Western Mountains and High Plains Regional Report

Coping with Rose Pests in Summer

The extreme high temperatures can be relentless in the garden and make it a bigger challenge to grow roses with bountiful blossoms. Heat makes the blooms fade faster, and pests can become more prevalent with low humidity. Spider Mites I'm...
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Resources

Trumpet Vine
Epsom Salts for Roses

Mulch Away
Fertilize Vegetables
Clean Up Raspberry Patch
Deadhead Hanging Baskets
Adjust Sprinkler Systems

Growing Healthy Tomato Plants

It's a hot cracker out there with temperatures soaring above 90 degrees. The warm-season vegetables are really starting to grow and fill out, but the heat raises some concerns about growing tomatoes successfully. Whether you plant tomatoes in a...
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Resources

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
Bagging Apples to Keep Out Pesky Maggots

Watch for Pests
Deadhead Flowers
Monitor Roses
Weed Around Shrubs
Pinch Off Suckers

The Reliable Peony

The old-fashioned peony in my grandmother's garden had huge pink flowers and was the focal point in the flower bed. As a young child I would always marvel at the beauty of the huge blooms every June. Busy ants would scurry all over the emerging buds....
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Resources

A Home Irrigation System
Sweet William

Mulch Pathways
Make Successive Plantings
Control Slugs
Remove Elm Leaves in Lawn
Transplant Seedlings

The Beauty of Siberian Iris

Most of us are familiar with the old-fashioned flag or bearded iris that bloom abundantly about this time of year. Similar but more diminutive are Siberian iris. Their flowers also have three spreading outer petals called "falls" and three upright...
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Resources

Reblooming iris
Zinnias

Fertilize Summer Bulbs
Divide Bearded Iris
Plant Warm-Season Vegetables
Deadhead Spring-Blooming Perennials
Take Remedial Action Against Turf Mites

Cool-Weather Flowers for Spring

While spring is officially here, the weather in the Rockies keeps teasing us; warm days are followed by cold, sometimes snowy, afternoons and nights. If you're like me, you want to have some living color in your landscape that can survive the...
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Resources

Snapdragon
Apple Worm Trap

Support Peonies
Weed Away
Relocate Ant Colonies
Prune Water Sprouts
Monitor Soil Moisture After Planting

Eastern Redbud, a Tough Survivor

After a long winter, it's a delight to watch the ornamental trees explode with a profusion of colorful blooms. Despite our fluctuating temperatures and spring snowstorms, their consistent color is a sure sign that spring has arrived. One of my...
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Resources

Spotted Deadnettle
Clear Up Doggy Spots in the Lawn

Thin Crowded Perennials
Mow Lawn Frequently
Start Warm-Season Cucurbits
Plant Pansies
Fertilize Cool-Season Lawns

Succulents and Cacti for Colder Regions

Cacti and succulents are generally considered landscape plants reserved for warm climates. This may well be true knowing their tenacity to stand up to the most wilting of summer heat. However, if you look around our region you will soon discover that...
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Resources

North American Rock Garden Society
Stonecrop

Freshen Up Potting Soil
Divide and Separate African Violets
Overseed Thinning Lawns
Monitor Newly Planted Rose Bushes
Start Melons Indoors

The Magic of Spring Bulbs

Now that spring has sprung, life is awakening in my garden. Looking out the kitchen window I see signs of tulip buds emerging from a late planting in early January. Yes, like most gardeners who take advantage of bargains, I purchased the tulips last...
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Resources

Growing a Natural Lawn
'Profusion' Crab Apple

Time for Pansies
Thin Strawberries
Clean Iris Beds
Patrol for Pests
Plant Rhubarb

Amazing Rhubarb

Spring is in the air and some sure signs of it are bursting out in the rhubarb patch. This perennial vegetable reliably provides the first "fruit" of the season. I can almost smell the first simmering pot of rhubarb on the wood-burning stove, flavored...
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Resources

Seed-Starting Basics
Concolor Fir

Plant Bare-Root Trees, Shrubs, Fruits, Perennials
Make a Plan for the Vegetable Garden
Prune Oystershell Scale-Infested Stems
Have Large Pots Handy
Deter Night Crawlers

Growing Veggies at Home

Do you know what it's like to harvest fresh-ripened fruits and vegetables? Their delicious flavors can't be matched by storebought produce. Growing your own lets you maintain this quality control. It's nice to know whether or not chemicals, pesticides,...
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Resources

20th Anniversary of Spring Home and Patio Show
Persian Shield Plant

Start Pruning
Plant Raspberries
Gradually Remove Mulch
Start Cool-Season Annuals
Look for Bare-Root Plants

Weed Watch

As the snow recedes in the landscape, I'm beginning to get the urge to clean up the garden and do some transplanting. But among the new signs of life in the garden, there lurks a formidable enemy --- the perennial dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale )....
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Resources

Corsican Violet
Container Gardens on Wheels

Prune Fruit Trees
Check Plants in South and Western Exposures
Protect Newly Planted Evergreens
Clean Out Bird-Nesting Boxes
Divide Older Perennials

Western Mountains and High Plains Regional Report

Coping with Rose Pests in Summer

Resources

Reminders

Growing Healthy Tomato Plants

Resources

Reminders

The Reliable Peony

Resources

Reminders

The Beauty of Siberian Iris

Resources

Reminders

Cool-Weather Flowers for Spring

Resources

Reminders

Eastern Redbud, a Tough Survivor

Resources

Reminders

Succulents and Cacti for Colder Regions

Resources

Reminders

The Magic of Spring Bulbs

Resources

Reminders

Amazing Rhubarb

Resources

Reminders

Growing Veggies at Home

Resources

Reminders

Weed Watch

Resources

Reminders