Fairytale Cottagecore Garden
‘Cottagecore’ has become one of our favorite aesthetics this summer, transporting you to a fairytale of billowing roses, stately delphiniums, and picnics in fields of lavender. Even in the city or on a balcony, you can create your own golden hour garden! Here are ten plants, a mix of perennials and annuals, that we love […]
10 Best Annuals for Pollinators
Having a pollinator garden isn’t limited to a perennial garden bed. There are a multitude of annuals that you can grow in pots or garden beds to attract bees, butterflies, moths and birds. If you are growing vegetables in an urban setting, here are some ideas for annuals you can plant along with them to […]
The Best Care For Annual Hanging Baskets
Create blooming vertical layers in your garden and on your porch with colorful hanging baskets! They are a great way to bring color closer to the house. Because they are in a basket instead of the ground they do have different water and nutrient needs, but it’s possible to keep them gorgeous all season long […]
Early Spring Planting
Spring is in the air! You can’t help wanting to join the birds outside and start planting your garden. It is possible to start planting well before the last frost date, even in Colorado! There are a number of vegetables, herbs, and flowers that you can plant outside…some of which even prefer the cooler temps […]
Starting Seeds Indoors
There are many reasons to start seeds indoors, not least of which is a way to cure spring fever! As well as being an economical way to garden, you will get to witness the miracle of seed germination and it is a great teaching tool for kids. Getting Started The first thing you will need […]
A Taste of Summer Blooms
From bouquet to plate: Welcome to the delicious world of edible flowers! Many annuals, flowering herbs, and perennials produce blooms that are are safe, flavorful additions to salads, desserts, drinks, and more. Add flowers to rice spring rolls, sprinkle petals on your breakfast yogurt parfait or lunch salad, freeze blooms in ice cubes to brighten up […]
July and August Garden Checklist for Northern Colorado
Download this article as a PDF As you know, gardening can be a year-round challenge in the wild, wild west (aka the “Front Range”) so be prepared to give your plants a little extra TLC when the weather has been hot and dry for long spells. Many plants will burst with color and growth this […]
Insect Repelling Plants
Most herbs, aside from their ornamental and culinary uses, can also repel mosquitoes and other nasty bugs! Some herbs that you may already have can keep pests off of your patio. Though just having the plants nearby is not enough.For best effectiveness the plants must be crushed to release the repelling oils from the leaves and […]
Beneficial Insects
Lady BugsEat aphids, mealy bugs & other soft bodied insects.Larva resemble tiny black alligators with spots.Release about 1500/750 sq. ft at dusk and disperse with water.If ants are also present, wrap trunk with tape to prevent ants from crawling up. Praying MantisAre purchased in the form of egg case.Allow about 2 weeks of warm temperatures to […]
Overwintering Annuals
Annual Bulbs Did you plant any Dahlias, Cannas, or Elephant Ears this spring that you absolutely adore? Are you thinking about overwintering them? Here’s our quick guide on overwintering annual bulbs. After digging up the bulbs, place them into a baggie with shredded newspaper or wood shavings (something that will hold moisture). Moisten the medium […]
Containerize Your Yard
A Gulley primer to container planting Container gardening is a beautiful and easy way to animate your yard with color, fresh fragrances, leaf textures, sound effects, and fresh produce. As more and more people move into condominiums, townhouses, duplexes and apartments, container gardening may be the only way to combat little to no yard space. […]
Starting Seeds
There is great satisfaction when you start your garden from seed. Watching your plants grow from seedling to harvest-ready is wonderful but it can be a very frustrating period if things don’t go as planned. We have a few tips if you want to start your garden from seed so your garden turns out just […]
Choosing Annuals for Full Shade
Need shade in the hot afternoons. Tolerate more sun if kept well watered. Colors vibrant with afternoon shade. East, bright North, shaded West and South. Impatiens: Great selection of varieties, good for acidic soil.Lobelia Upright: blue, red, white, purplePansy: Keep dead blooms picked offBegonia, Fibrous: Red, pink, white, mixed blooms, also variegated foliageThunbergia (Black-Eyed Susan): Vine, bright flowers with […]
Choosing Annuals for Partial Sun
These plants want 4 to 6 hours of morning light, or dappled sunlight. Some examples are: Lobelia New Guinea Impatiens Ivy Geraniums Pansies Regal (Martha Washington) Geraniums Coleus Partial Sun / Shade Hanging Baskets, Patio Containers, and Window Boxes Need shade in the hot afternoons. Tolerate more sun if kept well watered. Colors vibrant with […]
Choosing Annuals for Full Sun
Any plant that wants 8+ hours of direct sunlight, or 6+ hours of intense afternoon sun. Some examples are: Geraniums Calibrachoas Petunias Snapdragons Alyssums Zinnias Osteospermums Nemesias Verbenas Cannas Vincas Full Sun Hanging Baskets, Patio Containers and Window Boxes These plants can be planted into any container in a full sun location. Since they tolerate […]
Frost Tolerant Annual Plants for Northern Colorado
This means they can handle light frost, not necessarily freezing temps. Snapdragons Pansies Violas Flowering cabbage/kale Alyssum Lobelia Petunia Dusty miller Centaurea TIPS ON HOW TO GROW ANNUALS Amend your soil with soil-pep, compost, manure, or clay buster. This will improve drainage in our Colorado clay soil. Plant the right plant in the right location. This […]
Rabbit Resistant Plants for Northern Colorado
Please note that all animals will eat anything and everything if they are hungry!Rabbits occasionally find the following plants less tasty: Annuals African daisy Ageratum Amethyst flower Brachycome California Poppy Cleome Dahlia Four O’clocks Gaillardia Gazania Geranium Lantana Marigold Mexican Sunflower Morning Glory Salvia Sedum Snapdragons Sunflower Verbena Vinca Wax Begonia Zinnia Bulbs Allium Crocus […]
Biologicals: “Good” Bugs for the Greenhouse and Garden!
Biological control is the release of natural predators to manage plant-harming insects. Biologicals help greenhouses and gardeners avoid the need to use pesticide sprays and dusts! Many beneficial insects are already in your garden, patrolling for (and munching on) unwanted pests like aphids and borers. You can also purchase sachets and egg cases of different […]
Top 10 Bedding Plants for Colorado
Everyone wants color in their yard this time of year. While perennials are wonderful because they come back year after year, annual bedding plants are often the go to for impactful color because they will keep blooming all season long. Are you looking for a way to add some easy color? Choose from our top […]
Protect Your Garden Against Springtime Freezes
When the air temperature dips below 25° F for at least four hours, it could wreak havoc on your emerging spring garden. The weather in Colorado is crazy, to say the least, and gardeners who live on the Front Range learn that long stretches of warm days can be followed by a dramatic dip in […]
The Language of Flowers
According to the Society of American Florists, an estimated 196 million roses were produced for the 2015 Valentine’s Day holiday. With over 75% of these being red, it is obvious that most everyone knows that red roses signify romance and love. However, roses are not the only flowers that have a meaning associated with them. […]