Thursday, December 1, 2011
Five Inches of Snow on The Ground; Temps in the Single Digits
Hard to think about the garden right now.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Christmas Cactus
My Christmas Cactus thinks it is Christmas - probably because it lives in a room that gets bright sunlight during the day and is dark at night.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
By-Product of Gardening - Honey
Here's a golden jar of honey, I spotted at a Wheat Ridge gas station recently. I loved the label.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Tomato Guy, Part V and last in this series
Water is very important with tomatoes as they like it hot, the Tomato Guy said.
He waters his plants three times a day - before he leaves for work around 6 am, again when he gets home in the early afternoon around 2 pm. and again in the early evening around 6 pm.
He told me that he went on a three-week vacation this summer and a very responsible neighbor watered for him, it wasn't the same. He didn't think waterings were skipped or incomplete, but his tomato plants were never the same. Still, he got a bumper crop.
This watering schedule seemed like trouble to me with my active lifestyle. It seems like a watering system tailored to his specifications would be a good project to test out. Wonder what he will do for his next crop. I will keep you posted.
He waters his plants three times a day - before he leaves for work around 6 am, again when he gets home in the early afternoon around 2 pm. and again in the early evening around 6 pm.
He told me that he went on a three-week vacation this summer and a very responsible neighbor watered for him, it wasn't the same. He didn't think waterings were skipped or incomplete, but his tomato plants were never the same. Still, he got a bumper crop.
This watering schedule seemed like trouble to me with my active lifestyle. It seems like a watering system tailored to his specifications would be a good project to test out. Wonder what he will do for his next crop. I will keep you posted.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Miss the Garden Yet?
Here's a video entitled "Colorado Garden 2011" by TaxidermyOutdoors that gave me a hankering for next summer. How about you?
Hit the left arrow to return to this blog.
Hit the left arrow to return to this blog.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Spot for My Night-Vision Camera
A couple of days after each snow, I walked the garden looking for animal tracks.
This past snowstorm, I found a single set of coyote or dog tracks heading for the cul de sac. if I was a betting person, I would put my money on someone's dog.
At the north west corner, there were lots of small tracks going in and out of a brush pile. My guess is rabbits. I thought we had only a few on The Place, but the tracks in the soft snow made it look like quite an extended family lives there. Our staycation (Prowler travel trailer) backs up to the brush pile, and the critters are using the travel trailer as a covered patio. Great...
So that is where we will put the night-vision camera. Will let you know what we see. In the meantime, this is what the camera looks like:
This past snowstorm, I found a single set of coyote or dog tracks heading for the cul de sac. if I was a betting person, I would put my money on someone's dog.
At the north west corner, there were lots of small tracks going in and out of a brush pile. My guess is rabbits. I thought we had only a few on The Place, but the tracks in the soft snow made it look like quite an extended family lives there. Our staycation (Prowler travel trailer) backs up to the brush pile, and the critters are using the travel trailer as a covered patio. Great...
So that is where we will put the night-vision camera. Will let you know what we see. In the meantime, this is what the camera looks like:
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| my birthday gift from our son and family |
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Jodi Torpey, a Colorado Gardener
Western Gardeners by Jodi Torpey, a Coloradoan, is another great gardening and cooking website. Hit the back arrow to return to this blog.
She writes that she is "Your online guide to gardening in the West." She is a public speaker on gardening for hire and wrote "The Colorado Gardener's Companion: an Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Centennial State (Colorado) in 2007. Her book is available through her website for $14.95 with free shipping.
Her store has more great Christmas gift ideas for that special gardener on your list.
When you join her website you will get her .pdf entitled "101 Ways to Save Water & $$ in the Landscape." Will let you know about this publication in later postings.
She writes that she is "Your online guide to gardening in the West." She is a public speaker on gardening for hire and wrote "The Colorado Gardener's Companion: an Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Centennial State (Colorado) in 2007. Her book is available through her website for $14.95 with free shipping.
Her store has more great Christmas gift ideas for that special gardener on your list.
When you join her website you will get her .pdf entitled "101 Ways to Save Water & $$ in the Landscape." Will let you know about this publication in later postings.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Yard Art - Ore Cart
Saw this in Lakewood recently at an estate sale. The owner used it for marigolds during the summer. A relative sold it for $400.
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| notice it is sitting on rails |
Monday, October 31, 2011
Forcing Bulbs - Part 1 - Cold Treatment
While at a local discount store the other day, I bought some spring bulbs with the intent of forcing them inside.
After finishing my speech on lasagna gardening at the monthly meeting of my garden club, I ask for their suggestions and observations on forcing bulbs. Everyone agreed that I needed to refrigerate them - however, there was no agreement on how long.
