 A
PASTEL SPRING GARDEN--Pastels
claim a spring garden, set against a backdrop of chartreuse green. If there is
only one season for the most beleaguered garden, it will be spring--sandwiched
between a rough winter and parched summer. Tender
green peas and lettuces surround violas and pansies. Roses send out pink buds.
Irises unfurl a lavender flag. Peonies take center stage in floral tutus.
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 MINTS
& LEGUMES: Like the rose family of apples and pears, strawberries and
cherries, legumes and mints also define much of the world’s cuisine. Legumes
provide beans and peas, the staples of a human diet around the world. Mints
provide the flavorings. They include the aromatic herbs of thyme, lavender,
basil, rosemary, oregano and peppermint. These gifts alone make them esteemed
plant families. But they offer more.
Above: Russian sage (a mint), daylilies and sunset
hyssop (a mint).
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 COVER
CROPS: WINTER PROTECTION--Cover crops are the last detail, the finishing touch to the end of an autumn
season. Nothing will protect a vegetable garden as well throughout a frosty
winter with strong winds. Turning over a cover crop in the spring adds humus and
nitrogen. It’s the easiest way to enrich your garden and the best insurance
that healthy soil awaits when you plant seeds. Most garden centers provide a
variety of cover crop seeds, which you can buy by the pound. Above: peas fix
nitrogen in the soil for next year's crops.
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 HEIRLOOM VEGGIES--Like
most home gardeners, I was first introduced to heirloom vegetables through
tomatoes. The Amish Brandywine couldn’t be beat, I
was told, and my pulse quickened at the thought of plump, misshapen beauties all
summer long. I’ve grown a number of heirloom tomatoes and found
some of
them fickle. But I've found heirloom tomatoes that thrive in
my garden given the soil, summer temperatures and dates to maturity. Starting
with tomatoes opened the world of heirloom vegetables for me and
introduced the history that comes with them.
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 TOWARD A
NEW GARDEN: WHEN VEGGIES MIX WITH FLOWERS--Vegetable beds traditionally come in rows for a practical
reason. This timeless design is intended to weed and harvest as efficiently as
possible. But as suburban plots shrink so do wide open spaces for vegetable
gardens. That’s when it makes sense to look at vegetables in a different
light—as ornamental plants as well as practical food producers. We plan
flowerbeds to buffer a sidewalk, surround a building or line a path. Those
places may be the sunniest or best drained. Why not locate vegetables where
they will be happy, even if it’s among the bearded iris or roses.
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 THE
FRUGAL GARDEN -Now that we’ve entered a new historical era of tighter bank regulations,
stringent loan requirements and credit card crunches, gardening comes to the
rescue. What many of us once considered a harmless hobby takes on an urgency:
abandoned urban lots converted to vegetable gardens, rooftop food gardens and
community gardens. "We once grew organic food for flavor and health,"
one longtime gardener said, "now we’ll be growing to feed others."
If you need to feed your family or your neighborhood, it’s time to find ways
to garden on a tight budget. In lush times or lean times, gardening doesn’t
have to break the bank.
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 10
WAYS TO FEED YOURSELF AND OTHERS -As the economy declines and food lines at community food banks swell, it’s
time for home gardeners to swing into action. We’ve babied heirloom tomatoes
and tender eggplants, swooned at delicate melons and crisp lettuces. Our weekend
hobby has been invigorating and a good physical workout. But now it’s time to
get serious. We can feed ourselves, our families, neighbors and strangers. It’s
up to us to help fill food banks, enlist neighbors in our gardens and apply our
knowledge, enthusiasm and experience to produce food. Here are 10 ways to get
started.
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 GOING
PESTICIDE
FREE -We are advised to stop to smell the roses occasionally. But along with the perfume comes a whiff of
pesticide. Most of us want to get away from pesticides and herbicides. Is
it possible? Where do we start? It begins with a change of heart. The reluctance to bring out the pest-killing sprays
takes hold when a gardener
embraces the philosophy of a naturalist. And with that comes the abolition of poisons.
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 AUTUMN
SALAD GARDEN --After the summer heat abates and a cooling rain sets
in, it’s time to consider an autumn garden. Although a summer garden is
what we all prize, an autumn garden is one of the sweetest times of the
year to sow a few seeds. Chard, radishes, spinach, parsley, lettuces—the
crops that defined a green spring may be easier to grow in autumn. Seeds
germinate quickly in cooling temperatures and the weather is generally
more settled. Even if you’re exhausted from pulling up tomato vines and
prickly squash plants, an autumn garden is quick and easy.
