Betty Cahill

Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region. Visit her site at for even more gardening tips.

Cut off amaryllis blooms after they fade but wait to cut down the green stalk until it has turned yellow; this forces energy back in the bulb. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Punch list: Holiday plant care, and getting a new garden party started

January 12, 2019 at 7:00 a.m.

Gardeners of all levels make few New Year resolutions. We don鈥檛 need to, since the time and energy involved in gardening seem effortless. We鈥檙e talking flowers, fruit and fun outdoors.

Plant Select Red Mountain ice plant. (Panayoti Kelaidis, provided by Plant Select)

Punch list: We have the answers to your December garden questions

December 21, 2018 at 1:33 p.m.

If plants could talk, they鈥檇 say 鈥淏ring on the snow and plenty of moisture over the winter.鈥�

Punch list: We have the answers to your December garden questions

December 14, 2018 at 12:52 p.m.

If plants could talk, they鈥檇 say "Bring on the snow and plenty of moisture over the winter." Long stretches without adequate moisture in the fall through winter can cause plants...

Two outdoor seasonal urns with layered greenery. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Punch list: Real Christmas trees and fresh greenery to decorate

November 29, 2018 at 5:51 p.m.

December is a busy month. What to do first? Decorating and planting are at the top of any gardener鈥檚 list. Relaxing would be nice too, so try to work it...

Red amaryllis take on a festive holiday look when planted in vintage clay pots. (Provided by www.digdropdone.com)

Punch list: Indoor houseplants and holiday bulbs

November 6, 2018 at 12:11 a.m.

Gardening isn鈥檛 over even though we turned our clocks back over the weekend. Turn your focus indoors to get your planting and blooming fix. The rake may also need a...

Punch list: Winterizing your lawn, garden and other fall chores

October 19, 2018 at 12:30 p.m.

Recent hard freezes cue gardeners to wind down the outdoor gardening season and focus on the must-do final fall chores. Pace yourself as you check off the list while being...

A Japanese Beetle eats roses at the War Memorial Rose Garden on August 28, 2018 in Littleton, Colorado. Japanese Beetles may have originated in the Cherry Hills Village neighborhood, in Arapahoe County, according to experts who are now focused on long-term beetle mitigation that includes releasing predatory wasps that lay their eggs on the beetle's larvae and kill them.

Punch list: Goodbye, adult Japanese beetles — for now

October 7, 2018 at 3:49 p.m.

The gardening summer of 2018 along the Front Range is easy to sum up: hot, dry and buggy. Very buggy. The weather is cooling off at last; let抖阴ap hope we...

Leaf scorch can occur when trees are stressed by drought or not fully healthy when they head into winter. Photo by Betty Cahill

Punch List: Prep your garden for winter

October 1, 2018 at 2:53 p.m.

The spring and summer growing season of 2018 may be one for the books.

Canned peaches. (Amy Brothers, The Denver Post)

Punch List: Time to preserve that bounty from your garden, and protect your lawn

September 8, 2018 at 8:00 a.m.

Summer heat is fading, the feel of fall is here. This year, we had more than 50 days of 90 degree temperatures or warmer. Hail along the Front Range ruined...

Punch List: Lettuce, bulbs part of fall planting

August 25, 2018 at 4:00 a.m.

Late August in the garden means we鈥檙e burning daylight 鈥� keep harvesting while taking advantage of cooler temperatures for fall planting.

All Stories