This article is reprinted, with permission, from Harlequin’s Gardens’ June 15, 2021 newsletter. Harlequin’s Gardens is a family nursery and garden center dedicated to natural and sustainable gardening for our region. We at Wild Ones Front Range Chapter thought the article worthy of wider circulation as we face drought and higher temperatures across the Western United […] Continue reading "Tricks and Tips for Your Xeriscape Garden"
By Deb Lebow Aal Pocket Prairie is not a new term, but if you follow many sustainable gardening websites and blogs, like I do, it is suddenly everywhere. What is the buzz about? Well, as you know, the Front Range, and much of the Midwest was prairie – short and long grass prairie. If we […] Continue reading "Colorado Native Plants in Pocket Prairies"
By Jan Midgley Also known as Prairie Sagebrush or Fringed Sage, the soft mounding mat of silvery gray green foliage typical of Artemisia frigida is an excellent matrix for a garden bed of native grasses and forbs. This is a sensory plant: soft to the touch, sweet smelling, edible and visually soft and soothing. It is an excellent […] Continue reading "Colorado Native Plant Focus: Artemisia frigida"
by Deb Lebow Aal January 2020, a year ago, which, yes, seems like ten years ago, the feature article for the Wild Ones Front Range Chapter newsletter was “A Call to Action,” asking what we have done, or will do, to inspire and empower people to garden in an environmentally-sound way. This is a check-in, […] Continue reading "A More Sustainable Gardening Ethic"
By Tom Swihart We are pleased to let you know that Wild Ones Front Range Chapter is a founding member of the new Colorado Native Landscaping Coalition. The Coalition is a collaboration between Wild Ones Front Range Chapter, the Audubon Rockies Habitat Hero Program, the Colorado Native Plant Society, the Colorado Wildlife Federation, and the People and Pollinators Action Network. Our main […] Continue reading "The Colorado Native Landscaping Coalition"
by Cynthia Reiners Phenology: the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life. — from Oxford Languages “In 1492 Columbus did not so much discover The New World as begin to make A New World” [italics added] — Charles Mann, 1493 “Knitting together the seams of Pangea” — Alfred Crosby, The […] Continue reading "Extending the Season of Bloom to Support the Local Web of Life"
Jan Midgley, a board member of Wild Ones Front Range Chapter, is developing a series of plant profiles for common perennials of the Colorado Front Range. Below is just an excerpt from the first in this series. For a more in-depth dive, head to our website. By Jan Midgley In Colorado, Liatris punctata (Dotted blazing star) is […] Continue reading "Plant Profile: Liatris Punctata"
By Deb Lebow Aal If you are reading this, you have some familiarity with, and/or, some interest in, native plants and native insects. You probably have planted some native plants in your landscape, or are intending to do so. This article is to remind you that not all native plants are created equal. Some native […] Continue reading "All Native Plants are NOT Created Equal"
By Lisa Olsen Residents of the North Capitol Hill neighborhood in Denver have noticed a lot of activity at the Denver Turnverein. Founded in 1865, the Denver Turnverein is a member-supported non-profit focused on the educational, social, and physical benefits of dancing. Built in 1920, Denver’s premier dance hall is celebrating its hundredth anniversary this year. […] Continue reading "Introducing the Greenverein Garden: A Haven for Nature in Downtown Denver "
Building a Rain Garden in Colorado CSU and the Colorado Stormwater Center present this how-to guide on designing, constructing and planting a rain garden. Colorado Rain & Edible Forest Garden Plant List is an extensive list of various trees, shrubs, and perennials (native and non-native) that grow in constructed rain gardens. List was compiled by Jason Gerhardt of Real […] Continue reading "Rain Gardens"