Fall Lawn Care by M J Lechner

It's only a matter of time before Jack Frost will be nipping at our noses and the woes of mowing and weeding will be distant memories....but wait! Before you hang up your garden hose, let's get down to 'grass tacks' and get your lawn prepped for fall.

**The first step in fall lawn care is to aerate. Aeration breaks up our Colorado clay soils and allows for moisture, fertilizer and grass seeds to settle in. Renting an aerator from a local nursery is one idea, but there are lots of companies willing to do this tiresome chore for you.
**Fall is the best time of year to fertilize Colorado's lawns. Promotions about "lawn winterization" may sound daunting, but there's nothing scary about it. Simply fertilize with nitrogen sometime during late September to early November along the Front Range, and earlier in the mountains.

A Summer Bummer: Aphids in the Garden by MJ Lechner

You have a cup of coffee in your hand as you stroll through your garden in the early spring morning, enjoying all the new sights and smells.  As you approach the roses, you notice something is not quite right- large clusters of white are covering the new shoots…  what the devil?  Oh no!  APHIDS!
What are they?
Aphids, also known as plant lice or greenflies, are small plant-eating insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are soft-bodied insects that use their piercing sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap. They usually occur in colonies on the undersides of tender ‘terminal growth’ (at the ends of the leaves). Heavily-infested leaves can wilt or turn yellow because of excessive sap removal. While the plant may look bad, aphid feeding generally will not seriously harm healthy, established trees and shrubs.

A Passion for Peonies by MJ Lechner

Every Spring I watch and wait.  Ever-so-slowly, the little reddish shoots emerge through the cold early spring soil and my heart skips a beat- the peonies are back!  From the first spotting until, I watch and wait patiently until one day, they burst into bloom!  It is then I am sure that spring is truly here to stay.
So, what is it about peonies that make them so darn enchanting?  Named for the ancient Balkan region & tribe, Paeonia, peonies hail from Asia and southern Europe.  They are an herbaceous (bushy) plant, meaning that they die all the way back in the winter.  Their color range is almost endless, with new hybrids being introduced each year.  Some tried and true favorites are singles, (e.g. Athena, Dad, Krinkled White, Scarlet O’Hara, Sea Shell) Japanese, (Nippon Beauty, Madame Butterfly) Semi-Double, (Paula Fay, Coral Charm, Miss America, Buckeye Belle) Double (Ann Cousins, Gardenia, Kansas, Paul M. Wild, Tourangelle) and Bomb-Double (Red Charm, Raspberry Sundae, Mons Jules Elie).

May Madness by MJ Lechner

Well, it 's come and gone:  Mother’s Day, the unofficial start of gardening here in Colorado!  Everybody will soon be elbowing their way through the aisles at the garden centers grabbing for six packs of petunias and black pots of poppies…but wait!  Before you fill your cart with annuals, here are a few things to consider.

Bushwhacking! Proper Shrub Pruning by M J Lechner

Early spring is a good time to sharpen those pruners and get busy thinning and shaping the shrubs and bushes on your property. 

The first thing to consider is whether or not  blooms form on old branches or on new wood.  Forsythia, lilacs and hydrangea all bloom on last year’s growth, so they should be left alone until after they flower.  Hibiscus, many clematis and buddleias (butterfly bushes) bloom on fresh growth, so they can be thinned and shaped before the bloom season. 

Time to Limb up for Spring! Proper Tree Pruning by M J Lechner

Early spring, before bud burst, is the perfect time to assess any small trees on your property.  A couple of things to think about as you walk around your yard:
Are your pruners in shape?  If not, its time to either invest in a good set of by-pass pruners or head to your nearest gardening center to have them sharpened. By pass pruners give you the clean cut you need when pruning. 
Do you spot any co-dominate trunks?  Now is the time to choose your leader and either remove or shorten the other branches vying for the top spot.  As hard as it is to pick, it will save you a lot of heartache in the future- especially when we have heavy wet spring storms!   Most limb failure in Colorado comes from unattended co-dominant  branches….

We 'Sedum' and We Loved 'em! by MJ Lechner

In a quiet corner lot in northwest Denver, a garden gem has been created. Stepping into Megan's yard is like stepping into an artist's studio - it is awash with stuff and color! Megan likes to collect things for her middle school art classes and for her own art work. She also likes to collect sedum.

Sedum turn up in her eclectic garden in the most unusual containers: upturned Tiffany lampshades, old chairs painted Santa Fe blue, a purple antique washing machine, a rusty watering can; you name it and she has sedum planted in it. And it looks fabulous!!!

Megan has the artist's eye for both color and imagination. If I ever tried to make my yard look like hers, the neighbors would call Code Enforcement and Jeffco Mental Health, but in her yard, it is perfect! There is a definite echo of New Mexico in each of her garden vignettes. With the rich colors and use of unique statuary, you can almost smell the chiles roasting and the pinon in the air...

My little Power Shot does not do her brilliant colors justice, but they give you just a sample of the many treasures nestled in this jewel box garden.