Use Root Stimulator in All Seasons!
You know you’re supposed to stop, or drastically cut back, fertilizing your plants between September and March to aid in their necessary dormant period. But, did you know you can work on root health all year long? Because root stimulators are a hormone that encourages root growth, rather than a chemical that forces plant growth, […]
Grow Your Best-Ever Tomato Crop!
We think nothing tastes like summer more than fresh plump tomatoes! Especially ones you’ve grown yourself. Make this year your healthiest, most abundant tomato yield ever with these helpful tips. Feed!– Use a fertilizer that is built to support the fruiting nature of tomatoes. While nitrogen gives you strong healthy plants in other parts of […]
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 […]
Sowing Hot Peppers!
This week we’re cutting the cold with hot pepper seed sowing! It may seem early but hot peppers grow a bit slower, so now is the time to get them going. We’ll cover all the nitty gritty, from soil needs, to light requirements and beyond. So get out your gloves and get ready to plant […]
How To Successfully Grow Herbs Indoors!
So you like fresh herbs. but you realize its winter and you live in Colorado so there’s no hoping that your outdoor herb garden will suddenly sprout fresh foliage to feed your culinary needs… Fret not! You too, can eat like a Mediterranean noble even in our hibernal habitat. Join us on an herbal expedition […]
Succulents: The Dormant Season
The sun is dipping before dinner, its last degrees of heat are being squeezed out and Snow Miser has finally reared his icy head. It’s winter and if you haven’t already, it’s time to deal with your tender succulents (we’ll address their cold hardy counterparts in another blog). Wintertime can be challenging for succies indoors […]
Pruning Trees and Shrubs in Winter
Winter is finally upon us and so we make our stand to greet it with pruners in hand! With the high winds and periodic heavy snows common along the Front Range, Colorado gardeners have our work cut out for us. Late fall-early winter is the perfect time to cut away the dead branches crowding our […]
Sowing Veggies & Herbs in Late Summer
Enjoy fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden later into the fall season by sowing seeds now! Crops that mature fairly quickly ( 10 – 12 weeks) can be tucked into empty garden spaces for lush autumn harvests. The number of days from seed to harvest is dependent on the variety of seed. Some mature […]
Hot Weather Watering
Hot, dry weather can sneak up on us, especially after a wet spring. As summer progresses, you might feel overwhelmed with the job of keeping up with your watering while maintaining a lower water bill. Here are some helpful tips for keeping your garden healthy and conserving water at the same time. Timing matters… Early […]
Some Common June Pest Problems and Solutions
Are you beginning to see signs of unwanted pests in your plants? June seems to be the time of year when insects and diseases make their first grand appearance in the garden. Here is a list of some of the problems you might be encountering now and the solutions we recommend to keep your hard […]
Top Things to Do In Your Garden… Early Spring
Spring is the time to begin thinking seriously about your garden. Learn some tips and solutions for many gardening problems. PREPARE YOUR SOIL Give your garden soil the energy it needs to sustain bountiful crops by preparing it now. Using last year’s soil without adding in new nutrients is like asking a racecar driver to […]
Improving Your Soil Structure
Improving soil is different from simply adding fertilizer. Although fertilizer contains key nutrients, these are used up fairly quickly, and it won’t do anything for the structure, or long-term fertility of the soil. For that, you need to add organic matter, and it’s worth doing once every year. Early spring is a good time to […]
Spotlight on Spring Lawn Care: Pre-emergents
Be proactive in your weed-control plan this year! It’s much easier to stop weeds from germinating than wrestling dandelions and crabgrass out of your lawn all summer. Pre-emergents that contain corn gluten meal, an organic alternative to chemically derived herbicides, suffocate and suppress weed seeds. A good rule of thumb is to apply your pre-emergent […]
Waking Up Indoor Plants for Spring!
