Posted onSeptember 5, 2023|Comments Off on Denver Residents: Share Your Thoughts on the Future of the Urban Forest
Denvergov.org
By Linda McDonnell, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2013
Have you heard that Denver Parks and Recreation and the Office of the City Forester are collaborating on the city’s first Urban Forest Strategic Plan? It’s important work as improving the urban forest – which includes trees in public and private spaces – will lead to a greener, healthier, and cooler Denver. The purpose includes refining and updating our tree canopy goals and providing a “common and equitable vision” for the future of the city.
Denver residents can get involved by completing the survey linked below. Do it soon, as the extended deadline for submissions is this Friday,September 9th at midnight.
Learn more about the Urban Forest Strategic Plan and sign up for email updates here.
Posted onJanuary 6, 2023|Comments Off on Colorado Gardening Calendar for January 2023
By Linda McDonnell, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2013
January is typically a restful period for gardeners – a time to pour over seed company websites or catalogs, review last year’s successes or blunders, set goals for the upcoming season, and investigate new gardening topics. But even though we may be ‘armchair gardening’, it is important to keep a watchful eye for issues that crop up in the landscape. Don’t forget to occasionally stroll through the garden, especially after storms, to inspect trees and plants. Take care of any issues as soon as you’re able to avoid complications later.
It’s a cold and snowy start to the new year!
Let’s take a look at recommendations for the month.
Trees and Shrubs
We’re huge proponents of winter watering, but thanks to a sloppy, moisture-rich late December snowstorm, watering may not be needed in January. This could begin to change later in the month though, so monitor conditions with special attention to new plantings. Four weeks without sizeable moisture is the signal to drag the hoses out.
Regularly examine trees and shrubs for snapped limbs and bark damage due to snow loads or heavy winds. This post offers tips on preventive maintenance and dealing with damage.
De-icing salts used on nearby sidewalks can cause leaf scorch on evergreen broadleaf shrubs, brown needles on conifers, and damage to turf roots. Use with care.
Manhattan Euonymus (Euonymus kiautschovicus) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub prone to leaf scorch Photo: Linda McDonnell
Perennials
Add additional mulch around perennials that are heaving or lifting up from the soil. Heaving is caused by repeated freezing and thawing, often occurs in newly planted perennials with young root systems, and can indicate compacted soil. Left unattended, it can damage or kill plants. Come spring, organic matter may be needed to improve drainage. According to the University of Iowa, shasta daisy, (Leucanthemum spp.) and coral bells (Heuchera spp.) are particularly prone to heaving.
While it is still a bit early to start seeds indoors, it’s not too soon to replenish seeds and supplies at a local garden center or online. Or set up a seed swap with your gardening buddies.
If you’re new to seed starting or want a refresher, check out this blog post for a thorough tutorial so you are ready to go when it’s time.
Denver’s Recycling and Compost Programs
Denver’s ‘green cart’ compost program rolls out citywide this month. Meat and produce scraps, coffee filters, and greasy pizza boxes, in addition to garden waste, are just a few of the tossable items. If you already participate in the program, be sure to encourage green cart newbies to give it a try.
Have old, unused, or unwanted pesticides or herbicides hanging around? Here’s info on Denver’s program for the safe disposal of many hazardous materials A nominal fee applies.
The Colorado Garden & Home Show returns to the Colorado Convention Center February 4-12th. In addition to workshops, extensive plant displays, and vendor information, Colorado Master Gardeners will be present to answer gardening questions. Tickets available now.
Audubon Rockies and Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon Society hosts the Landscaping for Water Realities on the High Plains conference on February 4th. Virtual attendance is free. Program and registration info here.
Email garden and plant questions with descriptive photos to Denver Master Gardeners at the Denver Botanic Gardens gardeninghelp@botanicgardens.org.
CSU’s Extension website is always available to provide science-based gardening information. It’s a good one to bookmark.
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Posted onNovember 25, 2022|Comments Off on CSU Spur – The New Education Kid in Town
By Valerie Podmore, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2020
CSU Spur Family Day photo courtesy of CSU System
Trigger Warning…Terrible rhyming ahead!
Hey everybody, have you heard
About the amazing new campus called CSU Spur?
It’s a science-based learning center
Teaching all kinds of subjects
And the beauty of it is that
it’s free and open to the public!
What is this “Spur” about which you rhyme so poorly?
CSU Spur is an offshoot of Colorado State University, a new urban campus in Denver which aims to educate the public in subjects which affect us all as citizens of this planet and Colorado. Spur’s focus is on engaging pre-K-12 youth in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) subjects and encourage their participation in related careers. Not only are there educational programs focused on food, water, and health, but community outreach, research, and partnerships with schools and industry.
CSU Spur Day of Service photo courtesy of CSU System
While there’s something to do and see almost every day at Spur, the family fun really happens on the 2nd Saturday of every month. Check the continually updated events page for new activities. In addition, school groups are welcome so get in contact to schedule a visit!
