Colorado Gardening Calendar for April 2024

By: Molly Gaines, CSU Extension-Denver Master Gardener since 2019

Last week’s snow covering forsythia starting to bloom. Photo: Molly Gaines

Signs of spring are everywhere in Denver. Daffodils, crocus and other spring flowers in full bloom one day; covered in ice and snow the next. Oh, to be a gardener at 5,280 feet!

While it’s too early to spend a lot of time planting, it’s a perfect time to prepare your soil, garden beds, tools, pots and lawn for the 2024 growing season. Below are a few gardening activities to consider before Mother’s Day, May 12 (around the safe zone from hard frosts) for planting most plants, flowers and vegetables.

Crocus are always a welcome first sign of springtime. Photo: Molly Gaines

As you plan your garden, it’s worth noting that some of the Denver metro is in a new gardening zone. Last November, the USDA announced updates to its “Plant Hardiness Zone Map,” updating this go-to tool for gardeners for the first time since 2012. The new map, which can be found here, places parts of Denver in Zone 6a rather than 5b. Zone numbers reflect the average extreme minimum temperatures and help determine what plants will thrive in each zone.  Higher numbers equal incrementally warmer low temperatures. For background about how to use this map as a planting guide, visit this helpful article from the National Gardening Association’s learning library.    

New USDA Plant Hariness Zone Map now places parts of Denver in Zone 6A. Credit: USDA

Vegetable Garden

• Clear remaining debris. Pull emerging weeds.
• When the soil is dry, add a fresh 2-3-inch layer of compost to your beds. This supports soil health and plant vigor. Gently work compost into the top layer of your existing soil with your hands, a trowel or a cultivator. Let rest a few weeks before planting.
• Plant frost-tolerant spring plantings, such as peas, spinach, arugula, radishes, Swiss chard, etc.
• Start indoor seeds for warm-weather vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, etc.
• Reference this Vegetable Planting Guide to plan what you will plant when.

Trees & Shrubs

• The snowpack is solid Colorado-wide this year, well above 100 percent. This includes Denver. That said, if this month is dry, be sure to water your trees and shrubs.
• Early this month, prune deciduous trees, conifers and summer-blooming shrubs.
• Later in April into mid-May, prune rose bushes. For details on exactly how, why and when to do this, visit here.  This is weather dependent so watch for low temperatures and delay if a cold snap is predicted.
• Remove broken branches from trees and clear dead leaves and decayed fruit from the base.
• If you’re looking to plant a new tree, consider the Park People’s annual fruit and yard tree sale that begins April 20. Trees range from $50 to $80, and sales support the Denver Digs program. More details can be found here.  

Lawn Care

• Prep your mower, sharpening the blade as necessary and conducting other maintenance. Lawn mower blades should be sharpened at least once per season.
• If you use a pre-emergent weed product, apply in early April. For more details about how to use, visit here.
• Fertilize as desired, reading labels for proper application. Keep in mind that fall is the most important time for lawn fertilization. Applying only in the spring can mean excessive top growth and shallow root systems.

Perennial Beds

• Cut back perennial plants if this wasn’t done last fall, leaving 3 inches of the plant above the soil.
• Similar to your vegetable garden, the soil in these beds will also benefit greatly from compost, with the exception of native plants which generally prefer unamended soil.
• Pull emerging weeds now. Stay on top of them from the start.
• Divide overgrown perennials such as chives, sedum, grasses, phlox, daisies, hosta, etc. This will lead to healthier plants and better growth.

Other April Gardening Thoughts

• Assess garden supplies. Purchase or plan to borrow anything needed. Sterilize and sharpen garden tools.
• Empty any pots or containers still holding last year’s dead plantings. Clean and disinfect them to prevent disease in new plantings.

These pots need to be cleared of last year’s plantings, disinfected and filled with new soil for plantings. Photo: Molly Gaines

• Denver Water recommends waiting to turn on your irrigation until after the last freeze, typically in early May. Hand water until then.
• Sow wildflower and pollinator seed mixes.
• Prepare for frost, hail and other bad weather. Have sheets of plastic, old bedsheets and five-gallon buckets in easy reach for late-season snow or spring and summer hail. Remember the hailstorm that hit Denver late June last season?

