Dry Ideas

PEOPLE ADVISED TO THINK TWICE ABOUT PICKING UP YOUNG ANIMALS

dryideas@gmail.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:27:00 +0000

I received this information from the Colorado Division of Wildlife and thought it valuable. Forgive my cut and paste plagiarism, but I couldn't have said it any better!

DENVER, Colo. - Spring is the season of re-birth when many wildlife species come into the world. As people venture outside in the warm weather, they may find newborn wildlife in their yards, along trails, or in open space areas. As tempting as it may be to "help" a young animal by picking it up, or by trying to give it food or water, for wildlife babies, there is no substitute for their natural parents.

It seems counter intuitive, but according to wildlife experts, it is normal to find young wild animals without an adult animal nearby. Well-meaning people sometimes scoop up baby wildlife and bring them to wildlife rehabilitation facilities, veterinary clinics, or Colorado Division of Wildlife offices, but experts say that is the wrong thing to do.

If you find young wildlife, enjoy a quick glimpse, leave the animal where it is, and keep pets out of the area. "The best thing to do if you are concerned is to quietly observe the animal from a distance using binoculars. Don't hover so close that the wild parents are afraid to return to the area," advises Colorado Division of Wildlife Officer Jeromy Huntington.

"If several hours go by and the parent does not return, it is possible the newborn was abandoned or the parent is dead (hit by a car, for example) then report it to the Division of Wildlife. Do not move the animal yourself," he said.

Donna Ralph of the non-profit Ellicott Wildlife Rehabilitation Center agrees. "Many of the animals we get should have never been picked up in the first place," said Ralph. "They would have had a better chance for survival if left in the care of the parent animal."

"The sooner the animal can be released back to where it came from the better," she explained. "Make sure you provide your contact information so we can let it go in the same place you found it."

Ralph said her center has already taken in many small mammals this year including several fox kits. "Baby foxes don't look like most people would expect them to look like. They are very small, very dark (almost black) and appear to be very kitten like. People who find them think they might be baby raccoons, skunks, or something else."

Ralph's advice: Don't try to feed them. Don't put anything into their mouths. Contact the DOW, a veterinarian, or licensed wildlife rehabilitator to give these babies the care they need.

"Whatever you do, don't try to keep the animal as a pet," she said. "It is illegal to keep wild animals in captivity unless you are a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. "

Right now, wildlife centers are taking in small mammals, but as the season progresses, people will bring in newly hatched birds that have fallen from their nest. Experts recommend returning them to the nest if you can do so safely, or placing them on a high branch to keep them away from pets. It is an old wives tale that birds will reject their young if people touch them. Birds have little sense of smell.

"If you are not able to reach the nest, put the bird in a small box and attach it as to close to the nest as you can. It is a lot easier, and more successful, when the parent birds feed and care for their babies than when humans try to do so," Ralph said.

Picking up wildlife is not only detrimental for the animal; it can be risky for people, too. According to Huntington, most people have good intentions when they pickup wildlife, but are unaware of the risks associated with handling wild animals. Wild animals can carry rabies, distemper or other illnesses. It is also possible for the animals to carry fleas that might subsequently spread disease to humans or pets.

Cute baby raccoons and skunks will grow up to be big problems if you illegally "adopt" a foundling. "You are putting yourself and your family at risk. You can be ticketed and the animal will be taken away," he cautioned.

Human-raised and hand-fed animals rarely can be returned to the wild because they have imprinted on humans or because they lack survival skills. Licensed wildlife rehabilitators are trained to use methods that will give a wild animal the best chance of surviving upon release.

Despite the fact that wildlife is usually best left alone, there are instances in which people find injured or orphaned wildlife that needs help. If this happens, call the DOW for assistance.

For more information, visit the DOW web site at www.colorado.gov/wildlife or call your local Colorado Division of Wildlife Office.

Water Now To Help Mitigate Dry Winter

dryideas@gmail.com — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:21:00 +0000

The USDA has made it official: most Colorado Front Range counties have entered into the first phase of the five phase drought scale. The Denver Metro area has only had 2" of precipitation since October and the national weather service is estimating the "La Nina" in the central tropical Pacific Ocean will cause more dry, warm weather for the next three months. If that holds true, our gardens could suffer mightily if they aren't prepared for a stressful spring.

The warm, windy weather we've been having is especially hard on evergreens because these trees continue to transpire throughout winter when humidity is especially low. The dry air causes moisture to evaporate through the leaves, which draws more moisture through the fine root hairs, up through the phloem evaporating through the leaves, continuing the transpiration process whenever the sun is shining and the temperature is warm. The problem comes when soils become so dry that the root hairs begin to desiccate, limiting the amount of water that can be absorbed and causes tissue die back (starting with the buds for the new year's growth). When a new supply of moisture becomes available it takes awhile for the tree root mass to recover, slowing growth and keeping the tree in a stressful state.

This isn't a problem if the soil is frozen, but in order for the soil to freeze it must have moisture. In this region, soil gets hyper dry because wind, low humidity and intense light combine to compound the effects of infrequent precipitation. As the period between waterings (through precipitation or human intervention) extends, soil moisture is depleted through evaporation, transpiration, and to some extent, gravity. The speed with which this occurs depends upon the temperature, humidity, solar intensity, and wind velocity. Since we are attempting to alter
nature by growing alien plants with low tolerance for desiccation, it becomes necessary to intervene in the lives of our landscape.