CSU Spur is located at the National Western Center, just north of I-70 between Washington Street and Brighton Boulevard. It consists of three separate buildings on the National Western Center campus: Vida, Terra, and Hydro (opening January 2023).
Terra
CSU Terra building with Kendall Rae Johnson on the Green Roof photos courtesy of CSU System
Terra is the earth sciences building, where agriculture is brought to life in a way that educates us ‘regular folk’ on where our food comes from and how we can all participate in creating a food future that is sustainable and benefits all.
At Terra you can observe plant and food growth research, participate in cooking classes, watch the creation of new food products in the innovation lab, see how agriculture can take place even in urban spaces like on the green roof of Terra, and inside you’ll see the most amazing plant wall!
Terra Green Wall photo courtesy of CSU System
Not only is it pretty (remarkable!) but this year the green roof’s vegetable garden produced an amazing amount of produce which was donated to a local food pantry partner, Growhaus. Read about it here.
The Soil, Water and Plant Testing Laboratory, formerly located in Fort Collins, has moved to Spur! This is a great facility to assist with learning what our soil needs, what might be wrong with our plants, and how best to treat them. This blog explains how soils testing can help us create a great garden.
Terra is the place if you want to learn about food and plant careers, as the best of agriculture education happens here!
Vida
CSU Spur Vida photo courtesy of CSU System
Vida is the human and animal health and life sciences location! Focused on the connection between humans and animals, Vida aims to educate and engage people about animal and human health.
Interested in learning about veterinary work? Come watch dog and cat surgeries at the Dumb Friends League Veterinary Hospital. The DFL’s aim at Spur is to focus on connections between human and animal life. It’s a teaching hospital for veterinarians in training with the goals of community engagement, education in the humane treatment of animals and the effects animals have on us humans as well. Check it out here.
Dumb Friends League Veterniary Hospital photo courtesy of CSU System
The Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center helps horses needing physical rehab and therapy to recover from injuries and is also available for viewing by the public.
If you’re familiar with CSU Professor Temple Grandin, you know that large animals and their humane treatment are her passion. At the Temple Grandin Equine Center, a variety of therapies are available for individuals with a range of challenges utilizing the Vida horses.
This will be the water education center, where you can learn about the far-reaching impact of the waters which begin here in Colorado. Located adjacent to the Platte River, the public can learn about headwaters and watersheds.
Hydro will house a café using produce grown onsite, include many different art exhibits, contain a variety of spaces for meetings and learning. It will be the permanent home of CSU Masters of Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management, the CSU Water in the West Symposium and other programs.
Water in the West Symposium photo courtesy of CSU System
As water is so important here in the West, this building will be a wonderful learning and solution-focused resource.
Trust us, just GO!
The new CSU Spur campus has so much available, it’s hard to put it all in one post. It is truly is amazing and will only grow and improve as time continues, so check out the FAQ page and plan a visit – you might be surprised what you learn!
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Posted onOctober 21, 2022|Comments Off on Highlighting People that Make a Difference: Barbara Masoner of Grow Local Colorado
by Gail Leidigh, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2021
Grow Local Colorado vegetable garden at Fort Logan by Gail Leidigh
One of the best things about being a master gardener is the opportunity to volunteer with some amazing local organizations, and among them is Grow Local Colorado. Started in 2009 by a group of people who were concerned about the environment, sustainability, and food equity, Grow Local now has 20 gardens in locations throughout the Denver metro area, and last year contributed nearly 10,000 pounds of fresh food to area food pantries and organizations that address food insecurity.
I recently had a chance to sit and talk with the founder and co-director, Barbara Masoner, about the work they do and the future of the organization (conversation has been edited for length and clarity).
Can you tell me more about Grow Local and how it got started?
There was a group of us during the great recession asking what can we do to help? Food inequity was a big issue, as well as the environment and sustainability, and gardening was an obvious solution. John Hickenlooper, mayor of Denver at the time, initially offered Civic Center Park to start a garden, so the project could be seen by the public community, and then later the yard at the Governor’s Mansion. Denver Urban Gardens and Denver Botanic Garden first provided plants, and the collaboration got lots of press. Now we have gardens in 20 different places. Recently, Adams County schools became a partner, as there is such a need there. Our garden partners do have to commit volunteers and their time to grow the food. The Denver city greenhouse has offered to grow our seedlings for us for the past four years.
Are there any aspects of the projects that Grow Local is doing that you are especially excited about?
The ability to share the magic, such as the public seeing the vegetable gardens at Civic Center and asking what it is about. Even during the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020, with huge groups of people gathering at Civic Center Park, the gardens were not disturbed. People from the homeless communities will offer to help plant as a way of giving back.
How do you decide where to donate the food that is grown?