Sad peas in a bed covered with hail. June 29, 2023. Photo: Molly Gaines

Springtime in Denver is special. I love watching new life slowly unveil itself. It’s a time full of promise, new beginnings and high anticipation of the color, flavor and textures around the corner. The more prepared you are in April, the more enjoyable your summer gardening season will be.

As always, if you have questions about plants, planting and any other gardening and yard related topics, visit the CSU Extension Yard and Garden website for tips.

Denver Master Gardener Blog Reader Results

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our reader survey! We are grateful for your kind words and constructive insights. Rest assured, we will be taking the comments into consideration as we plan future posts.

Many of you are regular readers, and we are so happy to have you here! Let’s take a look at what you told us.

Reader Profiles and Interests

Knowing who reads our blog helps us decide which topics to cover. Not surprisingly, our readership is diverse – from Master Gardener colleagues ( ~50% of respondents) to hobbyists (~40% of respondents). We also appreciate support from industry professionals. We’ll aim to create posts that meet the needs of all readers, provide additional links for those who crave more information, and stay seasonally relevant. Links seem to be a “Goldilocks” issue, so we’ll consider that, and try not to provide too many!

Thank you to those who suggested topics for future posts, we will consider all of them. In fact, our popular Monthly Gardening Calendars series was suggested by a reader. You can also send us topic suggestions in the comment section of any post.

The mission of the Master Gardener program is to promote the joy of gardening through the use of science-based information; your help will aid in this goal. Please share our blog with your gardening friends as it will help us reach more gardening enthusiasts. Posts are also shared on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CSUDenverExtension/.

Most of you (88%) read our blog when you get notifications about a new post via email. If you aren’t on the auto notification list but would like to get on it, visit the homepage and enter your email address on the right under ‘Follow Blog via Email’. As soon as we hit publish on a post, it’ll get sent straight to your inbox!

The top 3 types of posts enjoyed by readers the most are:

• Gardening How-Tos
• Plant Suggestions
• Monthly Gardening Calendars

Our survey included a question about what you wanted to read about, and we got a lot of great topic suggestions, including urban gardening, garden designs, xeric and native plants, tool suggestions, and soil. We’ll keep all of these in mind as we brainstorm for the rest of the year.

Fun Insights

Our top 3 most popular posts of all time are:

• How to Grow Blueberries in Colorado Gardens (with 28,000 views!)
• Colorado Gardening Calendar for March 2024
• Growing Raspberries in Colorado

Our top 3 most popular categories are:

• Vegetables and Herbs
• Spring Gardening
• Fruits

While most of you are reading from the United States, we have a steady amount of readers coming from the United Kingdom, Canada, and even Australia!

We’ve seen a lot of growth on this blog over the past year and welcomed more than 1,000 new readers.

Thank you again for reading, sharing, and supporting us. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to bringing you more informative and engaging posts about gardening in Colorado!

Many thanks to Felicia Brower, Denver Master Gardener, for spearheading this survey and compiling the results!

Colorado Gardening Calendar for February 2024

By Margerie Hicks, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2010

Blue fescue grass poking through snow at Denver Botanic Gardens. Photo: Margerie Hicks

February is one of the best months to enjoy the interesting patterns, textures, and shapes that dried grasses and perennials form in contrast to the snow. It is also a time to read or otherwise educate yourself about gardening trends and ideas. And finally, it is a time to complete the few but important tasks needed in February to prepare for the coming growing season.

Winter Interest

Autumn joy sedum keeps its color and form. Photo: Margerie Hicks

If you refrained in the fall from cutting down ornamental grasses, perennials with balls of seeds like echinacea, or plants that keep their color and form, you now have interesting winter patterns and shapes to enjoy. You have also helped provide shelter and food for wildlife, such as birds and insects.

