Dear gardening Friends
Welcome to another growing
season. Once again we have expanded the
number and type of plants we carry.
Your response
to our shrubs was so positive last
year that we increased the number of shrubs and fruit trees, and have added
trees to our
repertoire. We are carrying a mixture of ornamental,
shade and evergreen trees and in larger sizes for those of us who want
more of an impact in our landscape
right away. We have tried to specialize
in trees that grow faster, proven themselves in
Colorado, and maintain a smaller
form for today’s smaller yard size. We
have also tried to locate more ornamental shapes
such as weeping and columnar
forms. We are growing 150 + varieties
of roses, many of them customer requests.
We have
tried to emphasize scent over color
this year, but we did bring in the newest varieties even if they were not noted
for their scent.
Our roses were purchased bare root
from Weeks, Jackson-Perkins, and Star Roses.
We have many hybrid teas and
increased the number of climbing and
shrub roses (including the Blanket or ground cover roses). If you want to be sure to
have a particular rose, you may
purchase it now and we will hold it for you until planting time. We are excited about our new
staff members who have melded
seamlessly with our returning staff. We
are having a great time planting. Even
if you are not
ready to plant now, be sure to stop
by to visit and meet our new people before the busy part of the season gets
underway. Our bare root shrubs and
trees are arriving now and we will be working frantically to get them planted
and ready for your yard.
Once again, we offer 100 varieties
of tomatoes, many for the first time, and have increased the types of
peppers. We have many perennials that
are also here for the first time. Be
sure to tell your friends and neighbors that we now carry trees in addition to
shrubs and perennials. I never get
tired of saying it; your recommendation
of our greenhouse is worth more than any advertising we purchase. We hope to see you soon, John, Mary &
the Crew
What our Garden would teach us if we
would only listen
What would happen to us if we took the
lessons we learned while gardening and applied them to our daily life? What if we taught ourselves to feed and
nurture that physical and spiritual part of our beings in the same manner as we
do for our gardens.
In gardening, we have learned the
importance of supplying the right nutrients for each plant; the importance of
providing the correct amount of sunlight, water, and plant zones. We protect our plants from stress by
providing water during periods of drought; shelter from strong winds; warm
layers for the cold. We have taught
ourselves to listen to the language of the plant; what it means when the leaves
curl up or turn yellow; a lack or overabundance of growth, wilting, or failure
to bloom. When the message is received,
we take care to provide the plant with the proper care to hopefully
survive. We even try to prevent the
above problems by meeting the needs of the plant before the plant is stressed.
What if we listened to the messages of
our body and spirit with the same attentiveness as we give our garden? I present John as a case in point. All of last summer, John suffered from
debilitating exhaustion. He rarely
stayed awake after dinner. He
experienced shortness of breath after any physical exertion. He experienced weight gain for no apparent
reason. What did John do? Nothing.
He did not listen to the messages his body was sending him nor did he tell
anyone of these symptoms.
The last week of December, during a
regular physical exam, the message was finally delivered. His heart was enlarged. Each day bought him to a different doctor
with tests and worsening news. Finally,
on Christmas Day, he was the recipient of a quadruple by-pass for a condition
commonly known as the ‘widow-maker’. He
would not have had a heart attack, he would instead have dropped dead within
the next few months.
The message we received? A change of
lifestyle. We must tend our bodies as
carefully as we tend our gardens. We
must monitor what nutrients we supply our physical and mental beings just as we
do for our gardens. We must try to reduce the amount of stress on ourselves
just as we try to do for our plants.
Most of all, we must learn to listen to the messages our bodies and
minds are sending us. Listen, just as
we have learned to read and respond to our plants in distress in order to try
to prolong their life cycle.
Even though neither John nor I have ever
considered ourselves to be particularly spiritual people, we do feel that
someone was watching over us at that moment in time. Just as we often expect the universe to provide the rains and
sunlight to make our gardens grow, somehow, frequently the universe provides
that same gift on the garden of our lives. It brought home the message that “To
everything (and everyone) there is a season”.