We let the garden volunteers decide where the food goes, and they often have community connections. The smaller food pantries especially appreciate the fresh produce.
Painted rocks to mark growing vegetables at Fort Logan by Gail Leidigh
What are your biggest challenges?
This year we’ve harvested about 5,000 pounds so far and expect it to be about 8,000 pounds for the year. We had some pest and water issues this season and there was an infestation of harlequin bugs at Civic Center Park.
We can always use more experienced gardener volunteers. People mean well, and one year we lined an entire garden with herbs to keep out the geese, and a volunteer accidentally pulled them all.
In our future – figuring how to grow vegetables (in hotter and drier climates), and making our food equitable. Right now, we have offers to glean more fruit trees than we could possibly get to without the help of more people, more paid staff (and more time!).
Will Ferrell in scarecrow form, guarding the crops at The Haven, Fort Logan by Gail Leidigh
What is your favorite plant/vegetable?
That is like asking “who is your favorite child?” I would say okra – it is a lovely vegetable, with a beautiful flower and a delicious fruit.
Who does your social media? You have some fantastic content illustrating your work and volunteer opportunities (like and follow with the links below!).
Linda Kiker, co-director of Grow Local, does the content for our Instagram page, and I do the Facebook page.
Interested in supporting such an important and great local cause? The Grow Local Colorado website has further details on helping out with volunteer and monetary support.
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Posted onJuly 14, 2021|Comments Off on Grow & Give Colorado
By Laurie Daniels, CSU-Extension Denver Master Gardener since 2014
Have you ever secretly left a pile of zucchini on your neighbor’s porch after dark? Does just the thought of canning one more jar of applesauce make you sweat? Do you eat tomatoes at breakfast, lunch and dinner at a certain point in the summer?
The Grow & Give project was created by Colorado State University Extension to make it easy for any gardener to get fresh produce, grown in their garden, distributed to people in need. By participating in Grow & Give, you will learn how to easily donate your extra produce to organizations that will welcome it.
What Produce Works Best?
Photo credit: Laurie Daniels
Let’s first talk about what is the best produce for donating. It’s best if the produce is easy to use by home cooks. It’s also important that your donation is easy to keep fresh and doesn’t need a lot of extra packaging to keep it safe during distribution. Some of the produce that Grow & Give recommends for donation include:
Melons
Tree fruit
Summer & Winter Squash (they’ll love that extra zucchini!)
Cucumbers
Roma or slicing tomatoes (no cherry or large heirloom tomatoes—too fragile)
Corn
Green beans
Carrots
Eggplant
Bulb onions
Peppers (sweet, mild, medium)
Your local organization may accept other items such as berries, kale, beets, etc. but check with them first.
How Do I Participate?
The first step is registering your garden with the Grow & Give project. You can sign up by completing a short survey. Now, you are ready to garden!
Check out the many resources on the website including a free to download, 85-page full color Colorado Vegetable Guide (available in English and Spanish). The Guide covers topics including garden layout, soil preparation, watering, fertilizing, managing insects/pests in your garden and detailed descriptions for growing vegetables from asparagus to winter squash.
Next, find a nearby organization for your planned donation. You will find an interactive map on the website that lists organizations all over Colorado. When I registered, I was able to find three organizations near my home. It is important to find an organization early on, since many only accept donations on certain days/times of the week and ask that you contact them in advance of dropping off your produce. Be prepared! NOTE: If you know a neighbor, perhaps a senior living on a fixed income, who would appreciate receiving some of your extra produce, Grow & Give also has an option for donating directly to a neighbor-in-need.
Now, enjoy working in your garden. If you find bindweed in your garden beds or discover aphids on your broccoli, go back to the Grow & Give website (https://growandgivecolorado.org) and look for the tab on “Insects, Diseases and Weeds” to find short videos and fact sheets about how to handle these issues and many others.
When you begin harvesting produce from your garden and find yourself with an excess of zucchini or a bounty of beans, check back on the Grow & Give website for tips on safely handling your produce for donation. The tips cover everything from:
washing or not washing your produce (be sure to let the organization you donate to know if the produce has not yet been washed)
using clean containers (do not reuse grocery bags)
washing your hands thoroughly before you harvest
leaving your produce whole—do not chop or cut as it shortens its shelf life
time your harvest so your donation can be made immediately
Photo credit: Laurie Daniels
Just a few more steps will enhance your donation. You can find printable Grow & Give labels on the website to designate your donation as part of the project. And, weigh your donation so you (and the project) have a record of what you gave. Grow & Give also has links to tasty recipes that can be made with the produce you donate—what a nice gift for the recipient of your fruit or vegetables!
Finally, head back to the website and tell Grow & Give about your donation—photographs and stories are welcome through social media as well—and enjoy the good feelings that flow from helping your neighbors.
