Blog Archives

Fungicides and pesticides found to significantly contribute to bee colony collapse

3/31/2022

By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

Colony Collapse Disorder is the phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen.

It's an enormous concern for everyone, as two-thirds of all food grown on the planet is does so because of bees.

While the EPA says the bee colony collapse is going down, it IS still happening and continues to be alarming. We can all help by reducing or eliminating our own use of fungicides and pesticides in our landscapes and gardens.

The use of chemicals is a definite contributor to colony collapse according to the article titled "Scientists Discover What Is Killing the Bees and It's Worse Than You Thought". Read the article here.

Slash/Mulch Site to Open April 2

3/31/2022

Douglas County’s seasonal slash-mulch site, at 1400 Caprice Drive in Castle Rock, opens Saturday, April 2, and will remain open on Saturdays only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 30. The perfect place to dispose of limbs, shrubs and brush, the site also gives residents the opportunity to go home with fresh mulch.

Consider Spice Bush instead of Forsythia

3/31/2022

By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

Forsythia are a commonly seen shrub in many landscapes with their pretty yellow flowers growing on tall 'spikes' in Spring. But did you know they are not native, and can be invasive if not managed?

Instead of planting forsythia, consider the native shrub Spice Bush, which also has pretty yellow flowers in the Spring and is a shrub that bees and butterflies love. This unique bush provides nutritious fruit for birds in the fall. Also, the red berries can be eaten by humans.

It is is an easy-to-grow, deciduous shrub adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions and is low-maintenance once it is established. When crushed, the leaves smell like allspice. It can get from 6 to 12 feet tall and can be pruned to whatever height you wish.

Mother Earth Gardener has an interesting article on the history and uses of this plant here.

How and when to prune roses

3/30/2022

By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

You might have been tempted to prune your roses when we had a recent bout of warm weather, but hopefully you held off. The best time to prune roses in Colorado, especially at higher altitudes is mid-May (or later if you can stand to wait for frosts to end).

The best time for the first pruning of roses is generally Mother's Day — after the plant has broken dormancy and after the final spring frost. Pruning stimulates new growth. If pruned too early then tender growth risks being damaged during spring frost and freezes.

Quick Rose Pruning Tutorial:

start with very sharp, clean pruning shears
remove any canes that are orienting/curving inward - you want open and air circulation
cut canes at a slight slant - not too much because the more surface area you expose, the longer it takes to heal
make your cut right above a new bud
remove any canes smaller than the thickness of a pencil
prune back any canes that are crossing over or rubbing against other canes - these can cause wounds and infection
remove dead brown woody canes/growth
add a little fresh compost around the base, but not right up against the plant

Plants with colorful leaves to consider instead of flowers

3/29/2022

By Kathy Sullivan

Sometimes it's nice to mix it up in the garden and plants exotic looking plants instead of filling in with flowering plants. Summer is the best time of year in Colorado to experiment with colorful plants for pots and to fill in the landscape.

Here are some ideas for colorful plants to try:

Caladium (shown in photo above) - looks gorgeous in containers with its bold, tropical foliage. Top pick for shady areas (some varieties like full sun) - reaches 12 - 18 inches high.

Coleus - stunning in pots, coleus come in a huge variety of colors. The deer-resistant coleus is a foliage plant -- which means it is grown for the leaves rather than the blooms -- that attracts butterflies and can grow in garden beds and houseplant containers.

Hosta - Shade loving with large blue/green leaves. Does well under trees and in the dark areas of any garden. Not deer resistant.

Heuchera (coral bells) - The stunning foliage of these fast-growing, deer- and pest-resistant perennials is so multi-colored they will stand out anywhere. Color of the leaves ranges from deep purple (almost black) to rust to chartreuse.

Ninebark - I have numerous of these, and the deer mostly leave them alone - especially once established. They are a good fast grower and the leaves are deep purple or rust-colored depending on the variety. Easy care and tough, this shrub stands up to heat, drought, cold, and has few insect or disease problems. Highly recommend!

