Monday Mashup 6.29.2015

Lychnis chalcedonica 'Rosea'

This unusual, pink form of Maltese Cross has been blooming for a couple of weeks now. It's an early summer favorite of mine; I bought it many years ago from my friend, Kelly Grummons, of Timberline Gardens in Arvada. This wonderful nursery is set to close in a few months, so be sure to stop by soon and shop from their extensive collection of native, xeric and rock garden perennials.

Early July brings some of our hottest weather of the year. Here is my gardener's July check list.

Efficient watering is imperative this time of year. If you are looking to upgrade your irrigation system, consider converting to a HydraWise controller. These are designed for smaller properties (home landscapes) and can auto-adjust your system to weather conditions in your area. Plus, you can operate it from your smartphone --- how cool is that! These controllers are now available in Denver through at CPS Distributors (to the trade only), so talk to your landscape professional. Note: this is not a paid endorsement nor have I tested the product myself.

The Wheat Ridge Garden Tour is celebrating its 5th year now and going strong. Check out the web site for tickets (lunch included!) and info on the bike tour. Mark your calendar for Saturday, July 11th. I'll be volunteering first thing in the morning at Garden A. Be sure to say Hi!

Need to get away? A visit to one of these cool Colorado lakes might be just the ticket!

Have a fun and safe Independence Day!

Joyous June

Iris germanica

The most anticipated month in the gardening calendar may well be June! Here are a few links to help you stay active and informed:

• Keep up with the demands of a rapidly evolving landscape with my top gardening tips for June.
• Learn some great design tips for low maintenance gardens from my friend Gen at North Coast Gardening.
• Now is the time to plant summer flowering bulbs.
• Pretty but deadly — keep your eyes open and your garden free of these pests.

Have a great weekend!

Ahhhhh, April!

Malus spp. in bloom April 1, 2015 (photo courtesy Garden Style, LLC)

If the crab apple trees are blooming, then it must be April. Warm days, blue skies, and the occasional snow shower to keep things interesting:

blue skies and snow on the serviceberry April 3, 2015

There are plenty of activities to keep you busy and entertained in the garden this month!

Thinking about planting a tree for Arbor Day (April 24th)? The type of tree you select is important,  and how it is planted is critical for hearty growth and longevity.

Need some new ideas and inspiration for your landscape? Join me at Echter's Garden Center on Saturday, April 11 at 9:00 AM for my presentation Creating Beauty from Chaos.

Happy Spring!

colorful crocus, harbinger of Spring

Spring is a new beginning — a great time to assess your current garden and consider some new ideas, too:

Add a New Dimension to Your Landscape
Welcome butterflies, bees and birds into your garden with these tips from the National Federation of Wildlife

It's All About the Tomatoes!
Get this new app from the American Phytopathological Society, TomatoMD, and keep your tomatoes healthy and happy.

Garden Clean Up
Cut back the dead stems and foliage from your ornamental grasses before the new growth gets too tall; once those pretty new tips are snipped they wont grow back, just look awkward all season.

Asses Freeze Damage
A result of the sudden and severe freeze we had November 10, 2014 is tissue damage to many of our landscape plants, but particularly non-native evergreens. Only time will tell if the result will be fatal to the plants or merely disfiguring.

Yew, Taxus spp

Arborvitae, Thuja spp.

An encouraging sign on this young Austrian pine is a green (live!) terminal bud.

Soft, flexible branches are another indicator that your plant is still viable.
Give your plants a chance to emerge from dormancy this Spring and begin actively growing before you commit to any radical pruning or plant removal.


Have a great weekend!

You Can't Beat Beets

Roasted, pickled, stewed, or raw; hot beets, cold beets, I love them all! The greens are also a tasty treat and super nutritious — high in vitamins A and C, iron and potassium (An heirloom variety, Early Wonder, is considered the best beet for greens).

Beets are a cool season vegetable that can be sewn and harvested early in the season. They're a great choice for garden spaces that don't get full sun, as they'll tolerate part shade. For growing tips check out this article.

For heirloom and /or organic seeds, check out Botanical Interests, and Seeds or Change.