“Grow Food, Share the Harvest” is the slogan of the Grow & Give project. I hope you will consider joining us in our efforts “to address food insecurity in our state, one garden at a time.”
Posted onNovember 13, 2019|Comments Off on CSU Onion Trial is Food Pantry Windfall
Image provided by Cindy Schoepp, Calvary Chapel Food Pantry
Hundreds of pounds of field-fresh onions made it to Brighton’s Calvary Chapel Food Pantry through a combination of opportunity, targeted schmoozing and good timing.
The onion donation came by way of CSU Extension’s Northern Colorado Onion Variety Trial in Adams County.
The onion trial helps farmers find the best onion varieties to plant and grow in Northern Colorado. Seed producers provide their onion seeds for the trial and Sakata Farms hosts the trials by donating space in its fields and caring for the onions.
The trial program started in the mid-1970s, according to Eric Hammond, CSU Extension Agent in Adams County. The onion varieties are evaluated for their pest resistance, yield and storage ability. This year’s trial included 39 different onion cultivars.
The annual research update meeting in September provided the opportunity for the onion donation. Linda Young, executive director of Brighton Shares the Harvest, attended the meeting to learn more about the onion trial and those involved in the research.
She said Thad Gourd presented a program about the trial’s onion seeds and explained how they used a 3-D printer to improve the efficiency of an old onion planter to space and plant the seeds.
Before the program adjourned to the field tour of the research plots, Linda cornered Eric to find out what happens to the onions after the trial is completed.
“I mentioned that Brighton Shares the Harvest would be very interested in having any onions they didn’t need,” she said.
Eric was unsure there would be onions to donate, but he surprised her in early October with an offer of several hundred pounds of onions. The only catch — they had to be moved quickly, by October 11.
Linda immediately called Cindy Schoepp, director at the Calvary Chapel Food Pantry, for an ASAP onion pick up. The onions were gathered and ready for the October 14 pantry distribution.
“The timing was perfect, as the pantry is only open twice a month,” Linda said.
Brighton Shares the Harvest is a nonprofit organization that works year-round to make sure “Everybody has access to affordable, fresh, healthy, locally grown food.”
In addition to accepting donations of fresh produce, the organization makes it easy to donate money through its affiliations with Botanical Interests seed orders and King Soopers Community Rewards Program.
By Jodi Torpey Master Gardener volunteer since 2005
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Posted onOctober 24, 2019|Comments Off on No More Buds? Turn to Earbuds.
By this time in the year, I’m at the point of good riddance! with the weeds and careful tending (shout out to this cold spell for sealing the deal). Pretty much everything is done and put to bed. I then spend the next two weeks really dialing into my houseplant game before I get bored and start Spring dreaming. My Fall break from the garden is short-lived so I start listening to old episodes of now-defunct podcast series and dream with new ones. Here are a few of my favs:
Gardenerd Tip of The Week
Gardenerd.com is the ultimate resource for garden nerds. We provide organic gardening information whenever you need it, helping you turn land, public space, and containers into a more satisfying and productive garden that is capable of producing better-tasting and healthier food.
My thoughts: The host lives in LA, so this one is great for winter listening as we get chillier, I love hearing about the warmth of Southern California and what’s coming into season. Interviews with other experts and educators in the horticulture field discussing plants, but also cultivating grains, discussing bees, and seeds. Each episode ends with the guest’s own tips, many of which are news to me and have been incorporated into my own practices.
On the Ledge
I’m Jane Perrone, and I’ve been growing houseplants since I was a child, caring for cacti in my bedroom and growing a grapefruit from seed; filling a fishtank full of fittonias and bringing African violets back from the dead.
Houseplants, if new to the podcast start here for an overview, and guidance.
Jane is a freelance journalist and presenter on gardening topics. Her podcast has a ton of tips for beginners, and more advanced info for longtime houseplant lovers, as well as interviews with other plant experts. The website is also useful to explore the content of an episode if you aren’t able to listen. I could spend an entire morning traveling in and out of the archives.
My thoughts: As the growing season comes to a close, my indoors watering schedule starts wobbling between what the plants need and my summer habits of watering too many times per week–welcome back, fungus gnats! Here’s an entire episode on them
Plant Daddy Podcast
We aim to create a listener community around houseplants, to learn things, teach things, share conversations with experts, professionals in the horticulture industry, and amateur hobbyists like ourselves. We also want to bring the conversation beyond plants, since anybody with leaf babies has a multitude of intersectional identities. We, ourselves, are a couple gay guys living in Seattle, Washington, with a passion for gardening and houseplants. A lot of our friends are the same, though each of us has a different connection, interest, and set of skills in this hobby, demonstrating a small amount of the diversity we want to highlight among plant enthusiasts.