When I googled forcing bulbs, the University of Minnesota Extension Service suggested refrigerating them October 1st for 12-13 weeks. Click here for their website. Hit the left arrow to return.
As I didn't get them into cold storage until several weeks late (October 24), I hope they are forgiving. I chose the refrigerator rather than the garage as the bulbs will not survive if they freeze, and I couldn't guarantee that.
Since I have multiple bulbs, I will mark my calendar for the day after Christmas to start rotating them out of cold storage. We will see how the experiment goes...
After finishing my speech on lasagna gardening at the monthly meeting of my garden club, I ask for their suggestions and observations on forcing bulbs. Everyone agreed that I needed to refrigerate them - however, there was no agreement on how long.
When I googled forcing bulbs, the University of Minnesota Extension Service suggested refrigerating them October 1st for 12-13 weeks. Click here for their website. Hit the left arrow to return.
As I didn't get them into cold storage until several weeks late (October 24), I hope they are forgiving. I chose the refrigerator rather than the garage as the bulbs will not survive if they freeze, and I couldn't guarantee that.
Since I have multiple bulbs, I will mark my calendar for the day after Christmas to start rotating them out of cold storage. We will see how the experiment goes...
Friday, October 28, 2011
Zone4 Magazine and Website
A year or so ago, I subscribed to Zone4, a gardening magazine about "LIVING in the high country WEST." Their subscription advertisement said "ZONE4's expert contributors offer advice on everything you need to know to be a successful gardener in the short, dry growing seasons of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho." It should have mentioned "high altitude," too.
"Plus," they continue, "Q & A with Montana State University's top horticulturist Dr. Bob Gough, sustainable sources of local foods, recipes, farmers markets, flowers on MainStreet, outdoor art, and more."
The price is $24 a/year or $40 for 2 years. It is published four times a year. It is expensive to publish a beautiful, slick magazine like this, and I knew I needed to put my money where my mouth was.
When I first saw this magazine, I was low-water ideas deprived: not only did I order up a two-year subscription, but I sprung for back issues as well.
The 2011 Fall Edition is out, and I am awaiting their 2011Winter Edition.
Meanwhile I watch them online. Click here to view their website. Click the back arrow to return. Highlights of their website include their issue back-issues index, videos, store (everyone has a gardener on their Christmas gift) and a recipe corner.
"Plus," they continue, "Q & A with Montana State University's top horticulturist Dr. Bob Gough, sustainable sources of local foods, recipes, farmers markets, flowers on MainStreet, outdoor art, and more."
The price is $24 a/year or $40 for 2 years. It is published four times a year. It is expensive to publish a beautiful, slick magazine like this, and I knew I needed to put my money where my mouth was.
When I first saw this magazine, I was low-water ideas deprived: not only did I order up a two-year subscription, but I sprung for back issues as well.
The 2011 Fall Edition is out, and I am awaiting their 2011Winter Edition.
Meanwhile I watch them online. Click here to view their website. Click the back arrow to return. Highlights of their website include their issue back-issues index, videos, store (everyone has a gardener on their Christmas gift) and a recipe corner.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tomato Guy - Part IV - Tomato Plants
More from Tomato Guy.
After the last frost next spring, it will be time to populate the tubs.
The Tomato Guy buys his stock from nine different retailers hoping to find a variety of different growers. He reasons that if one plant is diseased his whole crop is not ruined and the summer's growing season is not lost.
It will be interesting to see when I check back with him in the spring the answers to the following questions about the planting and care of his tomato transplants:
After the last frost next spring, it will be time to populate the tubs.
The Tomato Guy buys his stock from nine different retailers hoping to find a variety of different growers. He reasons that if one plant is diseased his whole crop is not ruined and the summer's growing season is not lost.
It will be interesting to see when I check back with him in the spring the answers to the following questions about the planting and care of his tomato transplants:
- how deep; vertical or horizontal
- how close to the last-frost date
- how to protect tender plants
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tomato Guy - Part III - Soil and Mulch
More from Tomato Guy.
When he fills his orange tubs, he puts five or six inches of mulch in the bottom. Then he puts a weed barrier. Then he puts Miracle Grow garden soil. From the looks of his containers, he puts enough Miracle Grow so that the soil line comes within a couple of inches of the rim.
When he disassembles his tubs in the fall, he doesn't reuse his mulch for tomatoes. He puts it around other plants in his yard.
The Miracle grow is another story. He screens it using chicken wire to get rid of any tomato roots. These roots can cause diseases harmful to his next tomato crop, he says. When he empties the soil, he puts it in a pile in the backyard awaiting spring.
Before next spring he will buy a couple of bags of small to medium mulch for the bottom layer, put a new layer of weed barrier, add his recycled Miracle Grow and top off his tubs with new Miracle Grow garden soil.
