Colleen Smith
Colleen Smith writes and gardens in Denver.
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Denver’s oasis has been tucked away in the Denver Botanic Gardens for 40 years
Denver Botanic Gardens marked this week 40 years since the dedication of Sho-Fu-En, the Japanese Garden of the Pine and Wind.

Tips on harvesting herbs for good food and your good health
Whether culinary or medicinal herbs, these plants reward gardeners with fresh or dried applications everywhere from the kitchen to the bath.

The perfect plant that’s easy enough for beginner gardeners but also interesting enough for experts
If you’re ever visiting Denver Botanic Gardens and spot a horticulturist with a ZZ Top beard and a straw hat, itap probably Mike Bone, curator of Steppe Collections. The Westminster...

Denver parks’ flowers are three weeks behind after rough spring storms
If you’re a gardener who’s suffered the misfortune of spring freezes, destructive hailstorms or droughts visited upon your plants, multiply that anguish by 225.

Plant Select does your gardening research
The Plant Kingdom is vast and complex. And Colorado’s growing season is short and frequently unforgiving, as evidenced by recent snowfall and freezing temperatures the third week of May, followed...

Bee hotels: Everything you need to know about insect nesting sites
Colorado has nearly 1,000 different species of bees. Now, native bee hotels are creating a lot of buzz. Even Costco now sells bee houses. Also known as pollinator homes, these...

Flowers aren’t just for gardens anymore. These days, they’re regularly found on the menu.
Flowers are a feast for the senses of sight and smell, obviously, but also, increasingly, the taste buds.

Looking for visual relief in your garden? Try ornamental grasses.
Ornamental grasses have grown on home gardeners and professional landscapers.

Learn why your plants are dying
If your plants are dying, you should investigate why. Here are some factors to consider.

How to incorporate the elements into your garden to improve your zen
Got a yen to feel more zen? Or a desire to balance your yin and yang? Adding the elements of nature acknowledged in Eastern traditions can increase a garden’s therapeutic...