My thoughts: Plants are visual, podcasts are auditory- episodic overviews with links to viewable content available on their website. Are you also seeing Staghorn Ferns everywhere? They have an entire episode (photos included!) on the fern and how to properly mount it for that vegan taxiderm look. Matthew and Stephen are self-identified hobbyists with a passion for plants all the way down to the Latin–it’s impressive.
Epic Gardening
The Epic Gardening podcast…where your gardening questions are answered daily! The goal of this podcast is to give you a little boost of gardening wisdom in under 10 minutes a day. I cover a wide range of topics, from pest prevention, to hydroponics, to plant care guides…as long as it has something to do with gardening, I’ll talk about it on the show!
My thoughts: The Netflix-episode-when-you-just-don’t-feel-like-a-movie kind of podcast. Addresses the best varietals, composting, soil pH, and troubleshooting some common issues in the garden. With daily episodes archived back to December 2018, there is a quickly digested thought for some of your own curiosities. The website is also a wealth of knowledge.
Eatweeds Podcast: For People Who Love Plants
Eatweeds: An audio journey through the wonderful wild world of plants. Episodes cover modern and ancient ways wild plants have been used in human culture as food, medicine and utilitarian uses.
My thoughts: most recent episode (and appropriately timed!) On edible acorns. My fav topics include foraging and wild yeast fermentation; and when I really start missing the Pacific Northwest, The Wild and Wonderful World of Fungi sends me back to a misty forest wander politely decorated by les champignons. Posting of this pod is sporadic–only 25 episodes since 2014.
You Bet Your Garden
(no longer on air, but archives available)
You Bet Your Garden® was a weekly radio show and podcast produced at WHYY through September, 2018. The show’s archive is available online. It was a weekly syndicated radio show, with lots of call-ins. This weekly call-in program offers ‘fiercely organic’ advice to gardeners far and wide.
My thoughts: Host, Mike McGrath, spends much of the show taking calls and troubleshooting, reminiscent of another public radio behemoth with Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers. McGrath incorporates a lifetime of organic gardening tips with humor. McGrath features one tip to find a local “rent a goat place” (no joke) to get goats to eat the most troublesome weeds to a concerned caller considering setting much of her yard on fire.
Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden
My thoughts: sort of like On Being, but for gardening.
A fav episode:
If you aren’t so sure about this podcast thing, and just want a place to start, start here.
Do you really need a brain to sense the world around you? To remember? Or even learn? Well, it depends on who you ask. Jad and Robert, they are split on this one. Today, Robert drags Jad along on a parade for the surprising feats of brainless plants. Along with a home-inspection duo, a science writer, and some enterprising scientists at Princeton University, we dig into the work of evolutionary ecologist Monica Gagliano, who turns our brain-centered worldview on its head through a series of clever experiments that show plants doing things we never would’ve imagined. Can Robert get Jad to join the march?
Meet the Garden Squad is a way to get better acquainted with some of our CSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers – and staff members, too.
Meet Katie Dunker
Katie Dunker is the CSU Extension Statewide Coordinator for the Colorado Master Gardener Program. (Photo provided by K. Dunker)
Katie Dunker will always remember the day she became the Colorado Master Gardener Statewide Coordinator. That’s because it happened on April Fool’s Day.
She stepped into the statewide role after serving as CSU Extension’s Master Gardener coordinator in Douglas County. Katie, 37, is an alum of CSU where she received her graduate degree and met her husband Eric. Her undergraduate degree is from Oregon State University.
With experience in higher education administration and a background in public health, she hit the ground running in her new position. “A lot of my job is connecting the dots between the counties and the state,” she said.
She spends her days juggling tasks such as helping a new Master Gardener coordinator get settled in, updating Master Gardeners on the Emerald Ash Borer’s movements, coordinating continuing education programs using Zoom software, updating the statewide website and promoting the CMG program at every opportunity.
In this Q&A, Katie shares advice for apprentices, her biggest gardening fail and what she hopes for Colorado Master Gardeners in the future:
What do you enjoy most about your job?
“I really love my job and feel honored to serve programs across the state. The best part is learning about the awesome work that’s going on in counties and sharing those with a statewide audience.
One of the most exciting programs is in Garfield County where the local CSU Extension agent, Abi Saeed, received a grant to do a summer gardening series at a local apartment complex. Instead of having people come to the program, she brought the bilingual program to a diverse, multigenerational group of 300 participants on Friday nights. The coolest thing is they took a nonfunctioning swimming pool and turned it into a community garden that became the centerpiece for the apartment complex.”
What’s your philosophy or approach to your work?
“I keep in mind that relationships are key. I remember one of my professors at Oregon State saying, relationships are people who care, talking about things that matter.”
What advice would you give to an apprentice Master Gardener?
“Apprentices are drinking by a fire hose. There’s a lot of information to take in that first year so I’d say ‘jump in with both feet’. You don’t have to be an expert if you understand the process for using horticulture to empower people and connect them to good information.”
What’s the biggest gardening fail you’ve had?
