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"
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"
by Wild Ones Front Range Chapter Board Members This month we thought we’d go “trick or treating” for (i.e. do a deep dive into) nuggets of wisdom our Chapter Board Members (and prospective Board Members) have to hand out from their own experience planting natives in their landscapes – tips, tricks, and info that will […] Continue reading "Tips, Tricks, and Info for Planting Native Plants on the Front Range"
by Deb Lebow Aal In response to last month’s article, on why artificial turf, aka plastic lawn, is not a good alternative, a reader sent a handout from Colorado Springs Utilities that details a few more reasons it is no good. Of particular interest is the link in that handout to health reasons not to […] Continue reading "Artificial Turf – Again!"
by Danna Liebert As advocates for Colorado native landscaping, you may have claimed (as we have) that you can create any traditional landscape style with natives; the whole story, as many of us know, is complicated: not all CO native plants are low-water; some need space to roam (spreading by rhizomes or reseeding); some don’t […] Continue reading "Native Plant Garden Pairings"
by Deborah Lebow Aal The ‘Gardening Myths’ article I wrote last year was our most popular article ever. It has been reprinted in several other newsletters, including Denver Audubon (linked here), and we received many comments. Following up with ‘Gardening Myths #2’ was inevitable. In most cases, there is no right or wrong ‘answer’ to […] Continue reading "Garden Myths #2"
by Kenton Seth Editor’s note: This article is abridged from the original for use in this newsletter. To read the full article, originally published in The Blazing Star (the quarterly publication of the North American Native Plant Society, nanps.org) For those who have long been supporters of native plants and their supported creatures, the recent fad […] Continue reading "Crevice Gardens"
by Jody Gardiner Curious to learn more about transforming your garden into a habitat with Colorado native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees? Check out our native gardening toolkit, register for an upcoming event, subscribe to our newsletter, and/or become a member – if you’re not one already! Continue reading "Native Garden “Before and After”"
By Tom Swihart, Danna Liebert, and Eryn Joy Murphy The December 2020 issue of the Newsletter informed members that Front Range was a founding member of the Colorado Native Landscaping Coalition (CNLC) – a collaboration between Wild Ones Front Range Chapter, the Audubon Rockies Habitat Hero Program, the Colorado Native Plant Society, the Colorado Wildlife […] Continue reading "Colorado Native Landscaping Coalition Update"
A book review by Rick Phillips Being a Wild Ones member, the book Lawns into Meadows, by Owen Wormser, caught my eye immediately. And with an author named Wormser, you would think this guy must really know soil and plants! Wormser is a landscape architect and horticulturalist who grew up off the grid in Maine and […] Continue reading "Lawn Into Meadows"