Monday Mash-up 2.09.2015

snowdrops blooming in my garden today

News you can use from the world of gardening:

• Hot off the press, the Plant of the Year for 2015 is a wonderful addition to any high plains garden.
• Thinking about adding chickens to your household? This one day class on backyard chicken keeping may help you decide. And for inspiration, here's my review of the Wheat Ridge chicken tour.
• Before we know it we'll be spending a lot of time gardening (can't wait!). Here are three simple exercises to help keep injuries and pain at bay.
• Pruning trees and shrubs can be tackled in February, as well as a few other gardening activities.

Have a great week!

Get Busy, Grasshopper!

Sedum middendorffianum

Now that we are well into fall, it’s time to get serious about preparing the garden for winter.  Here is a check list of chores that I try to get done in October and November before the distractions of the holidays arrive and the onset of really cold weather.

1. Plant bulbs. My friend and Denver gardener extraordinaire, Betty Cahill, has a great post about bulbs on her blog,  Garden Punch List.
2. Blow out automatic sprinkler system and insulate tap.
3. Remove hoses from faucets; drain.  Store hoses and sprinklers in a handy, protected location for late fall and winter watering.
4. Winterize water features.  Drain, clean and store or cover fountains and pots.  Remove plant debris from ponds and set up a bubbler (a submersible pump with a short piece of pipe attached to the outlet) to keep some surface area free of ice.  Disconnect pumps to recirculating waterfalls---especially if the water volume is fairly low.  Ice buildup can divert water and cause problems.  Moving water will also make your pond colder, which may be an issue if you have fish.
5. Empty all containers of annual flowers or veggies (off to the compost pile!).  Remove soil – or the top 8-10” from large pots - (again, off to the compost pile!), and put containers into storage.  My “storage” is the back corner of my covered patio.  A shed or garage would also do the trick.  
6. Spread compost and/or slow release, organic fertilizer throughout planting beds.
7. Remove leaves from lawn areas.  I rake my leaves directly into my garden beds for a loose, temporary mulch.  I’ll remove them in the spring for composting.  You can also run your lawn mower over them and leave them, or rake them up for mulch or to compost.
8. Winterize lawn mower.  After the last mowing, run it until the gas tank is empty.  Clean mower and sharpen blade.
9. Wrap young trees.  I don’t need to do this anymore, but here are the directions for “how-to”.
10. Clean up/cut back perennials.  I do most of this in the spring, because I like the structure and texture that many plants offer during dormancy.  However, it’s nice to have some puttering around to do on those days when I really want to be in the garden!

Enjoy your fall garden!

S%*# Happens!

Oh, Spring, you are so fickle!

May 12, 2014

Most plants will bounce back from this storm with little or no damage. Appreciate the insulating quality of the snow and wait a few days to asses your plants. Prune back any broken branches or soft tissue that has been frozen (tender annuals may need to be replaced). Before you know it, we'll be enjoying real spring weather once again!

May 9, 2014

Gardening Day

'Red Riding Hood' tulip

Get out in the garden today before the snow flies! Here are my suggestions for things to do in your own garden, or visit your local botanical garden, xeriscape display garden, or arboretum to see what's blooming now.

It's Not Too Soon . . .

To start winter watering! I spent the afternoon dragging the hose and sprinkler around my backyard. Here's a recent article from the CSU Extension Service that describes why it's so important, how and when to do it.

An owl-eye type sprinkler delivers a lot of water quickly.

The water I applied today will have plenty of time to soak in before our little snow storm arrives later this week.

In the Garden Now

Are you a year-round gardener? Do you strive to find things to do in your yard even as the plants are going dormant and the cold wind blows?  Here are a few suggestions — and a little link love — for activities that are perfect for the  November gardener.

Plant bulbs!  It's the perfect time to get those spring blooming beauties in the ground.  For inspiration, check out Deborah Silver's tips on her blog Dirt Simple (nobody does it better!).  You should still be able to purchase bulbs locally, but you might enjoy perusing the offerings from Brent and Becky's Bulbs, too.  Their catalog is packed full of interesting plants and helpful information.

