Tag: gardening
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Year-round gardening: Is it time to clean up your Colorado garden? Well, it depends.
The need for seasonal garden cleanup can be a controversial subject. How much to do in autumn, and how much to leave for spring, is a question best answered by, “It depends.” Questions to ask yourself include: • What are you growing? • What insect and animal pests do you want to manage? • What…
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Year-round gardening: Check trees this fall for mountain pine beetle
Check trees this fall for mountain pine beetle As you might be aware, El Paso County and much of Colorado is seeing an uptick in mountain pine beetle (MPB) activity. MPB is a native insect that usually attacks weaker trees as part of a natural cycle of forest renewal. However, MPB can switch from endemic…
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Year-round gardening: Some important tasks await Coloradans as gardening season winds down
“Now, let me see … There’s the large carpet in the main hall. Clean it! And the windows, upstairs and down. Wash them! Oh yes. And the tapestries and the draperies. Do them again! And don’t forget the garden. And scrub the terrace, sweep the halls and the stairs, clean the chimneys, and of course…
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Year-round gardening: Steps to overwintering geraniums in Colorado
“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” — Oscar Wilde Indeed, the long languid days of summer are giving way to softer light and a crispness in the air. We savor these last days of summer as our gardens transition into warm autumnal colors and we enjoy the harvest bounty. Gardeners might want to…
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Year-round gardening: Attracting birds to your Colorado garden
It’s not too late to start waking up to the sound of bird calls in the morning. And it’s not too early to prep your garden to entice birds this coming spring. In Colorado, 519 species of birds have been documented as of September 2022, according to the Colorado Bird Records Committee of Colorado Field…
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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: Adding color to your late-summer garden with chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums, so colorful and varied in their form, add vibrant interest to late summer borders and pots. They can be planted throughout the growing season as long as they’re given time, about six weeks, to become established before cold weather sets in. Chrysanthemums, also referred to as mums. are available at garden centers; they’re usually…
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Colorado Springs area home and garden events starting Aug. 17
SEPT. 14 Native Plant Class — 1-2 p.m., Phelan Gardens, 4955 Austin Bluffs Parkway, $15. Registration: phelangardens.com. SEPT. 20-22 Colorado Springs Fall Home Show — Noon-6 p.m. Sept. 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 22, Colorado Springs Event Center, 3906 Palmer Park Blvd.; thespringshomeshow.com. SEPT. 27-29 Colorado Springs Fall Home Show — Noon-6 p.m.…
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Year-round gardening: Become a Colorado Master Gardener volunteer
In El Paso County, a group of 75 Colorado Master Gardeners (CMGs) volunteer in the community, sharing research-based gardening education. These volunteers can be found at our gardening help desk, where residents can ask questions via email, phone or in person and bring in plants, insects, photos and more for diagnostic inquiries. You also can…
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Year-round gardening: These Colorado herbs play key roles in summertime beverages
When one thinks of using herbs, it is usually for medicinal or culinary purposes. However, whether you have a large garden area or only a few planter boxes and a hodge-podge of pots, you also can enjoy the bounty of your gardening efforts in refreshing, flavorsome summertime beverages. • Basil: Part of the mint family,…