Now that spring has arrived it's critical that there is moisture in the soil as the plants start to come out of dormancy and put on foliage. Water plants after the top 1/2"-1" of the soil is dry to the touch, but don't supersaturate the soil. Roots need oxygen as much as they need moisture, so for clay soil water in short spurts--5-10 minutes at a time--then give the moisture several hours to percolate into the soil before adding more water. Sandy soils are so coarse the water doesn't collect the way it does in clay based soils, but 30 minutes is plenty of time when using a frog eye sprinkler. Now is a great time to add more mulch, when plants are still small and foliage hasn't filled out. The mulch, which works best when about 3" deep, will help slow surface evaporation and shut out light for germinating seeds.

Qunintissential Valentine--Free

dryideas@gmail.com — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:55:00 +0000

What could be more classic (and just a little cheesy) than red carnations and a love song by Marvin Gaye? Well maybe a dozen roses, box of chocolates, romantic dinner, etc. but those ain't free and this is.

So print out the picture of the carnation (dripping red dye not included) and download "Let's Get It On" for free from Amazon here
. But the offer is only good today and tomorrow, so act fast.

Happy Valentines to all those who love plants!

Image thanks to Woodsey at Stock.xchng

100th Post Goes to the Birds

dryideas@gmail.com — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:41:00 +0000

It might have been months ago if I were more consistent , but instead it is now: THE ONE HUNDREDTH POST for Dry Ideas. And what other activity could be more complimentary than the act of counting? Counting birds.

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)is an annual event engaging bird enthusiasts of all ages to take a realtime snapshot of a where birds are located in the North American continent. This years count is next weekend, February 13-16 and requires as little as 15 minutes of time. Learn more at their site.

These two birds, the female and male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), haven't been considered western birds, but their numbers are increasing along the front range of Colorado due to the increase in treecover brought about by residential landscaping over the last one hundred years. You may hear them before you see them, but nothing says winter like the image of the bright red male contrasted against white snow. Last year, in the 2008 count, Northern Cardinals were the most reported species in the count followed by the Mourning Dove and the Dark-eyed Junco.

All-in-all, songbirds across the country are declining in numbers. Audubon reports common birds are becoming less common, with some species seeing a reduction of 80% over the past 40 years. Audubon provides information on how to help.

Photos compliments of the Wikimedia creative commons through Mayflower.

Sustainable Landscaping Symposium 2009

dryideas@gmail.com — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:52:00 +0000

Passion to Action – Sustainable Landscaping Symposium 2009

“Muddy Waters: Who Owns the Rain?”

Thursday, February 12, 2009

8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Denver Botanic Gardens

Presented by Front Range Sustainable Landscaping Coalition and Denver Botanic Gardens

Water is the greatest challenge in creating sustainable Colorado landscapes, homes and communities. Rainwater and greywater are potential sources of water, but can they be used legally in Colorado? And if so, how? This full day will include:

Brad Lancaster, author of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, will share how rainwater gardens transformed his home and community in Tucson, and provide detailed information on rainwater systems for Colorado.
A panel discussion of Colorado water law, the legality of rainwater and greywater use, and possible changes to existing law. Moderated by Paul Lander, Executive Director of Colorado Waterwise Council, with Beorn Courtney, PE; Bart Miller, Water Attorney; Mike Vail, greywater specialist; Jenny Fifita, Reclaimed Water System Analyst; and Zach Johnson, ASLA.
Lunch-time roundtables hosted by the panelists and speakers
Michelle DeLaria, stormwater BMP scientist with Denver Urban Drainage, will present the effects of land development on waterways and the use of Low Impact Development (LID) or stormwater runoff reduction and infiltration techniques to reduce harm to waterways. She will discuss using LID techniques to protect long-term environmental, economic and social value.
Keith Bowers, president and founder of Biohabitats, a pioneering ecological restoration company, is a landscape architect with a deep interest in sustainable landscaping. He’ll explore ways in which use of rainwater and greywater in the landscape can create and preserve vital habitat on site and downstream. Keith will discuss how restoring ecological functioning to all of our landscape is the fundamental path to sustainability, and how healthy soil is crucial to all restoration work.

To Register at Denver Botanic Gardens

Dark Rain

dryideas@gmail.com — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:07:00 +0000

In the thinning dusk, a Gothic cloud drapes in loops across the sky.
Pouring down a wet shower on earth.
Casting down a dark shadow, dampening the brightest candle.
Rain reaching every nook and cranny.
The black cloud does not have a dark purpose.
For it feeds our earth's soil

Poem by Ana, age 11.

Photo: Korean Sun Ornamental Pear (Pyrus fauriei 'Korean Sun')

Urban Ecology Symposium

dryideas@gmail.com — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:08:00 +0000

The city of Boulder, Colorado's seventh annual Urban Ecology Symposium promises a great lineup of topics on October 17. This program looks at urban planning and landscape issues with an emphasis on sustainability. This year's keynote speaker, Ellen Greenberg, 2007-2008 Visiting Practitioner, UC-Davis, Sustainable Transportation Center, will address Sustainable Streets. Additional speakers will discuss Low Impact Development (LID), current research on green roofs in this region, determining the value of the urban forest, and projects that incorporate green-design principles that are critical to sustainability and livable communities.

