Author: By Debra Stinton Othitis Colorado Master Gardener
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Year-round gardening: Plant nostalgia often influences choices in Colorado gardens
People garden for a multitude of reasons: beautification of their property, satisfaction of growing their own food, therapeutic benefits of connecting with nature, and the sense of accomplishment when plants thrive. Gardening also provides an opportunity to express creativity and personal style through designing landscapes and arranging plants. A garden can be all that and…
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Year-round gardening: Selecting seeds for success
With the holidays behind us, our mailboxes are overflowing with seed catalogs. The multitude of varieties can be overwhelming, but choosing good-quality seeds is important for successful gardening. Consider these tips when choosing seeds to increase the likelihood of success in your garden. • Know your local climate. Colorado State University posts climate summaries that…
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Year-round gardening: Plan now to attract pollinators to your Colorado garden next spring
There is no time like spring, when life’s alive in everything. — Christina Rossetti Fall bulb planting is an easy way to bring early blooms into our gardens. At most elevations, the best time to plant bulbs is mid-September to late October, so bulbs can establish roots before the soil freezes. There are many varieties…
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Year-round gardening: This flower gives maximum blooms for minimum work
Garden trivia: What do tomatoes and dahlias have in common? Dahlias are easy plants to grow and they yield beautiful blooms from midsummer through fall. In many respects, “dahlia culture” is similar to “tomato culture.” If you can grow tomatoes in your garden, you can successfully grow dahlias. Another similarity is that most gardeners can’t…
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Year-round gardening: Extending the life of cut flowers
Legend has it that the origins of St. Valentine’s Day lie in the ancient Roman fertility festival Lupercalia. During the festival, young women would place their names in a large urn. The young men would draw a name from the urn and then be romantically linked with that young woman for the following year. Rituals…
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Year-round gardening: Try your hand at indoor gardening
“In the dim rooms of my house they won’t thrive, but I’ll give them enough love to ensure their survival.” — Tony Connor Now that the days are getting shorter and cooler, we spend more time indoors. Growing houseplants can be a satisfying hobby and an ideal way to create attractive and restful settings that…
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Year-round gardening: Add some winter interest to your Colorado gardens now
As perennials show up in sales at local garden centers, you might want to think about buying plants that will add winter interest to the landscape. The hellebore, also known as Christmas or Lenten rose, is an evergreen that prefers partial to full shade. It requires little care, is deer and rabbit repellent, and has…
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Year-round gardening: Gardening for busy people
Growing succulents might be the perfect way to satisfy the gardening urges of the frequent business traveler who is away from home for extended periods or an otherwise busy person with little time for gardening. A friend told me recently that she could not have a garden or a pet because her job requires her…
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Year-round gardening: Incorporating yuccas in your Colorado landscape
As global warming causes temperatures to rise and water supplies dwindle, many people are turning to water-wise plants for their gardens. Yuccas can contribute to a beautiful and usable landscape that adds value to your home in our semiarid climate. Coming in several shapes and sizes, yuccas are interesting and attractive when used in landscapes.…
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Year-round gardening: Growing microgreens at home
Microgreens (MGs) are young and tender, edible greens produced by sprouting the seeds of a variety of vegetable species and herbaceous plants. They are nutrient-dense and might be grown year-round in a short time and in limited space. Growing microgreens indoors is relatively easy and it rewards you with fresh, tasty produce. Many edible plant…