Each fall, the Tomato Guy does as many gardening chores as possible as he is very busy in the spring.
To be continued...
When he fills his orange tubs, he puts five or six inches of mulch in the bottom. Then he puts a weed barrier. Then he puts Miracle Grow garden soil. From the looks of his containers, he puts enough Miracle Grow so that the soil line comes within a couple of inches of the rim.
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| mulch |
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| potting soil |
When he disassembles his tubs in the fall, he doesn't reuse his mulch for tomatoes. He puts it around other plants in his yard.
The Miracle grow is another story. He screens it using chicken wire to get rid of any tomato roots. These roots can cause diseases harmful to his next tomato crop, he says. When he empties the soil, he puts it in a pile in the backyard awaiting spring.
Before next spring he will buy a couple of bags of small to medium mulch for the bottom layer, put a new layer of weed barrier, add his recycled Miracle Grow and top off his tubs with new Miracle Grow garden soil.
Each fall, the Tomato Guy does as many gardening chores as possible as he is very busy in the spring.
To be continued...
Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Tomato Guy - Part II - Containers
More from the Tomato Guy.
He uses orange dunking-apple tubs with handles that he got in an after-Halloween sale at Wal-Mart last year. Below is a photo of the label from this year's stock. He chose orange rather than black or another dark color as he thought the lighter color would absorb the less heat and be gentler on the tomato plant's sensitive root system.
The Tomato Guy pokes a couple holes in the bottom of each tub for drainage.
He likes the rope handles as he easily hauls them into the garage when hail or other bad weather threatens. They are not heavy as he uses a layer of soil and mulch mixture.
To be continued...
He uses orange dunking-apple tubs with handles that he got in an after-Halloween sale at Wal-Mart last year. Below is a photo of the label from this year's stock. He chose orange rather than black or another dark color as he thought the lighter color would absorb the less heat and be gentler on the tomato plant's sensitive root system.
The Tomato Guy pokes a couple holes in the bottom of each tub for drainage.
He likes the rope handles as he easily hauls them into the garage when hail or other bad weather threatens. They are not heavy as he uses a layer of soil and mulch mixture.
To be continued...
Monday, October 17, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Snake in the Sidewalk
Can you see the snake along the crack in the sidewalk? It is in the center of the photo horizontally, and its head almost touches the shadow in the lower left of the photo.
Coming home from errands, I stepped right over it as it was peacefully sunbathing and camouflaged by the crack where the driveway meets the front patio.
The nights are chillier now, and I am sure it's enjoying the warmth of the fall sun before hibernation. The photo doesn't show the tail end, but there are no rattles. We have always called these garden snakes, and a quick check of the internet confirms it.
Coming home from errands, I stepped right over it as it was peacefully sunbathing and camouflaged by the crack where the driveway meets the front patio.
The nights are chillier now, and I am sure it's enjoying the warmth of the fall sun before hibernation. The photo doesn't show the tail end, but there are no rattles. We have always called these garden snakes, and a quick check of the internet confirms it.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Tomato Guy - Part I - Heat and Sunshine
First report from the Tomato Guy.
Recently while visiting an estate sale, I noticed nine tubs of tomato plants across the street. The vines were huge, and there were lots of tomatoes on each. I knew I had to interview this Colorado gardener.
I stopped by, and luckily he was home. He gave me an earful - he has been doing this awhile and was very eager to share. Not realizing I was going to get so much information, I had brought only a scrap of paper with me. As we sat on his front porch, I scribbled frantically on that scrap poised on my knee. I wanted to get it all.
I asked him if I could come back towards spring to document his process, and he agreed. Today is the first installment of the preliminaries, and I will continue until I run out of notes.
Physical layout: As shown in the picture below, his gardening tubs run down the property line of his shared driveway and on the westside of his house. There are no shade trees blocking the hot-afternoon Colorado sun. Although he has a few tomato plants in the back yard, the vast majority are here as heat and sunshine are very important.
Between the Sunday estate sale and my interview, the Tomato Guy harvested the last of his crop and tore out the vines. He thought his crop could have lasted longer into the fall; but for three weeks during the heat of August, he was on vacation and a substitute watered them. Watering tomato plants in bloom and in fruit is tricky, and they were never the same again.
Someone in his neighborhood bothers his plants, so he installed a surveillance system. Hence the sign.
To be continued...
Recently while visiting an estate sale, I noticed nine tubs of tomato plants across the street. The vines were huge, and there were lots of tomatoes on each. I knew I had to interview this Colorado gardener.
I stopped by, and luckily he was home. He gave me an earful - he has been doing this awhile and was very eager to share. Not realizing I was going to get so much information, I had brought only a scrap of paper with me. As we sat on his front porch, I scribbled frantically on that scrap poised on my knee. I wanted to get it all.