If houseplants could yawn, stretch their limbs, and look sleepily around like a bear coming out of hibernation, the end of February would be the time! Days are getting longer, which is noticeable to indoor plants, letting them know it’s time to come out of dormancy. Because you love your plants and are responsible for […]
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 […]
Fall Bulb Planting 101
Nothing is more satisfying than planting dormant brown bulbs in autumn and seeing them emerge in late winter or early spring with fresh green shoots and glowing flowers. In Colorado, where winters can seem everlasting, it gives us hope for spring to see delicate tulip and daffodils poking through those late winter snows. Planting bulbs […]
The Basics of Fall Mums
With fall in the air, you might find yourself becoming nostalgic for the color of your summer garden. A great way to extend the beauty of your garden well into autumn is to plant chrysanthemums, or “Garden Mums.” With their tightly packed, colorful blooms, the flowers last for weeks, not days, and the sheer number […]
Bringing Houseplants Indoors for Winter
If you let your houseplants vacation on the back deck or front porch this summer, then by early September it’s time to get them ready to move back inside for the winter. Letting your indoor plants spend their summer at “camp” is a great way to give them extra air circulation, increased surround lighting, and […]
November and December Garden Checklist for Northern Colorado
Download this article as a PDF Northern Colorado’s winter weather is rarely predictable. From warm sunshine, to frequent snow storms and freezes, the temperatures and the weather conditions in our area present unusual gardening challenges. In order to stay ahead of these challenges, flexibility is the key. Use the following tips to help guide your […]
September and October Garden Checklist for Northern Colorado
Download this article as a PDF We’ve wiped the sweat from our brow and now stand in a, hopefully, cooler sunshine! Yeah! Autumn has arrived. GENERAL GARDEN CARE There’s no need to fertilize any longer. It would be like having a cup of coffee just before you turned in for the night. Late season fertilizing […]
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 […]
May and June Garden Checklist for Northern Colorado
Download this article as a PDF May is the month that our garden senses really start to warm up. We can hardly wait for the moment to view our garden fully planted! Of course, Mother’s Day weekend and the average last date of frost for Northern Colorado fall closely together around May 15. As we […]
March and April Garden Checklist for Northern Colorado
Download this article as a PDF Get ready for spring! The months of March and April bring much needed moisture, longer days and warmer overall temperatures to Northern Colorado. Like most gardeners, you may be itching to get outside and plant this time of year, but keep in mind that the average last date of […]
January and February Garden Checklist for Northern Colorado
Download this article as a PDF Temperatures typically dip to their lowest during the months of January and February across the front range. Average low temperatures for Northern Colorado range from 15-19F with high temperatures ranging from 43-47F. Additionally, our area is known for its ‘semi-arid’ climate. Combine low temperatures and dry conditions, and you […]
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 […]
Year Round Rose Care
Learn how to identify Rose Problems. A rose problem is almost always a reflection of the plant’s environment. Conditions such as bad drainage, too little water, poor soil preparation, insects, and diseases can either be remedied or cured from the start. Preventative spraying saves time and money and keeps your plants looking healthier. SPRING Prune roses […]
Winter Watering in Colorado
Why water in the winter? Winter in Northern Colorado is an undeniably beautiful time of year. Landscapes and stunning mountain ranges are blanketed in snow, the sun typically shines brightly every day and people are in the spirit of the holidays. With so much to see and do, is it really necessary to trudge into […]
Dividing and Storing Bulbs
Divide in Fall at planting time For best results, divide only when crowded Most bulblets will not bloom the first year, Iris need a new ‘eye’ to bloom Care of Spring Bulbs Harvest: after the leaves have died or first frost, except for Tuberous Begonias.Do not bruise or scrape when digging the bulbs.Leave the soil on […]
When to Plant Your Bulbs
Fall Bulbs: planted in the Fall (Sept. & Oct.) because they need a cold treatment to bloom. *they bloom mostly in the Spring. Spring Bulbs: planted in the Spring, not winter hardy, bloom in the Summer. Indoor Bulbs: plant in Winter/early Spring; Paper White Narcissus, Amaryllis. PLANTING BULBS TIPS Plant with bulb food or bone meal Keep away slugs and other […]
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 […]
Winterizing Your Colorado Garden
Now that fall has officially arrived, it is time to start getting your Colorado garden ready for winter’s swift approach. Because Northern Colorado’s winter weather is rarely predictable, gardening in our area presents unusual challenges. The fluctuation between cold and warm temperatures, dry wind, and snow can wreak havoc on even the toughest plants. By […]
Gardening Podcasts to Inspire, Indoors and Out!
If you’re like us, you’ve constantly got gardening on the brain. You commute while thinking about gardening, exercise while thinking about gardening, clean the house while thinking about gardening, and even GARDEN while thinking about gardening! With thousands of topics covered in podcasts (free pre-recorded audio shows) it’s no wonder that there are many excellent […]
Choosing the Right Tools for the Job
Using the proper tool for your garden project makes the job go smoother, faster, and safer. Though we use the words shovel and spade interchangeably they have different designs and serve different purposes. It’s the same story with garden shears. You’ve probably seen all the types of shears at your local garden center and thought, […]
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 […]
The Importance of Winter Watering
Here on the Front Range in Northern Colorado, winters are getting drier with less snowpack. While this might be a great break for your snow shoveling muscles, your trees and shrubs are susceptible to lasting damage. Low humidity, low soil moisture, and dramatically fluctuating temperatures can wreak havoc on a tree’s state of dormancy. This […]
Late Season Lawn Care
Did you know the greenest, healthiest lawns are achieved with the work done in the fall? Follow a few simple steps now and even the saddest of lawns will be looking tip top next summer. Your lawn will benefit from fall care and you can dream all winter of summer’s lush landscape! Rake Your Leaves […]
Spring Rose Pruning
With roses blooming so beautifully around town right now, we know that roses must be on people’s minds when they come to the garden center! One reason gardeners sometimes shy away from having roses in their garden is that they’ve heard spring pruning is daunting. Not so! We would like to share the following article […]
Broken Tree Limbs After The Storm
Anyone who has lived in Colorado will tell you, the weather here is crazy! When heavy spring snow hits, significant damage on established tress is a dire possibility. Cottonwoods, poplars, willows, green ash and elms are particularly susceptible to breakage because they have softer wood. However, with high enough wind speeds or heavy enough snow […]
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 […]
Deciding Which Seeds To Start
With the New Year comes the influx of seed catalogs. Looking through them, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the choices and the pretty pictures. There are flowers and vegetables, organic and heirloom- how does one choose between so many wonderful options? Help narrow down the choices by educating yourself in the different types […]