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 THE
HERB GARDEN --While diehard gardeners fiddle with finicky tomatoes and delicate eggplants,
there’s another garden to be considered by those looking for sturdier, less
demanding edibles. It’s one that cuts grocery bills substantially, provides
perennials as well as annuals and grows vigorously with minimal time and
effort from the gardener. This is the herb garden. Here, basil
and parsley, cilantro and dill flourish in the vegetable garden while thyme,
lavender, mint and sage fit into a perennial garden. Garlic, as a bulb, is well
worth growing but best set aside in a bed of its own.
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 BUTTERFLY
ENCOUNTERS --Throughout July and August some of nature’s most colorful creatures bob and
float in the garden. A Western tiger swallowtail hovers over zinnias. The tiny
white cabbage butterfly zigzags toward daisies. When they were caterpillars in
the garden during the months of May and June, we hated them. By August, we’ve
forgotten about the destruction; we’re ready to enjoy their company. Above: a
Western tiger swallowtail
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 THE
SECRET LIFE OF BEANS --Beans are among the easiest of crops to grow,
especially in the arid West. No bean likes to sit in watery soil. And all
like warmth. Many derived from North America and we can claim them as our
own. It’s hard to imagine a more widely grown crop that has sustained
humans. Perhaps most importantly, beans are among the easiest crops to
save seeds and pass them along to friends, family and the next generation.
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 TOMATOES:
FINDING THE BEST FOR YOUR GARDEN --Growing summer tomatoes is an American ritual. Gardeners everywhere who may
not grow vegetables at all will succumb to the lure of a freshly picked ripe
tomato just outside the back door. Picky eaters who push away corn or beans will
latch onto a red slice as surely as they’ll grab a wedge of watermelon. Some
vegetables please everyone. Tomatoes always top the list.
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 A
FIRST GARDEN --To curtail global warming, here are the usual tips: ride a bike, use
low-energy light bulbs, hang the wash outside, plant a garden. Not just any
garden, but a garden that will feed you. A garden that is pesticide and chemical
fertilizer-free not only will feed your body, it will feed your soul. And it may
take the pressure off global farmers who now must feed their own people rather
than ship produce to the United States and Europe.
Above:
Scarlet Runner Bean, an old-fashioned favorite
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 PLANNING
A GREENS GARDEN FOR SPRING --February is the quiet month of the year for gardeners. We’ve perused the
catalogues that arrived January and wait for March to plant early crops. This is
the month when we revise our original plans, look over last year’s notes and
exchange seeds with fellow gardeners. February is the month when we decide what
the first garden will be.
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 IN
PRAISE OF PENSTEMONS Penstemons, a
spectacular collection of Western wildflowers, have jumped fences from wild
to mild, settling into drought-tolerant landscapes. Gardeners love their
brilliant colors, tough natures and unkempt appearances. But these wildflowers do have exacting needs. Some, like glaber, thrive
on disturbed soil of a recent burn. Others will take to regular garden soil a
little more easily. Penstemons occasionally are hybrids. But most often they are
species plants, exactly as Mother
Nature designed. The key to including them into a garden is to match soil, site
and penstemon.
Above:
Penstemon secundiflorus, or the one-sided penstemon, also called the
orchid penstemon
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 FALL
CLEANUP BEFORE WINTER ARRIVES --Autumn commands our attention as attentively as spring, but without the
feverish anticipation of what’s to come. Instead, we size up the past, review
our triumphs and mistakes, assess changes for next year and plant fall crops.
More urgently, it’s time to consider how to prevent erosion and add nutrients
to a well-used plot.
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 EARTHLY
DELIGHTS: RECYCLE TO REPLENISH- - Bountiful gardens hold a secret that only avid gardeners understand. To
replenish exhausted soil and build stunning gardens, a gardener collects what
others throw away. Dried leaves, grass clippings, vegetable peelings and spoiled
hay are only a few of the pounds of debris coveted. For Barbara Jane Miller, who
scours her neighborhood for potential compost, the list extends to grape seeds
and skins discarded from wine making, coffee grounds, sunflowers, day-old
Halloween pumpkins and more. All become the rich humus-laden compost that will
feed her gardens throughout the year.