I asked him if I could come back towards spring to document his process, and he agreed. Today is the first installment of the preliminaries, and I will continue until I run out of notes.
Physical layout: As shown in the picture below, his gardening tubs run down the property line of his shared driveway and on the westside of his house. There are no shade trees blocking the hot-afternoon Colorado sun. Although he has a few tomato plants in the back yard, the vast majority are here as heat and sunshine are very important.
Between the Sunday estate sale and my interview, the Tomato Guy harvested the last of his crop and tore out the vines. He thought his crop could have lasted longer into the fall; but for three weeks during the heat of August, he was on vacation and a substitute watered them. Watering tomato plants in bloom and in fruit is tricky, and they were never the same again.
Someone in his neighborhood bothers his plants, so he installed a surveillance system. Hence the sign.
To be continued...
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Gathering Tender Plant near Back Door
It is that time of year. Jack Frost came last week when meteorologists forecasted snow for the mountains.
Luckily a week ago Saturday, I gathered plants needing protection near the back door so they could be covered at a moment's notice. I wanted to be ready. No doubt, we will have more bright, warm and sunny days to enjoy these plants and the garden.
Some of these plants are destined to overwinter in a small greenhouse in near a window in our garage. Some will go back to being seasonal house plants. Some will go to the compost pile.
Below is an aster we saw when we stopped to look at an old car on Guy Hill recently. I have cousin to this plant in the yard - it is pink and passed its prime. Got the yard one from the garden club plant sale this past spring, and it settled in nicely.
Luckily a week ago Saturday, I gathered plants needing protection near the back door so they could be covered at a moment's notice. I wanted to be ready. No doubt, we will have more bright, warm and sunny days to enjoy these plants and the garden.
Some of these plants are destined to overwinter in a small greenhouse in near a window in our garage. Some will go back to being seasonal house plants. Some will go to the compost pile.
Below is an aster we saw when we stopped to look at an old car on Guy Hill recently. I have cousin to this plant in the yard - it is pink and passed its prime. Got the yard one from the garden club plant sale this past spring, and it settled in nicely.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Look what I found in a Lakewood yard - 1930 Chevy Planter
For more pictures of the 1930 Chevy planter, check our Sister Blog Colorado Classic Cars for more 1930 Chevy pictures.
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| table out of wooden spoked wheels |
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| girl friend's gift - old car planter |
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| more old car shell |
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| old car shell as planter |
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| mail person's eye candy |
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| more eye candy |
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Garden Club
Our local garden club meets once a month for two hours. Our September meeting was yesterday, and we had a seed exchange. Everyone is very willing to share their ideas, experiences flowers and seeds.
The bad news is that we rarely have a speaker. So if one wants information, one must be proactive. I usually ask specific members questions before and after the meeting. I also ask questions of the general membership at the appropriate time (Roberts Rules of Order reign) during the meeting. The group publishes a membership booklet so I could call or email another member between meetings with an urgent question. Since I have been a member for a couple of years, I answer questions, too.
Besides meeting some really nice and knowledgable people about local gardening conditions (Home Depot can't do this), I have seen some beautiful gardens and yards. They put our own work-in-progress garden to shame.
Each summer the garden club puts on a judged flower show with another group. It is interesting to see what locals are growing in the display portion and how creative they are in the flower arranging section.
The group also has a yearly seed exchange from members' own plants. And in the spring, they usually have a plant sale with very reasonable prices. I usually don't have the patience or conditions for seeds unless they are extremely hardy, but I have been very successful with the plants.
The bad news is that we rarely have a speaker. So if one wants information, one must be proactive. I usually ask specific members questions before and after the meeting. I also ask questions of the general membership at the appropriate time (Roberts Rules of Order reign) during the meeting. The group publishes a membership booklet so I could call or email another member between meetings with an urgent question. Since I have been a member for a couple of years, I answer questions, too.
Besides meeting some really nice and knowledgable people about local gardening conditions (Home Depot can't do this), I have seen some beautiful gardens and yards. They put our own work-in-progress garden to shame.
Each summer the garden club puts on a judged flower show with another group. It is interesting to see what locals are growing in the display portion and how creative they are in the flower arranging section.
The group also has a yearly seed exchange from members' own plants. And in the spring, they usually have a plant sale with very reasonable prices. I usually don't have the patience or conditions for seeds unless they are extremely hardy, but I have been very successful with the plants.
Monday, September 26, 2011
I break for flowers and found Astroturf for grass
Sunday morning as hubby and I were driving through Golden, I spied these red flowers. When I stepped into their yard, I noticed that their small patch of grass was really astroturf.
Of course, the bindweed couldn't be denied - one or two vines were snaking from the flower bed.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
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