Ask A Gardener – Dog Spots in the Lawn

Friday April 27, 2018

Here in Colorado, we do love our doggies, But they can be hard on our lawns, especially when they decide a certain corner of the lawn is now their personal restroom. Dog urine contains excess amounts of nitrogen and salts that can affect your grass. Sometimes this can actually stimulate grass growth, causing little patches of tall green grass. After …

Attracting Hummingbirds

Monday April 2, 2018

Over the next few weeks, we’ll start to see hummingbirds return from their winter homes in Mexico and Central America. Hummingbirds sometimes travel hundreds of miles to reach their Colorado breeding grounds. They generally pass through the Denver area around early to mid-April on their way to higher elevations. Males come first, to stake out a territory and be ready …

Winter Bird Feeding

Tuesday November 28, 2017

When making your holiday guest list, don’t forget our local feathered friends! Many birds, including juncos, woodpeckers, chickadees, siskins, grosbeaks, finches, jays and nuthatches live in Colorado all year long. A little extra holiday hospitality can help them weather the long, cold months (and they’ll probably be less work than your in-laws!) Food Everybody has different favorite holiday foods. For …

Keep the Bunnies Out of the Bulbs

Wednesday November 8, 2017

Nothing brings out your inner Elmer Fudd more than seeing a meticulously planted bulb garden picked clean by marauding bunnies. Here are some things you can do to so you won’t be singing “Kill Da Wabbit! Kill Da Wabbit!” come springtime. Plant Resistant Bulbs Here we must emphatically repeat the caveat that no plant is completely "rabbit-proof." Hungry animals are …

Dog Daze of Summer

Friday July 7, 2017

With all the hot weather in these past few weeks, it certainly feels like we’re entering the “Dog Days of Summer.” But why do we call these sweaty times, “Dog Days?” Ancient astronomers observed that the hottest, driest part of the year coincided with the rising of Sirius, The Dog Star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Major (“Big …

Ask A Gardener – Repelling Deer

Wednesday June 21, 2017

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 …