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 WHEN
THE MARKET MOVES INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD--Farmers
Markets are bringing organically grown, local foods to cities everywhere.
Not only can you find the freshest beans and ripest tomatoes, farmers
markets are a social experience, too, where foodies gather to discuss
recipes or favorite greens of the season. Perhaps it’s only a matter of
time before the farmers begin to move into neighborhoods, establishing
tiny markets not unlike the produce stands of a hundred years ago.
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 A
COLORADO GARDEN OF NATIVE PLANTS--Logic would have us believe that a garden of native plants would be the
simplest approach to horticulture. After all, plants that Mother Nature intended
for Colorado should flourish in our front yards, buoyed by our attention and
love. (Left, pasque-flower, anemone patens).
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 BOLD
SUMMER COLORS:--Spring may herald the pastels of traditional English gardens but summer is
all-American: neon yellow daisies, sherbet orange lilies, satiny magenta
hollyhocks, and robust sunflowers. Summer is a time of bold and hot colors.
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 THE
PROMISE OF A ROSE GARDEN --In a garden of a hundred roses, or more, lies a botanical marvel.
Ruth Roberts has filled her flower beds with miniature, shrub, floribunda, hybrid tea,
climbers and old garden roses from rose cuttings. "See this climber,"
Ruth says about a vigorous six-foot rose studded with tiny pink buds,
"it’s only three or four years old." September is the optimum time
to begin rose cuttings in your garden.
By
Niki Hayden
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 VIRTUAL
GARDEN TOUR: WHEN THE SEASON IS OVER --If you missed some of the spectacular garden tours this summer, visit our
virtual tour for a glimpse of a few private gardens. Spring rain brought a brief
reprieve from our drought and peonies, roses, iris and early bulbs were flush
with bloom. Mountain gardeners celebrated a season without major wildfires and
foothills gardeners basked in a cool, wet spring for roses. Here are a few
highlights.
By
Niki Hayden
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 WHEN
HOME IS A REFUGE: GARDENING WITHOUT TOXIC CHEMICALS --Designing a home as a refuge is trendy now, as a private retreat from the
hustle and bustle of the workaday world. Whether a mountain condo or meditation
garden, a private corner is a chance to defuse from daily stress. For a few, it takes on a greater
significance—a path to renewed health. Gunda Starkey’s home became an
opportunity to escape chemicals that could worsen a toxic-induced illness of 15 years ago.
By Niki Hayden
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 MIXING
OLD WORLD ELEGANCE WITH AMERICAN INGENUITY: LAURIE JEKEL'S GARDEN --As a girl, Laurie Jekel learned Old World gardening in Greeley, at the elbow
of her grandmother, a German immigrant who pounded railroad nails into the soil
for a slow and steady release of iron. As an adult, Jekel took to gardening as a profession. In the business for the
last generation, she owns The Last Detail, a Denver-based landscape design firm.
She admits with a laugh that she dreaded going to her grandma’s as a child. Leaning on and learning from European sensibilities, she infuses her
designs with starry-eyed American ingenuity and her own stripe of originality,
opting for less than obvious choices at every step of design.
By Colleen Smith
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 WHEN
ROCKS TELL HALF THE STORY: A GEOLOGIST'S GARDEN --Cathy and Bob Eppinger faced the usual dilemma in a mountain home after
excavating a garage. An unsightly heap of stones and dirt proved too expensive
to haul away. Why not turn that mound of rock and grit into a garden? With Cathy
as gardener and Bob as builder, a problem turned into a
triumph. Along the way, Bob discovered that his rocks told a geological story
that most people would not recognize.
By
Niki Hayden
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 A
BOUQUET OF HARDY ROSES: THE DUSHANBE TEAHOUSE ROSES -- At the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, a vigorous climbing rose is in full bloom--
a horticultural knockout with gold buds that open to yellow, creamy blooms.
Arching upwards, the bush looks like a subway train passenger reaching for an
overhead hand strap in a packed train. This Lawrence Johnston climber has proved
spectacular--canes pointed in all directions, dotted with buds. A small crowd gathers to exclaim about the rose that intends to take over the
garden.