“When we lived in Highlands Ranch and had a newly landscaped house, I was just starting to get into gardening. I had come from Oregon, so I planted hydrangeas in the flower box in front of the house. I’d trim them way back every winter and then mulch them. They had great foliage, but they never bloomed. I’d have done it differently had I known what I know now. I still don’t know what color those flowers were.”
Where do you get your energy?
“I’m really an internally motivated and driven person. I’m motivated by making sure to move CSU Extension to be more accessible, the Master Gardener program specifically. I want us to be more nimble, more progressive and to get our name out there more. It makes me sad when people haven’t heard about Master Gardeners – we’ve been around 40 years! We don’t want to be a best kept secret.”
What’s your favorite way to have fun?
“I love being outside and I love being with my kids and family, so anytime I can combine those two is the best, like skiing or hiking. We have two elementary-age boys and a one-year-old girl.”
How do your kids like to spend time with you?
“Playing the card game Skip-Bo; going to the neighborhood ice cream shop, and watching football on TV.”
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
“An early bird for sure. I love to get up between 5:00 and 6:00 to see the sunrise. I love the quiet mornings while the kids are asleep, have a cup of coffee and maybe wander around in the garden.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Whether it’s work life or personal life, whatever you’re going through it’s just a season – good or bad.”
What do you envision for Colorado Master Gardeners in the future?
“I would love to see the Colorado Master Gardener program as a really fun group, willing to put ourselves out there for diverse community groups, from nursing homes to office buildings, and partnering with different organizations so we’re more in the fabric of a community rather than just a resource for a community. When I picture Colorado Master Gardeners as a person, I see a gritty gardener who loves people and plants.”
By Jodi Torpey Master Gardener volunteer since 2005
Last Monday, my dear friend and Community Forester, Chuck Sugent, and I took a neighborhood stroll to identify trees because I find myself recommending (or “oh, that’s an oh-no-no’ tree!”) at the farmer’s market; but when it comes down to it, I can hardly identify any trees at all and rely on the Front Range Tree Recommendation List. or the Denver approved tree list. My learning style is not entirely visual but seeing and discussing something certainly increases the likelihood of future accurate recitation. After a minor location miscommunication (“Heading your way!” “Good thing you sent that. I thought I was heading your way. Oy!”), we set off through a tree-lined neighborhood between downtown and City Park.
Chuck is the kinda guy who’s gonna be the good guy: he’s got the information, and he wants to share it (perhaps with an old-timey gangster of New York wiseguy affectation). So he took no pause when I suggested the idea of a tree walk. We’ve talked about the CMG program and community forestry in terms of our own participation for community stewardship, and have oft discussed a crossover—and thus, we went! We set off to name the trees and, in addition, ended up pretend-pruning, dreaming, and trouble-shooting all the ailments. Everything I espouse, I learned from Chuck (it was a very informative afternoon). Here’s an absurdly simplistic overview of the main players:
Crabapples
Gorgeous and quite popular. Responsible for the pinkening of the city each spring. Many varieties of different sizes and fruits. Also, edible. I grew up with a crabapple tree at my grandmother’s house which was the source of many summers dares to the youngest of us to “just try it! You’ll love it!” followed by giggle fits at the sight of desperate acceptance puckering away at the tiny bite. So—raw is a no, but cooked with sugar and acid makes for delicious desserts; or my family fav: Crabapple whiskey. Fill a jar with crabapples, a cinnamon stick, ginger, cloves and top with whiskey. Tuck it away until Christmas, strain and serve.
Silver Maple
Thirsty mother lovers. They grow quickly and provide lots of shade. We have a ton of them in our metro canopy, but they are currently on a moratorium from planting in city right-of-way areas.
Honeylocust/Black Locust
Black Locust has a darker trunk than the Honeylocust. Tiny leaves, gorgeous lemon color through the fall. However, tiny leaves make a mega mess–however, however, the leaves decompose quickly and return the nutrients to the soil. Also, a popular choice in this area, and continues to be on recommended tree lists for a new planting (NOTE: many varieties are on the recommended list, but the Sunburst Honeylocust is also on the moratorium list for street planting in Denver)
Sugar Maple
Classic Canadian flag. Gorgeous flaming fall coloring. The moisture level is moderate for this group, and they do not tolerate salty soil very well but are fairly drought tolerant.
Hackberry
This one makes Chuck’s shortlist of recommended trees for the metro area. The Hackberry has no known local pest, is native to Colorado, and drought tolerant. The Hackberry can get up to 50 feet tall, so consider this one for a street-side as a shade option. Lovely red berries darken to maroon in the Fall and provide home and a food source to the critters. Chuck calls this one a Hammer Tree; an all-around good selection.
