By Jan Midgely In nature, seeds from Colorado plants undergo large daily temperature swings over winter. Seeds of some species require a cold moist treatment (stratification) to germinate. Others do not, but will tolerate the cold. Temperature swings outdoors are quite different from a cold moist treatment in a refrigerator at a constant 38-40 ̊ […] Continue reading "Outdoor Colorado Native Seed Stratification"
By Jan Midgley In dry lands with few woody plants, grasses are the foundation of the landscape both functionally and aesthetically. But why should we include them in public and private designed landscapes? The small, wind pollinated flowers are not as showy as the flowers of forbs (flowering herbaceous plants that are not a graminoid […] Continue reading "Grasses are the Foundation"
By Deb Lebow Aal If you are reading this, you have some familiarity with, and/or, some interest in, native plants and native insects. You probably have planted some native plants in your landscape, or are intending to do so. This article is to remind you that not all native plants are created equal. Some native […] Continue reading "All Native Plants are NOT Created Equal"
By Jan Midgely Colorado plants evolved in tough soils and climates. Even in natural areas with no supplemental water many are producing fertile seeds this year. If collecting seeds has slipped your mind, it is time to get cracking and get ready to swap seeds at the fall Native Seed Swaps. You will need paper […] Continue reading "Colorado Native Seed Collection & Cleaning Tips"
Building a Rain Garden in Colorado CSU and the Colorado Stormwater Center present this how-to guide on designing, constructing and planting a rain garden. Colorado Rain & Edible Forest Garden Plant List is an extensive list of various trees, shrubs, and perennials (native and non-native) that grow in constructed rain gardens. List was compiled by Jason Gerhardt of Real […] Continue reading "Rain Gardens"
Created by the Colorado Native Plant Society, Denver Botanical Gardens, Wild Ones Front Range Chapter and others, these are comprehensive and easy to use booklets about native plant gardening in Colorado. Comes complete with plant lists that cover everything from a plant’s habit to its ecological value and provides nice visuals of plants and landscapes! […] Continue reading "Low Water Native Plant for Colorado Gardens Booklets"
By Deb Lebow Aal & Lisa Olsen. Updated October 2023 by Jen Smith. We are frequently asked this question: “How do we know which plants are native to the Front Range?” The truth is it’s a controversial question: plants do move, albeit relatively slowly, aided by water, wind, animals, birds and humans. Researchers do their best to […] Continue reading "A Brief Introduction to Colorado Native Shortgrass Prairie Plants | Easy to Find & Grow"
Primary Author: Deb Lebow Aal If you want to attract butterflies (and who doesn’t?), you will need to plant the right native plants to attract them. The challenge is to support all life stages of the butterfly, from the egg, through the larval and pupal stages, and then the adult. Many plants labeled as butterfly […] Continue reading "Attracting Butterflies with Colorado Native Plants"
By Deb Lebow Aal. Updated by Jen Smith, September 2023. No, no, not Kentucky Blue Grass! Banish that thought and that grass – definitely not native, here. Kentucky Blue Grass (referred to from now on as KBG !!), the bane of water providers in the west, is ubiquitous, and, while it serves a purpose (it […] Continue reading "Glorious Grasses Native to Colorado’s Front Range"
By Deb Lebow Aal. Updated October 2023 by Jen Smith. We garden for beauty. We love to make our landscapes look nice, and that is a wonderful reason to be a gardener. But, we can balance gardening for beauty with gardening to ensure we are in harmony with the ecosystem; that we are providing a […] Continue reading "Gardening for More than Beauty | Restoring Nature and A Sense of Place"
