Fall Gardening Project for Kids: Making a Terrarium by Carol Martin

 

A spray bottle works best for watering: All photos by Carol Martin

What’s a terrarium? According to the experts at NASA Climate Kids,

"A terrarium is like an aquarium, but for plants instead of fish. It is made in just about any glass container. It is planted to look like a miniature garden or forest enclosed in its own little world."

A terrarium is a way of growing plants in an enclosed or partially enclosed container usually made of glass or plastic. Terrariums have gone in and out of popularity since the 1800s. In the Orangery at the Denver Botanic Gardens, they have several elaborate terrariums that would have been right at home in a Victorian drawing room.

Terrarium in the Orangery at the Denver Botanic Garden, York Street

You can make your own terrarium and it can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like. They are easy to establish and make a wonderful gardening project with kids as outdoor gardening winds down in the fall.

Supplies

• Plastic or vinyl table cloth or small tarp
• Glass containers – any size or shape

Michaels, Dollar Tree, ARC and other thrift stores are great sources for inexpensive glass containers. Clean the glass containers using soapy water and rinse well. Dry completely.

Glass containers

 

• Gravel (plus a small scoop)

Gravel comes in many colors and sizes. Home Depot, Lowes and other garden centers carry some decorative gravel in their house plant sections. Aquarium gravel is available at pet stores and has the advantage of coming in a wide variety of colors and sizes.

• Soil (plus a small scoop)

Soil designed for cacti works well in terrariums even if you are using other kinds of plants. This type of soil drains quickly and that is key to preventing the plants from rotting or developing fungus.

• Plants

Succulents are often favorite plants for terrariums, but many small plants will work. Ferns and ground covers are good choices too. Closed terrariums require plants that thrive in high humidity but you have a little more leeway in an open terrarium.

Plants suitable for a terrarium

 

• Spray bottle filled with water
• Small plastic figures, rocks and sea shells

If you have kids, your house is probably filled with these things. If not, take a trip to the Dollar Tree and let the kids pick their favorite little figures. You can also look outside for pretty rocks or small pine cones.

Preparation

Cover your work space with a plastic or vinyl table cloth or a small tarp. Depending on the ages and personalities of the kids (we had a two year old, four year old and six year old), this project will most likely get a little (or a lot!) messy. If the weather is warm enough, make your terrariums outside.

Gather all of the supplies.

The work space could get a little messy

Building the Terrarium

Using a scoop, fill the glass container with an inch or two of gravel.

Depending on your child’s dexterity they may need help with this next part. Gently remove the plant from its container and slightly break up the root ball. Set it in the center of the terrarium and, using a scoop, fill the area around it with soil.

Using a spray bottle, water the plant and surrounding soil to make sure the plant is nestled in place. Most kids love using spray bottles and they will be less likely to flood their terrarium using a spray bottle than a watering can.

Now comes the really fun part: choosing and arranging the plastic figures and other objects in their beautiful new habitat. Any figure or object small enough to find a home in a terrarium will work.

Everyone has a sense of pride when they finish their terrarium

Place the terrarium in a safe spot, out of direct sunlight. Try to find a place where the kids can see and reach their terrariums in order to observe them and keep them watered. You will probably need to help them not OVER water, especially at first.

Sources:

Make a Terrarium Mini-Garden | NASA Climate Kids

Building a Terrarium - KidsGardening

Disclaimer:  Jefferson County Master Gardener does not endorse any commercial products or businesses.  Mention of products or businesses in articles, photographs, or videos does not mean endorsement.

Scouting Fall Flowers for Next Spring’s Planting by Carol Martin

Purple Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae): All photos by Carol Martin

Many gardeners, both novice and seasoned, see Fall as a time to put their gardens to bed. While this is an important task, I like to think of Fall as my first step in planning for the new plants I will put in my garden next Spring. Fall is the perfect time to take a look at your garden and evaluate whether you have enough plants blooming to make it attractive and to support our pollinators.

Here are some ideas and plant suggestions to keep your garden beautiful throughout the Fall months.

More than a Warm Wool Sweater by Patty Coughlin

 

Capella Ranch, Lafayette All photos by Patty Caughlin

Last May, I had the opportunity to visit the Bee Huts at Capella Ranch in Lafayette, CO.  While touring the Ranch, I saw the sight above. It looked like snow, but after talking with Carolyn, one of the owners, she told me that this was “waste wool” from sheep that was covering the new plants and seeds! My curiosity was piqued - I had never heard of wool being used for gardening mulch, so I decided to investigate.