Linden
When we happened upon our first Linden of the walk, Chuck took a step aside and said, “There are two kinds of Linden trees, and here’s how I remember them: LLL.” At this point, he raises his voice to denote the first type “LARGE LEAF LINDEN” followed by a substantially lower volume for the “littleleaf Linden.” He proceeded to crack himself up, and we carried on. There are many cultivars of Linden recommended in this area. Lindens are an attractive pyramidal shape, sensitive to salty soils, and their flowers attract bees and birds. Beware of the area you are considering, Lindens do not love high heat areas and should be planted away from any hardscaping.
Oak
Ever sturdy and reliable. The oak leaves have a bit of a leathery texture to reduce evapotranspiration, making them more drought-tolerant, and an excellent tree choice for this area. Their leaves differ in pattern depending on the cultivar but typically have the characteristic lobes and sinuses. The Bur Oak (recommended for the Metro area), is roughly obovate with many lobes and is pale and fuzzy underneath.
Ash
If you’re reading this… need I say more? See Plum for contingency planning. We have a million (estimated 1.45 million in the Denver Metro area) Ash trees. Aside from the EAB creeping into town, the Ash tree has a tendency to appear real leggy under the canopy when not properly pruned. We saw many examples of Ash trees with a lot of deadwood inside the canopy; this can be problematic when the wind picks up. They served a great function for our canopy by growing quickly and providing robust shade; but unfortunately, we’ve got to continue considering the impending Armageddon. What build projects shall we consider for a future influx of Ashwood? Denver also has a moratorium on planting Ash trees in public right-of-ways.
Plum
The purple leaf plum is my fan fav, and will likely be planted in my own front yard next Spring since my future self called and said: “This giant elm thing in your front yard was planted improperly, is massive, and when it goes, your front yard is gonna be U.G.L.Y.” Contingency planning in full swing. I encourage y’all to take a walkabout your own homes and chat with future self, especially regarding anything that is shade bearing. Something I picked up from my buddy whilst traipsing on the tree walk: purple leaf plums require regular pruning for flowering (Is anyone else as smitten by the plurality of prunes in this context?) Remove the deadwood and prune 1/3 the length of new growth. We found a perfect example and made pernicious prunes with finger scissors.
Colorado Blue Spruce
Beautiful. Also better at a higher elevation. We did see a few stunners, though, and learned a neat trick for tree ID: the leaf of a fir tree will be flat and flexible. Spruce, on the other hand, will be square and sharp (see what he did there?). Grab a leaf, roll it between your fingers, and name it quickly with this handy guide.
May make it to a mature size but inevitably will crash and burn. I’ve been touting this gospel for a while now, and take every opportunity to point out a struggler to my wife. which has become problematic, because now she counters by showing me all the healthy Aspen in the Metro area. The truth of the matter is an aspen tree (or maybe even a small clump of them) has the ability to thrive with the proper tender loving care… for a while. Above and beyond the statistically insignificant number of Aspen in the front range who appear to be doing well, they aren’t built for this elevation, and forcing them to do so causes undue stress, and makes them more vulnerable, hastening their predisposition to die anyway. Don’t do it. Go to the mountains more often and enjoy them in their own territory.
Beyond my self-imposed (and singularly played) trivia that entailed me interrupting, pointing, and shouting guesses; we also discussed the conversational piece of tree maintenance. Chuck indicated he has many chats with his neighbors about their trees and takes these moments to build his community and integrate his passion with friendly educational moments. We discussed the evidentiary tribulations of a tree in demise, that twists it’s trunk and bears the stripes of turmoil. We debated the suckers: their yappy attempts to address internal stress, and what to do with them (should we leave them and let it try to capture the energy it is craving? OR whack them back always? And when?) We talked about injury to a tree, and how the tree may cover and scab the wound, but the wound remains and the tree is still vulnerable. Chuck showed me a hackberry tree covered in galls. We both got lost in our attempts to recall the origins but settled on something about defense mechanisms and how they rarely hurt the tree.
As we were nearing our last corner on the way home, Chuck remembered a tree we hadn’t encountered that he loves. I’ve developed a habit this summer that whenever I see this tree, I shout it’s name, probably because it’s so fun to say, but shouting also seems appropriate just to communicate the whimsy of the CATALPA! Just try and say it without a bit of a shout. The Catalpa is also a recommended and robust tree for our area. It’s got those built-in wands and/or swords for play, and bright green wide leaves provide a huge amount of shade. . They are another tough tree, worthy of your scape.
Other items on Chuck’s “Oh no-no” list? Planting a tree too deep? Oh, no-no. Scoffing at the bare root and opting for a burlapped and caged tree? Oh, no-no. Planting anything from the Birch fam in Denver? Oh no-no. Hiring an arborist annually to tame your trees? Oh, no-no. With a little reading, Youtube-ing, or friendly forester finding, folks can save bunches of bucks by learning how to make the minor pruning adjustments to your tree every year to avoid the future big bills from an arborist. Trees can easily be grown and cared for by their owners working from reliable and factual info. Of course, always consult a pro when your tree questions start toeing the line safe vs. unsafe.
