By Tom Swihart, Danna Liebert, and Eryn Joy Murphy The December 2020 issue of the Newsletter informed members that Front Range was a founding member of the Colorado Native Landscaping Coalition (CNLC) – a collaboration between Wild Ones Front Range Chapter, the Audubon Rockies Habitat Hero Program, the Colorado Native Plant Society, the Colorado Wildlife […] Continue reading "Colorado Native Landscaping Coalition Update"
A book review by Rick Phillips Being a Wild Ones member, the book Lawns into Meadows, by Owen Wormser, caught my eye immediately. And with an author named Wormser, you would think this guy must really know soil and plants! Wormser is a landscape architect and horticulturalist who grew up off the grid in Maine and […] Continue reading "Lawn Into Meadows"
By Deb Lebow Aal Would you give up your thirsty Kentucky Blue grass for money? House Bill HB22-1151 was introduced with bi-partisan sponsorship in the Colorado House on February 4, 2022, and has a good chance of going the distance. Last week the Committee of Agriculture, Livestock, and Water voted 11-0 to move the bill […] Continue reading "Colorado’s Turf Replacement Bill"
by Aaron Michael One great Colorado native plant to landscape with is Red-Twig Dogwood. This shrub, also called Red Osier Dogwood, with the Latin name Cornus sericea, can be found in the wild in areas such as wetlands and riparian zones where the soil is rich and poorly drains. It also can be found in areas that […] Continue reading "Red-Twig Dogwoods"
by Suzanne Wuerthele We all need more color in our world now. And Gaillardia is a superb choice for the native plant garden. It’s showy, easy to grow and propagate, and it attracts multiple pollinators. Growing gaillardia isn’t hard. It’s not a picky plant. It has a wide distribution – from southern Canada through Utah, […] Continue reading "Gaillardia in the Garden"
Duration: Perennial (short lived)Habit: HerbLeaf: GreenSize Class: 3-6 ft.Bloom Color: Red, YellowBloom Time: Jul, Aug, SepWater Use: MediumLight Requirement: SunSoil Moisture: DrySoil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8)CaCO3 Tolerance: MediumSoil Description: Well-drained, infertile soil We will publish a much longer article on Gaillardia by Suzanne Wuerthele next month. This native plant is worth a longer review. Curious to […] Continue reading "Plant Spotlight: Gaillardia"
by Deb Lebow Aal In addition to Alex’s plastic-free seed-starting method, I wanted to write about how we can garden with less waste in general. Since Wild Ones’ goal is not just encouraging native plant gardening, but also sustainable gardening, it only seems right. First, a word about why we should be reducing our plastics […] Continue reading "Towards a Zero Waste Gardening Goal"
By Alex Bruce Looking for a new way to start seeds without having to use plastic pots that only last a few seasons? Soil blocking may be the best alternative you’ve never heard of. The concept is simple – using a mold, compress soil into durable blocks that are the perfect home for starting seeds. […] Continue reading "Soil Blocking: Seed Starting Without Plastic"
By Ayn Schmit If you happen to find yourself on a summer Sunday along East Alameda Avenue in Denver, you might hear the happy hubbub of people working in the gardens at Ekar Farms. Ekar Farms, located on land belonging to the Denver Academy of Torah, is a non-profit organization that fosters community and connection […] Continue reading "Native Plant Demonstration Garden at Ekar Farms: A New Partnership"
You may know that Wild Ones Front Range Chapter has three demonstration projects, and one more we are “adopting.” We have also partnered with Denver Parks and Recreation on another project. They are all different, but worthy of some attention. So, we will be highlighting two of them here this month, and the other three […] Continue reading "Colorado Native Plant Demonstration Gardens"