Author: Richard Phillips

Ask CSU Extension Anything: Keeping Dead Perennial Plant Stems for Insect Nesting

QUESTION: Do I need to keep dead perennial stemsfor three years in order for them to be of benefit topollinators?ANSWER: While it seems like “new” information, the three-year timeline for perennialstems is derived from the life cycle of stem-nesting pollinators. Your first reaction might be,“Three years!,” but it isn’t as dramatic as it would seem—you […] Continue reading "Ask CSU Extension Anything: Keeping Dead Perennial Plant Stems for Insect Nesting"

2024 Denver Pollinator/Native Plant Swap & Giveaway — It’s a Very Successful Wrap!

On June 22, 2024 the Fourth Annual Denver Pollinator/Native Plant Swap & Giveaway Event was held between 10am – 1pm with sunny skies and warm temps reaching 90°F.  We appreciate the estimated 700 participants, including volunteers and families, who attended despite construction hassles, lines and heat. 2024 Denver Pollinator/Native Plant Swap & Giveaway at 11:30am […] Continue reading "2024 Denver Pollinator/Native Plant Swap & Giveaway — It’s a Very Successful Wrap!"

Book Review: The Crevice Garden

The Crevice Garden:How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky placesBy Kenton Seth and Paul Spriggs This gardening book is a great fit for Wild Ones Front Range Chapter–as well asgardeners elsewhere in the state and even the world. The authors hail from Fruita,Colorado and British Columbia; they have studied crevice gardening with […] Continue reading "Book Review: The Crevice Garden"

Colorado Native Plants for Caterpillars and Birds

By Deborah Lebow Aal If you are reading this, you have some familiarity with, and/or, some interest in the interdependence of native plants and native insects. Some native plants provide the ecosystem with more benefits for insects than others. The measure I am using for ecosystem benefits is how many species of caterpillars a native […] Continue reading "Colorado Native Plants for Caterpillars and Birds"

Sustainable Flowers on the Front Range

Moving Towards Sustainable Flowers One Bouquet at a Time By Ayn Schmit, Wild Ones Front Range member and flower enthusiast, and Helen Skiba, owner, Farmette Flowers in Longmont Why would Front Rangers passionate about native landscaping care about growing flowers ourselves or supporting our local farmers who grow them? Have you ever wondered where that […] Continue reading "Sustainable Flowers on the Front Range"

Native Seed Collection and Cleaning

Colorado native plants evolved in tough soils and climates. Even in natural areas with no supplemental water many are producing fertile seeds this year. Prior to collecting, it’s a good idea to review the Colorado Native Plant Society’s collection protocols. Front Range Wild Ones follows ethical seed collection protocols. In fact, we are a little […] Continue reading "Native Seed Collection and Cleaning"