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 As you will recall, we have said many times that insects are half the show. We tend to try to get rid of them, especially if they are eating your prize roses, but remember that the only reason a plant flowers is to attract pollinators, mostly insects like bees. It’s a […] Continue reading "Let’s talk about Bees"
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"
By Deborah Lebow Aal This is the time of year when gardeners put their feet up and happily look through catalogues, thinking about next year’s garden. Because let’s face it, every gardener’s best garden is next year. Next year, my plants will all be in the right place, just the way I want them…. It’s […] Continue reading "Why Native Plants?"
By Deborah Lebow Aal Okay, first, what is a hellstrip? It’s that strip of land in front of your house between the street and the sidewalk, so named because any living thing that thrives there has to be tough. Also known as the parking strip or public easement, the homeowner does not own it, but […] Continue reading "Landscaping your Hellstrip"
By Deborah Lebow Aal This month, we asked Front Range Wild Ones members to give us the name of their favorite Front Range Colorado native plants, and the reason(s) why. Some had difficulty naming only one, so we allowed two (and yes, sometimes three). We thought this could be interesting because everyone likes to talk […] Continue reading "Our Favorite Colorado Native Plants"
By Deborah Lebow Aal Climate change is having an affect on the plants that thrive in Colorado. And everywhere. This is disconcerting, to say the least, as we have been concentrating on incorporating native plants into Colorado’s Front Range landscapes. What do we know about what the effects will be? We do know that urban […] Continue reading "Climate Change and Native Plants"
By: Deborah Lebow Aal Despite their standardized curb appeal, are lawns really all they’re cracked up to be? With all of their harmful impacts on the environment from carbon emissions to over fertilization, pesticide treatments, and water consumption, the answer is likely, not so much!!! You might be able to get away with a lawn […] Continue reading "A Lawn on the Front Range or Colorado Native Plants?"