If you don’t already have any sedum Angelina, make a note to plant some in the spring to enjoy next winter. It is a ground cover that is light green in the spring, yellow in the summer, and orange with green accents in the winter. It provides a wonderful splash of color in the winterscape.

Sedum Angelina adds multi-season beauty. Photos: David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Gardening Edification

• Expo: The annual Colorado Home and Garden Show runs from February 24^thto March 3^rd. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer gardening questions at the large CSU Extension display. Be sure to stop by and say hi.
• Books: You may have some gardening-related books waiting to read on a cold winter night, but in case you want suggestions check out our earlier post,  Winter Reading for Gardeners.
• Websites: CSU Extension’s website offers research-based fact sheets and videos on a wide range of gardening topics. Additionally, the internet is filled with gardening information and pictures. The most reliable sources have an “.edu” extension on the address, indicating an affiliation with university horticulture/agriculture research.
• Gardening classes:  Local garden shops and the Denver Botanic Gardens offer classes on many topics that may pique your interest. You can also find a wide array of webinars offered by CSU Extension here.
• Take our reader survey:  We’d love your feedback and ideas for future posts. Find the survey here. Survey closes February 18^th.

February Tasks

Deep watering tool. Photo: Margerie Hicks

There are a few tasks that should be done and many that could be done this month. A good overview can be found in this Late Winter Garden and Lawn Care fact sheet. Key tips include:

• Water:  All trees, shrubs, and perennials will benefit from regular winter watering, especially those that are less than two years old. Water once a month on days when the temperature is 40 degrees or warmer with no snow cover. Click here for a fall and winter watering fact sheet that will make your efforts most effective.
• Mulch:  Woody plants benefit from mulch to preserve soil moisture. Rock or gravel mulch is useful in retaining heat. Apply as needed.
• Prune:  This is a good time to prune broken and unwanted branches from trees and shrubs, especially fruit trees.

Enjoy your gardening leisure in February. May will be here soon enough.

Speaking of May don’t forget to mark your calendars for our amazing plant sale!

2024 Denver Master Gardener Blog Reader Survey

As we start the new year, we want to extend a huge thank you to all of our readers. We appreciate every comment you’ve left and story you’ve shared. 2023 welcomed a lot of new readers to our blog, and we want to check-in and hear your thoughts on the content we share.

We’ve put together a Denver Master Gardener Blog survey that should take less than five minutes to complete (depending on how detailed you want to get in your responses). Everyone is welcome and encouraged to take it.

The survey closes on February 18th.

Take the Denver Master Gardener Blog Survey

Thank you for your time and willingness to help us make this blog the most useful blog it can be!

Colorado Gardening Calendar for January 2024

Early January at the Denver Botanic Gardens Photo: Linda McDonnell

By Linda McDonnell, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2013

It may be tempting to kick back and think there is nothing much to do in the garden this month. And while it is not the busiest time, taking a few steps when needed will set plants, trees, and lawns up for future success.

Winter Watering – January’s Most Important Task

It’s important to water trees, shrubs, perennials, and lawns during extended dry periods of 2-4 weeks. Supplemental water provides root systems with moisture that is critical to long-term plant health. It is especially crucial for new plants (1 year old or less) with smaller, less developed roots. Without this added moisture, plants may exhibit stunted growth, be more susceptible to disease, or die. Often decline is not noticeable till next summer when the root system can’t support the plant’s vigorous growth.

Water early in the day when temperatures are above forty degrees. Give plants a good soak – 8 to 12″ deep and out to the drip line of trees. Find more information on winter watering here.

Branches of  ‘Carol Mackie’ Daphne will easily split under heavy snow. Photo: Linda McDonnell

Trees and Shrubs

Heavy snow can crush or bend the limbs of trees and shrubs. Remove it by lifting branches lightly from the bottom with a broom to avoid breaking limbs. The branches will spring back as if to say thanks.

Prune any storm-damaged limbs as needed to prevent further breakage. Find additional post-storm tips here.

