KEEP ON GROWING
This is the last issue of Grow for the season. However, the Garden Calendar will continue Saturdays in the Home section starting July 7. Please continue to mail info 10-14 days in advance to Garden Calendar, The Denver Post, 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 600, Denver, CO 80202; fax 303-954-1679; e-mail living@denverpost.com.
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Denver Urban Gardens
Through October: Learn how to compost in your backyard or with a worm bin in ongoing classes. Free; visit website to register. Gove Community Garden, 1325 Colorado Blvd., 720-865-6810, DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles
Hudson Gardens
Offering “Meet the Vegetable Gardeners” sessions twice a month for visitors to observe and ask questions about bed preparation, planting, weeding, maintenance and more, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Remaining dates are July 11 and 25, Aug. 9 and 23, Sept. 4 and 18. “Meet the Beekeeper” sessions are offered 9:30-11:30 a.m. July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 15. All sessions included with admission. 6115 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, 303-797-8565 ext. 306, shop.hudsongardens.org
Tagawa Gardens
Saturday: “10 Things Not to Do in Your Landscape,” noon-1 p.m.; “Luxurious Lotions,” 2-4 p.m. $15 materials fee payable to the instructor, reservation required. 7711 S. Parker Road, Centennial, 303-690-4722,
EXHIBITS
Denver Botanic Gardens
Through Aug. 5: “Kenichi Nagakura: Fluid Duality” in the Gates Garden Court Gallery; through Nov. 4: “Kizuna: West Meets East,” large bamboo art installations by internationally known artists Tetsunori Kawana and Stephen Talasnik. 1007 York St., 720-865-3580,
SAVE THE DATE
Chatfield State Park
July 14: “Pulling for Colorado,” noxious-weed removal from the park, 8 a.m.-noon. Learn how to identify common noxious weeks and how to control them. Wear sturdy shoes and bring gloves, water and sun protection. No pets allowed. Free. Reservations required. 11500 N. Roxborough Park Road, Littleton, 303-275-5631, e-mail jguzzetta@fs.fed.us
Crested Butte Wildflower Festival
July 9-15: The 26th annual festival includes daily walks and hikes, classes, tours, yoga, the Blossom Boutique and more. Dates, times vary. Crested Butte, 970-349-2571, crestedbuttewildflowerfestival.com
Compiled by Vickie Heath, The Denver Post
Drought survival
The Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado has more tips for getting you through the summer:
1. Don’t water just because “it’s my day.” Check soil moisture. Probe your lawn. If a finger or tool goes in easily, you’re good; turn that spigot off. If not, set sprinklers to run in pre-dawn hours or hose water late or early, never during heat or wind.
2. Take advantage of new tech. Smartphones, smart sprinklers: Check out new technology that tells the sprinkler system when to water.
3. Get back to the basics. Check again for faulty parts or sprinkler heads that are watering streets and sidewalks instead of grass.
4. Mow long. Raise your cutting height to 3 inches.
5. Don’t fertilize your grass right now. Stressed grass needs recovery time. Wait until at least mid-August.
6. Check moisture levels around trees and other plants. Trees are expensive to replace, so focus on them. Use a deep-root watering device that attaches to a garden hose; insert it into the soil about 12 inches deep at several locations within the drip line (outermost perimeter of where rain drips from leaves).
7. Make informed decisions if you are installing or renovating a landscape this year. Drought is not a fluke in Colorado; it’s a constant. A well-planned, water-wise landscape cools the space around it. For more tips or to find a landscape pro, visit
