A History of Saving Seeds By Ellen Goodnight

Saving vegetable and flower seeds is what our mothers and grandmothers did, year after year. Most often it was for economical reasons. If you grew a crop in your garden and it did well, you certainly wanted to grow it again without buying new seed. Saving seeds may have also been

a way of sharing with family, friends and neighbors, especially if they had enjoyed something grown in your garden. Often, our mothers and grandmothers shared seeds from several generations.

Today, we look at saving seeds in a new light. New gardeners may wonder why they should save seeds when there are so many seed catalogs and garden centers stocked with everything from common to exotic seeds. Novice gardeners may not know the difference between an

heirloom seed and a hybrid seed. They might not even know if their seed has been genetically modified. Some may not know for example, that the squash seeds they saved from last summer's garden might not produce the same squash! Additionally, even experienced gardeners may not realize that the genetic diversity represented by pure heirloom seeds is being lost. These challenges can be overwhelming to any gardener. On the bright side, however, "the movement to save pure heirloom seeds has become a global effort, with gardeners working to

preserve and bring back old seed varieties" (Baker Seed).

Not So Fast! Gardening Tips for Early Spring by Donna Duffy

Pasqueflower emerging in March

Yes, it does feel a bit like Spring outside. And yes, there are signs of life in your yard and garden. As tempting as it is, don’t go full-force into your gardening mode quite yet. Following are some gardening chores you can start right now, and others that you’ll need to wait to begin.

Planning for Spring: What Kind of Mulch Should I Use? by Donna Duffy

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The benefits of mulch are so well known that the question no longer is “Should I mulch?” but “What mulch is best for my landscape?” For die-hard gardeners, mulching is one garden task you can do any time of year – even in the winter.

Gravel mulch at Kendrick Lake Gardens in Lakewood

A mulch is any material that provides protection and improves the soil when applied to the soil surface. Mulches can:

• reduce surface evaporation;
• improve water penetration and air movement;
• control soil temperature fluctuations;
• protect shallow-rooted plants from freeze damage;
• improve soil structure and nutrient availability.

Spring is Here! by Carol King

I went looking for evidence of spring in North Lakewood, Colorado and here's what I found.

Yellow crocus

Stonecrop peeking up

A Tree in a Tight Spot by Rebecca Anderson

Winter is the time of year when I'm planning my landscape improvements for spring. This year I've got a new area to design because we had a tree removed last fall.  There was a mature red maple (Acer rubrum) planted in a strip between our driveway and the neighbor's. This 40 foot tall, 24-inch diameter tree was confined to a concrete-free zone of about 36 square feet.  Looking at CSU's formulas for calculating for rooting space, the tree's roots probably occupied an area close to 4,000 square feet.  Of course it had to be sending roots under driveways and sidewalks, but those roots under the hardscape didn't have the access to water and oxygen that roots in an open area would have.

Keeping Spring Flowering Bulbs Happy by Rebecca Anderson

This morning I found some crocus (Crocus sp.) leaves peaking through the mulch.  It’s a sure sign spring is on its way when the crocus, daffodils (Narcissus sp.), hyacinths (Hyacinthus sp.) and tulips (Tulipa sp.) make their appearances.

Dogwood Bushes Bring Some Bright Winter Color by Joyce D’Agostino

Winter branch color

Summer foliage

If you are looking for a “four seasons” plant to add to your landscape, a good suggestion would be dogwood bushes that feature colored branches.

Dogwood bushes are very hardy for the Colorado climate and relatively easy care with few pests or problems.  They provide green leaves and white flowers in the spring, the flowers turn to blue color berries which birds enjoy and then in the fall, the leaves drop to reveal the colorful branches. 

The two dogwood that we have planted in our yard are Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’ for the red and Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviranea’ for the yellow variety. These bushes can grow to 3 – 5’ tall shrubs and can become very full which work well for use as hedges but ample room should be allowed when planning their location so that they don’t block sidewalks and driveways. 

The bright stems give a nice pop of color especially when contrasted against snow when often other trees and shrubs have neutral tones for their trunks and stems. 