Take care of your stuff. My November Rocky Mountain Gardener's Checklist on Houzz focuses on winterizing your valuable pots and tools.

Schedule a tree pro. Do your trees or large shrubs need to be pruned? Find a Certified Arborist via the International Society of Arboriculture - Rocky Mountain Chapter.  These are the folks that have been trained in tree health management and how to work safely in dangerous situations.

Visit a display garden.  Once deciduous plants have shed their leaves it's easier to focus on their other characteristics, like interesting or colorful bark, persistent fruit (more color!) or a striking form.  Evergreens come into play more strongly now, too.  Make observations and notes for additions to your own landscape, or just enjoy an invigorating walk.  Some of my favorites are Kendrick Lake Park (a fabulous xeriscape and natives garden), The Gardens on Spring Creek (lots of ideas for veggie lovers), and Denver Botanic Gardens (something for everyone!).

Spring to It!

It's Go-Time in the garden, and to help you get a handle on what to do and how to get it done I've compiled some links to articles and resources that you may find helpful:

First, written by moi, a gardening checklist for April.

Here is an extremely good article about soil by horticulturist Carol O'Meara; what it is and the best ways to improve it (and not wreck it).

Denver Water has declared a Stage 2 Drought and will be imposing water use restrictions on April 1st.  Some of them will have a major impact on outdoor use, so check their site (April 1st) for all the details.

Start planning now for how to use water efficiently.  Here are some great tips from Colorado State University on making the most of your drip irrigation system.

Have a great weekend!

Book Review & Giveaway: The New Sunset Western Garden Book

 When I was asked to review an advance copy of the newest edition of Sunset’s classic Western Garden Book, I jumped at the chance.  This book is an icon among gardeners living on the west coast, and I wanted to see how helpful it could be to gardeners here on Colorado’s Front Range, the eastern outpost of Sunset’s territory. I’m happy to report that this book is a winner!

First and foremost, The New Sunset Western Garden Book gets the science right. The information on gardening, from soil prep and planting, to fertilizing, to pest and weed control, is spot on. I appreciate that most topics are presented with options so that I can make an informed choice.  For example, the section on weed control discusses various methods of non-chemical controls, natural herbicides, and chemical controls. The information is well organized and the clean graphics make everything easy to read.

  

And then, of course, there are the plants.  The Plant Finder section has multiple lists of plants for specific growing conditions, i.e. “wind-resistant” and “deer resistant,” while the Grow section features informative articles on gardening with veggies (love the big warm season/cool season crops chart!), succulents, herbs, trees, native plants, and more.  The Western Garden Book has always been known for its plant encyclopedia. The new edition has been updated to include in-depth descriptions and care tips for 9,000 plants (with at least one color photograph for every genus represented).  Wow.

The unique asset of The Western Garden Book is their plant hardiness zone system. Sunset has established 32 planting zones that take into account multiple climactic and environmental factors (as opposed to the USDA hardiness zones which are based primarily on winter cold tolerance) which are fully described and mapped out. This can be a bit confusing at first glance, but the concept is critical in the quest for creating regionally appropriate and sustainable landscapes. A word to the wise:  their zone system is still not site specific enough to be an exclusive factor when choosing plants. For example, Denver’s zone 2B rating would qualify us for planting a number of species of witch hazel (Hamamelis spp.), none of which grow well here. However, a quick check of the plants’ native origins – also included in each plant’s description – is helpful. In our example, we find that witch hazel is native to Japan, China, and eastern North America; not a good match to our dry steppe region. The plant encyclopedia certainly provides all of the tools you need to make great choices for your gardens.

But wait, there’s more. A complete glossary of gardening terms and a name pronunciation guide are also included in The New Sunset Western Garden Book, as well as inspiring landscapes and garden projects from across the West. This publication deserves pride of place in your reference library – or desktop!

Now, for the fun part, Sunset has kindly provided five (5!) books to give away!  Leave a comment letting me know why you love gardening in the West and I’ll announce the winner on March 20^th (Yes, the first day of SPRING!).  