As DMG’s we get loads of questions about trees at the farmer’s markets. We try our best to offer small sagelings of fact-checked info, but what I’ve found to be more helpful is keeping the company of a forester. Trees are just as essential to the garden crew as our lawns, beds, and weeds. I encourage everyone to branch out (a thousand apologies for that one) and get connected–or get involved and become a Community Forester, yourself!
PS. Did you know if you live in Denver you can get nearly *free* trees?
By McKenna Hynes
Apprentice Colorado Master Gardener since January 2019
Posted onAugust 23, 2019|Comments Off on Blessed Bee, Thy Name
Last week I attended a bee info session with Thaddeus Gourd, Director of Extension for Adams County to introduce new-bees to Dat Buzz Lyfe (I can’t believe this hashtag hasn’t been acculturated into the lexicon). Thad walked us through the bees we may encounter locally, how they got here, some typical and atypical behaviors, as well as a truly charming attempt at convincing me to bring bees to my own yard, regardless of my wife’s severe allergy, as he shows us his son bare-handing his GoPro at the bottom of a brand new bee abode. The bee community, it turns out, is pretty righteous. They are passionate about the bees livelihoods and are nearly involuntarily bursting with facts and love and recruitment strategies. As far as I can tell (and I’m pretty far), not only are bee keep-have-and-lovers informed of the goings-on of the world around them, they are also deeply involved in their communities with the idealism that we still stand a chance.
One of my favorite parts of preparing for this post was reveling in how smitten everyone who writes, studies, or just enjoys, beescannothelpthemselves to the low hanging fruit of the ever-accessible bee puns. I won’t go so far as to say it’s obligatory to at least dabble in the punny when writing about bees, but it’s pretty darn close (how’d I do?).
To my surprise, North America has no native honey bees that produce large amounts of honey, and the bees we have working for us now were imported (intentionally and accidentally) by European colonizers. The European honey bees are typically docile and too busy to be bothered by folks approaching or tending to the hive-unless of course, the alarm is sounded and whatever intentions the intruder has are being interpreted as a threat, which apparently smells a bit like banana. File this under Lessons I hope never to encounter, and yet, how interesting!
If you do happen to get stung, Thad informed us that the venom sack dislodges from the honey bee (essentially causing it to bleed to death, major bummer) and will continue pumping venom for another minute or so after the initial sting. To stop this, simply scrape the stinger from the entry point with a credit card or fingernail. DO NOT try and pluck it with your fingers or tweezers–this just pumps all the venom directly into the wound all at once. Expect the site to be a bit itchy after the initial shock and scramble settles, and write it off as an ouch! and a thank you for your service.
Of course, a small sting is literally nothing compared to the plight the bees face. Documentaries and campaignsarebeleaguering (the opportunities for bee-utifying this entire post are just too much) the fate of our planet, and news reports of the extents of human willpower and reliance on the honey makers to keep the decline in bee population discussions plentiful. The main threats include loss of habitat, diseases and mites, pesticides, and climate change.
As lovers of the living, albeit animal or vegetable, pesticide-speak can draw that line as firmly in the sand like many of our other hot button political issues. Be ye not afraid, comrades. We don’t have to go to the polls with this one, but we do have to follow the law (cue that GBU soundtrack). Treating plants–weeds included–with pesticides (neonicotinoids) while the plant is flowering transfers the chemicals into the nectar, and the feasting bees bring the toxins back to the hive. Truly, this seemingly innocuous move one time could kill an entire hive. Always read the labels, folks. Take your time and educate yourself on all the possible management strategies before grabbing the glyphosate.
We are inundated with problems and presented with conveniently packaged solutions. We have come to a place that is moving so quickly that it’s too easy to keep in motion and miss the very real consequences each step incurs along the way. Unfortunately for bees, they are getting caught in our wake of rapidity. How can you take one extra breath, second, or step to consider your impact?
For those with a burgeoning interest in the apiary, one great way to check yourself is to plug into a community of other beekeepers/havers/enthusiasts. From what Thad was telling us, many organizations and groups are looking to help you get started, problem solve, or just ponder the wondrous life of bees. CSU Extension is an excellent resource for research and education on bees; they are continuing to compare hive designs to determine which work best for Colorado. There are also lots of beekeeper mentor programs, beekeeper associations, and even folks who you can hire to set-up and care for a hive on your own property. These folks have lots of experience and want to propagate more interest in beekeeping by mentoring and sharing. Getting into bees is definitely not something to go at alone or from a quick study. Taking risks is part of beekeeping, why not expand yourself right at the start by making new connections and community building?
By McKenna Hynes
Apprentice Colorado Master Gardener since January 2019
Denver Gardeners 