TIP
Keeping pets from pesticides
Two of the top hazards in the yard for pets are pesticides/fertilizers and mushrooms, according to Banfield, The Pet Hospital in Portland, Ore. Slug bait and rodent poisons are particularly dangerous because the sweet taste entices pets, and even small quantities can be deadly. Signs your pet has ingested these poisons are tremors, seizures, lethargy, coma and a rapid fever spike. While fertilizers are not actually toxic, they can cause irritation of the eyes, mouth and gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of mushroom poisoning include diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. More serious signs of fungal poisoning are coma and seizure.
To prevent problems:
Ask your nursery for eco-friendly gardening products.
Follow application instructions carefully. Allow at least 24 hours to pass before pets are allowed in treated areas.
Tightly seal containers and store them in a secure place.
Of the 70,000 species of mushrooms, only 250 are considered edible, so don’t take chances. Remove all mushrooms you find in the yard.
Have a gardening tip to share with others? Send it to GROW, c/o
Cynthia Pasquale, The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202,
BUY IT
A rose for Pope John Paul II
A pure white hybrid tea rose has been developed by Jackson & Perkins Co. to honor the late Pope John Paul II. The rose will be planted this year in the Vatican gardens overlooking St. Peter’s Basilica. Ten percent of the proceeds will be given to Vatican City, which in turn will donate them to a charity benefiting the poor of sub-Saharan Africa. The first roses were available in a limited edition of 2,500 Commemorative Rose Collections (plant, portfolio, garden marker) for $150. Or you can reserve a collection for delivery in 2007 for $110 plus shipping and handling or a single plant for $24.95 plus shipping and handling. Visit jacksonandperkins.com for information.
PLANT IT
A superior prickly pear
Some of our most spectacular native wildflowers are the cactus varieties of the Western prairies. The Denver Botanic Gardens introduced me to a superior form of the prickly pear called Opuntia phaeacantha “Mesa Sky.” This cactus is a vigorous ground cover to 6 feet across and a foot high. The bright yellow flowers have deep red centers, followed by large red, edible fruit. It’s the longest-blooming, showiest pear cactus I’ve grown. Its toughness and showiness are sure to make it a favorite landscape plant.
– Kelly Grummons, Timberline Gardens
READ IT
Sage advice
“The New Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden” (Timber Press, $29.95) is an expanded edition of a book Betsy Clebsch wrote in 1997. The most recent book contains 50 additional species and cultivars of the sage, which grows particularly well in Colorado’s climate. With beautiful green foliage and a wide variety of bloom colors, sage has been used for more than 20 centuries to heal minds and bodies in a variety of cultures. Clebsch’s book helps navigate the species with photos, detailed descriptions and temperature ranges.
