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 Jenifer Heath Most of us have heard of larval host plants, even if we are not quite sure what it means to be a larval host plant. This brief piece will provide basic information about larval host plants: what they are, why they are important, some examples of native larval host plants in our […] Continue reading "Why Do I Need Larval Host Plants in My Yard"
Contributed by Tom Swihart and Deborah Lebow Aal It turns out that thinking about landscaping with native plants is akin to thinking about people’s relationship with the natural world. Below are brief descriptions of some books that we find interesting or inspiring. Many of us have more time to read right now, and need some inspiration. […] Continue reading "A Few Book Recommendations for Native Landscaping Advocates"
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"
By Tom Swihart The picture above was taken on the first day of Spring in Denver. Springtime in the Rockies. Buckle up! The forecast is for even more extreme weather shifts. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Summary for Colorado, we are already experiencing above average annual temperatures, above average numbers of very hot […] Continue reading "Climate Change and Landscape Change "
By Deborah Lebow Aal Ah, yes, water. It IS the weather in Colorado. We are constantly talking about water. Skiers are obsessed with the snowpack; anglers are obsessed with river flow; farmers talk about the drought that seems to be omni-present. But, is it really a drought if it’s the normal condition? Denver gets an average of about 15 […] Continue reading "Let’s Talk Water and Yes, Native Plants Too"
By Tom Swihart An important goal for the Front Range Chapter of Wild Ones is for members to move their own yard toward native landscaping – and then move their neighbors in the same direction. The example you set can show your neighbors and friends how native landscaping is both possible and desirable. Upgrading yards, […] Continue reading "Can You Get Your Community to Act? Town of Erie Example"
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 What have you done, or will you do, this month, or this year, to inspire and empower people to plant native plants? Wild Ones was established to… “promote environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communities.” That is our mission statement. The more […] Continue reading "A Call To Action"
By Deborah Lebow Aal This article is a bit of a book review. There is a wonderful little booklet entitled Colorado Wildscapes: Bringing Conservation Home, put out by Audubon Colorado in 2005 (maybe time for an update?). The point of the booklet is to know your Colorado Wildscape region so that you plant the right […] Continue reading "Know Your Colorado Wildscape Region"