By Niki Hayden
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 GROWING
ROSES FOR A COLORADO CLIMATE -- Joan Franson is ushering a garden group through her pie-shaped Arvada garden
on a rainy, wind-swept day. Donned in pink pith helmet and rose-printed jacket,
Joan leads the foray through giant thorns and aggressive brambles. Like any rose
judge, she’s quick to point out the good, bad and the ugly: "such
resplendent blooms" is followed by "marvelous thorns,"
and "fabulous monstrosity."
By
Niki Hayden Above is 'Audrey Hepburn,' a hybrid tea rose.
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 HEIRLOOMS
IN THE GARDEN: When it comes to drought-busting plants, tough native specimens and imported
new ornamentals from faraway arid climates occupy front rows at garden centers.
But there’s another group of plants that should rise to the top of our lists
when it comes to sturdy growth, longevity and sheer persistence. Heirlooms,
flowers and vegetables that our grandmothers grew, have a few standouts that
have survived wet years and dry years. They’ll stand by us today during
difficult seasons and serve us as well as they served those who brought them to
Colorado one hundred years ago.
By Niki Hayden
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 GROWING
PERENNIALS FROM SEED: If you crave a sea of columbine, a raft of
penstemon or a meadow of coneflowers, you’ll get buckets of plants for the
cost of pennies. If you long for a rare plant that isn’t offered in any garden
center but sprouts on a seed jacket, you’ll have to consider taking it home.
In a few cases, some perennials may be easy to divide, like purple coneflower,
but you’ll have to wait a few years for a clump to grow large enough to take
advantage of division. That’s another reason to consider seeds.
By Niki Hayden
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 FORCING
SMALL BULBS INTO BLOOM: The small bulbs of early spring are nature’s promise that summer is close
at hand. A tiny blue crocus is the check in the mail, the appetizer before the feast,
the
warm-up of the orchestra before the baton is raised. Each whets our appetites
and excites our senses. Small bulbs are all the more exciting because of their modest
beauty.
By
Niki Hayden
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 UNDERCOVER:
GARDENING THROUGH THE WINTER IN A COLD FRAME: Eliot
Coleman, a market greens grower in Maine, has made a name for himself by
raising exquisite greens under cold frames. Although his climate is wetter
than can be found in Colorado, Maine's zone is 5, the same as ours. Could
this New England approach to winter gardening transfer to our soil and
weather conditions? Some gardeners believe it can.
By
Niki Hayden
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 THE
DIRT ON COMPOSTING: "If you get involved in composting, you can enjoy the fruits of your
labor instead of laboring over your fruits," says Judy Elliot, an educator with
Denver Urban Gardeners. "Composting makes gardening easier. It’s a
no-fail endeavor." Composting turns trash to treasure. It’s as simple as
that.
By Colleen Smith
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 THE
ENCHANTED GARDEN: Over the last few years the garden has evolved through the efforts of several
local and national artists who create private spaces. Each piece of this
horticultural puzzle has been added deliberately, an investment of time and
creative energy, yet there is a magical sense about the place, an air of purity
to the garden as if no human hand had touched it.
By Heather Grimshaw
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 GARDENS
OF GEORGETOWN: When summer arrives in Georgetown, the celebration is sweet.
Faced with a brief summer, gardeners savor every blossom, breeze and butterfly. Here in a mountain town that’s
built on rock, gardens sprout tentatively at first, with a small bed of
columbine or poppies, but bloom lavishly by the end of summer with multi-hued sweet peas and
blue delphinium.
By Niki Hayden
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 RETURN
OF THE NATIVE: Whether you’re a Colorado native, a transplant from a humid climate, a
professional or novice gardener, making things grow along the Front Range is
challenging. Add a few years of drought conditions to the arid equation and that
challenge can become downright daunting. Armed, however, with some knowledge and
the right attitude, gardening in Colorado is a fun experience, says Dan Johnson,
curator of native plants for the Denver Botanic Gardens, who encourages
gardeners to take a carefree approach.
By Heather Grimshaw
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 AN
ENGLISH GARDENER IS TRANSPLANTED: "I call it glorious
disarray," Sheila Chaney says when asked to define an English garden.
With a backbone of roses, spirea, viburnum and lilacs, delphiniums stand
tall, lavender dots the foreground and lady's mantle lines the sidewalk
like a flexible ribbon. The roses waft their signature scent. Sheila
brought her ideas about English gardening to Colorado and adapted plants
to the soil beneath her feet.