 

Most of the studies on wool mulch, I found, have been done using sheep wool.  While most of the wool obtained during shearing is used in textile production, 20% of it - the “waste wool” from the hind area and underbelly, is discarded.  During Covid, when interest in home gardening exploded, this waste wool, an organic, biodegradable substance, found its niche.

 What are the benefits of using ‘waste wool’ in the garden?

• Water savings
• Fertilization
• Increased porosity of hard clay soils
• Pest control

Wool acts like a sponge, holding up to 20 to 30 times its weight in water. Think of wearing a wool sweater in the rain. Wool “wicks away” water from the skin.  When mixed into the soil, wool holds the water closer to the plant roots, allowing a “slow release” action, helping to avoid overwatering.  In turn, this aids in water conservation.  Albert Wilde, a 6^th generation sheep rancher from Utah who has patented the development of wool pellets as a gardening supplement, worked with university research teams, conducting a “wilt study.”   This study involved planting identical plants in 4” pots, each with an equal amount of water to start, then observing how long it took the plants to die without the reintroduction of water.  Here is what they found: 

• Traditional soil had wilting plants on days 1 and 2 and dead plants on days 5 and 6
• Soil married with wool had wilting plants on days 7 and 8 and then dead plants on day 14

Wool is also an excellent fertilizer.  Wool is high in Nitrogen (9.3-14% compared to compost which contains 1-2%) and it biodegrades slowly, typically over 1 – 2 years.  Wilde, in conjunction with Utah State University Extension researchers, found that greenhouse-grown tomatoes could be market-ready in half the time if wool pellets were added to the soil (76 days (about 2 and a half months) to 38 days).  They liked the nitrogen pop!

Because of its ability to absorb so much water, wool can also aid in breaking apart impacted clay soils, thus increasing the passage of oxygen and nutrients to the plant roots.

Finally, observational studies have shown some benefits in pest control.  The shaft of the sheep wool fiber contains barbs.  Think about how wool is “scratchy” on the skin.  This is due to the barbs on the wool fibers.  Slugs and aphids may be deterred by the barbs, though I could not find any research studies to verify this.  There have been some reports of the deer being repelled by the smell of the wool. 

Waste wool can be purchased from local ranchers, and wool pellets can be purchased online from several sources.  I just googled “waste wool” and multiple sites popped up. 

"After" showing plants growing with wool mulch

So next time you put on your warm wool sweater, remember the agricultural benefits of wool mulch!

“4 Reasons to introduce wool into your garden”, American Wool, May 21, 2021. 
https://www.americanwool.org/4-reasons-to-introduce-wool-into-your-garden/ 

“Wool: A Natural Bio-Enhancement for Gardens”, Jaelyn Whaley, South Dakota State University Extension, June 6, 2024. 
https://extension.sdstate.edu/wool-natural-bio-enhancement-gardens#:~:text=Wool%20increases%20soil%20water%20holding%20capacity.&text=Mixing%20wool%20into%20the%20soil,sustainable%20way%20to%20conserve%20water 

“The Use of Wool in Compost and other Alternative Applications”, Ohio State University Sheep Team, Dr. Cate Williams, March 23, 2021. 
https://u.osu.edu/sheep/2021/03/23/the-use-of-wool-in-compost-and-other-alternative-applications/ 

Special thanks to Carolyn Peterson, owner of Capella Ranch for allowing me to visit the Ranch and take pictures!

 

 

 

November Tomatoes?! by E. J. Bennett

 Originally posted in October 2015 and still great information about prolonging your tomato harvest.

Photo taken October 25, 2014

Whether by global warming or just a local climate hiccup, this year’s unusual fall weather has gardeners happily plucking tomatoes from the vine past Halloween.  Most years, however, we have to consider the eventual demise of our tomato production in late September or early October.  October 9 is our average first frost date in Denver, but 1944 holds the record, when frost wasn’t seen until November 15^th! (guess it was busy freezing the Ardennes Forest over in Europe that year). 

If you want to maximize your tomato output through first frost, follow these simple steps in late August or early September:

1.  Ruthlessly evaluate and prune your tomato plants.  Vines with only flowers? Out.  Vines with tiny green tomatoes? Out.  Leave only the tomatoes you think have a chance of maturing before first frost.

2.  Shock your tomato plants.  No, this doesn’t mean gardening in your thong.  The act of pruning, above, will stimulate the plant to bring the remaining fruit to maturity.  But you can also use your shovel to cut some of the plant’s roots (dig straight down with your shovel 3-4 places in a circle around the plant, 6+ inches out from the base of the plant) and reduce total water to the plants by a third or more.  

3.  As the weather cools, cut remaining foliage back so the sun strikes the remaining fruit during the day.  The additional solar heat will help them mature. 