Smokebush - Has feathery looking summer flowers, and is prized for its large blue-green or purple foliage that turn red, orange, or yellow in the fall. Can be trimmed into a shorter shrub form. Deer resistant and hardy from zones 5-8 although zone 4 hardiness is possible with some winter protection.

Now is the time to think "firewise"

3/25/2022

Don’t let fires take you by surprise!

Even though we are coming out of one of the coldest weeks in March on record, it is not too soon to start planning for wildfire protection. As the Marshall Wildfire proves, fires that claim hundreds of homes don’t just happen in the heat of summer.

Prevention against fire anytime during the year starts with planning now—particularly how to plant and maintain your landscape this spring.

As winter turns into early spring, create defensible space to protect your home, particularly if you live in or near a potentially threatened area. Research has shown that 80% of home losses from wildfires are from embers, often launched ¼ to ½ mile ahead of a fire and sometimes as much as 1 mile away. It is crucial to maintain your property with less flammable material that can’t be ignited by embers, especially the space within 15 feet of the home.

Here are the critical steps to keep fires from igniting on your property and also to provide space where firefighters can work safely to defend your home from a wildfire:

Remove flammable plants and shrubs from the site. This includes all dead trees and shrubs. Also remove “ladder fuels,” which are shrubs and small trees that grow under larger trees and can enable fire to climb up and into structures.
Reduce flammable debris such as dead branches in trees and debris on the ground such as leaves and pine needles that easily ignite. Remember to clean gutters regularly to keep them free of the same debris. Keep grasses and weeds mowed to a height of 6 inches within 30 feet of structures.
Replace flammable plants and mulch with less flammable ones. For example, replace a stand of low-moisture shrubs with a bed of perennials. Also remove bark mulch and use gravel instead.

Add to or replace your landscape with firewise plants that retain more moisture and are not so quick to ignite.

Low-growing ground covers such as Corsican violet and yellow-leaved thyme provide color without height.
Low-growing sedum varieties need little maintenance or pruning.
Perennials and herbaceous plants are firewise. Among CSU’s recommendations are basket-of-gold, blanket flower, hardy geranium, lavender, blue mist penstemon and culinary sage.
Firewise shrubs include Oregon grape holly, little leaf mountain mahogany, true mountain mahogany and golden currant.
For large trees and shrubs, avoid trees that have flammable resins and select ones that hold moisture: aspen, green ash, crabapple, common lilac or chokecherry are good choices.

Credit: Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC)

Low-water Large Shrubs

3/22/2022

Colorado Gardener Magazine has great information on low-water large shrubs. The Shadblow Serviceberry (shown in photo above) looks particularly pretty with its blue/pink berries after flowering.

Read the article here.

Thanks to Colorado Gardener for this information including the image.

David Austin Roses Guides for fragrance, pruning, and more

3/22/2022

By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

Viewing the David Austin Roses website is a wonderful way to pass time on a cold, windy, snowy Colorado day (or any day). The photos will have you drooling and very inspired!

While many of us don't grow roses in our 'open' (not fenced) landscapes due to deer, we can grow them successfully in protected areas or containers placed on decks or places where the deer won't go. You can put nets over them or add individual fences around them in the open too.

We've had good luck with roses and keeping the deer away by using Liquid Fence (although I don't recommend you apply this stinky stuff to fragrant roses).

David Austin Roses has valuable guides for growing and pruning roses, including how to plant bareroot and in containers:

Rose Care Advice & Inspiration - including how to plant, Spring pruning, how to plant bareroot in a pot, and more.
Rose Care Basics guides you through how to water, control pests, and how spending a little extra attention on your roses helps them to really thrive.

Give yourself at least an hour to peruse this fabulous website, and enjoy all the gorgeous roses photos and inspiring advice.

Colorado pruning tip: the month of May is the ideal time to prune back roses. If they're pruned too early in spring, the tender new foliage may be frost nipped — and that sends your rosebush back to square one for the season. In higher elevations, you should wait a few more weeks. Here's what CSU Extension advises. For Black Forest Gardeners, note that our higher elevation means we prune later than the date mentioned by CSU. We must wait until danger of frost has passed. It's hard to wait - but worth it!