By Niki Hayden
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 SURVIVING
THE ELEMENTS: OUTDOOR SCULPTURE AND ORNAMENTS: Nothing defines a garden so concretely as the company it keeps. A stone
cherub poised on one chubby foot is the center of attention in a romantic garden
of roses. Abstract geometrical shapes in steel and bronze line up in a museum
garden of stone walkways. Wooden birdhouses and gazing balls are sprinkled
throughout a cottage garden. Bamboo spouts and hollow rocks, indispensable in a
Japanese Zen garden, lend serenity to a contemporary green oasis.
By Niki Hayden
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 IN
THE BLACK FOREST OF COLORADO: A PRIVATE BOTANIC GARDENS: Rebecca
Day-Skowron grows a remarkable variety of plants, far more than
the hundreds of species from the West that is her specialty. Panayoti
Kelaidis, curator of plant collections at the Denver Botanic Gardens, calls
it "a botanical garden that puts many botanical gardens to
shame."
By Niki Hayden
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 FLOWERING
CRABAPPLE TREES USHER IN SPRING: As any gardener knows, Colorado’s spring weather is uneven. Snow showers
may follow a summery day in April and temperatures fluctuate wildly. For a brief
period of time, crabapple trees bloom with their showy white or pink blossoms
and we are lulled into believing that warm weather is here to stay.
By Niki Hayden
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 TOPIARY:
WHEN ARTIFICE BECOMES ART: A lavender shrub with
braided stems sprouting feathery gray foliage is a favorite at Rabbit Shadow
Farms, a garden center in Loveland. But the topiary doesn’t stop there.
"Any woody shrub will do," says Jeff Sorenson, who is one of the
owners. The nursery has become a destination for topiary lovers, with inspiring
examples lined up: rosemary, coleus, elfin fern, santolina, scented geranium,
African blue basil and English lavender.
By Niki Hayden
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 AFRICAN
VIOLETS: WHEN SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL:
A
shrinking violet may describe a timid and shy individual, but when it
comes to African violets, it's just one of many inaccuracies. Despite
their small size, lavish blooms come in brilliant colors with velvety
petals. A few can be downright loud and gaudy. Most importantly, African
violets are not violets at all.
By Niki Hayden
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 THE
COLORADO WINTER GARDEN: Winter allows Colorado gardeners to rest—much like their gardens. But
this approaching winter, coming after a summer drought, has forced gardeners to
reconsider time-honored approaches. Horticultural experts are suggesting that we
leave perennial beds alone, allowing the top growth to bend over and protect
roots throughout the dry months. Applying mulches around trees, perennials and
shrubs is urgent. Winter watering may be necessary, along with drip irrigation
and compost bins. This winter, more than
ever, requires planning for spring.
By Niki Hayden
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 A
GARDEN OF REPOSE: Searching for a place to soothe
your soul, restore your spirit or calm your nerves? Vail's Betty Ford
Alpine Garden is a summer destination for the worn and weary. No parades
of people, no jostling, no ticket taking. The garden is free, rarely
packed, beautifully planted and inviting. You are beckoned to find a seat
and stay awhile. Meditation is encouraged.
By Niki Hayden
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 HIGH- ALTITUDE
GARDENING: John Brocklehurst has never taken his garden for granted. In a windswept
valley at nearly 8700 feet in elevation, with a temperature range of minus 20
below in winter to 90 degrees on a hot summer day, John has tended a garden for
14 years, learning with each year what grows best at high altitude in Colorado.
By Niki Hayden
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 ROCKY
MOUNTAIN HERBS: Convincing anything to grow through the harsh winters and arid climate that
blast much of the Front Range can be daunting to gardeners transplanted from
more temperate and humid regions. Colorado does, however, provide more than
adequate growing conditions for a cornucopia of fresh herbs, leaving gardeners
and gourmets a bountiful source of edibles over a long growing season.
By Debbie Whittaker
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 SUNFLOWERS:
A RETURN OF THE NATIVE: Vincent Van Gogh’s painted sunflowers may mark the signature of
European Impressionism in the 19th century, but the cheerful yellow
flowers are native to North America. Sunflowers, like corn, Concord grapes,
blueberries and cranberries, originated on this continent and were ferried
across the Atlantic hundreds of years ago.