We have our winners:  Deb, Tess, Siamjade, Jill, and Liz! Please contact me ASAP with your full contact information, including mailing address. Thanks to all who participated!!

The winner will be randomly chosen by midnight March 19, 2012, and contacted within 24 hours. If the proposed winner forfeits or does not claim the prize by March 26th, the prize will be re-awarded based on the sponsor’s sole discretion. All prizes will be awarded. Please provide your name and email to enter this contest, so I can immediately contact you if you win. The winner agrees to allow his/her first name to be mentioned in conjunction with this giveaway.

The number of eligible entries will determine the odds of winning. This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only, who are over the age of 18 years old. No purchase necessary to win. This sweepstakes is void where prohibited by law.  By entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to these conditions.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and the product was provided for me to review. All expressed opinions are my own.  

Fall Classic

Now that we are well into the second month of fall, it’s time to get serious about preparing the garden for winter.  Here is a check list of chores that I try to get done between late October and late November before the distractions of the holidays and the onset of really cold weather. 

• Blow out automatic sprinkler system and insulate tap. Our first snow and hard freezes are predicted for mid-week, so get crackin'!
• Remove hoses from faucets; drain.  Store hoses and sprinklers in a handy location for winter watering.
• Winterize water features.  Drain, clean and store or cover fountains and pots.  Remove plant debris from ponds and set up a bubbler (a submersible pump with a short piece of pipe attached to the outlet) to keep some surface area free of ice.  Disconnect pumps to recirculating waterfalls---especially if the water volume is fairly low.  Ice buildup can divert water and cause problems.  Moving water will also make your pond colder, which may be an issue if you have fish.
• Empty all containers of annual flowers or veggies (add healthy vegetation to the compost pile, dispose of the rest).  Remove soil – or the top 8-10” from large pots - (again, off to the compost pile!), and put containers into storage.  My “storage” is the back corner of my covered patio.  A shed or garage would also do the trick. 
• Remove leaves from lawn areas.  I rake my leaves directly into my garden beds for a loose, temporary mulch.  I’ll remove them in the spring for composting.  You can also run your lawn mower over them and leave them, or rake them up for mulch or to compost.
• Winterize lawn mower.  After the last mowing, run it until the gas tank is empty.  Clean mower and sharpen blade.
• Add organic soil amendments  to planting beds. 

• Plant bulbs. I'm planning to wait another week or two for this project; once the soil temperature cools down a bit more we'll be good to go.  
•  Wrap young trees.  I don’t need to do this anymore, but here are the directions for “how-to”.
• Clean up/cut back perennials.  I do most of this in the spring, because I like the structure and texture that many plants offer during dormancy.

This is a wonderful time of year to be outdoors and enjoy your garden - have fun!

Garden Designers' Roundtable: Go-to plants!

Best plants. Favorite plants. Go-to plants.  This month's edition of the Garden Designers' Roundtable is all about the plants!  Be sure to visit our web site for a wonderful introduction to this topic and the links to today's participants.

Most landscape designers keep a mental Rolodex of plants on call for specific sites and uses.  This file is constantly being updated and edited as new plants are introduced to the market and others fall out of favor. However, there are some plants that I know I can depend on; they are hardy, relatively trouble free, and have multiple growth (cultural) or decorative qualities to recommend them.  So, without further ado, here is my list of go-to plants:

Deciduous Trees                                         

Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis                          

Kentucky Coffeetree, Gymnocladus dioicus                          

Oak, Quercus sp.                                                      

Honeylocust, Gleditsia triacanthos

Japanese Tree Lilac, Syringa reticulata

Serviceberry, Amelanchier sp.*

Hawthorn, Crataegus sp.*

                  

Deciduous Shrubs

Gro-Low Sumac, Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Low’

Apache Plume, Fallugia paradoxa

Western Sand Cherry, Prunus besseyi var. ‘Pawnee Buttes’

Fernbush, Chamaebatiara millefolium

New Mexico Privet, Forestiera neomexicana

Blue Mist Spirea, Caryopteris incana

Barberry, Berberis sp. *

Lilac, Syringa patula sp.