For more information contact Renae Foxhoven at 303-484-0820 or renae@foxbach.com

Good Rain, Bad Rain?

dryideas@gmail.com — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:52:00 +0000

It's been a long, hot summer this year--short on blog posts and extra long on perspiration. The Denver area had less precipitation this summer (until now) than in the drought year of 2002. But that's all moot at this point, 'cause we've been getting rain the last week or so. Hurray! The monsoons are here!

It's not quite so simple though. Similar to the witches in Wizard of Oz, there is such a thing as "good rain" and "bad rain". In the land of the arid west, rain often turns into a destructive force, leaving landscapes with little usable moisture, while eroding precious soil and washing pollutants into rivers and streams. Typical summer days here involve warm morning temperatures rising to blistering early afternoons, relieved by late afternoon clouds and pounding deluges that seldom last longer than a few minutes. The air temperature easily drops 1o degrees when the sun is stopped from its unrelenting glare and when the violent air currents accompanying the moisture clash with hot dry air, the resulting winds can cool things down by another 10 degrees. It's a temporary respite for humans, but the rain usually comes so fast and furiously, plants aren't able to benefit from the moisture.

So "bad rain" is precipitation that comes faster than the landscape can absorb the water. Soils without much organic material, so prevalent in arid areas, don't hold moisture well. Further compounding the problem, clay soils are fine textured, compacted and become super-saturated quickly. In sandy soils the water runs through the root zone faster than the plants can use it and clay soils cause water to collect on the surface and run off before penetrating the root zone. Too much rain, too fast, just runs down the gutter carrying accumulated animal waste, lawn chemicals, plant debris and dirt into the storm sewers where it causes problems for water quality for downstream users--including humans and wildlife. Landscapes can be designed to take our precipitation patterns into consideration, but this sometimes involves manipulating grades in ways contrary to common engineering practices.

On the other hand, "good rain" is the sort we seldom receive--the misty, slow accumulation over a period of hours or even days. When the moisture is applied slowly, capillary action allows the water to move further down into the soil profile encouraging roots to grow deeper which protects them from the high temperatures and evaporation at the soil surface. It also allows oxygen to remain between soil particles so roots can continue to grow. When soil becomes super saturated water displaces the air and roots are unable to grow until enough oxygen becomes available again.

Rate of precipitation is just one more hardship plants face in our region. Unfortunately, the problems created by our natural patterns of rain is further perpetuated by common irrigation practices. Pop-up sprinkler heads--the ones that spray small droplets of water into the air--apply water at a rate much faster than the clay soils in this area can absorb. A lawn may require in a week as much water as can be put on by these sprinklers in an hour, but the soil becomes saturated after 5-7 minutes when applied by spray heads. Any water applied after that point will run off or evaporate unless the soil is given time to allow the water to percolate lower into the soil--making space for the next water molecules. A typical bluegrass lawn needs around one inch of water per week during hot periods, but in order for the turf to be able to use the water, spray heads should be run 5-7 minutes for three cycles in one day for 2-3 days per week. This practice assures the water stays in the root zone so the plants can use it.

Thanks to GoodJoe for use of the summer storm cloud photo.

Rain, Rain, Come Our Way. Please!

dryideas@gmail.com — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:18:00 +0000

"Summer Sun" by Ana--driveway art adds color to a drab concrete slab. Its a sacrifice to the rain gods, hoping to get washed away in a downpour. Do you have any rituals to make the sky open?

Lady Bug, Lady Bug Fly Away Home?

dryideas@gmail.com — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:50:00 +0000

Q. When is a beneficial insect not beneficial?
A. When they all fly away home, without passing go or stopping for a bite to eat.

I purchased a bag of 1750 lady bugs and set them out on Friday evening to see if they would take care of the infestation of woolly aphids on a limber pine (Pinus flexilis "Vanderwolf's Pyramid") growing in my back yard. You can see the white, flaky stuff on the needles in the photo to the right. By the next morning the ladies had spread about and appeared to be going after the fuzzy splotches, although the majority of the buggers were spread throughout the wild plums (Prunus americana) that have been nursing the pines along for several years. The plums are hosting a different aphid species that is causing some of the leaves to deform. With a smorgasbord of bug delights--I felt confident in my choice to defend my trees.

I had read in several places that lady bugs are collected in the hills of California come fall when they swarm in cool places, preparing to hibernate for the winter. Buckets full of these true bugs are scraped off walls and windows, chilled and distributed the following gardening season all over the country. There were reports that the lady bugs tended to take off for greener pastures, though one source suggested spraying the ladies with soda pop as soon as they are released in order to keep them in place for a few days. Supposedly the sugary liquid will stick the bug's wings together for a few days, so they can't fly away. (The thought of exposing these innocent creatures to the perils of Coca-Cola was too much for my conscience to bear--I refrained from dousing the animals in the syrupy fluid.)

I returned to the release site today and found four lady bugs left in the vicinity--camped out on some weeds--not a one was munching on the white, fluffy fare nor the juicy, pale green variety. I had also read that the lady bugs that are collected do not feed when released because they only have one thing in mind--to lay eggs. So now the $6.95 (plus tax) question is: did they lay eggs among the aphids before they flew the coop? We shall see.