By Niki Hayden
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 CONIFERS:
After perennials wither and autumn leaves litter the sidewalks, evergreens
claim the landscape. We first notice the striking shapes--conical blue spruces,
spherical piñon pines, mop top ponderosas, creeping junipers, Christmas
tree-shaped Douglas firs. It’s only when we get to know them that we
appreciate their hardiness, too. "Where would we be without conifers?" asks Andrew Pierce, gardens
director for Hudson Gardens in Littleton, during a winter walk through a pathway
of evergreens.
By Niki Hayden
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 A
COLORADO CENTENNIAL FARM: Behind a biotechnology factory, down a half mile from a county airport,
nestled among a new housing development, situated on a busy road--a 320-acre
farm dating to 1863 is known as the Zweck family farm. Originally given as a grant to a
veteran of the Civil War, then a homestead turned dairy, this organic farm is working on
its second century
By Niki Hayden
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 A LATE SUMMER COTTAGE
GARDEN: Most
garden tours take place in late June. The stellar perennials hold court.
Roses are at their finest. Poppies wave cheerfully and delphiniums stand
tall and commanding. So it's a little surprising that one gardener threw
all aside to concentrate on a late blooming garden. But Lawrie
Diack Wilson did just that.
By Niki Hayden
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 BARBARA
HEDBERG'S SECRET GARDEN: Outside the greenhouse is a backyard garden filled with the tall spires of
delphiniums—perhaps a hundred in all, ranging from whites, pinks and lavenders
to deep dark blues. Clematis in blues, magentas, whites and purples crawl along chain-linked
fences and sweet peas the size of tiny teacups arch from thick wiry stems. Pink
poppies with rippled, gauzy petals march between the delphiniums. It’s a
feminine English garden in pinks and blues with ruffled blossoms.
By Niki Hayden
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 BLOOMS
AND THE BARD: Casually dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, a baseball cap shielding his eyes
from the late afternoon sun, the middle-aged man strolled into the courtyard.
Walking past the flower bed that held a large stone engraved with the words
"Shakespeare Gardens," he stopped to watch as several gardeners
settled a bushy rosemary shrub into its new surroundings. Glancing about with a puzzled look, the man quietly asked, as though thinking
aloud, "What makes this a Shakespearean garden?"
By Dianne Zuckerman
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 THE
GARDEN CONSERVANCY: Each year
avid gardeners open their private gardens for a good cause: the Garden
Conservancy. If you're not familiar with the Conservancy, it's a
national organization that preserves remarkable private gardens
for public use. In 2001 year we visited three Denver gardens, each as
unique as the gardener. The Marilley garden is a study of light and color.
The Dickson garden aims for yearlong beauty. The Connor garden delights in
roses.
By Niki Hayden
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 A
COLORADO KITCHEN GARDEN: The American kitchen garden may have reached
its zenith with the victory gardens of World War II, but it's on the
upswing again. This time taste and unique cultivars, rather than survival,
rally the troops. Recently
the French potager has renewed enthusiasm: marigolds nestle alongside
Marmande
tomatoes and Genovese basil. In Colorado, we have classic
combinations of our own.
By Niki Hayden
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 THE
PATIO GARDEN: In early summer, empty patio pots yawn
with wide open mouths, bored and ready to be filled. It's time to turn
that small strip of patio into a real garden. No actual plot, of course,
but pots redeem the smallest space and transform even a city plaza into an
extravagant display. The Denver Botanic Gardens horticulturists are
readying pots for the new South African garden. We'll join them for
advice.
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 ROCK
GARDENING: Flip through the pages of horticulture history in the 20th century
and you’ll see a parade of newfangled plants: elegant hybrid tea roses with
naked knees and showy petals, glistening bulbous eggplants, burger-sized
tomatoes. Tinkering with plants during the last hundred years has changed modern
life as profoundly as any Detroit motor. So it’s a little jolting to realize
that in the current world of gardening, a small revolution insists on going in
the opposite direction.
By Niki Hayden
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 GO
NATIVE: Even if your garden is filled with beautiful non-native shrubs and flowers,
there’s one essential reason why you should consider native plants. Natives
are hosts for butterflies. That means that butterflies will only lay their eggs
on plants that have evolved over millions of years to provide the right
conditions. As native plants are bulldozed to make way for developments or
crowded out by
aggressive weeds in our wild spaces, we lose important
pollinators--whether they are butterflies, bees or birds.