9 Companion Plants for warding off common garden pests

3/21/2022

5 minute read

This article by Get Pocket offers ideas for what to plant next to or among garden vegetables to naturally keep pests away. An excellent companion planting resource!

Examples include:
Chervil or coriander next to plants suffering from aphid attacks.

Chives to keep aphids away from tomatoes.

Dill that has gone to flower to attract aphid-eating insects

Thyme’s strong scent deters black flies that may bother bean plants.

Go vertical with veggies for large yields

3/21/2022

By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

You're thinking up fabulous plans for your vegetable and perennial gardens right about now. Remember to include vertical structures for vegetables to grow up. Notice the metal structure for vertical tomatoes in the photo above and the focus on one main stem.

Veggies that like growing up include:

Pole (Green) Beans
Climbing Peas - Snow peas, snap peas, and garden peas
Vining Tomatoes
Zucchini
Cucumber
Squash
Tiny Pumpkins
Nasturtiums
Hops (gets out of control quickly and has stickery like stems so use caution when growing)

The Garden Channel has an excellent article on growing vegetables vertically with some good videos at the bottom of the page.

Another valuable resource on growing vertically "with epic yields" is here.

The bluebirds are back!

3/16/2022

To see a By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

It should come as no surprise that the bluebirds are back, sporting their distinctive blue markings, and yet each year as they appear one feels the need to give a little extra "woohoo" in celebration.

According to the Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute (carriep.org), mountain bluebirds arrive in Colorado in late February-early March and the western bluebirds arrive a bit later. Bluebirds often built a nest within a nest box; then leave for a few days, to a few weeks, before returning to begin nesting.

The Institute has a lot to offer when it comes to providing bird boxes for bluebirds.

"What we have found is that it is not the box size that determines what species nests within the box, but rather the location in which the nest box is placed that determines which species has the best chance of nesting within it."

If the nest box is placed out in an open field, there is a good chance Mountain Bluebirds would use it. However, there is an equal chance that Violet-green Swallows may use it too.
If the box is placed near a bush there is a good chance that House Wrens will use the box.
If the box is placed near water, there is a good chance Tree Swallows will use the box.

If the box is placed within open ponderous pine forests, you have a good chance of Western Bluebirds nesting in it.
Mountain Bluebirds arrive in the mountains of Colorado in late February-early March and the Western Bluebirds arrive a bit later.
Bluebirds often built a nest within a nest box; then leave for a few days, to a few weeks, before returning to begin nesting. Sometimes they simply build a nest in a box and never return to use it.

Did you know? Occasionally, a single male will mate with two or more females and raise multiple families at the same time.

Bluebirds feed upon grasshoppers, mealworms, earthworms, berries, suet, and various flying insects.

For information on how to build and locate a bluebird box, or to apply for an already built box for your residence, click here.

And here's a video on how to build a bluebird box.

Holly Acres Nursery in Elizabeth has a fruit trees special right now - time sensitive!

3/11/2022

Did you know Holly Acres Nursery is the largest supplier of fruit trees in Colorado? They grow most of their fruit trees on-site at 6800 elevation, insuring these trees will survive in our Colorado climate. They specialize in selections and varieties hardy for Colorado and the Eastern Plains. Carrying bareroot, potted, and larger specimen balled-and-burlapped trees.

Holly Acres Nursery in Elizabeth has fruit tress for Colorado growers for sale! Big bareroot 5ft - 8ft well-branched, orchard quality fruit trees starting at $29.99. A 50% deposit is required to process your order. Pick up March through April 1st. Visit website (see below) to see selections and other great deals.

Their bareroot trees are sold in dormancy, no pot, no soil, and are perishable. These trees are time-sensitive must be picked up between MARCH 13th and planted before April10th.

Fruit trees of any kind are not deer resistant, so keeping fruit trees behind a tall fence is your best way of keeping the trees safe from deer. You can try netting once they get larger and are fruiting, but this won't be as fail-safe as a fence.

Colorado State University Extension has a full website page with good information on planting, pruning, and fertilizing fruit trees in Colorado. Click here for all the information.

