Si Pak Tani

Containers come in a variety of sizes and shapes by Barbara Sanders Small spaces in the yard, on a patio, or on a deck are great growing places for container gardens.   If you are just starting, keep it simple. Decide what to plant- Lettuce seeds can be started now.  For all seeds, read the directions on the packet. Other choices include: spicy greens such as mustard and Arugula (rocket), radishes, green onions (scallion), cilantro (coriander), dill, and spinach. Or purchase potted herbs from a nursery.  A few fun ones are: chives, oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, borage. If conditions are a bit drier, or in a separate pot: rosemary and sage (you may need to bring them in for the winter, as they are not hardy in most mountain areas). Adding annuals is fun too: salvia, zinnia, marigolds, nasturtiums. Find a good location- Easy to walk to, water nearby, and light. Light is most important. Many seed packets and garden books suggest “full sun”. Well, our Colorado sun will bu...

by Vicki Barney A number of native shrubs have bloomed spectacularly this spring:   fragrant chokecherries with trailing blossoms, serviceberries with bursts of blooms, mountain ash with flat-topped flower clusters.  But it is the little Mountain Snowberry that catches my eye this time of the year. Snowberry in bloom Mountain Snowberry (Symphoricarpos rotundifolius (oreophilus)) is one of a variety of snowberries native to our area.   A small deciduous shrub in the honeysuckle family, it grows 1 to 5 feet tall and is currently blooming under the shrubs and aspens along our trails, as well as out in the undisturbed meadows.   The flowers are not showy and consist of clusters of small light pink bells at the ends of branches.    In the fall, it produces clusters of showy white berries that when broken open, reveals fruit that looks like “fine, sparkling granular snow.” ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphoricarpos ) Mountain Snowberry is a wonderful addition...

by Virginia Baer Those of us living in Colorado should be fully aware of Colorado Water Law as it applies to domestic water rights and crop irrigation. Those gardeners who are fortunate enough to live in a municipality that supplies their water do not feel the restriction of water use nearly as strongly as those who receive their water by way of a residential well. Further, those with residential wells that were in place before 1972 do not feel the restrictions in place as those who have wells drilled after 1972 where outside irrigation is prohibited. (But do note that even those with household-use only wells are allowed to collect up to 110 gallons of rainwater from a residential roof). Water restrictions or not, as gardeners we should all be aware of the importance of being conservative with our water use. This is especially important in 2018 where over half of our state is experiencing drought anywhere from moderate to extreme. If you have healthy, well amended soil you have a good ...

by Estella   Heitman Oxeye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)      Every gardening enthusiast has a "pet peeve" or two.   For this gardener, it is the Oxeye Daisy.   This daisy is native to Europe and was introduced to America intentionally as an ornamental and accidentally as a contaminant of imported hay and grain seeds.   It has spread to virtually every state, and in Colorado it is now included on the B List of Noxious Weeds.    Noxious weeds are not just plants out of place; they are non-native plants that are displacing native vegetation and disrupting ecosystems.   List B plants are those for which The Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, the Colorado Noxious Weed Advisory Committee & local governments are developing and implementing plans to stop the spread of the species.   The greatest impact of the oxeye daisy is on forage production of infested pastures and meadows.   Cattle avoid grazing oxeye daisy.   De...

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by Vicky Barney    This spring, everywhere I look - on the trail and in my yard - I see pretty clusters of small bright yellow flowers above holly-shaped spiny leaves, leaves that are mostly rich green and may have spots of orange and red.   These small woody shrubs are Oregon grape, named for their edible but tart grape-like berries that appear later in the summer.      The tall form of Oregon grape ( Mahonia aquifolium or Berberis aquifolium) is the state flower of Oregon and grows 3 – 6 feet tall.   The plant I am seeing is much smaller (1 – 2 feet tall) and is Creeping Oregon grape ( Mahonia repens or Berberis repens).      This broadleaf evergreen plant has many names – Oregon grape, Oregon grapeholly, Holly-grape, Mountain holly – which is confusing because it is neither a grape nor a holly. Creeping Oregon grape may also be called creeping mahonia, creeping barberry, or prostrate barberry.   Even the Latin names are confusing...