Category: Native Landscape Planning & Design

Extending the Season of Bloom to Support the Local Web of Life

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

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"

Plant Profile: Liatris Punctata

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

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"

All Native Plants are NOT Created Equal

| Colorado Native Plants, Ecological Services, Native Landscape Planning & Design

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"

Introducing the Greenverein Garden: A Haven for Nature in Downtown Denver 

| Chapter Updates, Colorado Native Plants, Flower Interest, Garden Tours, Native Landscape Planning & Design

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 "

Rain Gardens

| Native Landscape Planning & Design

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"

Why Do I Need Larval Host Plants in My Yard

| Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design

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"

Let’s Talk Water and Yes, Native Plants Too

| Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design, Turf Conversion

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"

Can You Get Your Community to Act? Town of Erie Example

| Advocacy, Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design, Turf Conversion

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"

A Call To Action

| Advocacy, Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design

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"

Rocky Mountain penstemon: An excellent choice for a native plant garden

| Colorado Native Plants, Native Landscape Planning & Design

By Cynthia Reiners Rocky Mountain penstemon, Penstemon strictus, is an attractive Colorado native perennial that meets several important objectives for a suburban native plant gardener. This species of penstemon is often commercially available, easily grown in a variety of micro-climates and ordinary soil, and visibly supports the local web of life. A less well- known […] Continue reading "Rocky Mountain penstemon: An excellent choice for a native plant garden"