Mother’s Day weekend officially opens the spring-planting lollapalooza, and Monday’s soaking rain should have Mom’s garden — or yours — primed for any new additions. Enjoy the shopping and planting experience. Pace yourself. There are plenty of weeks ahead to have fun in the garden. While you’re shopping, keep an eye out for Plant Select plants.
This is perhaps one of the best assortment of plants that grow very well in our region. These species and varieties excel in our high-altitude climate, bright sun and variable conditions. Started in 1997, Plant Select is overseen by the Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado State University and horticulturists and nurseries throughout the Rocky Mountain region. The collection includes perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers and ornamental grasses. New plants are added each year.
Look for designated Plant Select plants in area nurseries and give them a try. plantselect.org, includes downloadable designs, gardens where you can see the plants in landscapes, and places to purchase.
A less-thirsty landscape
A gift from the clouds isn’t something we can count on — though we’ll take every drop and be grateful. If you want to worry less about drought, here’s what to do:
• Evaluate what plants aren’t working in your garden. Sometimes gardening requires tough love by “shovel pruning” (digging and tossing) anything that’s troublesome, not thriving or simply not worth giving away. Be sure to compost any discarded, disease-free plants.
• Plan carefully for replacement plants. We get 12-15 inches of annual precipitation — some of it in the form of snow and hail. So consider replacing or reducing turf, especially in challenging areas, with low-water perennials, shrubs or ground covers.
• How do you choose? Call your local extension office or take a plant class — there are many free or low-cost offerings throughout the Front Range. Or read a book. Colorado Gardening is a website created by gardeners, andhas a plethora of writings specific to our area (colorado gardening.com/storefront.htm).
• Browse more selections at www.ext. colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07231.html.
• Find at www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/ 07230.html.
• at www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/ 07229.html.
New plantings
• Plant perennials, annuals and containers after the frost danger has passed (anywhere from May 10 to 15). We can still get cold weather in May, so be prepared to cover new plantings with cloth if necessary.
• “Harden off” (that’s gardener-speak for acclimating) new plants outside if they’re purchased from an indoor nursery or grown indoors. Let them sit out for a few hours each day, up to a week, increasing the duration each day.
• Plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus, dahlias and canna, now. Sprinkle 5-10-5 fertilizer into planting holes (the numbers are on the bag).
Vegetables
• Plant tender, warm-season vegetable seeds and plants such as beans, corn, celery, New Zealand spinach and summer squash when daytime and nighttime temps are consistently above 55 degrees. Protect new plants when temperatures fall below 55. Temperatures lower than 55 degrees will greatly affect the healthy growth of all warm-season vegetables. And yes, that includes tomatoes and peppers.
• Protect transplants from wind and intense afternoon sun.
• Weed vegetable beds now while the weeds are manageable and don’t have seedheads.
Betty Cahill: bettycahill@ymail.com