Make a Clean Cut for Mother's Day

dryideas@gmail.com — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:32:00 +0000

When I had maintenance crews doing fine gardening, some of my gardeners had problems with repetitive motion from constantly pruning day after day--the women did, but it didn't seem to affect the men. My chiropractor explained that men and women use their bodies differently--men have greater upper body strength and when doing finer motor activities such as hand pruning, have a tendency to use more muscles like the upper arm and shoulder to power the tool. Women have a tendency to use their hands and wrists, but most women have weaker hands than men, so each cut with the hand pruner concentrates the strain into a more isolated area. This problem increases as women age and I've heard many concerns about older gardening mothers unable to use by-pass shears, like Felco #2 hand shears, because they require too much hand strength. My gardeners switched to the pruners I use, which incorporate a ratcheting effect to mechanically leverage your strength. Manufactured by Florian the ratchet mechanism is available on loppers, pole pruners, and hand pruners. So give mom a break this mother's day or rather a clean cut.

Make Your Own Solitary Bee House

dryideas@gmail.com — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:21:00 +0000

The honey bee (Apis mellifera) , which is suffering from a deadly disorder, is actually an exotic insect which was brought to this country from Europe to pollinate the food crops originating from Eurasia. One third of this country's honey bees disappeared last year, on top of the third of their population lost the year before--a frightening proposition for anyone who eats. But honey bees are not the only pollinators we have: native pollinator's such as moths and solitary bees are present and can be encouraged to expand their population by providing proper habitat, including nesting sites.

Solitary bees don't live in hives the way honey bees do and they don't make honey. They aren't aggressive like honey bees and don't sting unless you torture them. They are much more efficient at pollinating compared to their continental cousins. Two of the types of solitary bees we see in this region are Leaf-cutter Bees(Megachile spp.) and Mason Bees (Osmia spp.). These bees usually nest in hollow stems of plants such as roses and raspberries, rotten wood or other narrow diameter chambers. We found leaf-cutter bee sites in the narrow slots between old wood shake shingles. Leaf-cutter bees cut a small diameter circle--perhaps 3/4" across--out of leaves to roll up and line the nesting tube. The female lays an egg, deposits pollen, then seals the chamber with mud, then laying another egg repeats the process until the chamber is full. Leaf-cutter bees especially like redbuds, lilacs, and roses in my yard. Some people are bothered by the scallop effect they leave on the leaf, but I welcome them to my garden--smiling when I see evidence of another species able to utilize plants that I enjoy.

So I decided to build a bee boudoir. This is how I did it, an amalgam of instructions from several sites including an ag station in Utah and the general design from Robert Engelhardt's piece on Wikibooks.

My daughter and I built a solitary bee house from scrap lumber and a few basic tools in about an hour and a half. I started with three end cuts of 2" x 6" construction grade redwood--one that is 13" long and two at 10". The roof is made of two 1" x 8" x 4" long redwood pieces. You can see the tools, hardware, wood, finish nails, 5/16" drill bit, glue, and sanding bloc in picture below:

I started the 5/16" hole centers 3/4" apart on a drill press then finished their 5" depth with a cordless drill. Cut 60 degree angles on the tops, sand, then glue the pieces together. Glue and nail the roof with the overhang in front.

I coated mine with vegetable oil and attached a bracket on the back.

I was trying to decide where to hang the nesting block, so it was just left on the deck for a week or so. Sure enough, a bee has already begun to fill it. In the last photo you can see four holes--the top left hole has been plugged with a grainy substance that looks like soil. I'm going to hang the house on a south facing wall where I can pull a chair up and observe the critters coming and going.

Community Supported Agriculture Keeps Food Local

dryideas@gmail.com — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:53:00 +0000

My name is Susan Singley and I am the Assistant CSA coordinator at Grant Family Farms. Lise asked me to write a guest entry about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to help Colorado gardeners and eaters turn our minds to summer vegetable season!

Joining a CSA is a terrific way to connect directly with local farmers. If you enjoy the community connections and good food at the Farmers’ Market during the summer, you might want to check out a CSA. Here’s how it works: Based on an annual commitment to one another, community members purchase a “share” of a farm’s seasonal harvest (with our farm, that’s June through early December). The shareholder receives a weekly box of fresh organic vegetables and fruit throughout the growing season, harvested at the peak of ripeness and flavor. CSA farms are typically organic (ours is) and practice sustainable farming practices.

CSA shareholders love knowing that the food is grown just for them! And, CSA members enjoy getting to know one another during pickup times. It’s common to see local-eating organic-loving people exchange knowing glances and recipes over the gorgeous, classic bounty of tomatoes and sweet corn - and over the once strange but now beloved kohlrabi in their box!

To learn more about CSAs, check out Local Harvest

To learn more about Grant Family Farms, check out our website. Yes, we still have shares available, and we deliver to Denver!

Photo courtesy of Grant Family Farms.

Solitary Bees to the Rescue

dryideas@gmail.com — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:54:00 +0000

Happy Earth Day! I had a great time celebrating early with the Denver Botanic Gardens at the Sustainability Fair. Welcome new readers and thanks for taking time to check out Dry Ideas. Please feel free to leave comments as the spirit moves you.

My talk went well, but by far the biggest hit was the Solitary Bee House I built from scrap lumber I had in my yard. Stay tuned for instructions on how to make your own Bee Boudoir just in time for the busy bee season. Solitary bees have no hives and make no honey, but they are champion pollinators, native to our region but also well adapted to imported forage crops like alfalfa and many of our ornamental landscape plants. You'll know when one of the species--the Leafcutter Bee--is around because they cut near perfect 3/4" diameter circles out of the edges of leaves. Some of their favorite landscape plants are lilac, redbud, and roses. They don't harm the plant, they just strike lightning fast leaving their own sort brand--a Zorro style slash (circular in shape).

