Western Mountains and High Plains Regional Report

Put Seed and Nursery Catalogs to Good Use

Call me old fashioned, but I still like getting those colorful seed and nursery catalogs in the mailbox. I can relax by the fire and browse through the pages, dreaming on what new plants to try this year. It puts me in the mood for planning this year's...
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Resources

Fernbush
Use Sticky Traps to Control Fungus Gnats

Plan Your Garden On Paper
Select Varieties for Early Maturity
Recycle Plastic and Foam Containers
Prevent Fungus Gnats
Make Mini-Greenhouses

A New Season for Lower Maintenance

With the start of a new year, now is a good time to evaluate the landscape and decide if changes are in order. I'm resolved to make my gardening easier and more low maintenance. As much I as enjoy the therapy of weeding, mulching, and watering my...
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Resources

Winecups
Unclog Drip System Emitters

Check for Winter Watering
Get Ready for Seeding
Order Seeds Early
Take Houseplant Cuttings
Start Bring In Potted Bulbs

Keep Your Poinsettia Beyond the Holidays

Poinsettias are everywhere at this time of year! These red and green symbols of Christmas help us get into t the holiday spirit. A central American native that was harvested by the Aztecs for its red dye, the poinsettia was brought to the United States...
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Resources

Coral Embers Willow
Use Poinsettia Blooms as Cut Flowers

Choose Poinsettias Carefully
Use Evergreen Boughs to Decorate Outdoors
Check Summer Bulbs in Storage
Mulch Roses and Exposed Perennials
Evergreen Scraps Protect Plants

Easy Storage for Dahlia Tubers

Dahlias have been one of my favorite summer flowering bulbs since childhood. This year was a fantastic year for them at the old farmstead where I spent my summers. As I reflect on how I grew my dahlias this past year, there is only one thing I would...
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Resources

Flowering Cyclamen
Decorate Empty Outdoor Pots

Sharpen and Lubricate Grass and Hedge Trimmers
Gather Up Seedling Trays
Plan Your Garden Indoors
Clean Rain Gutters
Keep Carrots Sweet

Fresh Potatoes for the Holiday Meal

As we sat down for the Thanksgiving meal, I had to reflect on how thankful I am for a good vegetable gardening year. What a treat to just take a few steps to the garden and harvest fresh spuds for the Thanksgiving feast. Nothing beats the fresh,...
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Resources

Flowering Alliums
Crackle Glass Pear Fruit Fly Traps

Continue to Rake Leaves
Protect Young Tree Trunks
Dig and Store Canna Roots
Put Out Fresh Bird Seed
Spruce Up Outdoor Pots

Grow A Sweet Potato Vine

For the past few months I have been honing my skills in the kitchen. With all the produce from the garden, there is plenty to eat fresh and put away in the freezer. A plentiful harvest of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beets, and potatoes has kept me busy...
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Resources

Perennial Flax
Test Your Garden Soil

Cut Back Geraniums
Avoid Pruning Rose Bushes
Make Homemade Cider
Plant Fragrant Tulips
Shred Fallen Leaves

Coping with a Fall Snowstorm

When a heavy, wet snowstorm blows in during late October, damage is imminent to deciduous trees, still draped with leaves in fall splendor. Those trees that are not structurally sound are even more vulnerable. During a recent fall snowstorm, one of...
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Resources

International Society of Arboriculture
Safe Snow Removal

Take Care of Garden Tools
Protect Wooden Handles
Clean Floating Row Covers
Water Landscape Plants Deeply
Continue Harvesting

Get Your Lawn in Shape

Autumn, with crisp morning air and warm days, is one of the best times to get the lawn in shape for the winter and next year. My lawn took it hard this year with the hot, dry and windy conditions that stressed the turf. Despite all this, cooler...
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Resources

Scarecrow Stroll at the Idaho Botanical Garden
'Snow Angel' Coral Bells

Lookout for Invaders
Plant Garlic
Plant Deer-Resistant Bulbs
Reduce Pests and Diseases
Check Woody Plants

Fall Gardening To-Do List

The pleasant weather of autumn is one of my favorite times to plant. Yes, plant spring-flowering bulbs, trees, shrubs and many perennials. You can find them on sale now as nurseries would rather sell them than overwinter plants in the nursery. Fall...
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Resources

Powdery Mildew Control
Russian Hawthorn

Tidy the Water Garden
Check Lawn for Dry Spots
Get Ready to Store Tender Bulbs
Preserve Your Bounty
Save Favorite Plants

Grasshoppers Begone

Lurking among the fine crop of romaine lettuce is the nemesis of gardener and farmer alike. He or she has no regard for all the hard work I've put in to nurturing the garden through the seasons -- it's just an all-you-can eat buffet that's open...
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Resources

University of California IPM Online
Blue Velvet Honeysuckle

Harvest Vegetables Frequently
Prepare for Frost
Check Plants for Hitchhiking Pests
Fertilize Cool Season Grasses
Plant Bulbs

The Versatility of Ornamental Grasses

When most of us think of grass, we generally think of the kind we mow, weed, fertilize, and water to keep green. Some lawn grasses even invade our flower beds and vegetable garden, adding another garden chore. But the grasses that make a show in my...
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Resources

Bee Balm
Household Vinegar for Weeds

Prepare for Spring Bulb Planting
Plant Groundcovers as Living Mulch
Observe Caterpillars
Deal with Yellowjackets
Leave Spiders Alone

Western Mountains and High Plains Regional Report

Put Seed and Nursery Catalogs to Good Use

Resources

Reminders

A New Season for Lower Maintenance

Resources

Reminders

Keep Your Poinsettia Beyond the Holidays

Resources

Reminders

Easy Storage for Dahlia Tubers

Resources

Reminders

Fresh Potatoes for the Holiday Meal

Resources

Reminders

Grow A Sweet Potato Vine

Resources

Reminders

Coping with a Fall Snowstorm

Resources

Reminders

Get Your Lawn in Shape

Resources

Reminders

Fall Gardening To-Do List

Resources

Reminders

Grasshoppers Begone

Resources

Reminders

The Versatility of Ornamental Grasses

Resources

Reminders