They are not a high maintenance plant and require simple pruning and removal of any dead wood after the winter is over. The foliage, flowers, berries and color of the stems in the winter makes it a valued landscape plant to be enjoyed each season.

For more information, refer to the following fact sheets:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07422.html

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07208.html

Colorado State University Extension Education Exhibit 2014 by Duane Davidson

If you missed the 2014 Colorado Home and Garden Show and Jefferson County CSU Extension  Colorado Master Gardener Volunteers' display,  watch this great video created by Duane Davidson.

Watch. Enjoy. Learn!

Colorado Garden and Home Show 2014: Educational Garden Exhibit Shows How to Use Mulch in the Garden by Duane Davidson

When you visit this year's Colorado Garden and Home Show, which opened February 15, be sure to visit the CSU Extension's Educational Garden on Aisle 1600. It was designed and built by Jefferson County's Colorado Master Gardeners.

Its theme is "Mulches for Every Garden." Six sections of the exhibit show how different kinds of mulching materials can be used effectively in the home landscape and garden. In one section, representing a home landscape with evergreen trees, flowering shrubs, and perennial flowers, both pine needles and recycled bark/wood chips are used to unify the planting and retain moisture moisture in the underlying soil. Informational signs note that a pine needle mulch doesn't blow away, that it protects soil in sloping areas from runoff, that it decomposes over time, and that it doesn't change soil acidity.

Selecting Tomato Varieties by Rebecca Anderson

Winter is a great time to research tomato varieties

The seed catalogs are filling my mailbox, making me anxious for spring. I've been trying to narrow down my favorite tomato varieties, but it's tough. All the pictures are beautiful and the descriptions are amazing. How is one to choose?  Modern hybrid or heirloom?  Determinate or indeterminate?  To help with the decision process I've been looking at a study by Tom Fowler, Horticulture Specialist with the University of Missouri Extension Service.  He conducted a field trial in 2013 measuring the production 47 different varieties of tomatoes.  Although one year's worth of data from one state does not provide much opportunity to study tomato varieties in multiple environmental conditions, when considering varieties by classification, Mr. Fowler did come to some useful conclusions.

Jeffco CSU Extension Colorado Master Gardeners: 2013 Highlights by Mary Small

Colorado Master Gardener volunteers in Jefferson County actively engage Jefferson County residents to foster successful gardening. A dedicated corps of 110 volunteers brings a variety of projects to life. In 2013, these energetic volunteers donated 6944 hours to CSU Extension. In business terms, that’s the equivalent of almost 3½ full time staff! In dollars, that volunteer service is worth $153,740. Following are descriptions of some of the major outreach projects which resulted in 10,338 direct contacts with Jefferson County citizens.

Beekeeping 101

Public Gardening Classes – CMG volunteers trained in public speaking presented classes on a variety of gardening topics throughout the year. One of the most successful projects in 2013 was the Backyard Food Production Classes. Colorado Master Gardeners and staff in Jefferson County developed a class series that studied successful backyard food production. Topics covered included Small Fruit Production, Growing Heirloom Vegetables, Biointensive Garden Design, Starting Your Own Plants from Seed, Soil and Amendments, Irrigation, Mapping, Planting, Season Extenders and Backyard Beekeeping. Three hundred seventy two (372) citizens attended. Approximately 1/3 of the audience were first time gardeners. 

Low Humidity Problems and Indoor Houseplants by Carol King

Spider Plant Chlorophytum comosum

This time of year, we Colorado gardeners turn to indoor plants to soothe our gardening souls.  However the indoor environment in our homes can be very harsh for many plants. Many of our house plants are native to humid, tropical rain forests and require special consideration when they reside in our Colorado homes. While lighting and temperatures need to be monitored for successful indoor gardening, humidity is the big issue during colder months.  Heating systems common in Colorado circulate dry, warm air throughout the house. Our indoor environment often has less than 10 percent humidity. This is a drastic reduction from the 70 to 90 percent relative humidity levels found in the native climates of most tropical plants.

Why does this matter? Humidity is the level of moisture in the air and can affect a plant's need for water.  Plants grown indoors with low humidity lose more water through transpiration, so their root systems require more water. In addition, plants located near heating or cooling vents may develop leaf spots or brown tips.