Visit Dry Ideas at Sustainability Fair

dryideas@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:36:00 +0000

Denver Botanic Gardens hosts a sustainability fair this Sunday April 2o from 9 to 5. I'll be there to talk to people about this blog along with some great landscape contractors like Art of the Land and Eco-savy. At 11:30, I'll be giving a talk on "Five Steps To Sustainable Gardens". There will be speakers on a wide variety of "green" subjects throughout the day, as well as, booths with information ranging from household cleaning products to solar to worm composting in the high desert. There will be garden tours and a probable visit by the Bag Monster. Entry is included with the price of admission, so come on down and greenify while you peruse all the bulbs and early spring plants in bloom.

April Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

dryideas@gmail.com — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:01:00 +0000

I was out of town last weekend and returned to a landscape of swollen buds on all the spring flowering trees. Today, while I was learning about insect scatology, temperatures of over 80 degrees and a warm, constant wind, coaxed the ornamental pears (Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’) into full bloom. A rapid change in weather is supposed to bring snow tomorrow---ahh, springtime in Colorado!

Last month I completely forgot that this is the season for one of my favorites--hellebores. This genus of plants is native to lime soils in Europe and Asia. Lime increases the pH of soil and we have high pH soils, so I suppose that is why they thrive here. I have several different species--all of which are in "bloom" now. Hellebores are members of the buttercup family which makes sense when you look at the flowers.Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis), shown below in the next two photos, starts blooming in March. Honey bees love it--they co-evolved in their native Europe and hellebores bloom at a time when fewer species are blooming.

The next species, Helleborus foetidus, sometimes called Stinking Hellebore (though I have never noticed an odor) or Bear's Claw is a fantastic plant. This plant is a truly xeric plant for me in shade and where it grows in near full sun, does happily with over spray from the lawn sprinkler. It is evergreen, has a wonderful palmate leaf , and a chartreuse panicle of flowers. It's not long lived, but reseeds readily--not obnoxiously--so it will multiply if you leave the seedheads long enough to allow reseeding.

In the Garden

dryideas@gmail.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:01:00 +0000

I've been a pruning fool lately. My partner chipped a mountain of branches for me and my payback was to fill the bin for them way above the top, plus create more piles--caught short of being dispatched to the bin--when my daughter performed a necessary intervention. I was in a low sugar stupor when she found me and led me back inside. It happens every spring when I suddenly panic that the garden won't be "ready" in time--in time for what I do not know. It will take me a month or so to get back in the groove, but eventually I will have settled on a comfortable gardening uniform made up of various hats, a stained vest with pockets full of bits of old plastic, dirt, and broken irrigation parts, and old sneakers with grass seed crudely woven into the laces. I'll remember to drink plenty of liquids, take a break for something to eat before I become comatose, and dowse myself with sunscreen. I'll begin to move with more ease as I work through the stiffness that winter invited into my joints and muscles. But chances are my daughter will still find me at the end of the day lost in my thoughts, wandering through the garden stooping to pull at a plant that has chosen to make itself at home just in the exact spot where I do not want it to be. I'm eagerly anticipating weather that is warm enough to sit in the rain and weed. We all do outrageous things to accommodate our passion for gardening. My most extreme act for the love of gardening was to put up flood lights so we could continue gardening long after the sun set. What's your most extreme act in the name gardening?

Thank you to my daughter Ana for her "April Cat" drawing.

Contest Fails to Germinate Interest

dryideas@gmail.com — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:05:00 +0000

"The Pot with a Purpose Contest" has failed to capture the interest of readers, so there will be no winner. I'd like to thank Renee Shepard, owner of Renee's Garden for sponsoring the contest and hope some of you were able to get some usable information from the related posts. I plan to experiment this year with container gardening and hope to report on my thoughts about them through the seasons. I do hope that if you are planning to do any container gardening this year you'll consider adding some purpose to your pots. Some functions to consider include:

Edible--Renee has an article on the basics of container gardening, and the internet has a profusion of information on the subject. I think I'll try tomatillos in a pot this year, put it in a big pot with a simple support structure, and place it in a corner of a patio where it can burst forth with it's fruit--papery covered small green tomatoes that are great for green chili. I once planted them in a garden bed and the plant promptly took over spilling forth little fruits that overwintered in the soil and sprouted hundreds of tomatillo seedlings the following spring. Actually, I'm going for a Mexican food theme for some of my pots, adding chilies and cilantro to the mix. I'm also going to grow nasturtiums in containers to utilize the blossoms in salads and stirfry. Other blossoms that add interest to food include those of herbs such as chives and basil, as well as roses and violets. Read Renee's article on edible flowers, including some recipes here.

Habitat--Plants represent food to more than just humans, which can be a good news/bad news scenario. Insects and other arthropods feed on plants, and depending upon whether humans have declared them damaging to something we want, the critters are called pests. But there is another category--the beneficial insects--that feed on or parasitize the insects we don't want. These are the good guys/gals that keep balance in the garden habitat and prevent or minimize infestations by pests. An over abundance of pests in the garden is a sign that the garden is out of balance. Too many aphids on your roses? You might want to lay off the high nitrogen fertilizer that caused the rapid, succulent growth that attracted the aphids in the first place. In a healthy garden if the aphids had a sudden population surge, there would be a period of imbalance until a predator ramped up to tame the hordes. In this way, nature acts like a market economy--with supply and demand ebbing and flowing in a balance tuned over millions of years. When we interfere with the incredible, seemingly impossible fluidity of nature by spraying an insecticide, we kill the beneficial insects honing in for the kill, right along with the pests. Purposely providing habitat for the insects we do want helps assure they will be there working behind the scenes to work towards ecological balance in our gardens.

