Review by Pam Sherman Our native plant gardens are more than habitat for insects, birds and mammals. They are also calming and nurturing spaces for humans. As we grow in our understanding of native garden design, it is inevitable that we will move toward habitat that considers the five elements in harmony with the human […] Continue reading "Book Review: Zen Garden Design Concepts for Native Gardens"
By Deb Lebow Aal As we approach the winter solstice, I am taking time to pull back, pull inside, reorganize, and yes, already think about my landscape for next year. We gardeners don’t only find solace and joy in working in our gardens, but planning them as well, and as a respite from the tumult […] Continue reading "A Colorado Pocket Prairie"
By Kristin Laux and Ayn Schmit As many of you know, our chapter has had a beautiful demo garden at Ekar Farm in Denver since 2021. As Ayn Schmit wrote in her 2022 article: “Ekar Farm, located on land belonging to the Denver Academy of Torah, is a non-profit organization that fosters community and connection […] Continue reading "Saying Goodbye to a Beloved Demo Garden"
Compiled by Deborah Lebow Aal Bugs are in trouble, and our yards, both the plants we put in and the way we garden, can be part of the solution. The Xerces Society had an article I particularly liked on using your landscape to make a difference to bugs by adding microhabitats. I am summarizing and […] Continue reading "Adding Microhabitats to Your Landscape"
By Deb Lebow Aal Jonathan Sciarcon in his article “Consider Rewilding Your Yard with Aggressive Native Plants” has made a great case for strategically placing what he calls aggressive native plants, and what I call garden thugs, in your yard. I heartily agree with his arguments and have a few more to add to the […] Continue reading "Garden Thugs"
By Kate Hogan* I started my home garden native plant conversion back in 2015 – I foolishly decided to attempt to replant my entire front and back garden beds to exclusively Colorado and New Mexico native plants while on maternity leave with my second child, which happened to be September of that year. We had […] Continue reading "Native Plants for Hummingbirds"
By Deb Lebow Aal In July, 2021, we reprinted an article from Harlequin Gardens on tips and tricks to water less. We’d like to highlight some of those tricks, again, add to them, and update some ideas from that article. That article focused on the advantages of xeriscaping your landscape; we’ve moved away from that […] Continue reading "I Know You Want To Water Less"
By Karen Vanderwall Many of you are looking at your tired thirsty lawns right now, thinking I should get rid of it! It’s a daunting task, you are also probably thinking. Once you’ve worked through the challenging decision to replace some or all of your lawn to a native garden, the next challenge is how […] Continue reading "NATIVE PLANT GARDEN PREP – THE NITTY-GRITTY OF LAWN REMOVAL"
By Deb Lebow Aal Okay, it’s not the most exciting gardening article, but no doubt you have heard that mulch is important for a healthy garden. Is that true? And, mostly what we see on the Front Range is wood chip mulch. Is that the right mulch for your native plant garden? Well, it depends. […] Continue reading "Mulch for Your Colorado Native Plant Garden (Post)"
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"