Holly Acres website
Holly Acres phone: 303-646-8868

Diary of a First-Time Gardener

3/9/2022

by Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

Tackling a front-yard all at once would be daunting for even experienced gardeners. But this couple went all-in on their front-yard makeover, with lessons learned and good tips to pass along.

This is a fun and informative read. What an ambitious project, including their goal of a beautiful garden that uses little water. (photo above is not a photo of the actual garden).

I learned that gardening is more than putting plants in the ground; it's about creating an ecosystem. - Homeowner Ashley Goldman

Read the full article here. (2-minute read)

Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

A Look at Hidden Mesa Research and Demonstration Orchard

3/9/2022

By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

Most of us have passed the Hidden Mesa Open Space many times on our way south on Hwy. 83 towards Franktown. You've likely noticed that just south of the Open Space are long greenhouses growing... something...

This is Hidden Mesa Research and Demonstration Orchard, and it's a local (and county) treasure.

Its primary mission is to research and demonstrate the functionality of various crops, cultivars and cultural methods specifically for use in our unique and challenging Front Range Climate. Research done in other regions is only marginally applicable to our region.

Douglas County and its partners are working to make the facility at Hidden Mesa a regional center for agricultural research, education, and promotion. The information and training offered could easily benefit people from Fort Collins to Pueblo and into the Eastern Plains. This center is located right in the middle of that range.

With the current amenities and planned improvements, the facility will be able to not only conduct research but also teach classes, host hands-on workshops and broaden activities to include food preparation, crop processing, and numerous other topics.

Most of the vegetable crops grown at the research and demonstration orchard are donated to the Parker Task Force. The Task Force is a volunteer-run food bank and counseling center that benefits the local community in numerous ways. The orchard has donated between 2500-5000 pounds of produce to the Task Force annually.

Hidden Mesa has big plans for future expansion. They plan to renovate the rooms of the historic structures on the property to accommodate these functions: commercial-grade kitchen, cold storage area, historic dining room for farm-to-table dinners, historic living room for meetings and conferences, and bedrooms for offices and laboratories. They also want to restore landscaping around the facility that would center heavily on time-period functionality, such as kitchen & herb gardens, heirloom fruit trees, and edible landscapes.

Learn more about this wonderful facility here.

Small Acreage Management and Resources

3/9/2022

By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

I recently ran across a valuable resource that will be of interest to many who garden and maintain land here in Douglas County. Colorado State University Extension has a website specifically for those with small acreages. But don't worry - even if you don't live on 'small acreage', there is a lot of great information on the website's pages for everyone regardless of property size.

Colorado Small Acreage Management is all about improving land stewardship by helping landowners understand and manage their property resources (soil, water, animals, plants, and air).

Check out their Recorded Webinars page - so much information and resources! They also have a robust Topics page.

Examples of the kinds of webinars offered include:

Growing apples below 7000 ft.
Fire Resistant Landscape Plants
Raspberries for Colorado gardeners below 7000 ft.

Gardening: High Tunnel Specialty Crop Production in Colorado

Waterwise Landscapes

Grant money available for fire mitigation, noxious weeds

3/9/2022

By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director

Did you know that Douglas County Conservation District will give you money to get rid of noxious weeds on your property? And to mitigate fire risk?

These opportunities are for Douglas County residents to apply for a Cost-Share Grant in the pursuit of controlling noxious weeds. This cost-share grant will assist with a 50% cost share up to $500.00 per property for chemical and biological control methods for weeds on the Colorado State Noxious Weed “A” and “B” list species. Details are on the noxious weed grant application.

The A and B list species include Thistle (there was a bumper crop of this last summer) and leafy spurge, a consistently pesky and prolific grower in our area. The full list is available here.

For information on the Fire Mitigation grant, call the Franktown office to reach the District Manager at (303) 218–2622 or email [email protected].

Photo shows Canada thistle, one of the most common noxious weed problems in Colorado and most states in the Rocky Mountain region. This exotic species was first introduced from Eurasia to the United States about 400 years ago. It has since spread to 42 states and the Canadian provinces.

A detriment to the environment and economy of Colorado, this pesky thistle negatively affects agriculture and natural areas. Comprehensive information on the biology of this species can be obtained from Colorado State University.