I'll be giving some specifics about how to provide habitat for beneficial insects in the next few weeks, as well as, look at a way to reuse nursery pots and build a bee house to attract solitary bees in order to improve the pollination of my fruit trees.

Nasturtium photo courtesy of redster.

Spring Has Sprung At Kendrick Lake Park

dryideas@gmail.com — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 03:13:00 +0000

I took a walk the other day at Kendrick Lake Park, not far from my home in Lakewood. There is a public garden there with a great collection of native and regionally appropriate plants, artfully juxtaposed with large boulders on low mounds. Pathways meander among the mounds creating islands of texture and color. The color is very muted right now, with most plants cut back to prepare for spring. Grasses are cut down to 6 - 12" and the yellow greens of Manzanita, Yucca, bear grass, and Agave species serve as a back drop for the brilliant blue Iris reticulata. My daughter and I strolled around the lake, moving in and out of clouds of midges, who undoubtedly had been awakened by the recent spate of warm weather we've had. Spring indeed has sprung.

Many people, when they encounter midges, think they are mosquitoes because they seem to swarm. But these primitive flies are non-biting and are merely swarming in a mating frenzy, waiting for a female to dash into the cloud and select some lucky fellow. The larvae float at the ponds edge, waiting for a warm day to burst into flight, if they are lucky enough to not become fish fodder.

I plan to return periodically to document the garden as it progresses through the seasons--showing the seasonal form of these beautiful plants that deserve a place in our gardens. I hope to tell a story about the plants that are at home in our region--picturing various plants throughout the seasons so you have an idea what the plants look like and how to take care of them.

New "Pot with a Purpose Contest" Begins

dryideas@gmail.com — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:48:00 +0000

I'm talking container gardening here, not medical marijuana. Container gardening is big these days. I've seen some very inventive examples at local garden centers and at the Denver Botanic Gardens that include unusual, showy tropical plants mixed with old standbys, as well as, beautiful groupings of single species of pots brought together based on color and textural themes. Timberline Gardens, in Arvada, CO has spectacular looking pots that combine succulents with drought tolerant annuals and perennials that truly elevates the technique to an art form.

But my conscience pricks at my gardening mind with the thought that beauty in the garden just isn't quite enough rationalization for using precious resources. Containers can have a tendency to require more water than if the plants were planted in the ground because the sides of a container expose the interior soil to the day's heat and results in faster evaporation. Plastic pots can help alleviate this problem, but using moisture reserving polyacrylamide crystals has some serious detractors. Still, with my evolving interest in mitigating the environmental impacts of the built landscape, I am adopting a standard that compels me to make every effort and resource I use, count for something more than just a pretty face.

So with the goal of making beautiful container gardens that provide double duty--beauty and function--I am announcing the newest contest: The Pot With A Purpose Contest. The winner of the contest will receive a $25 gift certificate from Renee's Gardens for seeds of your choice.

The Rules: The purpose of the contest is to stimulate some thought about how we can use containers to create beautiful compositions that also serve an additional raison d'être. Each time you post with a description of a planted container you will be entered into the raffle to win the gift certificate from Renee's Garden. In each of your posts, include the purpose of the plant assemblage as well as the plants' names (common name and species name, if pertinent). Here's an example:

Purpose: Back Door, Need a Pinch, Herb Garden.
Plants: Chives, Peppermint, Pineapple Mint, Bronze Fennel, Edible Ornamental Oregano, Dill, and Red Leaf Lettuce.

The purpose of the container garden can be to grow edibles, such as herbs, flowers, and vegetables, medicinal plants, plants to attract beneficial insects or any purpose you might conjure. Be imaginative or nostalgic, there will be no horticultural judgments about your plant selections. The contest runs from today through March 28--ten days for you to post your possibilities in the comments section on my blog site. I will offer some resources about container gardening basics, design, and beneficial insects to spur your creativity ever onward.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

dryideas@gmail.com — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:41:00 +0000

Here's to wishing you a bit o' the green!

Thanks for the use of the photo stevekrh19.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day March 2008

dryideas@gmail.com — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 03:55:00 +0000

There is an apparent tradition among garden bloggers to post photos of whatever is blooming in their garden on the 15th of the month. So in an effort in support of the tradition, here are my blooms.

Jasminum nudifolium is a great plant for the top of a wall as it tumbles over edges.

Yellow form of Iris reticulata 'Joyce'

Daffodils are so close to blooming.

A crocus peeking through winter cover.

Multiple colors of crocus bloom in a buffalo grass lawn.

