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News Briefs
Rush to the Gold
Colorado's State Parks are encouraging visitors to come to the parks to view
the brilliant colors of fall. Visit the
Colorado State Parks' website at
www.parks.state.co.us
to see an up-to-date report on current conditions at selected parks.
Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Patches
With the arrival of autumn,
several corn mazes and pumpkin patches have opened. Most sites offer a
number of fun activities for the family. For details visit the Colorado
Proud website
www.coloradoproud.org
and click on Agritourism Activities and then Corn Mazes
Colorado Proud
If you would like to find high quality, locally
grown fruits, vegetables and other products, check out the Colorado Proud
website at www.coloradoproud.org.
This site provides a Colorado crop calendar so you'll know when specific fruits
and vegetables are available. You will also find information about
farmers' markets and roadside stands, recipes,
and a list of agricultural festivals.
Fall Course Catalog
Available
Denver Botanic
Gardens publishes a Continuing Education catalog that lists classes being
offered. You can view the
catalog online at www.botanicgardens.org.
Or, you may call the Continuing Education office at 720-865-3610 and request a
catalog be mailed to you.
Living Bronze Sculptures
by Robert Wick: Exhibit Extended
Denver Botanic Gardens is currently
hosting an exhibit of 26 large bronze sculptures. The impressive
sculptures contain watering systems allowing
living plants to be incorporated in them The exhibit was originally
scheduled to close on Oct. 31, but it has now been extended to Jan. 21, 2007.
During the holiday season it will become a component of Blossoms of Light.
Some sculptures will be illuminated nightly and incorporate seasonal plantings.
Share Surplus Produce
Do
you have too many tomatoes that ripened all at once, more zucchini than you care
to eat, or an over-abundance of other produce? Don't let it go to
waste! Donate it to your local food bank or other organizations that serve
the needy.
Butterfly Migration
Watch for Monarch
Butterflies this month as they migrate to Mexico. They are attracted to
butterfly bushes, asters and other flowers that provide nectar.
Answers for Gardeners
You can receive answers to your gardening questions by
calling Master Gardeners at your county's office of CSU Cooperative Extension
Service. For a list of these offices and contact information please click
on CSU Extension in our menu.
Master Gardeners are also available to answer questions
at Denver Botanic Gardens' new Gardening Help program. Call 720-865-3575
or send e-mail to
gardeninghelp@botanicgardens.org.
CSU Extension Service also answers e-mail questions.
Go to
www.ext.colostate.edu and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Click on AnswerLink.
Planttalk Colorado en
Espaņol
Spanish speaking
gardeners can now listen to or read more articles in Spanish at Planttalk
Colorado. The menu of articles in Spanish is greatly expanded. Call
1-888-666-3063 or visit
www.planttalk.org
and follow the prompts for Spanish.
Radio Gardening Program
Susan Rose and
Curtis Swift are hosting a radio program, "From the Ground Up," on KAFM,
88.1 FM, Grand Junction, the last Thursday of each month from Noon - 1 p.m.
Each show includes guests, gardening tips, announcements of upcoming
programs and takes calls on gardening. If you cannot receive this
station you can listen to it online at
http://kafmradio.org.
Colorado State Forest Service
Tree Planting Program
Every year the
CSFS grows more than 2 million tree and shrub seedlings. Over 50 different
species are available to people who own two acres or more of land and need trees
and shrubs for conservation purposes, such as windbreaks or reforestation.
The seedlings cannot be resold as a living tree or used for landscaping.
Seedlings are available in minimums of 30 to 50 plants. For more
information about this program please see www.colostate.edu/Depts/CSFS.
Scroll down and click on "Obtain conservation seedlings for windbreaks,
habitat and reforestation."
Hudson Gardens Offers Classes
Hudson Gardens
in Littleton has partnered with the Community Education Department of Arapahoe
Community College to offer a series of classes on gardening, painting,
photograpy and more. See www.hudsongardens.org
for details.
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Pumpkin Season
If
you have a child who loves pumpkins and/or pumpkin pie, we have just the book
for him or her. In Search of the Perfect Pumpkin, geared for
children ages 4 to 10, describes a family's annual quest for the biggest
and the best pumpkin. The search eventually leads them to plant their own
pumpkins. Colorful illustrations, informative tidbits about pumpkins, and a
pumpkin pie recipe add to the book's charm.