Butterfly Bush, Buddleia davidii

Beautybush, Kolkwitzia amabilis

Golden Currant, Ribes aureum

Spirea, Spiraea sp. *

Cameo Quince, Chaenomeles japonica ‘Cameo’ *

Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster sp. *
Viburnum, Viburnum sp.*
Ninebark, Physocarpus sp.*

Annabelle Hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ *

Evergreen Trees

Pinon Pine, Pinus cembroides var. edulis

Ponderosa Pine, Pinus ponderosa

Vanderwolf’s Limber Pine, Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’

Evergreen Shrubs

Oregon Grape Holly, Mahonia sp.

Euonymus sp. *

Hardy manzanita, Arctostaphylos x coloradensis

Hillside Creeper Pine, Pinus sylvestris ‘Hillside Creeper’*

Yucca sp.

Big Tuna Mugo Pine, Pinus mugo ‘Big Tuna’

Perennial Flowers, Grasses and Groundcovers

Whirling Butterflies, Gaura lindheimeri

Powis Castle Sage, Artemesia ‘Powis Castle’*

Moonshine Yarrow, Achillea ‘Moonshine’
Creeping Speedwell, Veronica sp.

Giant Silver Mullen, Verbascum bombiciferum

Autumn Joy Sedum, Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’

Sunset Hyssop, Agastache rupestris

 

 Variegated Iris, Iris pallida

Orange Carpet Hummingbird Flower, Zauschneria garrettii

English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia

Plumbago, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides*

Penstemon sp.

Red Valerian, Centranthus ruber

Missouri Evening Primrose, Oenothera macrocarpa

Globethistle, Echinops ritro

Zagreb Coreopsis, Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’

Sunrose, Helianthemum nummularium

Paeonia sp. *

Geranium sp. *

False Indigo, Baptisia australis

Russian Sage, Perovskia artiplicifolia

Candytuft, Iberis sempervirens 

Little Bluestem Grass, Schizachyrium scoparium

Blue Avena Grass, Helictotricon sempervirons

Maiden Grass, Miscanthus sinensis *

Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum  *

* These plants (or related species) will need moderately moist conditions.

This list may seem short - considering the many hundreds of plants that grow well in our area - so think of it as a super-deluxe "top 10" list! You will notice that most of my go-to plants are tried and true main stays of the mid-west, inter-mountain west, and upland southwest regions of the US.  Hence, the name: "go-to" plants!  The bulk of any landscape or garden should consist of well adapted, low maintenance plants and this list is a great place to start. (Read this post to learn about a few oddball plants to throw into the mix.)

Please visit these participating members of the Garden Designer's Roundtable for planting inspiration for your region and beyond... 

Nan Ondra : Hayefield : Bucks County, PA
Andrew Keys : Garden Smackdown : Boston, MA
Christina Salwitz : Personal Garden Coach : Renton, WA
Genevieve Schmidt : North Coast Gardening : Arcata, CA
Ivette Soler : The Germinatrix : Los Angeles, CA
Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO
Laura Livengood Schaub : Interleafings : San Jose, CA
Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK
Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In the Garden : Los Altos, CA
Rochelle Greayer : Studio G : Boston, MA
Susan Morrison : Blue Planet Garden Blog : East Bay, CA

"Wormost" for Lazy Gardeners*

By now I think everyone knows the value of adding organic matter to their soil to improve its structure and provide nutrients for better plant growth. Gardeners can use their plant cuttings and kitchen waste to create their own compost or worm castings. Most compost and vermicomposting pros have lots of little rules and regulations designed to help you maximize your production but frankly, the Lazy Gardener* can't be bothered.

The Lazy Gardener* finds a protected location outdoors that has afternoon shade in the summer and warming sunshine in the winter. The Lazy Gardener* gathers 3-5 large plastic containers (these are 3' diameter nursery pots, but anything will do) and drills the bottoms and sides with holes for drainage and air circulation. The Lazy Gardener* fills the containers - keeping one container empty to use in the turning/harvesting process - with alternating layers of green garden/grass cuttings, kitchen waste, garden soil, a bit of water, dry organic matter (i.e. leaves from last fall and "clean up" waste from this spring, shredded paper, fine wood mulch, etc) and redworms (borrowed from the garden or purchased at the bait shop.) The Lazy Gardener* then stands back and lets Nature take its course, occasionally supplementing the containers' mixture of organics and water.

