INFORMATION
Gardening help is a phone call away
Need some quick advice about fertilizer? Curious about when to put in those tomatoes? Colorado State University Cooperative Extension is a great resource. Volunteer Master Gardeners are available to answer horticulture questions, free of charge. Here are the numbers for county offices in the Front Range.
READ IT
Tomatoes? They’re art
Gardeners get so caught up in the technical aspects of their pursuits. Sometimes, it’s helpful to remember that it’s not all about soil composition and competing with the neighbors for the biggest tomatoes. It’s also about shaping nature into something beautiful and inspiring – and that’s what the 350-plus pages of colorful reproductions in the Getty Museum’s soft-cover “Gardens in Art” ($24.95) will do for you. The paintings are moving, and the text is practical. It’s a great gift.
READER’S TIP
Bird Block for climbing Clematis
This week’s tip comes from Connie Gilliland of Centennial
Loving Clematis as I do, I looked for an easier way to train my many plants up the trellis. Bird Block, a protective mesh covering that is used to protect fruit trees, berries, and vegetables from hungry birds, is now my favorite method.
In the spring, I use a staple gun to attach the Bird Block to my wooden and plastic trellises. Twist ties could be used to attach to a trellis made of another material. The bird block doesn’t interfere with the look of the trellis, and the plants practically climb the Bird Block on their own.
When it’s time to prune the plants, I can easily pull down the Bird Block, roll it up with the old vines inside and throw it away all together!
Got a garden tip? Share it with Grow.
E-mail your good ideas to Grow@denverpost.com. We’ll print the best ones and give the tipster a pair of Sloggys garden clogs, courtesy of Sloggers Garden Outfitters.
