Trees are where your landscape value is. Plant them right and your home value grows; get trees wrong, and they take over, lift patios and driveways, hide beautiful architecture and more. Think of trees and the four seasons. Begin with trees that announce spring by blooming, then have trees that offer summer shade, autumn reds and gold, ending with visual interest through winter. The goal is not simply to collect specimens in the yard but rather to have at least one model tree per season that … [Read more...] about Exploring the Best Four-Season Trees for Any Landscape
Ken Lain
Tips and Tricks for New Mountain Gardeners
Many have gardened in places where the soil is rich, its pH perfectly balanced and the climate blessed with consistent rainfall, gentle sun and plant coddling humidity. If you have dug a hole in the ground, you know mountain gardening presents the opposite of such ideal conditions. My words are limited here, but they’re enough that I can sketch out the big picture of mountain gardening. The local USDA garden zone is 7 with a definite influence from zone 8. This defines our area as mild but with … [Read more...] about Tips and Tricks for New Mountain Gardeners
How to Harvest Herbs and Double Their Growth
You may have heard that herbs thrive on neglect. While it is true that growing these flavorful plants is pretty easy, you definitely want to pay attention to your herb garden. Once they are in the ground and growing, most herbs are quickly ready for harvesting, unlike most other vegetables that need time to ripen and mature. The key to keeping herbs growing is to harvest often. Leaves are the parts of popular herbs most often used in cooking. Cutting them back a bit throughout the growing … [Read more...] about How to Harvest Herbs and Double Their Growth
Hummingbirds Fly to These Eight Flowers Every Time
Lisa and I sat in the front courtyard, watching the antics of “our” hummingbirds. They were enjoying water from the fountains and sipping nectar from the 30+ pots of flowers. We enjoyed one unique, unexpected benefit: The birds are equally happy sharing the landscape with us! The flowers, birds, sparkling water and fresh air combined for a romantic getaway in our front yard. Hummingbirds are the easiest to attract to the yard. We don’t have feeders, as we never want our birds to become an … [Read more...] about Hummingbirds Fly to These Eight Flowers Every Time
Are Fruit Trees a Good Investment?
You used to need a lot of land to grow fruit trees. Dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees have allowed growing them in just about any yard. Most standard-sized fruit trees mature at a height and width of between 18-25 feet. Not only will this require a big chunk of your yard, but it also makes them tall to prune and spray without using a ladder. Even with smaller trees, growing fruit is a long-term investment. Fruits can take anywhere from two to 10 years to bear fruit. If you plan to be harvesting … [Read more...] about Are Fruit Trees a Good Investment?
How to Prune, Care for Roses
March is when roses get excited about spring. Prune, clean up and fertilize your roses, and 45 days later, they will show fragrant appreciation. March is the start of rose planting season, which culminates in June. The newest varieties are found early in March. Plant them while available. Visit my local guide: How to Plant Roses. Six rose types are planted locally: Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, Grandiflora, Climbing, Carpet and Shrub roses. March is when each is pruned, cleaned and fertilized. … [Read more...] about How to Prune, Care for Roses
Best Evergreen Trees for Mountain Landscapes
This is the season when evergreens sparkle in the winter landscape. Here is a list of the top seven evergreen trees that stand up to mountain wind and winter cold and resist the naturally occurring insects and diseases found at higher elevations. You will find each at the garden center. We offer pros and cons and information for further research so customers can learn and buy directly from our farm. Colorado Spruce – When customers don’t know the name of this tree, they refer to it as “The … [Read more...] about Best Evergreen Trees for Mountain Landscapes
Five Ways Houseplants Improve Mental Health
There is a good reason those fiddle leaf figs are flying off the shelves. Houseplants are a boon for your mental health. Stoneside Blinds and Shades surveyed nearly 1,000 people to see how their plants influenced their stress levels with some fascinating results. They found some of the top reasons for purchasing plants are to beautify living spaces (65%), with 54% noting they wanted “to have something else to focus on.” Talking to your plants is apparently normal, with 55% responding that they … [Read more...] about Five Ways Houseplants Improve Mental Health
Top Ten Houseplants that Grow Best in Bathrooms
Plants are a go-to decorating tool. Whether it’s an erupting Schefflera that offsets a boxy sofa or an English Ivy that softens the doldrums of a desk, they bring much-needed life into your home’s décor. You can extend that soul-soothing effect of houseplant foliage to the bathroom. Bathrooms are particularly hospitable to houseplants. The added humidity makes it the most greenhouse-like space in your home. Tropical plants known as epiphytes – orchids, ferns and air plants – are well-suited to … [Read more...] about Top Ten Houseplants that Grow Best in Bathrooms
Best Evergreen Shrubs for a Greener Winter
Autumn colors are spectacular. The colors and textures are unique to the four seasons of the mountain West. As we wrap up the last autumn leaves, the landscape can feel naked and bare. Deciduous plants, which lose their leaves through winter, often expose you to prying eyes, vehicle glare and a yard that feels empty. Evergreens take center stage for the next few months, and you can feel when the landscape doesn’t have the right mix of evergreen trees and shrubs. Not to worry, you will find … [Read more...] about Best Evergreen Shrubs for a Greener Winter