Eventually, even the Lazy Gardener* has to put a bit of muscle into the project in order to harvest and distribute the wonderful "wormost"**.

Jim made this "shuffle sieve" to fit my "baby sized" wheelbarrow

my precious pets

chunky stuff goes back into the containers, layered with fresh organics

ready to distribute in the garden

This method of creating an organic soil amendment is cheap and easy, and has the added satisfaction of knowing that less waste is bound for the landfill.

thank you, worms!

*Um, that would be me.
**a made-up term:  the result of cold composting supplemented with worms.

Happy Spring!

I know it isn't official yet - not until March 20th, in fact - but for me, Spring begins today. Hip, hip, hooray!  The days are getting warmer and longer and I'm itching to spend more time outdoors. Some of the things I'll be doing in the garden before the official start of spring:

Finish pruning woody plants.  A few shrubs need some light shaping, and the grape vine will get cut back severely. Here's a link to a great grape growing manual (pruning info begins on page 32). Although it's geared towards vineyards in Western Colorado, the manual has excellent information for the home hobbyist as well (and it's free!).

grape vines in need of a good whacking

Cut back ornamental grasses. I have LOTS of ornamental grasses, and I like to get them trimmed as short as possible before the new growth is tall enough to be in danger of getting whacked off too.

love my Fiskars shears for cutting grasses

Later in the month will be the time to:
Rake planting beds clean of their temporary winter mulch. All the leaves that were thrown into the beds last fall will be gathered up and sent to the recycler/composter.

Transplant a few perennials that need to be relocated. My pink Maltese cross (Lychnis chalcedonica) in particular, have been slowly enveloped by shade and need to be moved to a sunnier spot.

I hope you're able to get out and about in your garden this month too. Yea, Spring!

The Edible Garden

Fruits and veggies, and herbs . . . oh, my! Today the Garden Designer's Roundtable is talking about how to incorporate a bounty of food into your garden and keep it looking fabulous. Although I'm not contributing a post today, I'm eager to read what my design pals have to say on this timely topic. Won't you join me? Click here to read the introduction and find the links to all of the participating bloggers.

Then, join me tomorrow at my garden forum (click on the "forum" page listing above for all the details), and we'll pick up the discussion live and in person!

Front Range Tree Recommendation List©

Hot off the Press!

This new study was created for landscape professionals by a committee of landscape professionals from four disciplines: landscape architects (CCASLA), nursery and greenhouse growers (CNGA), municipal arborists (via the Colorado Tree Coalition), and horticulturalists (CSU Extension). The study creates a working list of readily available trees "...with the ultimate goal of a healthy, diverse,  and geographically appropriate landscape and urban forest." The study focused on Colorado's Front Range, from Colorado Springs north to the Wyoming border and from the foothills to the eastern plains.

Nearly 300 trees were evaluated and rated as:
A - Generally recommended
B - Conditionally recommended
C - Potential/Unproven
D - Not recommended
Thirteen different cultural factors that could affect the ratings were listed as critical or cautionary. Water needs and availability were also noted.

 So how did the trees in my own garden rate?

Japanese Tree Lilac, Syringa reticulata - A

Red Oak, Quercus rubra - B (develops chlorosis in alkaline soils)

Autumn Brilliance serviceberry, Amelanchier x grandiflora - B (basal suckering;use as shrub)

Apricot, Prunus armeniaca - A (rarely sets fruit)

Autumn Purple ash, Fraxinus americana - B (susceptible to sun scald)

Common hackberry, Celtis occidentalis - A (re-seeds)

 Looks like I'm on the right track!

Although the list is not exhaustive - for example, I was surprised to see that no ornamental plums were included -  it's a great starting point and is meant to be a work in progress. If you are interested in viewing and downloading a copy of the Front Range Tree Recommendation List©, click here.