2007 Calendars
Colorado Gardening now has 2007 calendars available. We are offering a
selection of Colorado-themed calendars. They make a wonderful gift
for someone special -- or yourself!
Click on the photos for more information or to purchase
these calendars.
Featured Books for Colorado Gardeners
Colorado
Gardening's bookstore offers many books dealing with gardening in Colorado and
the Rocky Mountain region. These books provide how-to information and
plant selection recommendations. Click on the photos for more information or to purchase these
books:
A Medley of Gardens - Denver Style
Rocky Mountain Gardener's Guide
How to Get Started in Rocky Mountain Gardening
Month-By-Month Gardening in the Rocky Mountains
See our Bookstore pages for additional selections.
West Nile Virus
West
Nile Virus, a mosquito borne virus that infects humans, horses and birds and can
be lethal, is a problem again this year in Colorado. When you work in your garden, be on the
lookout for standing water in pots, buckets and other items. The water
should be drained in order to help control the mosquito population.
Water in birdbaths should be changed weekly. Check for any drainage
problems that create standing water in your yard and correct them also.
"Fight the Bite" is a West Nile virus
prevention and education campaign sponsored by Colorado's state and local health
departments. You will find additional information on their website at www.fightthebitecolorado.com.
FireWise Colorado
Homeowners are reminded of the need to
take special caution with landscapes in areas that are likely to be threatened
by fire. FireWise Colorado is a highly informative website with lots of helpful
information for people who live in fire-prone areas. You will find
articles on fire-resistant landscaping, FireWise plant materials, vegetative
recovery after wildfire, grass seed mixes to reduce wildfire hazard, and much
more. Visit the FireWise Colorado website at
www.firewise.org/co.
Noxious Weeds
Several popular plants are on
Colorado's noxious weeds list: Bouncingbet, Common
St. John's Wort, Dame's Rocket, Oxeye Daisy, Purple Loosestrife, Dalmatian
Toadflax, Russian Olive and others. Do not plant these plants and begin eradicating them
if they are currently in your garden. If you buy wildflower mixes, check
the label to be sure these plants are not included. |
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2006 Plant Select Winners
The latest
perennials and shrubs to earn the Plant Select designation will be available
soon at garden centers in Colorado. Plant Select is a cooperative program
administered by Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens, and landscape
and nursery professionals throughout the region. It annually recommends
plants that have been tested and found to be especially suited to gardens in the
Rocky Mountain and Plains states. These are the 2006
selections.
Panchito Manzanita (Arctostaphylos x
coloradoensis) -- a broadleaf evergreen that grows 10 - 15" high and
24 - 36" high.
Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium) -- a
shrub that grows 3 - 5' tall and 3 - 5' wide. It features fragrant foliage
and white flowers that bloom in mid-summer.
Kintzley's Ghost Honeysuckle (Lonicera
reticulata) -- a perennial vine that grows 8 - 12' high and 3
- 6' wide. It features yellow flowers in June.
Ruby Moon Hyacinth Bean (Dolichos lablab
'Ruby Moon') -- a vine that grows 6 - 10' high and 3 - 5' wide. It is an
annual vine in USDA zones 6 and below and features dark burgundy foliage and
amethyst flowers.
Snowmass Phlox (Phlox bifida)
-- a perennial that grows 4 - 8" high and 18 - 24" wide. It features white
flowers in spring.
Bridges Penstemon (Penstemon rostiflorus) -- a native perennial that grows 24 - 36" high and 24 - 36" wide.
It features scarlet flowers midsummer to fall.
Platinum Sage (Salvia daghestanica) -- a perennial that grows 8 - 10" high and 12 - 18" wide. It
features dark blue flowers in spring and early summer.
Giant Sacaton (Sporobolus wrightii) -- a
native perennial ornamental grass that grows 5 - 7' high and 3 - 5' wide.
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Play It Safe
Gardeners use a
number of products in the garden that typically come with safety warnings on the
label. Pesticides and fertilizers often suggest wearing pants, long
sleeved shirts, gloves, and a mask. Those who use bone meal have a new
concern that should encourage them to take pre-cautionary measures: dust from
the bone-meal may carry the mutated protein from mad cow disease.
Gardeners are encouraged to play it safe whenever using any gardening product by
following all label instructions.
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