Perennials

Watch for signs of heaving such as cracked soil and raised crowns. This can happen around newly planted perennials when temperatures fluctuate widely. Heaving can expose and damage roots and kill plants. If heaving is present, check moisture, add soil or compost around the plant, and top with mulch.

Speaking of mulch – spread more where needed; it will help moderate temperature extremes.

Remove any diseased foliage that’s lingering in your beds to reduce the chance of infesting next season’s growth. Discard the foliage in the city’s green compost bin or trash. Home compost systems don’t get “hot” enough to destroy pathogens.

Plan Ahead

Should you keep or toss old seed packets? Learn how to tell here.

Scour online and print catalogs to find tried-and-true plant varieties along with new, buzz-worthy introductions.

The CSU Soil Testing Lab opens on January 21^st. If the ground is workable, consider beating the spring rush and sending a sample for analysis this winter. Find directions for digging the sample, using the results and costs here.

Check out the line-up of CSU’s no-cost webinars. There are lots of topics to choose from including turf alternatives, CSU test garden results, and water-saving tips. Find the full spring schedule and recordings of past webinars here.

Explore CSU’s resources for research-based gardening information that will make this year’s garden the best one yet.

Colorado Gardening Calendar for November 2023

By Molly Gaines, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2019

If you haven’t already, it’s time to clean out your garden beds. Photo: Molly Gaines

Right on time, we’ve had our first freeze and snow here in Denver. Yet my garden still sits, hanging on for dear life, in desperate need of clearing, composting, amending and mulching. I guess I’ve been in denial, holding on to my fading zinnias and still-green tomatoes, enjoying this gorgeous fall with its warm temperatures and prolonged tree color. Luckily, November is still likely to bring a few mild days. So now’s the time to make a list and check the boxes before everything goes into hibernation until next spring.

A Gardener’s Yard and Garden Checklist for November 

Vegetable Garden

• Clear all plantings and compost. Pests and diseases can overwinter in plant debris and wreak havoc on next year’s garden (aphids, anyone?). 
• Oh my do I have a lot of green tomatoes, around 40 at last count. If you’ve been covering plants to extend the season, it’s time for your final harvest. For ideas on storing late-season produce, visit this helpful page from the University of Minnesota’s Extension office. For a fun recipe from Martha Stewart on cooking green tomatoes, visit here.  
• Spread and work compost into your garden beds before the ground freezes. 

Harvest any remaining vegetables that were lucky to survive the initial frosts. Photo: Molly Gaines

Trees and Shrubs

• Remove dead tree branches, including those on shrubs and roses. 
• Water new fall plantings weekly, including trees, and other perennials until the ground freezes. It’s important to water throughout the winter during warm, dry periods to support healthy roots and next year’s growth. 
• Wrap the trunks of young trees to prevent sunscald, which can occur during periods of alternate warming and freezing in the winter. “On at Thanksgiving, off on tax day” is a good rule of thumb for utilizing tree wrap.
• Protect evergreens with burlap plant bags to prevent them from drying out. 

Lawn Care 

• Fertilize a final time; in Denver this can be done up until Thanksgiving. For more information about fall lawn fertilization from PlantTalk Colorado, visit here. 
• It’s time to blow out and shut off irrigation if you haven’t already. Rake up leaves and either compost or mow over them for garden bed mulch.

Perennial Beds 

• If you haven’t cut back grasses and flowering perennials for the year, let them be. Dead plant stems and leaves provide habitat for moths, beneficial garden insects and butterflies that overwinter.
• Continue watering until the ground freezes. This is especially important for all new plantings. 
• As long as the soil is workable, plant bulbs for spring flowers in the next few weeks. They should still have time to establish before the ground freezes. Water in well. 
• Dig up and save dahlia tubers. Allow them to harden off for two weeks after frost before storing. Find directions here.

Other Projects 

• Bring indoors any houseplants or other potted plants you’d like to save. Hopefully, they’ve survived under heavy protection so far.
• Sanitize, sharpen, and oil tools, including the lawnmower blade. Come spring, you’ll be grateful these tools are ready to go. 

