Tag: home and garden
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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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At Home: ‘Starfish’ couple solves housing problem one family at a time
For seven years, Leticia and Maynor Aldana and their two children lived in a rundown apartment in Northfield, Minn. Raw sewage from the apartment above dripped into their kitchen. The basement had standing water and mold. Their landlord was not helpful. For this, they paid $1,200 a month in rent. The Aldanas, who immigrated here…
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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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At Home: When love is in the air, so is money
Love comes at a price. How well I know. This October, I will host my third wedding in eight years. Not all mine, thank goodness. The first was mine, a lovely, curated affair for 50 guests. Two years ago, my older daughter got married in Jackson Hole, Wyo., at the groom’s parents’ home. Coordinating a…
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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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At Home: Stuck in neutral? New colorful book can help
Tell me if you’ve ever had this conversation with yourself: Self: “I don’t know what color to paint my walls.” “I’ll go with a neutral white or beige to play it safe,” you decide. Self: “Then what color sofa should I get?” “Better be safe and get off white,” you reason. Self: “And the area…
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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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At Home: Good design keeps up with the times
We are all a little house blind. That is, we put off seeing what needs refreshing, replacing, updating or upgrading for as long as we can. It’s self-protective. If we don’t see that the drapes are fraying, the carpet has worn spots, our furnishings are so last century (and not in the cool sense), and…
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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,…
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At Home: Discoveries made on path to organized home
Many talk about clearing out and organizing their homes. Few do it. The ones who do usually have reached a tipping point. Two weeks ago, I shared in this column how Maureen Rabazinski, a 62-year-old nurse practitioner, had emailed me for advice on how to get her house back. The 2,200-square-foot “private oasis” that she…