Wild Ones Social Media Volunteer, Website Designer, Graphic Designer and Passionate Gardener Meet Idelle! She is an avid gardener – to say the least! Idelle grew up in Thornton, Colorado and is a DU grad in graphic communications. Idelle runs an organic community garden in Denver where she’s worked with the members to create pollinator […] Continue reading "Volunteer Spotlight: Idelle Fisher"
By Jenifer Heath Honey bees are native to Europe and were imported to the U.S. There are over 900 different bee species that are native to Colorado. About 30 percent of our native bee species nest in stems. Most are not yellow and black and only 12 percent of species are social; the rest are […] Continue reading "Protecting Colorado Native Bee Habitat | Spring Stem Cleanup"
As discussed in the February WOFR newsletter, the Colorado General Assembly enacted House Bill 22-1151 in June, 2022. This legislation established a statewide turf replacement program and authorized a limited amount of funding to accelerate lawn conversions. Grants provided under HB-22-1151 will complement and further support the existing rebate and incentive programs of local municipal […] Continue reading "Colorado Continues to Invest in Turf Conversion Programs"
By Jen Smith with input from the Propagation Committee Native Seeds Germination Methods Scatter Seeds Outdoors at the Beginning of an Early Winter Snowstorm The snow will blanket the seeds, gently pressing them into the soil and providing initial moisture. It mimics the process seeds go through in nature. Make sure you’ve scattered the seeds […] Continue reading "Native Seeds Germination Methods & Tips"
As we discussed in another post, multiple cities along the Front Range offer some sort of incentive to encourage native turf conversion. Whether your city does or does not offer rebates currently, there are actions you can take to support the movement. Curious to learn more about transforming your garden into a habitat with Colorado […] Continue reading "Advocacy News & Action | Promoting Turf Conversion with Native Plants – What You Can Do!"
By Richard Phillips and Danna Liebert Are you thinking of replacing some of your lawn this year with native grasses? Would you like to convert part of your yard to a native plant garden? Well, you may be able to get a rebate from your local municipality or water provider to help with the costs! As you might […] Continue reading "Replace Your Colorado Turf! | Metropolitan Turf Conversion Rebate Programs Along the Front Range"
By Ayn Schmit One of the first goals for many gardeners new to landscaping with native plants is to rid their landscape – in part or entirely – of non-native turf. Doing so is a no-brainer! Non-native turf grasses are ecological dead zones, they require large amounts of water, and often prompt gardeners to use […] Continue reading "How to Remove Your Lawn and Select a Colorado Native Turf Alternative"
By Jenifer Frazer1 Trudi Davidoff invented modern winter sowing in the early 2000s under eastern conditions. She used disposable plastic food storage containers and milk jugs but I had issues with those methods in our windy, dry, sunny environment. So I poked around on her website and found someone else’s idea for winter sowing in […] Continue reading "How to Winter Sow Native Seeds in Milk Jugs or Plastic Containers"
By Avi Stopper In early 2022, Wild Ones Front Range Chapter board member Deb Lebow Aal and I launched Oasis West Wash Park, a volunteer project to help neighbors in West Washington Park, a central Denver neighborhood, replace unused grass with Colorado native plants. The vision is to turn the neighborhood into a gigantic botanic […] Continue reading "A Bold Project to Rewild Denver and Employ Refugees"
There’s nothing better for a gardener at this time of year than to see color in their winter landscape. Yellows and reds can highlight the browns and greys of winter. One of the best Colorado native shrubs you can have in your landscape is Red Twig Dogwood, or Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus servicea). This plant […] Continue reading "Colorado Native Shrubs | Red Twig Dogwood/ Cornus Servicea"