And the 2012 Academy Award Winner is...by Elaine Lockey

http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Rafflesiaceae/Raff.arn.page.html

Don’t you wish there was a category at the Academy Awards for best botanic movie? Most stunning landscape background?  Best use of a plant in a scene? Me too.  So since there isn’t, I went in search of a plant with star power that I think could shine in a future movie.

And so my selection for the winner of this year's award for most movie-worthy plant would be the Rafflesia arnoldii.  Its common name is Corpse Flower.  It also happens to have the world's largest flower.

Flower Grown From Siberian Permafrost Seed

Approximately 30,000 years ago, a squirrel burrowed into the ground in Siberia and stored its hoard of fruit and seeds. Russian scientists found the treasure chamber in the Siberian permafrost and managed to reproduce an entire plant.

 Meet Silene stenophylla, the oldest plant ever to be regenerated.

Silene stenophylla

 It is fertile, producing white flowers and seeds. What does a gardener ask except "How soon we can order from a seed catalog? "

Read more here.

Pothole Gardening!

Guerrilla Gardening at it's finest!

2012 USDA Hardiness Zone Map by Carol King

Exciting news for all you plant nerds! On Jan. 25, 2012 the U.S. Department of Agriculture  released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map,  updating a useful tool for gardeners and researchers for the first time since 1990. The new map (developed by USDA's Agricultural Research Service and Oregon State University's PRISM Climate Group)—is available online at www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.  Long-awaited changes in the climate zone guide show northward warming trends, while also targeting a few colder areas in the mountains.

Hardiness zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum temperature during a 30 year period in the past. It is not based on the lowest temperature that has ever occurred in the past or might occur in the future. Each zone is based on 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Two new zones were added in hotter climates this year for a total of 13 zones.

Roses for Your Valentine by Carol King

How about giving your Valentine a rose for Colorado.  Rosa "Ruby voodoo" is a new, 2012 selection for Plant Select. It’s one of six new plants that the consortium of Colorado State University and Denver Botanic Garden experts have tested for growing conditions in  Colorado.

Read more about it here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

All-America Selections Announces The First AAS Winners For 2012

Watermelon Faerie F1 is the All America Selections 2012 winner in the vegetable category. / Photo courtesy of All America Selections

Are you starting your list of new flowers and vegetables to try in 2012?  Here's a place to start:

All-America Selections Announces The First AAS Winners For 2012

 

 

Only those entries with superior garden performance are granted the honor of an AAS Award.

No More Latin Descriptions for New Botanical Species!

I'm sure all you plant nerds will have an opinion on this one.  Botanists who discover new species no longer have to provide descriptions in Latin and can publish their information on line!

And why is this important you might ask?

Read all about it here!

The Supertrees of Singapore by Elaine Lockey

photo by Wong Maye-E, AP

 Singapore is currently constructing an astonishing botanic park, integrating massive tree sculptures in with their gardens.  Dubbed “supertrees”, they range from 82-164 feet and weigh hundreds of tons. These mega trees are made of concrete and metal rods, with steel frames on the trunks to host huge vertical gardens.  

The Supertree Grove will support flowering climbers, epiphytes, ferns and other plants that can do well in such an environment.  Eventually when the supertrees project is complete, there will be 18 trees covered in over 200 plant species, giving the feeling of a woodland grove. Huge built tree canopies will provide shade to the live plants and ground areas. There will be rainwater catches added to the trees and some of the trees will have solar panels to provide lighting to the gardens. Aerial walkways will connect two of the trees and a treetop bistro will give visitors a great view of the gardens and the bay. 

Ice-melt Salt and Magnesium Chloride Cautions by Carol King

The winter season is in full swing along the Front Range.  Using ice melt to clear pathways seems like a good idea.  However there some cautions.  Here's a good article from Horticulture Magazine.


If you live near a roadway where magnesium chloride is routinely used, here's another caution from CSU Extension.

Seed Savers Exchange for Heirloom Vegetables

I know many of you are vegetable gardeners who are interested in growing heirloom vegetables. You might want to consider becoming a part of Seed Savers Exchange.  It is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Its members have collected and distributed thousands of samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners since 1975.

Here's the site with all the info on how to join.

Sudden Aspen Decline Explained

A mysterious malady has killed off nearly one- fifth of Colorado's aspens. But forest ecologists have struggled to explain the widespread die-off, known as Sudden Aspen Decline.
A new study from researchers at Stanford University and the University of Utah may provide a breakthrough in understanding the decline and how it kills trees.

Read the whole story here.

Challenges of Mountain Gardening by Molly Nevin

 “ The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.”  Michal Pollan

Is this a true statement for the residents of Jefferson County that reside in the Front Range Mountains? Is a vegetable garden possible in the Jefferson County Mountains? Several questions must be answered before turning the first spade of soil.  Since most mountain residents are on wells drilled after 1972, a must do requirement, is to research what kind of a permit you have for your well.  Most wells are restricted to household use only, no outside irrigation or watering of livestock. This water restriction alone makes a traditional vegetable plot a non-viable option. Besides water restrictions, other issues are faced by our mountain gardeners: a short growing season, cool night temperatures, wind, slopes, foraging wildlife, and creating defensible space around your house for fire protection – an important priority.