2022 Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference by Nancy Shepard

 

This year’s Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants conference is being held on Saturday, February 26^th and runs 9:30 AM to 4 PM. I attended the conference last year and found it to have very valuable information and I plan on attending again. The Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference promotes the inclusion of native plants in our landscaping to benefit pollinators and songbirds, save water, and restore the beauty and health of nature in the places we live, work and play.  

How about a 2020 Victory Garden for Pollinators? by Vicky Spelman

Daniyal Ghanavati - Pexels

We’ve all read many articles about the decline of our pollinators.  With the same energy used in the original Victory Gardens, we can meet another threat to our food supply and help our pollinators. 

Pollinator of the Week: Monarch Butterflies by Caroline Reardon

Monarch migration, photo courtesy worldwildlife.org

In mid March, the Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, who’ve overwintered in temperate central Mexico and southern California, mate and then begin their migration northward. Most fly either on a Midwest/Eastern path or along the Pacific coast, but some “strays” do fly through Colorado. 

Terminology for New Flower Gardeners

Mixed bed of perennials and annuals, photo by Beth Bonnicksen

If you are a newcomer to the world of flower gardening, welcome! Prepare to have a new addiction in your life. Getting familiar with some of the terminology will help you navigate the wonderful world of annuals, perennials, bulbs and more. Here’s a start.

New to Colorado? Five Gardening Tips for Success

Photo courtesy Colorado Dept. of Tourism

Welcome to Colorado! Regardless where you came from, you are likely to find gardening in Colorado different than it was in your home state - both rewarding and challenging. It's not too early to start thinking about your Colorado landscape. Following are five tips to help you get started on the right foot. 

Choosing the Best Seeds and Plants for Your Garden by Joyce D’Agostino

For gardeners, this time of year brings exciting arrivals to your mailbox – the new seed and plant catalogs. Sometimes the selections are so tempting that you might want to break your budget to buy as many of the wonderful varieties as possible.

Before you begin placing your orders or making the visits to your garden centers, an important rule is choosing the “right plant for the right place” which will bring more enjoyment and success. Even if you are an experienced gardener in our climate, there may be some plants that you want to try and not certain if they are appropriate for your region.

Colorado's Native Bees

Leaf Cutter bee with leaf, photo courtesy dakotabees.com

Colorado has over 950 species of bees, and all but a handful of these are native. Most of the few introduced (non-native) species that now call Colorado home were brought in accidentally. The most well-known non-native bee is the honey bee, an important pollinator of many of our agricultural crops, especially those that are also non-native. But our native bees, who for millions of years have co-evolved with our native flowering plants, are much more important, efficient, and effective pollinators for native fruits and vegetables. Many of these, like squash, tomatoes, and eggplants, cannot be pollinated by honey bees at all!

National Pollinator Week 2018: Gardening for Pollinators

Pollinators on Opuntia bloom, photo by Donna Duffy

June 18-24, 2018 has been designated National Pollinator Week. Now is the time to add pollinator-friendly plants to your landscape. Following are landscaping tips from the Colorado Native Plant Society and the USDA Forest Service to help you get started.

Plant Tags Can Educate Garden Shoppers by Paula Hamm

Photo by Donna Duffy

It’s that time of the year when many of us have the impulse to rush to our favorite garden center.  When you go, take a good look at the plant tags.  Take the time to examine them and learn about the specific requirements of the plants they accompany.  Using symbols and pictures, growers pack many facts and details to help you successfully grow and nurture your plants.

Be a Habitat Hero!

Does your garden supply habitat for songbirds and pollinators? If so, you can apply for Habitat Hero designation. A Habitat Hero garden meets these five objectives:

• Creates diverse layers, plus shelter and nesting opportunities for wildlife
• Is waterwise, energy-efficient, and uses few or no pesticides
• Provides natural food in different seasons, based at least partly on native plants
• Offers water for drinking and bathing
• Controls invasive species

Stratification and Vernalization of Seeds for Fall Planting By Joyce D’Agostino

With the arrival of fall, typically most gardeners feel that their work is done, other than possibly pulling vegetable plants that are finished and raking leaves. 

But if you would like to get a head start on planting some great flowers for next season, fall is a good time. There are actually some plants whose seeds need to have a certain amount of cold and darkness in order to germinate and establish. We are all familiar with planting flowers and vegetables in the spring, but all plants have different preferences for reseeding and growing. For example, some perennials and biennial plants are best sown in the fall to allow them to develop a strong root system. This method is called Stratification and Vernalization.

