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Replace Your Colorado Turf! | Metropolitan Turf Conversion Rebate Programs Along the Front Range

| Turf Conversion

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"

How to Remove Your Lawn and Select a Colorado Native Turf Alternative

| Colorado Native Plants, Turf Conversion

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"

How to Winter Sow Native Seeds in Milk Jugs or Plastic Containers

| Propagation

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"

A Bold Project to Rewild Denver and Employ Refugees

| Turf Conversion

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"

Colorado Native Shrubs | Red Twig Dogwood/ Cornus Servicea

| Colorado Native Plants

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"

Colorado Landscaping Summit Recap

| Advocacy, Colorado Native Plants, Turf Conversion

By Danna Liebert Thanks to Jenifer S. Heath and Barney White for contributing to this piece. On November 9, The Colorado Water Conservation Board hosted an all-day “Colorado Landscaping Summit” to discuss the implementation of Colorado’s Turf Replacement Bill, HB22-1151, and outdoor water conservation strategies being used in different cities. While native plants were mentioned, […] Continue reading "Colorado Landscaping Summit Recap"

Member Spotlight: Laurel Starr

| Advocacy, Colorado Native Plants

Laurel brings her energy and passion to the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter as a volunteer on our Programming Committee. She prefers contributing in a variety of ways, including moderating virtual webinars, organizing garden tours, and leading field trips. When asked about her experience volunteering with the Programming Committee, Laurel said, “I was initially worried that I […] Continue reading "Member Spotlight: Laurel Starr"

Plant Spotlight: Apache Plume

| Colorado Native Plants, Flower Interest, Native Landscape Planning & Design

Photo credits (left to right): W.D. and Dolphia Bransford, Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller, and Thomas Muller, all courtesy of Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center One of the showiest native shrubs on Colorado’s front range is Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa). It has a wild look about it, and can get rather rangy if untended, but that, we […] Continue reading "Plant Spotlight: Apache Plume"

The State of Native Plant Legislation in Colorado

| Advocacy, Colorado Native Plants

By Deb Lebow Aal and Danna Liebert In this year’s Member Survey you, our members, asked how we determine whether we are making progress with changing landscapes, “one yard at a time” (that’s the Wild Ones’ tagline). We think it’s a good question. Rather than relying on anecdotes from native plant landscapers (whose phones are ringing […] Continue reading "The State of Native Plant Legislation in Colorado"