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What Native Plants Work Well as Both a Windbreak and a Shelter Belt for Native Birds and Insects?

Posted on | Native Landscape Planning & Design

This question and answer are part of our Ask CSU Extension Anything (About Native Plants) series. We appreciate CSU Extension for answering these questions to expand our community’s knowledge of native plant landscaping. Send us your questions to the Ask CSU email account. FULL QUESTION: I have 35 acres in Elizabeth. Rolling hills, native grasslands and […] Continue reading "What Native Plants Work Well as Both a Windbreak and a Shelter Belt for Native Birds and Insects?"

Wild Ones Front Range Chapter Plant of the Month: Pinus aristata (Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine)

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants

By Pam Sherman Why should we pay attention to this astounding tree? Character, for one. The Colorado Tree Coalition advises landscapers: “Plant as a single species in a rock garden or other well-drained site. It is not a formal looking tree. It develops ‘character.’ Can be trained as a bonsai.”  Second, bristlecone provides watershed and […] Continue reading "Wild Ones Front Range Chapter Plant of the Month: Pinus aristata (Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine)"

Colorado Native Plants for Caterpillars and Birds

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design

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"

Celebrate Local Plants Through Food: Fir Tree and Ginger Ice Cream Recipe

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants

By Pam Sherman Courtesy ponce_photography on Pixabay Julia Georgallis, author of the cookbook How to Eat Your Christmas Tree from which this recipe is taken (p. 86-7), says this is “hands down my favorite recipe” from her fir tree-eating supper club. A special occasion treat to stimulate conversation on native plant gardening and guardian-ing!   Georgallis […] Continue reading "Celebrate Local Plants Through Food: Fir Tree and Ginger Ice Cream Recipe"

Fostering Soil Biology in our Native Plant Gardens

Posted on | Native Landscape Planning & Design

By Christine Gust Note: You may learn more about soil biology from Christine on January 24, 2024, when she hosts a Wild Ones Front Range webinar on soils and native plants. Registration details will be published in the upcoming weeks. Plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into energy (sugars). Plants release some of these […] Continue reading "Fostering Soil Biology in our Native Plant Gardens"

What combination of drought tolerant native grasses and sedges would you recommend as a “green mulch” between masses of flowering plants?

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design

This question and answer are part of our Ask CSU Extension Anything (About Native Plants) series. We appreciate CSU Extension for answering these questions to expand our community’s knowledge of native plant landscaping. Send us your questions to the Ask CSU email account. FULL QUESTION: I’ve been hearing/reading a lot about using a combination of native […] Continue reading "What combination of drought tolerant native grasses and sedges would you recommend as a “green mulch” between masses of flowering plants?"

Collecting & Cleaning Native Seeds

Posted on | Native Plant & Seed Swaps, Propagation

This section of the Toolkit is new and will be expanded to include more seeds collection tips and recommendations for seeds cleaning. Collecting Native Plant Seeds Planting native plants from seeds is the cheapest and simplest way to get a good variety of native plants in your landscape. Some say that the plants you grow […] Continue reading "Collecting & Cleaning Native Seeds"

How to Approach Designing Your Colorado Native Plant Landscape

Posted on | Native Landscape Planning & Design

Primary Author: Deb Lebow Aal One of the biggest challenges we face as native plant gardeners is how to design a garden with native plants. After all, we are challenging the norm. We are not planting the default landscape of an expanse of turf with a few bushes around the foundation of the house, and […] Continue reading "How to Approach Designing Your Colorado Native Plant Landscape"

Should I add mycorrhizae to the soil when I plant native plants?

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants

This question and answer are part of our Ask CSU Extension Anything (About Native Plants) series. We appreciate CSU Extension for answering these questions to expand our community’s knowledge of native plant landscaping. Send us your questions to the Ask CSU email account. ANSWER: While at least one study has found that in extremely degraded […] Continue reading "Should I add mycorrhizae to the soil when I plant native plants?"

Seed Collecting Pop Ups!

Posted on | Colorado Native Plants, Native Plant & Seed Swaps

Our Swaps Committee is hosting multiple seed collection and cleaning events to prepare for the fall swaps. Email Swaps Chair Peggy Hanson if you are interested in participating! Curious to learn more about transforming your garden into a habitat with Colorado native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees? Check out our native gardening toolkit, register for an upcoming […] Continue reading "Seed Collecting Pop Ups!"