Weeping trees have fascinated us for
centuries. From the willows of ancient
Chinese artwork to the Japanese continuing cultivation of cascading cherries,
prized for the beauty of their spring blossoms. Historically, American and
European cemeteries were planted with weeping trees to symbolize mourning. We modern gardeners often feature them in
meditation gardens or along side of water features or as an accent piece in the
landscape along with stonework or a berm.
They can highlight a particular area of your landscape, or add a
graceful, soothing tone. If nothing
else, it is good to add something fun and different to your home landscape.
Autumn Blaze Maple We fell in love with this tree last
year and have bought it back this year in large quanities and many different
sizes. It was voted 2004 Urban Tree of
the year by the Society of Municipal Arborists. It has won award after award for the following reasons:
1. Consistant Brilliant Red Fall
Color
2. Rapid Vigorous Growth ( as much
as 3' per year under optimun conditions)
3. Clay Soil and Drought Tolerant
4. Dense Oval Head and Strong
BranchingHardy in zones 3 thru 8.This cultivar was partly selected because of
its unique combination of good traits from two native species - red maple and
silver maple. The Autumn Blaze Maple captures her ancestor's good qualities
including brilliant orange-red color, dense and healthy branching, and a vigor
that enhances growth and protects from insects and disease. This tree is not as
susceptible to storm damage as the silver maple because it has superior crotch
angles and branch habit. It's rate of
growth is significantly faster than a red maple, growing to 50 or 60 feet tall
and 30 to 40 feet wide.
A Novel Way to Clean Planet
Earth-Trees Plants
have served us for a long time. They
create habitats that both feed our bellies and our souls. They shelter wildlife and produce the air we
breath. Now we are asking our plants to
help clean up pollution on our planet.
The ability of plant life to clean up the air, water and soil has a
profound economic and environmental impact.
Using trees to sequester carbon is perhaps one of the newest and most
controversial uses of plant life. Trees
and other vegetation have long served environmental cleaning tasks. Humans are just now learning to harvest this
potential to directly mitigate environmental problems. The experiments and studies in this area are
fascinating. I will keep you posted
when I receive more information
Reduce Dependency on Fossil Fuels
with Trees and Shrubs
Besides driving less or turning down
the thermostat, planting trees is a proven way to reduce the amount of energy
you consume. Trees can reduce heating
and cooling costs by blocking cold winds, providing shade from the hot sun,
evaporating cooling water from their leaves.
A well-planed landscape can reduce home energy consumption by 30% and
reduce surrounding air temperatures by as much as 25 degrees F. This can equate to a single family household
annual energy savings of $100 to $250. (This figure was pre-current gas
prices.)
Grasses are useful in different types of landscapes ranging
from formal gardens to native, plains and meadows. Native grasses add a sense
of place to Colorado gardens. Grasses from many parts of the world are commonly
used in American gardens. Many of these are from the moist climates of Asia and
Europe and must be amply watered. Some natives such as switch grass also
require regular irrigation in Colorado’s semiarid climate. Grasses add variety to many types of
gardens, including water, Japanese, rock, wildlife, craft, xeriscape, container
and others. Ornamental grasses add two elements to the garden experience that
are not readily obtained from many other plants: movement and sound. Grasses
look well against a dark background and placed to catch morning or evening
light. Grasses add a significant vertical presence to the winter landscape and
are commonly left standing until spring. Grasses generally grow best in three
to five hours of direct sun each day. In shade, these grasses may not bloom,
are often lax and tend to fall over, and may not develop peak fall color.
Quick Facts...
Grasses are adaptable and can grow
in poorer soils better than many other garden plants.
Grasses require little effort to
maintain.
Grasses come in many heights,
colors, textures and have varying water requirements.
Grass seed heads and foliage add
fall and winter interest.
Dried grasses have many decorative
uses indoors and out.
Grasses can be used as groundcovers,
specimen plants, for erosion control, and as vertical design elements.
Information taken from C.S.U. fact
sheet No.7.232 by C.R. Wilson