Crevice Garden Building Workshop by Nancy Shepard

 

Crevice garden at the Denver Botanic Gardens Photo: Denver Botanic Gardens

I recently attended a crevice garden building workshop put on by Plant Select® and hosted by CSU. Plant Select is a non-profit collaboration of Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens, and professional horticulturists (https://plantselect.org/.) The workshop was part of a two-day Plant Select conference specifically for landscape professionals. Landscape companies are increasingly using plants from the Plant Select collection because they flourish with less water and are tough and resilient in challenging climates such as our Rocky Mountain region. They told me they also have been getting more requests from their clients to build crevice gardens. CSU supplied the large bare expanse of an ugly eyesore outside the doors of the Colorado State University Horticulture Center.

Ewe Should Mulch Your Garden: Using Animal Wool as Garden Mulch by Kara Olyowski

Wool mulch in my garden: Kara Olyowski

Mulching is a key practice in any garden, providing numerous benefits from moisture retention to weed suppression. While traditional mulches like straw, wood chips, and leaves are commonly used, there's an unsung hero in the world of mulching: animal wool. This season I intertwined two of my passions, gardening and fiber arts, and I’m experimenting with wool mulch in my herb garden. Let's dig into why you should consider this natural and sustainable material for your garden.

What is Mulch?

Mulch is “any material that provides protection and improves the soil when applied to the soil surface.” There are many different types of mulch from organic (wood chips and grass clippings) to inorganic (gravel and rock.) Using mulch in your garden helps in many ways. By applying a thick layer of mulch it helps suppress weeds. It allows the soil to stay moist longer by slowing down evaporation from the sun. Mulch also helps combat erosion by providing a barrier to hard soil for rain to fall on and cause runoff. Lastly, mulch will break down over time and add to the soil’s nutritional capability and texture. These are all great reasons why spending time now will pay off dividends later in your garden!

What is Wool Mulch?

Wool mulch is essentially the fleece of sheep or other wool-bearing animals, like llamas or alpacas, that hasn't been processed into yarn or fabric. It can come in various forms, including raw fleece, felted wool, or wool pellets. Every year farmers and ranchers shear their wool-bearing animals and have what is called waste wool from the process. This is less desirable wool for yarn that comes from the animal’s belly, neck, legs, and backside, but is perfect for use in the garden. You can find waste wool on Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Craigslist, and talking to local producers at 4-H events and county fairs. 

Llama; photo by Kara Olyowski

Benefits of Wool Mulch

Wool mulch has all of the same benefits as typical organic mulches. In addition, wool can hold up to 30% of its weight in water making it an excellent choice for retaining soil moisture in our dry climate. Wool takes a long time to break down and as it does, it slowly and steadily releases valuable nutrients, like nitrogen, into the soil for your plants. When you look at the texture of wool under a microscope, you will see tiny scales. These scales look like barbs to slugs and snails and deter them from crawling on the mulch and onto your plants. Lastly, using wool makes use of a renewable resource that might otherwise go to waste.

How To Use Wool Mulch

I am using raw llama fleece in my herb garden. First, I made sure the fleece sections didn’t have any vegetable matter or twigs in it. I spread it around each of my plants, creating a layer about 2-4 inches thick. Some companies are realizing the benefits of this resource and are creating wool pellets. These wool pellets are being marketed as a fertilizer and not as a mulch.

Incorporating animal wool into your mulching routine is a great way to promote healthier plants and more efficient water usage. Its unique properties make it a good choice for gardeners seeking sustainable and effective solutions. Give wool mulch a try, and your garden may just thank you for it!

For further information you can check out:

4 Reasons to Introduce Wool into your Garden

The Use of Wool in Compost and other Alternative Applications

Mulching: CMG GardenNotes #245

These are my photos:

A picture of my herb garden with wool mulch

A picture of a llama before he is sheared.

How Does Your Inner Garden Grow? by Jennifer Hamlin

 

Photo: Anna Shvets, pixels.com

Have you ever felt refreshed in some fashion after just visiting a local garden nursery or simply sitting outside? Harvard biologist, Edward O. Wilson coined the term for this phenomena, effectively known as biophilia. Wilson’s theory suggests humans are intrinsically drawn to the natural environment, to plants, and all living things and that we benefit from this symbiotic relationship. This innate calling to nature is embedded in each of us.

As many gardeners inherently know….though often considered very hard work….gardening is also therapy. From the therapeutic aspects of physically digging and tending a garden….to the mental, emotional, and even spiritual space gardening allows our souls to explore our internal and external world more deeply. This connection is actually supported by a great deal of scientific evidence as to how gardening or “green therapy” benefits our health in a variety of dimensions.

