in space if you have a large wall or fence that you want to hide.

Espalier can be informal or formal and there are several common forms practiced.  Certain plants respond best to certain types of espalier as well.  Informal espalier can be as simple as a vine climbing up a wall to a pyracantha hedge that is pruned in a flat plane but is allowed to branch where it wants vertically and horizontally.  Formal designs can be like the French palmette verrier in which a plant, commonly a pear tree, is attached to a frame that helps to shape it into the desired structure.  This particular one looks like a box shape or candelabra. This enables the pear tree to grow wide but the height is limited.

Urban Gardens Germinate Seeds of Better Health in Denver

In Denver, groups such as Feed Denver, Revision International, the GrowHaus, Denver Urban Gardens, Slow Food Denver, the University of Colorado's Learning Landscapes program and Sprout City Farms may have different approaches and differing philosophies. But all share one thing: They are bringing lettuce lifelines, one neighborhood at a time, to a nation drowning in high-fructose corn syrup.

Read more about it here:
 

Urban gardens germinate seeds of better health in Denver - The Denver Post

Recycle Those Garden Pots!

 Did you know that gardeners cell packs, flats, and assorted nursery pots alone account for over 320 million pounds of waste annually to landfills each year.  And we think we are being "green" gardening!


Here's a list of garden centers in Colorado who will take your used garden pots and send them off to the recycler to create other products!



Recycling | Garden Centers of Colorado

20 Masterpieces of Green Graffiti

Okay, gardeners, let your inner "tagger" express him or herself!  How about producing this kind of graffiti all over Jefferson  County, Colorado!


20 Masterpieces of Green Graffiti

How to Make Moss Murals

I'll meet you at dusk with my green milkshake of "moss paint"!  Where shall we begin?

Lakewood! Zoning Improvement Urban Agriculture in Lakewood, Colorado

Gardeners!  Got an opinion on beekeeping in the city?  How about city chickens?  Now's the time to let your ideas be known! The City of Lakewood is hosting an event to explore the topic of urban agriculture. The event will allow residents and business owners to hear from experts on the topic and to share their comments and ideas as a part of the Lakewood! Zoning Improvement Process. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, with an open house in the Civic Center South Building and a formal presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Both sessions will be at 480 S. Allison Parkway.

Here's the complete scoop:

City Of Lakewood: Events Calendar - Lakewood! Zoning Improvement Urban Agriculture...

How Green Is Your Garden?

As gardeners, we think we are "green" but really, just how green are we?  Here's a provocative article about creating a carbon-neutral garden! 

How Green Is Your Garden? - National Wildlife Federation

Top 10 Landscape/Garden Trends for 2010

Chuck Montera , of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado shared these gardening trends for 2110.

Landscape Pros Identify What’s Hot and What’s Not

Warmer temperatures are a sure sign it is time to start planning and planting!  Before you begin, be sure to review the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado’s (ALCC) top ten landscape and garden trends for 2010.  According to ALCC’s professional landscape contractor members, this year’s trends involve keeping things local – from the food you grow in your garden to the entertaining you do in your own backyard.  

Top Ten Landscape Trends for 2010

1. Eat locally – out of your own backyard.  The momentum for kitchen gardening that started in 2009 is even stronger as more plants and ways to grow them are available.  It’s now pretty and practical to plant vegetables throughout your landscape as long as their needs for water and sun are compatible.

Gardening Trends - The Worst Gardening Trends of the Last Decade

And here's the worst!  Can you guess these?


Gardening Trends - The Worst Gardening Trends of the Last Decade

Gardening Trends - The Best Gardening Trends of the Last Decade

The title says it all.  Can you guess what were the best trends in the last decade?

Gardening Trends - The Best Gardening Trends of the Last Decade