Annual Plant Sale has begun!

3/7/2022

Douglas County Conservation holds a plant sale every year as a fundraiser. First you select the plants you want on their "shop" page here, and then pick up the plants on April 15, 2022. All proceeds of this fundraiser go to support conservation programs in Douglas County, Colorado.

Note that they offer the Colorado State Forest Service Nursery stock first, then add our perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs and trees at a later date. See the plant offerings and buy online here.

These plants are on a pre-order basis and they will not be shipped to you. Plants are sourced from the Colorado State Forest Service Nursery and other local nurseries.

Orders are picked up in the spring at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock on Friday, April 15, 2022. This is a 1-day pick-up event and all products must be picked up on that date, orders not picked up are forfeit.

For your convenience, please download our Planting guide and Plant Sale FAQs:
Planting Guide
Plant Sale FAQ

All sales are final and Substitutions may occur due to nursery stock, we will use our best efforts to meet orders. Please contact DCCD District Manager Heather Kelly with any questions at (303) 218–2622 or [email protected]

9 Black Flowers that make a statement in the landscape

3/4/2022

It is said there are no 'real' black flowers (or grasses or foliage) in nature - that the deepest of purples, browns, and reds can trick our eye into thinking you are seeing black. And when you see black plants or flowers you stop in your tracks to look because they are exotic, unusual, and striking.

Black flowers are a delight to see in the garden (so different!), and are a perfect backdrop for any color. Black and whites for elegance and drama, or with hot pink for a showstopping garden vignette. Maybe chartreuse green (lady's mantle) with black pansies.

Here are suggestions for black plants to grow in your garden:

Black Succulents (show in image above)
Queen of the Night Tulip (may be an annual tulip)
Chocolate Cosmos (annual)
Black/Watchman Hollyhock
New York Night Helebore
Night Rider Lily
Black Knight Sweet Peas (annual)
Black Barlow Columbine
Black Knight Butterfly Bush
Rip City Dahlia
Black Mondo Grass
Black Petunia

Your Spring Planting Strategy

3/4/2022

Cole crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage can be direct seeded into your garden around April 23, assuming the ground can be worked, but it's better to start them indoors around March 26 and then transplant them into the garden around May 15. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.

Plant onion starts and potatoes around April 5. Sow the seeds of peas (sugar snap and english) at the same time. If the ground is still frozen, then plant these as soon as the ground thaws.

Start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors around March 26. Then, around May 31 you should start watching the weather forecast and, as soon as no frost is forecast, go ahead and transplant those into the ground.

Now, for all the summer vegetables like beans, peas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers: plant those seeds directly into the ground around June 4, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60° F in temperature.

However, our location has a shorter than average growing season. Many summer vegetables need more days to mature than our area will provide. Get a head-start by starting these summer vegetables indoors around May 15, and transplant those seedlings out after the danger of frost is past.

Spring and Fall Planting Guides for our area

3/4/2022

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The National Gardening Association has published a list of plants with dates on when they should be planted in our area (both Spring and Fall).

It's important to get seedlings and seeds in the ground at the right time to make the most of our 104 average days of gardening before the first frost in the Fall.

Keep in mind that our last average frost date in this area is June 4.

The planting guides can be found here.

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Fungicides and pesticides found to significantly contribute to bee colony collapse

Slash/Mulch Site to Open April 2

Consider Spice Bush instead of Forsythia

How and when to prune roses

Plants with colorful leaves to consider instead of flowers

Now is the time to think "firewise"

Low-water Large Shrubs

David Austin Roses Guides for fragrance, pruning, and more

9 Companion Plants for warding off common garden pests

Go vertical with veggies for large yields

The bluebirds are back!

Holly Acres Nursery in Elizabeth has a fruit trees special right now - time sensitive!

Diary of a First-Time Gardener

A Look at Hidden Mesa Research and Demonstration Orchard

Small Acreage Management and Resources

Grant money available for fire mitigation, noxious weeds

Annual Plant Sale has begun!

9 Black Flowers that make a statement in the landscape

Your Spring Planting Strategy

Spring and Fall Planting Guides for our area

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