Iris reticulata

The Clock is Ticking--Time to Order Seeds

dryideas@gmail.com — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:07:00 +0000

The clock is ticking. Time to order seeds.You can buy them in your local garden center or online. Advantages to getting them through your local independent garden center is that a reputable store has personnel who are really knowledgeable about gardening in your region and should have pre-selected the varieties of seeds that will do well in your region. Some garden centers have good depth of staff who are knowledgeable, though a few just have warm bodies. I recommend different stores to different people depending on what the person needs. Generally, you get what you pay for: cheap plants from Big Box retailers who seldom have anyone more knowledgeable than a cashier, mis-handle the plants because of this lack of knowledge, provide a very limited offering, which may not even be appropriate for this region. But you can get great deals on common plants if you are careful to check the health of the plants and are able to identify the plant you are buying. On the other extreme are the independent garden centers and nurseries that offer superior quality and service and guess what? They cost more. The only place you are going to get ripped off is the place that charges high prices for shoddy product and no service. If you don't know what something is or how to take care of it and can't find someone to answer your questions, don't buy it--it's a dead plant.

Buying through a catalog or online has its advantages, but with a few caveats. The internet is a bonanza for seed searchers--just type the Latin name into Google and you hit a jackpot--an undifferentiated jackpot--maybe potential jackpot is a better way to put it. All the caveat emptor's of buying on the internet apply or you may end up with weed seed, invasive plants, Zone 11 exotics planted in your front courtyard, or any number of problems. But the internet has so much information that it shouldn't be hard to get your questions answered--you just need to do it for yourself.

To get you started here are a few companies I've dealt with in the past:

One of the oldest seed companies in the region is in north Denver. Rocky Mountain Seed Company has been around since 1920. They finally left their old building off of Larimer Square and moved up to 6541 N. Washington St. Sales people are knowledgeable and helpful. Their web site is under construction, but you can get a catalog by calling 303-623-6223.

Reader Maryanne Grace and I both agree Pinetree Gardens is a great place to get small quantities of seed. It seems that at some places you are forced to buy enough seed for a market farmer and it goes bad after a few years--especially out west where it's so dry. Pinetree has a nice selection of vegetable and flower seeds, with a website that is much more colorful than the black and white seed list I'm used to looking at.

For rock garden plants, wildflowers and natives try Alplains Seeds out of Kiowa, CO. Their website is a lot like a seed list, with Latin names only and location where seed was collected. This is a serious spermologist's candy store. The listing of seeds includes information on how to germinate these obscure progeny. There aren't very many photos of plants on the site and no way to search by photo, but try pasting the name of the plant into Google Images and you should be able to find a photo of seeds you are interested in.

Plants of the Southwest is another source for plants native to the western US, as well as vegetables, wildflowers, and shrubs. They have photos of flowers, drought tolerant food crops, and a wide choice of chili peppers.

A wide variety of grasses are available from Arkansas Valley Seed in Denver off of I-70 at
Colorado Boulevard and other locations in Colorado and South Dakota. Pawnee Buttes Seed in Greeley, CO also has a good selection of grasses.

I've been getting vegetable seed from Renee's Gardens for the last several years. Renee Shepard was owner of Shepard's Garden Seeds whom I used to order from, but she sold out to White Flower Farm. She's been back at it for awhile now, perfecting her offerings of vegetable and flower seeds. Renee has graciously agreed to sponsor my next contest, for which the winner will receive a $25.00 gift certificate to her online store. You can also find her seeds in some of the local garden centers. My favorite from Renee's Garden is a collection of gold, red, and orange cherry tomatoes--eat them right out of the garden.

If you can't find what you want from these companies, try a general search with Google. You don't need the Latin name for standard vegetables, but for something specific a Latin name is the only way to know you're getting the right seed. Before you buy, you can check Dave's Garden Watchdog to find ratings of most of the legitimate companies. I'd stick to these companies unless you have a personal referral to a particular company.

Finally, for a copy of what may be considered the seed starters bible refer to Norm Deno’s book, Seed Germination Theory and Practice, for details on over 4000 species. You can write him directly at 139 Lenor Drive, State College, PA 16801.

Thanks to emdot for use of the photo.

Five Considerations Before Buying Seeds

dryideas@gmail.com — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:39:00 +0000

I could be the poster child for Seeders Anonymous. I have a black thumb when it comes to starting seeds indoors. Every few years I get ambitious about using plants started from seed, drool over seed catalogues, spend entirely too much money and order more seed than I could possibly have room to start indoors. Once the seed arrives, I procrastinate, struggle with making a decision on how to start the seeds, and then ultimately forget to water at a crucial time in the seedling’s development. My first steps in overcoming my problem is to admit I am powerless over this ineptitude and plead with my partner to start the seeds for me—so far I have had little success.

Face it, growing a garden—flower or vegetable—from seed can be tricky: if it weren't garden centers would have little reason to exist than to sell seed. The upside to using seed to start plants is that the entire world of plants is at your disposal. Nurseries can only offer a tiny percentage of the plants that live in this world for sale as live plants. If a plant isn’t available in the trade, the only way you can grow it is if you can start it from seed. Starting plants by seed brings us much closer to the cycles of life than most any other activity we might choose. Here is an acceptable form of sexual voyeurism with a triple ‘G’ rating. We have the opportunity to observe the unfolding of a miracle—that a plant can encapsulate its full being in one small package and make life possible for animals on this planet. This is serious stuff, rewarding the gardener with a glimpse into the natural world.