Hope it’s not too late to get houseplants indoors! Photo: Molly Gaines

Follow Up: Denver’s Tree Canopy Survey 

The City of Denver published the results of the September survey of residents about Denver’s tree canopy — and the future of our urban forest. Overall, support for private tree protection is strong. A few points to note from the survey summary: 

• More than 85% of all respondents support private tree protection for trees over 18 inches in diameter. 
• There are differences between renters (17.49% or 378 responses) and owners (75.8% or 1,638 responses) with renters more supportive of the city taking over tree maintenance and for minimum shade requirements. 
• There is overall support for a fee to help maintain street trees, which is highest at the $50-75k income bracket (75%) and is lower for the highest and lowest income brackets ($150k+ at 67.05% support and <$25k at 66.67% support).

Remember to visit the CSU Extension Yard and Garden website for more gardening tips and to prepare for next year’s season. You can also reach out to the Colorado Master Gardener’s office with any yard or gardening questions: 720.913.5270 – we’re available year-round!

Renovating a Native Plant Demonstration Garden

By Kathy Roth, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2018

Denver Extension’s new Native Plant Demonstration Garden is in the ground! The old garden, installed in 2014, had fallen into a tangle of weeds and only a few native species remained. Given this, in May 2022, a group of interested Denver Master Gardeners decided to give it an overhaul and tasked themselves with brainstorming a new design. Their goal: showcase native plants that promote biodiversity, support pollinators and wildlife, and thrive in urban gardens.

Committee reviews initial design plans. Photo by Anne Hughes

The committee’s first order of business, using resources available from CSU Extension like this Fact Sheet and this publication from the Colorado Native Plant Society, was to determine what could be salvaged and what needed to be demolished. Field trips to demonstration gardens in neighboring counties fueled their knowledge. After discussion and research, they created a new design and planting plan.

^{Planting plan by Nancy Downs. Photo by Kathy Roth}

Next, the group made choices about installation. They decided against soil amendment, in part to avoid stirring up weed seeds, but also because natives do not require nutrient rich or high organic soils; natives grow successfully in unamended soil. For mulch, the group opted for squeegee. This was following Douglas County Horticulture Agent John Murgel’s compelling argument that rock less than 3/8” in size maximizes soil water penetration. 

Denver Extension is located in the city’s Harvard Gulch Park, so we were fortunate to get lots of help from Denver Parks and Recreation. Our start was delayed week after week by relentless spring rain which turned the site into a swamp. Finally, Jared McQueer, DPR Median Renovations Operations Supervisor, and his crew were able to demo and grade the site, construct the hardscape elements, and install irrigation. Surprisingly, we chose pop-up sprays instead of drip because DPR has had bad experiences with rodents damaging drip lines in city parks.

DPR crew demolishing site. Photo by Anne Hughes

Propagating and acquiring native plants can be a challenge. We lucked out because the partnership with DPR meant Holly Shields, DPR Greenhouse Supervisor, grew our plants in the City Greenhouse.

Plants staged in Extension Office. Photo by Anne Hughes

When skies finally cleared at the end of June, team member Dudley Clark kicked off planting week by coordinating construction of a temporary rabbit fence around the garden perimeter to protect the small plants from being devoured before they even got started. To our amusement, we discovered several days later that we had fenced in a rabbit! To everyone’s relief – including the rabbit’s – we corralled it and relocated it back to the park.

We used a planting technique called “bare rooting” to plant. Supposedly, it promotes immediate contact between soil and roots which translates to less transplant shock. For more on bare root planting, watch this video from Denver Botanic horticulturist Grace Johnson. 

Our planting crew. Photo by Anne Hughes

Volunteers checked the garden daily the first month to monitor water and to keep ahead of weeds. We’ve been lucky so far. There is some prostrate spurge, an annual weed that is easily pulled, but milkweed is a problem because although native, it spreads by rhizomes and quickly forms unwanted colonies.

