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 From Rutgers Agricultural Experiment Station comes this table of landscape plants rated according to their resistance to deer damage. Realizing that no plan is deer proof, plants in the Rarely Damaged and Seldom Severely Damaged categories would be best for our areas landscapes (unless you're completely surrounded by a very tall fence). PLEASE NOTE - not all plants in the table below will grow at our altitude and soils. Consult with a local nursery before purchasing and planting. CSU Extension also has a powerful search engine with detailed information. Our Resources page has for information on local companies who will steer you in the right direction. Download the full list with easy to follow "key" here: 
Now that you have determined what plants and seeds are going to grace your garden - why not grow some plants from seed? You can save money, choose your own variety of plants, enjoy vegetables early. Get your free Seed Starting Guide here.
  Getting seedlings to sprout and start to grow in earnest can be tricky where we live. Read on to learn how to start plants from seed using an easy, simple method to give you success growing seeds while it's still (more or less) winter. Credit: Garden Gate Magazine Learn more here:
 U.S. Wildlife managers recently proposed to set aside a vast area of Colorado and six other Western states as habitat critical to the survival of a rare songbird that mirgrates each year from Central and South America to its breeding grounds in the U.S. and Mexico.
The western yellow-billed cuckoo uses river corridors as routes to travel between its wintering and breeding grounds. Nesting pairs find refuge in willows, cottonwood, and other trees along waterways, and play an important role in the health of river systems throughout their range. Threats to this rare songbird's habitat include altered hydrology, grazing, non-native vegetation, human disturbance, and climate change. See a good picture of the bird and read the full article here. credit: US News and World Report  Here's a free Seed Starting Guide (thanks for Tagawa Gardens) with tips for getting started, common problems and seed starting resources.
 The Denver Post recently published a great article on what is blooming when at the Denver Botanic Gardens. While the Gardens are in a 'microclimate' that is lower in elevation and experiences considerably less harsh conditions that what we experience in our areas here in southern Douglas County, it's fun to see what is blooming in the Gardens this time of year to give us inspiration for what could be popping up in our own gardens in April or early May. The article reports that there isn't much color in the Gardens at the moment, although some crocuses and other early spring buds have begun poking out of the dirt. We'll have to wait until April to enjoy "tulip time" at the Gardens, where 10,000 bulbs in the Annuals Gardens turn into the year's most eye-catching flower bloom. "Peak bloom time is around mid-April", says the article, although that could be off by a week either way depending on whether we get unusually warm days or cold days in the weeks leading up to mid-April. Looks like a good year for lilac blossoms because we've gotten good moisture this winter. If you want to see your lilac blooming in full you'll likely need to put netting around them to keep the deer from snacking on the flowers.  Plant Select brings new plants to garden centers and wholesale suppliers every year. Plants are trialed and tested for 2-5 years at Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University, and public and private gardens. Learn about our 2020 plant introductions here.
One of this year's selections - Golden Candles - is one of the first perennials to bloom in early spring! It blooms with pretty clusters of bright yellow buds on long tapers. See the image of this plant on the Plant Select link above.  March is a good time to do the following in your garden and landscape:
 You may notice a lot of properties in our area sporting bird boxes on poles. That's because we are on a North American bluebird trail: a series of bluebird boxes placed along a prescribed route meant to help with their population. In areas where nest boxes have been put up, bluebird populations are increasing. Bluebirds build their nests in the shape of the box: square. When you get a sweet bluebird couple take up residence, you'll soon see their beautiful blue eggs, carefully tended by both male and female through hatching of their little ones. To learn more and get instruction for making your own bluebird box, click here.: http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/PDF/ NABSFactsheetGettingStarted.pdf www.nestboxbuilder.com  Dividing perennials is a best practice in the garden because it allows the plants to continue to grow and thrive. Dividing improves the health of the foliage and can increase the number of blooms, and it keeps the plants more disease resistant and extends their overall growing life.
Thanks go to GardenGate Magazine for this handy chart that tells us when and how to divide the most popular perennials. This one's a keeper! Get the Chart here. |
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