Oh deer! High Country gardeners are locked in a never-ending battle against the deer, elk and other woodland critters who like to make a meal of your favorite plants. As you know, there is unfortunately on such thing as a “deer proof” plant. “Deer resistant” plants are those that are generally not eaten by wildlife. They tend to be things …
Recent Posts
Ask A Gardener – Bindweed
Saturday June 17, 2017
Yikes! Just the word “Bindweed” will make many Front Range gardeners break out in cold sweats. Bindweed is so tough to eliminate because of its extensive root system and vine-y growing habit. Pre-emergents usually aren’t very effective and neither is hand pulling. Because of this, usually the best way to eliminate bindweed is repeated, judicious applications of systemic herbicides to …
Belgian Giant “Fee-Fi-Foo-YUM!”
Wednesday June 7, 2017
Heirloom Indeterminate 88 days to maturity 24 oz If you’re going to go big, go really big. Belgian Giant produces huge tomatoes, averaging over a pound! In our 2016 Tomato and Pepper Trials, we found Belgian Giants to be the largest heirlooms by far. In fact, the winner of the Largest Tomato Contest that year was a Belgian Giant. These …
Black Krim “The Black Beauty from the Black Sea”
Friday May 26, 2017
Heirloom Indeterminate 80 days to maturity 8 oz. Like most black tomatoes, Black Krim comes from the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the hot summers of that region produce the distinctive colors and high fruit sugar of these tomatoes. Black Krim produces a large beefsteak like tomato with dark maroon and purple coloring. In …
Ask A Gardener – Weed Grass
Monday May 8, 2017
Well, we have good news and bad news. The good news is that it’s not impossible to get rid of weed grasses, even if they spread by rhizomes. The bad news is that it can be difficult, depending on a few different factors. First, a little background on grasses. Grass grows in one of three different growth habits – rhizomatous, …
Mortgage Lifter – “The Legend of Radiator Charlie”
Friday May 5, 2017
Heirloom Indeterminate 85 days to maturity 14 oz. This fantastic heirloom tomato was developed in the early 1930s by an amateur gardener named Marshall Cletis Byles, better known as “Radiator Charlie.” Byles was an auto mechanic by trade and owned a small garage located at the foot of an imposing mountain in the town of Logan, West Virginia. The mountain …
Ask A Gardener – Planting Under a Pine Tree
Tuesday May 2, 2017
Planting underneath any tree, particular a big, well-established pine, can sometimes be a challenge. The big tree creates much different conditions than exist the rest of your garden. But with a little planning and the right plants, you can have a beautiful flower bed anywhere! Acidity Many people worry that the needles from the pine tree raise the acidity in …
Ask A Gardener – Hollyhock Weevils
Monday April 17, 2017
It can be difficult to make a diagnosis sight unseen, but from your description and the time of year, it sounds like those black beetles could be hollyhock weevils. These natives of Europe are now pretty common throughout the state wherever hollyhocks are grown. Life Cycle Hollyhock weevils overwinter under the soil around the flowers and emerge in the spring …
Ask A Gardener – Fruit Trees
Saturday April 8, 2017
Fruit trees of many varieties can thrive here in the Denver area – apples, peaches, pears, cherries and apricots just to name a few. These trees not only produce delicious fruit but also burst into glorious bloom early in the spring. Best of all, most fruit trees are a snap to care for! Here’s our basic crash course in fruit …
Five Exciting New Plants for 2017
Wednesday March 22, 2017
Last week, we were thrilled to have the supremely knowledgeable Lucia Christie from Skagit Gardens at all three of our March open houses. Skagit Gardesn have been growing top-quality annuals and perennials in the Skagit Valley of Oregon for 50 years, Lucia was kind enough to share some of their exciting new annuals and perennials for 2017. Here are five …