Organic Or Not, Local Food is Better For The Environment
Organic produce in the grocery store is labeled as good for the environment. No pesticides on the produce may reduce soil and water contamination, but organic goods that come from faraway places...
View ArticleThe Buzz Of Late Summer Is Here
From birds chirping to the wind blowing through the trees, summer is a great time to kick back and listen to nature. The hot days of late summer also reveal a unique electric buzzing sound.
View ArticleGrass Clippings: An Environmental And Time-Saving Fertilizer
Instead of breaking your back bagging those grass clippings after mowing, consider the benefits for leaving the cut grass on the lawn as fertilizer.
View ArticleThe Extra Challenges Of Mountain Gardening
It may come as no surprise that higher elevations place higher demands on plants. The key is figuring out what plants are appropriate for the cooler mountain climate. Cold hardiness is only one...
View ArticleGot Peaches? 3 Easy Steps To Keep ‘Em Longer
Mmm… Colorado Peaches. Early and mid-season varieties are best eaten fresh. Mid-season varieties ripen in August. They include Sullivan, Blake and Globe. Late ripening varieties include Elberta ,...
View ArticleHow To Diagnose An Ailing Plant
When things go wrong with plants there are steps to get to the root of the problem. Systematic sleuthing considers all of the possibilities when identifying the source of the cause behind a sick plant.
View ArticleSpring Is The Status Quo, But Fall Planting Is Equally Effective
Spring may resemble the time when most gardeners commence planting, but autumn is just as good of a time when it comes to ideal conditions for establishing new plants. Whether to transplant new flora...
View ArticleHeirlooms Passed Down By Seed Savers
Most vegetable seeds today are bred by seed companies to be hearty and easier to grow. They’re created by cross-breeding different varieties and selecting for specific characteristics.
View ArticleFall Preparation For Next Year's Garden
At some point in September, we’re going to have a frost or freeze. That marks the end of most annual flowers and the vegetable garden. As we move into the fall, the days won’t be too hot and the nights...
View Article5 Ways Colorado Libraries Are Going Beyond Books
Everyone knows what a library is about. Think rows of bookshelves and research computer terminals. People reading in quiet solitude. But some Colorado libraries are starting to step outside these...
View ArticleUnpredictable Fall Weather Challenges Even The Hardiest Plants
To enjoy Colorado is to appreciate summer temperatures even well into the fall. While this weather is wonderful for people, it’s quite confusing for plants. Like other life forms, plants need to...
View ArticleCold Snaps Bookend Shortest Front Range Growing Season In 30 Years
With a late spring cold snap, and an early September freeze, climate data show the 2014 summer was the shortest growing season in more than 30 years along Colorado’s Front Range.
View ArticleThe Countless Ways To Utilize Winter And Summer Squash
It’s October and that means we’ll begin seeing more and more squash and pumpkins on display. These annual, trailing vines are native throughout the Western Hemisphere. The family includes soft-sided...
View ArticleFall Garden Cleaning: A Great Time To Make Compost
With the fall garden clean up come piles of yard waste generated from dead-heading, weeding, mowing and moving plants. Tossing all of that organic matter doesn’t make sense, especially when it can be...
View ArticleMaintaining Soil Moisture For Healthy Plants
One of the joys of horticulture and gardening is it’s a continual learning process. Just when you think you know how a plant is going to react, nature throws a curve ball and the plant doesn’t react as...
View ArticleCSU Announces The Best Annual Flowers Of 2014
One plus for the residents of Fort Collins is that their community is host to Colorado State University's Flower Trial Gardens. Located along College Avenue, the gardens feature annual flowers,...
View ArticleProtecting Perennials After A Cold Front
A drop in temperature by 60 degrees in just a few days may be damaging to perennials, shrubs and trees. There isn’t a thing we can do about the cold front that came through the Front Range this past...
View ArticleThis 'Queen of the Night' Reigns For Just A Couple Hours Each Year
It’s Monday, around 9 o’clock, and the library is locked for the night. Silently, Linda Zellmer appears on the other side of the glass door. She opens it and guides us up four dark floors towards a...
View ArticleOnce The Maze Grows In, The Stanley's 'Shining' Ties Will Be Complete
Estes Park's Stanley Hotel was the inspiration for Stephen King's novel The Shining , but it has long faced one key problem: The hedge maze that audiences saw in the iconic film version? It didn't...
View ArticleRevenge Of Stinky: Denver Botanic Gardens' Corpse Flower May Bloom In September
After three years, “Stinky” -- the Denver Botanic Gardens’ beloved corpse flower -- may be preparing to bloom again. Denver Botanic Gardens horticulturist Nicholas Giaquinto predicted the rare bloom,...
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