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.  

Pantone's Color of the Year by Vicky Spelman

Sapphire Indigo Clematis
Courtesy Star Rose and Plants

Pantone, a globally recognized color institute, has created Very Peri (Pantone 17-3938) as its Color of the Year for 2022. 

It encompasses the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possesses a violet-red undertone for a joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages lots of creativity and imaginative expression.  ~Pantone

We gardeners would call it periwinkle.  Look for this color to show up at your local nurseries.  Here are some plant ideas for incorporating this color in your garden/yard.

Garden Benefits of Snow By Joyce D’Agostino

Photo: Joyce D'Agostino

We’re all aware that getting a good soaking rain or bountiful snowfall helps to relieve drought conditions throughout the year and also helps to keep the field crops and gardens well hydrated and healthy. In addition to the moisture, there are some additional benefits from winter and spring snowfall.

Yes, you need to water your trees - by Professor James Klett, CSU

Tree Care Guide - Denver Water Board

Tree care suggestions for winter watering from Professor James Klett, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University.

Focus on the most vulnerable trees:
1. Not all trees face the same threat from the drought and dry weather conditions.
2. Trees planted within the last 3 years should be the first you water.
3.  Next should be evergreen trees since their needles continue to demand water over the winter.  They are going to desiccate and dry quickly with all the foliage, so evergreens are more critical than deciduous trees.

4.   Water any trees with shallow root systems like: birch, maple, linden, alder, hornbeam, dogwood, willow and mountain ash.

Fruitcake – Will It Really Last Forever? by Vicky Spelman

Photo Credit - Pinterest

Nothing says Christmas like fruitcake!  Is fruitcake part of your holiday traditions?  Using the trifecta of sugar, low moisture ingredients with some high-proof spirits can make fruitcakes some of the longest-lasting foods.  

Fun Plant to Grow: Christmas Cactus by Ed Powers

Pink Holiday cactus courtesy Gardener's path

I have lived in many parts of this country in my lifetime and like many of you, I garden indoor and outdoor.  One of the most beautiful indoor plants I’ve run across is the Christmas Cactus.  It was given that name because it blooms around Christmas.  In a way it is misnamed because many of these plants bloom at times other than Christmas.  I have one that blooms at Thanksgiving and then turns around and blooms at Easter.  

Critters in the garden? by Ed Powers

Raised pots on our Deck.  We used sonic pulse stakes in these pots
Photo: Ed Powers

Some of the critter challenges of growing vegetables and flowers at elevation.

I have had gardens in several states and done well growing both vegetables and flowers.  Until I moved to Colorado, I grew my plants at or below sea level.  Elevation in Colorado is very different because of lower humidity, more direct sun and the mountain weather patterns. Also, the wildlife creates havoc with gardens and vegetables.  I deal with deer, elk, rabbits, voles, mice, pack rats, chipmunks, and ground squirrels to name a few that love my gardens.  My first 3 years gardening were a disaster.

Water-saving Farm under Solar Panels by Nancy Shepard

Photo: Kirk Siegler

With so much gloomy news about climate change and the continuing drought conditions in Colorado, I saw a story on NPR that had positive news about solar power and agriculture that I wanted to share.

Happy Thanksgiving! by Vicky Spelman

Jill Wellington for Pexels

The cornucopia is a symbol of Thanksgiving or the fall harvest and many of us use one to decorate our dining room tables as the centerpiece to our traditional feast.  It refers to a horn-shaped basket or a gourd that has been hollowed out and filled with fruits and vegetables gathered from a good harvest - sometimes it may contain flowers for added beauty.

Winter Care for Houseplants by Vicky Spelman

Photo: Vicky Spelman

Houseplants make us happy – especially in the winter months but winter time can be difficult for houseplants with the drier conditions in the home.  Here are some tips to keep them healthy and looking their best.

Preparing Your Soil for Winter by Nancy Shepard

 

Photo by Lukas. Pexel.com

By November you’ve probably pulled out your dead vegetable plants, pulled out plant stakes, cleaned up your perennial areas, and mulched the leaves over your lawn. But what about your soil? We usually think of our garden soil in the spring when we get ready to plant and want to amend it. But you can do some beneficial things for your soil before winter arrives.

This little-known fruit can be grown at different altitudes by Ed Powers

 

Courtesy:  Baker Creek Seeds

This last summer (2021) was the most amazing and most successful in my Garden to date.  I learned many new things about how to protect my Gardens and some new vegetables that grow in our area.  I would like to focus on one of those vegetables that I grew.  They are Physalis pruinose - common name Ground Cherry Tomato.  They are flowering plants in the Nightshade group and close relatives of tomatoes, Chinese Lanterns and Tomatillos.  They grow in warm temperate and subtropical regions of the world.