We lost a few plants but not many. The Gambel Oaks have struggled the most and just when we thought they had adapted, something started eating the foliage. However, given how small the plants were and how hot it was the week we planted, we are amazed at how good everything looks and how quickly plants are establishing. We plan to leave the fence up through the winter but by next season the plants should be established enough to fend for themselves. 

Next up is signage. Our plan is to label plants and include QR codes that link to educational materials on the Denver Extension website. Come next spring, visitors will be able to see the garden’s progress and follow along through the seasons.

Denver Extension thanks the Denver Master Gardeners and the DPR crew for their help with this project.

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 9^th at midnight.

Learn more about the Urban Forest Strategic Plan and sign up for email updates here.

Survey Link (English): Urban Forest Strategic Plan – Public Survey #2 (surveymonkey.com)

Survey Link (Spanish): Encuesta del Plan Estratégico de Silvicultura Urbana (UFSP) – Encuesta n.º 2 Survey (surveymonkey.com)

Thanks, in advance, for your support!

Colorado Gardening Calendar for September 2023

By Valerie Podmore, CSU Extension-Denver Master Gardener since 2020

Winecups reaching for water. Photo by Valerie Podmore

When I went on my (mostly) daily morning walk (I’m writing this in the 3^rd week of August by the way), the temperature was a lovely mid 70’s and my walking buddy said, “this is a really nice morning, almost like fall.” As we’ve had so many hot, hot July and August days, the thought of experiencing cooler ones is quite appealing! I’m sure our plants will enjoy that as well (not the walking part of course haha). Let’s look at our gardening to-dos for this month.

Vegetable Garden

Ok I admit, my first attempts at veggie gardening are not going great, mostly because I’ve not watered properly, I think. It could also be the location has much more shade than initially imagined. Remember that right plant, right place mantra? I didn’t! In any case, here are some tasks to perform this month for those of you who actually have real vegetables growing.

• Continue to harvest any ripe summer vegetables and clear out fallen leaves, weeds and other disease-causing debris.
• Plant cool weather vegetables now as they mature quickly and love less heat. These include lettuce, kale, arugula, Swiss chard, and spinach. Here’s a timely post on how to extend our growing season.
• Don’t forget to continue watering because we all know that Colorado can throw crazy weather at us…and it follows then to prepare for cold weather snaps too. There’s nothing worse than working so hard to grow something only to have it destroyed by Mother Nature. 

Trees and Shrubs

• Oh that watering thing again. It’s like some sort of Tamagotchi game (showing my age!) to make us desperately try to keep our plants alive! Keep an eye on the weather and water deeply when precipitation has been scarce. This information sheet has EVERYTHING you want to know about water.
• While we can prune, if necessary, try to avoid it during this month. Make note of branches that need attention and save the tasks for late winter or early spring.
• We may not realize it, but September’s cooler temperatures make it a good time to plant trees and shrubs as it gives enough time for the plant to acclimate in the warmer soil and prepare for the winter months. Here’s a great article on this very idea.

Lawn Care 

• This is a great month to revive our lawns by aerating and fertilizing or overseeding bare spots.
• As mentioned above, watering is still important to keep our lawns healthy so let’s continue caring for our lawns as fall is not the time to stop the good lawn care practices we’ve undertaken throughout the year.
• Tired of dealing with lawn? Now’s the time to start to plan a turf conversion. This page offers practical tips.

‘Autumn Joy’ sedum’s dusty pink blooms pop in September and last till frost. Photo by Linda McDonnell

Perennial Flower Beds 

• This is a perfect time to start cleaning up our plants as they begin to go dormant, by clearing away dead and mushy leaves, fruits or weeds which can cause disease.
• This quick read has good advice on clearing up the garden in the fall and pollinator-friendly clean up tips can be found here.
• Divide early blooming perennials such as iris, lily, hostas, bleeding hearts, and other bulb or tuberous species to keep them from crowding each other too much.
• For anyone who has a spare hour and some, and REALLY wants to nerd out on fall plant advice, take a look at this awesome video!