By Niki Hayden
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 LILACS:
Once a year, lilacs
show off their finery. Bold, pendulous blooms studded with tiny flowers
perfume the air. The scent is heady, luxurious and familiar. For a few
months each spring, we're forced to praise this modest shrub.
Kerrie B. Badertscher, extension agent for Colorado State
University, describes the array she grows in her garden.
By Niki Hayden
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 FAR
EASTERN GREENS GO WEST: We're so
successful with growing lettuce and spicy greens in Colorado that many
gardeners have become adventurous, dipping into exotic produce from Asian
climates. For background information, also check our story
on preparing a vegetable garden
in Colorado.
By Niki Hayden
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 XERISCAPE
means "dry" landscape in Greek, but the principles have evolved
beyond that original meaning. Now the term refers to the wise use of water by
grouping plants according to their needs. Xeriscape provides a "sense of place" in
Colorado horticulture by
growing tough plants not unlike Mother Nature intended.
By Niki Hayden
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 WINTER
EXOTICS: Some of
the most popular orchids bloom with a drop in temperatures. That's why
they're a favorite with indoor winter gardeners. And while our
house orchids originate from exotic faraway lands, the genus of orchids
is so large that Colorado is home to native orchids, too. Those that
thrive indoors share a few needs: bright filtered light, frequent weak
fertilizing and humidity.
By Niki Hayden
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 THE
GREEN CATHEDRAL: Once the domain of kings and colonial American
presidents, greenhouses now are available to the middle class. In Colorado,
the arid climate discourages pests. Our abundance of sun can extend the growing season
within an enclosure and add the perfect antidote to cabin
fever. But greenhouse gardening requires a special knowledge--click onto
our interview with expert Shane Smith.
By Niki Hayden
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 SHOWY
THRILLS: The large trumpet flower of the amaryllis has taken over
the holidays for indoor blooms. With little effort, it grows faster than a
small child. The tall, slender stalk appears to add inches to its stature
each day and once in bloom, can't be beat for showy thrills.
By Niki Hayden
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 SPLENDOR
IN THE GRASS: Spring flowers may be the prima ballerinas of nature.
But by late summer, the ballet corps of stalwart grasses pirouette on their own. With author and
naturalist, Ann Cooper, we'll walk through a sea of healthy grasses and discover
originals to Colorado and the prairie.
By Niki Hayden
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 CULINARY
HERBS: If gardening is a new and unsettling experience for you, consider Mediterranean herbs
like thyme and oregano. Also, Karin
Winans, founder and past president of the Herb Society of
America, Rocky Mountain Unit, reveals her Colorado favorites.
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 THE
COLOR PURPLE: You may have been warned that many lavenders are not hardy in
Colorado. That’s true for some tender
lavenders, but English lavender and even the pine-scented "Provence" will thrive. Also, catch our
interview with aromatherapist Mindy Green and
recipes that use lavender oil.
By Niki Hayden
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 HARDY
ROSES: Roses may be the most beloved and one of the sturdiest flowers throughout
history. It’s not uncommon to see lilacs, bearded iris and tough roses growing
alongside dilapidated farmhouses on 19th century Colorado homesteads.
The blossoms of old-fashioned species roses like the bright-red Austrian copper
or Harison’s yellow spill over many a rickety turn-of-the-century farm fence.
By Niki Hayden
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 INTERVIEW: Expert gardener and rose judge, Joan Franson, explains how she
grows a wide selection of 200 rose bushes in her clay-packed Arvada
soil. Some of her suggestions may surprise you.
By Niki Hayden
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 BEARDED IRIS:
Even
deer won't eat bearded
iris or narcissus. The truth is, bearded iris are nearly perfectly adapted to the soil, arid
weather and critter conditions in this part of the world. They’re nearly xeric
plants, often grown in the median of a highway. You’ll find historic irises on
abandoned Colorado farms. And irises most often are recommended for that
difficult patch of ground: dry, gravelly strips that run between sidewalks and
streets.
by Niki Hayden
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 NEW
BEGINNINGS: Growing a vegetable garden in Colorado
isn't for the fainthearted. But it's not impossible. Getting your soil
prepared correctly is one of the secrets. Several experts
explain their methods.
By Niki Hayden
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