Adding Flowers To Your Vegetable Garden By Joyce D’Agostino

Photo courtesy veggiegardeningtips.com

The spring temperatures will soon be settled and it will be safe to plant your summer garden. If you have focused mostly on growing tomatoes, peppers and other favorite vegetables, consider adding some flowers to your garden. Not only will flowers add a splash of color and interest, but they can serve a significant role in providing nectar and pollen for pollinating insects, and attracting these insects will in turn help to pollinate your vegetables.

Spring Planting? Add Some Natives to Your Landscape! by Donna Duffy

Pulsatilla patens, Pasqueflower, blooming on the first day of spring, photo by Donna Duffy

There is a growing trend among Colorado gardeners to incorporate native plants, trees and shrubs into their landscapes. Indeed, in some areas, native plantings may be required by law, covenant or policy. There are so many good reasons to include native plants in the landscape! They attract pollinators, butterflies and birds, they are adaptable to poor soil, and they typically require less water. 

Fall: The Best Time to Sow Native Plant Seeds by Donna Duffy

Tradescantia occidentalis, Western Spiderwort, photo by Donna Duffy

There are many benefits to using native plants for Colorado home landscapes. They are naturally adapted to our various climates, soils and environmental conditions. When correctly sited, they make ideal plants for sustainable landscape. Native perennials require less maintenance such as watering and fertilizing when the planting site mimics the plant’s native habitat.

Native Perennials by Audrey Stokes

Mirabilis multiflora, Desert four o'clock

Governor Hickenlooper has just proclaimed June 10-16 as "Native Plant Appreciation Week"! For more information and a list of related events, visit the Colorado Native Plant Society's webpage.http://www.conps.org

It's a great time to add native plants to your landscape! Following are some helpful facts and tips from CSU Extension by I. Shonle, L.G. Vickerman and J.E. Klett (4/14).

The Right Plant for the Right Place by Rebecca Anderson

Photo courtesy gardeningabout.com

When Master Gardeners and Extension horticulture staff are helping people with plant problems, we usually start with the soil.  It is thought that 80% of plant problems are related to soil issues.  We like to start with soil testing to find out if there are any deficiencies or excesses in the soil that can be corrected so plants will grow better.  But what happens when the soil test doesn't show problems and your plants still aren't thriving?  What else could be going on?

Landscaping With Colorado Native Plants Conference

Pulsatilla patens, photo courtesy Donna Duffy

Come to Loveland on Saturday March 12th for the first conference of its kind in Colorado! It's the perfect antidote to a gardener's winter blues.  Here are the details:

8:00am - 5:00pm

The Ranch Event Complex

Larimer County Fairgrounds, Loveland

Breakout Sessions include information on:

• Designing with Natives
• Construction of Native Landscapes
• Micro-Climates
• Edible and Medicinal Native Plants
• Native Plants for Every Situation
• Habitat Gardening

The Keynote Speaker, Susan Tweit, will present "The Ditch and the Meadow: How Native Plants and Gardeners Revived a Neighborhood and Changed the Culture of a Town."
Click here for more information and to register. See you there!

Sow Native Plant Seeds Now! By Donna Duffy

Rudbeckia

You still have time to sow native plant seeds in your garden. Mid to late fall is a good time to sow native seeds because subsequent winter cold and snow will promote seed germination next spring. If you are unsure where to purchase native plant seeds, check out the Colorado Native Plant Society’s publication: Native Plant Vendor List.

Gardening in a Time of Water Restrictions by Donna Duffy

Penstemon cardinalis

It’s that time when gardeners start wandering around their yards and pondering what to plant this year. We’ve been forewarned that watering restrictions are coming, and they will be significant. Knowing that, it will be helpful to narrow your list of plant possibilities to those that are more xeric and likely to fare better in a hot, dry summer. Don't fret! There are hundreds of readily available, beautiful xeric plants to choose from – many of which are Colorado natives.

Besides being more drought resistant, native plants have other benefits: they attract native bees and butterflies; they are less fussy because they are naturally adapted to Colorado’s environment; and they require less soil amendment and fertilizing. Local nurseries are starting to carry more and more native plants, shrubs, and trees. A great resource for more information about native plants is CSU Extension – particularly Fact Sheet 7.242, Native Herbaceous Perennials for Colorado Landscapes. 

British Parakeet Explosion: a Gardener's Concern? by Carol King

I was reading an article about the rose-ringed parakeet which is taking over parts of Britian.  The parakeets escaped or were intentionally released from cages and have survived and begun to thrive. "So what does this have to do with a gardening blog?", you might ask. I saw this one statement speculating about why they are procreating at such a phenominal rate:
"Is it that gardeners are planting more exotic ornamental plants, effectively providing imported food to match an imported bird species?"
So speculate on that, dear gardener.  Another argument for native species!
Heres the whole article.