Annual Flower Beds

Because I’m lazy, I prefer perennial plants but of course we can’t minimize the impact that annuals have in the garden. The colors and variety are just so great!

• Make note of those annuals that you will want to replace next year.
• Get your pots of Chrysanthemums or pansies busted out to provide fall color, as these plants prefer cooler weather and add that color we sometimes need to combat that seasonal affective disorder that we have (well I’m speaking for myself here!).

As always, visit the CSU Extension Yard and Garden website for more gardening tips.

Celebrating Pollinator Week with Kids

By: Molly Gaines, CSU Extension-Denver Master Gardener since 2019

A Tiger Swallowtail hovers above a zinnia. They collect pollen by brushing their wings across flowers. Photo: Molly Gaines

Summer in Colorado is heading into full bloom, with bees, butterflies, moths, birds, and other pollinators abounding in our backyards and across the Rocky Mountains. At the same time, Pollinator Week, created by Pollinator Partnership to promote the health of pollinators through conservation, education and research, kicks off June 19. This makes it a perfect time to celebrate pollinators with the kids in your life, observing pollinators in action and creatively acknowledging the special roles they play in our environment. 

There are many engaging ways to help kids of all ages learn about pollinators. Some basic facts you can share about pollinators include:

• Pollinator species include bees, beetles, flies, moths, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bats.
• More than 70% of the world’s flowering plants rely on pollination, which is essential for producing fruits and seeds.
• Just like humans and other animals, pollinators need food, water, shelter and space.
• Pollinators are in trouble, and there are some reasons why and ways we all can help.

For a wealth of background and education about pollinators, check out the Pollinator Partnership’s website. It offers planting guides, bee guides, guides to creating a pollinator garden, pesticide education, and much more. 

The following are a few fun ideas to teach the kids in your life more about pollinators, along with a few resources for reference. 

1) Take a walk around your neighborhood. One of my favorite things to do with my own kids is to stroll through our neighborhood observing pollinators in action — a butterfly hovering around milkweed or a bumblebee deep inside a squash flower. It’s delightful to slow down and watch all of the ways pollinators move and work their way through our natural environments. And, if you look closely at a honeybees’ legs, you can see and point out to kids the yellow pollen they’ve collected and are carrying back to their hives. For a list of plants that are native to Colorado that might be found along your stroll, check out this blog post by Denver Master Gardener Kathy Roth.

A honeybee helps this cucumber grow fruit. Photo: Molly Gaines

2) Plant pollinator-friendly plants or a tiny garden to attract them. It’s not too late to find pollinator-friendly flowers at your local nursery and plant them with your kids. Or, you could plan now to plant a fall pollinator garden. Some great ideas for what to plant and background on how pollination happens can be found here. When your garden is complete, have your kids visit www.pollinator.org to download free garden signs. Older kids can help make signs to place in their garden, and perhaps a neighbor’s pollinator-friendly garden, too! 

3) To find an abundance of pollinators in one place, consider a visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens, Chatfield Farms or the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado. The Butterfly Pavilion is hosting a Pollinator Palooza Festival on Sun., June 25, to celebrate all things pollinators.

Did you know grasshoppers are unconventional pollinators? Photo: Molly Gaines

4) Throw a pollinator party with your kids, a few of their friends, and neighbors or family. Serve yogurt parfaits with berries, granola and a drizzle of honey or sugar cookies cut into butterfly or bee shapes. Give away a favor of 2-3 honey sticks and tie with garden twine. Make seed bombs with pollinator-friendly garden seeds. I’ve done this before with kids and there are several ways to do it and kids love making them! Consider downloading free pollinator art (there are many options online) and have kids color with crayons or markers. Invite a neighborhood beekeeper to show off a frame from his or her hive and some beekeeping equipment. Have kids do pollinator chalk art on the sidewalk in front of your home.

These are just a few ideas to help kids connect the dots between pollinators and their environment. Teaching young people about the essential role pollinators play in nature and our food supply is a great step towards helping future generations care for them. And care is what will help ensure pollinator populations thrive once again.