I like to be rewarded for my efforts, so I’m at it again with my attempt to grow from seeds. The place to start is where everything in gardening should start—with a plan of course. Sitting fireside, seed catalogue in hand, we can dream of fields of flowers, baskets of ripe fruit and rafters full of drying herbs, but we’ll never get there if we don’t set some goals and guidelines. Take some time before tackling the seed lists to consider the following:

Experience and Skill Level: I have experience with no resultant skill level. There are differing levels of skill required to propagate different species of plants. One thing I like about the Thompson and Morgan seed catalogue is that they list the level of experience and care required to achieve best results—something I was unable to find on their website. In general, most annuals are pretty easy to start by seed, perennials take more effort, and woody plants may require advanced techniques. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but one of the reasons we eat the foods we eat is because they are easy to propagate. So, if its veggies and pretty flowers you want to grow, chances are they will be relatively easy.

Room to Grow: Obviously, you need space to grow the plants but another consideration is whether the seed needs to be started before it is safe to plant outdoors. Many of the vegetable plants we grow are tropical or sub-tropical, requiring warm soil temperatures in order to grow. Seeds for tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants won’t germinate in cool soils. In this region soils don’t get warm until June, so in order to grow these plants and get fruit before the hard freeze in fall, the plants need to be started indoors. Most seeds need a warm, moist environment to germinate and then require plenty of bright light to grow into seedlings. A simple method to germinate seeds is to start them on top of the refrigerator where it tends to be warmer—you can use anyplace that isn’t in direct sun, is consistently warm but not so hot it dries out the seeding medium too fast and most important for me—is someplace out of the way, but not out of mind--you’ll need to check on them daily. Once the seeds germinate they need a place in the sun or bright lights to develop from seedlings into viable plants. This is what takes some space and why timing is such an issue.

Timing: Dependent upon the climate conditions where it originally evolved, a plant has preferences for growing conditions—some of which are non-negotiable. One element that is pretty much cast in stone is the time it takes for a plant to reach maturity, and as with vegetables, the time it takes for the fruit to ripen. When the growing season—the time between freezing temperatures in spring and fall—is short, the gardener needs to select a cultivar that will ripen before fall frosts.

For example, corn, depending on the cultivar, takes anywhere from around 70 to over 120 days from planting to harvesting. In Denver, the growing season runs between mid-May to mid-September—somewhere around 120 days, but corn is sub-tropical in origin, so it needs soil temperatures of at least 60 degrees. Most years, soil temperature hasn’t reached optimal temperature by mid-May, so a cultivar that needs 120 days probably won’t yield much before air temperatures drop below freezing and kill the plant in the fall. This is because the seed will sit in the soil until the soil warms enough for the seed to germinate, which could take several weeks. Ways to cope with the constraints of temperature include selecting a cultivar that requires a shorter time to reach maturity—in the 70-90 day range, warming soil by the use of a heating cable or Wall O’ Water, starting the seeds indoors or buying seedlings from a garden center just before planting time. To start seeds indoors count back 5-6 weeks from your area’s last frost date to determine when to begin—in Denver that would mean starting seed sometime around the beginning of April. You can start earlier, but the seedlings will probably get leggy unless you have a greenhouse or adequate grow lights. Non-tropical vegetables such as peas, brassicas, and greens like cooler temperatures and tend to bolt once the heat of summer sets in. Peas are planted in this area around St. Patrick’s Day, spinach about the same time.

Cultural Requirements: Of course the cultural requirements—light, water, soil & nutrition—are important to your selection of seeds to grow. Most vegetables need full sun, lots of consistent water, and well drained, nutritious soil with neutral pH. You can get away with planting leaf and root crops in part sun and there are selections of vegetables that are more drought tolerant by their nature, but water is generally another non-negotiable requirement. Vegetables can develop a bitter taste if they are not watered consistently, partly because the minerals that these plants need to develop fully are water soluble—no water, no nutrients. Tomatoes develop blossom end rot when there isn’t a consistent amount of water to transport calcium to the fruit during development. If you have a space you want to use that won’t receive regular water, it won’t be a good place for vegetables and you should put drought tolerant plants there instead. When growing vegetables in containers where the amount of soil is limited, so the amount of available water is limited, you must be vigilant about keeping the soil moist in the container if you want vegetables that taste good. I’m not a fan of bitter tastes and our broccoli sometimes becomes inedible if we have an extreme heat wave or a malfunction in the drip system.

Preferences: You might look at this as a half full/half empty kind of philosophy—you can choose what you like, then eliminate the plants that won’t grow under the limitations you established under the considerations above. Or you could limit the offerings first, then choose the plants you like.

To find more information try some of these resources:

Growing Plants from Seed

Starting Seeds Indoors

Not sure about frost dates in your area? Check with your state cooperative extension service. Colorado State Extension has lots more information available here.

Seeds Are For Sprouting

dryideas@gmail.com — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:07:00 +0000

There's been a spot of nice weather lately and my bulbs are starting to stretch through the surface of the soil. Buds are swelling, though the sun still casts elongated shadows.The air feels warm but the ground radiates its chill. People are starting to notice it is lighter later. There is hope spring is coming, but deep inside we know there are two good months before we can cautiously put aside our expectation of a freak snow storm or a 70 mph wind.

One way to divert ourselves from the varying weather extremes, is to get going with indoor seed starting. I'll cover some of the techniques for starting seeds indoors, as well as some sources for seed. Then we'll top it off with a contest in which the winners receive seed they actually want.

To get everything off to a good start, here's a little video to inspire you. A word of caution--the soundtrack to the video is a little over the top.

Thanks to mindlapse at YouTube for the use of the video.