As a horticultural therapist, not only to do I love to garden personally, but I have the immense pleasure of watching how gardening has a profound impact on my patients and clients on a regular basis. I’ve worked with all ages, some with a disability (cognitive and/or physical), some who are life-long gardeners and some who have never had any interest in tending a garden. What’s especially interesting to me in my work is how the benefits of garden-based therapy benefit everyone, regardless of their skill or interest level. It is easy for me to see the theory of biophilia in action in every case. There is an increasingly large body of research (Thompson, R., “Gardening for Health”) in support of positive outcomes for integrating some level of green therapy into our lives. The most important aspect is truly just being in, around, or exposed to greenery and it’s increasingly beneficial when our skin comes into physical contact with plants and the soil! Research highlights health benefits including lowered blood pressure, lower cortisol levels, increased nutritional intake, decrease in reported depression and other mood disorders, and even lowered levels of needed medications for many chronic illnesses!

Another example of how gardening can support our overall wellbeing is recognizing how the natural cycles within nature mirror our own experiences in many ways. For example, a garden must have a season of rest every year. This season varies by climate and location, but regardless, the garden must rest in order to be effective and produce and so must we. We can learn a great deal from taking our cues on the rhythms of life from nature. So too, we benefit from learning about and practicing resiliency when watching the same in the garden, tending the weeds, managing the pests, and stopping to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Becky Martinez, www.1stAveFarm.com, Garden Journal

 I recently had the opportunity to meet with the owner of 1^st Avenue Farm in Denver, Colorado (1stavefarm.com), Becky Martinez. She knows first-hand how gardening benefits our overall well-being and is passionate about sharing in both her local community and those abroad. She’s authored a Garden Therapy Journal (available on Amazon) with thought provoking journal prompts which take the natural processes in nature and encourage the reader to “dig-deep” within their own experience to till the soil of their soul. Topics include creating space for our roots to grow and pulling the weeds that stand in the way of our growth!

Taking time and space to dig in our gardens….both in nature and within our souls is always time and effort well-invested. Wishing you a bountiful harvest with both this season!!

 

Further Reading:

·   The Well-Gardened Mind, by Sue Stuart-Smith

·    Seedtime and Harvest: How Gardens Grow Roots, Connection, Wholeness, and Hope, by Christine Purifoy

Source: Thompson R. “Gardening for health: a regular dose of gardening.” Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Jun;18(3):201-205. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-3-201. PMID: 29858428; PMCID: PMC6334070 Accessed: May 23, 2024, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334070/

 

New Plant Hardiness Zone Map by Amy Norwood

 

https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

The United States Department of Agriculture recently revised its Plant Hardiness Zone map.  Much of the Denver metro area was changed from a zone 5b to a zone 6a.  As a result, some plants that were previously considered unable to survive the winter here (annual plants) are now viewed as able to survive the winter here (perennial plants.)   

More Plants for Hummingbirds by Amy Norwood

Cuphea Photo: White Flower Farms

If you’re looking to attract hummingbirds to your outdoor space this season, this blog has an excellent post titled “Plants for Hummingbirds,” dated May 20, 2021.  It mainly talks about two perennial flowers in an in-ground flower garden, Sunset Hyssop and Red Birds in a Tree that are very attractive to hummingbirds.  But, what if you want to attract hummingbirds but you don’t have an in-ground flower garden?

Grow Lights to Assist Seedling Growth by Brenda Sterns

 

Have you wondered if all the hype surrounding grow lights is true and if these lights will help your seedlings grow better?  Chances are, your online quest for answers left you tangled in contradictory advice. (I've been there myself while delving into this topic for Master Gardeners.) Perhaps you're now teetering between abandoning the idea altogether or impulsively snagging lights adorned with all the persuasive catchphrases, hoping for the best.  Today, I hope to explain the cases where supplemental lighting is beneficial and guide you through the key specifications to consider when purchasing grow lights.

Two Great Flowers for Summer Outdoor Pots by Amy Norwood

Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' All photos by Amy Norwood

Outdoor flower pots are a joy of summer.  As with all plants, the rule “right plant, right place,” applies to flower pots.  Your flower pots will look their best if they are planted with flowers that match the pot's location in sun or shade.  Here is a suggestion for a pot in each place.

Heat Mats for Indoor Seed Germination by Brenda Sterns

Photo:Suncore

As March brings 50-60°F warm days combined with all the winter snows, our yards are showing slight signs of life. For many of us, this tinge of greenness ushers forth images of what our 2024 gardens will hold.  What will we grow – vegetables, annuals, perennials?   We know the last frost date is two months away and now is the time to start seeds indoors.  As you eagerly grab your seeds, pots, and soil to start your best garden ever, take a moment to think about heat mats.