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by Cortney Moore
The holidays seem to bring out the best in humanity. We see people dropping money in red buckets with the bell ringers or packing food and toys into big boxes wrapped like presents. Families choose tags off trees to buy presents for the less fortunate and more people take the time to volunteer.
Take a few moments and contemplate the best of your holidays. Let everything melt away and recall your best holiday memory. My favorite memories are wrapped up in poinsettias, fresh wreaths, cut trees, shiny keepsake ornaments and the people with whom I’ve shared such precious moments.
At Fort Collins Nursery we focus on the feel good side of the holidays. We offer a space that is friendly and warm for you to get your holiday fix. Our dedicated staff is pride of its long history of creating holiday memories.
When you pull into our parking lot a forest of gorgeous greenery is waiting for you. Step out of the car and the smell of evergreen meets your nose. Our tree lot is manned by hard working folks with a smile who know the importance of picking out the right tree. From cut trees in all sizes and varieties to live Christmas trees (if you are looking for something more permanent), we’ve got them all.
Enter the Garden Shop through our hall of trees showcasing keepsake ornaments. Don’t forget to grab a cup of coffee, tea, hot coco or cider! Our garden shop greeters can help you select the perfect gift or take your order for a handmade wreath that can be shipped anywhere in the United States. They might even offer you a peak through our holiday glasses and all the lights you see turn to candy canes, reindeer or snowmen.
Now that you have something warm to sip on, wander through the gift area and eventually you will discover the Design Center where the magic happens! The ladies are busily working on the wreaths we ship across the United States. Once they have wowed you with their skills, you can discuss having them create a design for you.
As you turn from the design center you see pretty poinsettias blooming red, pink, white and many other colors. The mini poinsettias are always a hit and make the perfect hostess gift for all your holiday partying. We also have holiday plants like holiday cactus, Norfolk pine and more. Our plant experts are available to answer any questions you have and help you add some blooms and life to your home. Don’t forget to visit the fairies in our fairy corner before you leave and be enchanted this holiday season.
There is something for everyone at Fort Collins Nursery. Stop by and share your best holiday memory or join us in creating a new one.
by Gerry Hofmann
Now that the weather is definitely ‘fallish’ & even sometimes a bit like winter, many gardeners turn their attention to the cousins of our outdoor landscapes, namely houseplants. They manage to tide us over the cooler winter months quite nicely, if we just give them a little preventative attention.
Some plants have had a summer vacation of their own outside, enjoying the extra light & air for a few months. If you had any in this category, a couple of things to watch out for can keep trouble at bay: spraying them with tepid water, including the undersides of the leaves in the kitchen sink to dislodge any dirt. It may also be a good idea to knock the smaller ones out of their pots to check for insects looking for a free ride inside. Give them a good drink while you’re at it, since inside heated air is very drying, which will draw water out of the soil, too. Some leaves need removing if they have gotten sunscald or show evidence of slug or insect damage. When you trim, clean the scissors or clippers (ideally with rubbing alcohol) between cutting different plants so you are not transmitting anything from one to the other.
Most houseplants species originate in the hot, humid tropics. They are happiest in those conditions; however, that can be a tall order to replicate with our over-heated homes. Restoring some of the humidity with frequent misting along with situating plants near kitchens & bathrooms will replicate some of that.
Before looking for brand new houseplants, investigate where you are most likely to site them. Are the spots on the south or west side, where strong sunlight extends? If so, you may find the most success with succulents. These are thick-leafed plants, which are utilized to store water within. About the only way you can kill a succulent is to overwater it.
Speaking of watering, many people take the ‘more is better’ approach with sketchy results. Especially in sealed-bottom pots, where the extra water has no place to go, too much watering prevents the roots from accessing oxygen. Basically, the plant drowns. The best way to prevent this is to limit watering to 1-2 times a week, deep-watering when you do. Smaller plants may need water more often than larger ones. (If you find a plant wilting long before this, it may be root-bound. That means that it has used up a lot of the materials in the soil, making a bigger plant & roots along the way. Find a bigger pot for it.) The easiest way to check for water is to check the soil moisture just below the surface dirt; if it doesn’t stick to your fingers, it’s pretty dry. You can also just lift the pot (unless it’s too big) to check the weight, a dry plant weighs considerably less……after a little practice you will be able to tell quite easily.
If you are in the market for a larger plant & have a sunny spot, consider a citrus plant. A lemon tree, for example, can bring an aura of the warm Mediterranean into your home, which is especially welcome during the oncoming winter months. Citrus plants are relatively care-free & pest-free and may even yield some bonus fruit. The blossoms of many smell quite sweet too. Fort Collins Nursery has a wide variety of citrus plants, including: oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, kumquats, tangerines, key limes, and more!
by Bridget Tisthammer
We are thankful for all your kind words of concern and encouragement during our recent flooding event. The waters have receded and we’re busy cleaning up. As you can see, we’re almost back to normal. The flood was devastating, but there’s nothing on the property that we can’t fix!
In the meantime, you may be dealing with some flood damage in your own garden. If you have a vegetable garden that was covered by flood waters, here are some tips to help you sort through the damage.
Throw away any vegetables that are eaten raw, such as leafy greens like lettuce, cabbage and spinach; and soft fruits, including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Some leafy crops, such as chard, beet tops and spinach, must be cooked thoroughly before eating. Use the sanitizing procedure described on this page before cooking.
Sanitizing Procedure:
1. Diluted Bleach Solution: Mix 1 tablespoon bleach (without scents or thickeners) with 1 gallon potable water.
2. Wash crops in potable water, using a vegetable scrub brush to get in crevices.
3. Place the vegetables in the diluted bleach solution for two minutes.
4. Rinse again with potable water.
You can also save root crops like carrots, potatoes, beets and radishes by washing them using the sanitizing procedure.
Throw away any soft-skinned vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, peas, beans eggplant and summer squash, which were in contact with flood water. You can wash and sanitize hard-skinned crops such as watermelon, pumpkin and winter squash using the procedure described here.
Unfortunately, no one can tell us for sure what contaminants were in the flood water—it could contain chemicals, oil, sewage, bacteria or parasites. For this reason, do not try to grow anything in your flooded garden for 90 days.
Was your turf damaged by the flood? Tony Koski, turf specialist with the CSU Extension Service, provided the following information:
As soon as flood waters have receded, clean up any debris that the waters deposited on your lawn. This includes rocks, glass, metal, wood and piles of leaves. If you have a layer of muck—that thick, black gummy soil that the waters carried down from fire-affected areas—you can try to remove it by shoveling and washing with a garden hose and jet sprayer. Depending on how much muck you have, this may not be possible.
It may take two to three weeks for your turf to dry out, depending on the weather, your soil and how quickly the area drains. At this point, you can measure the amount of muck on your lawn to determine the next step.
If you have less than one to two inches of muck, and your lawn was covered by water less than four days, it has a good chance of recovery. Check for new shoots of grass to determine if your lawn can recover. Once regrowth begins, it will slowly continue until the lawn has completely filled in. Be sure to aerate your lawn this fall. When you see some regrowth beginning, go over the lawn three to four times with a core-type aerifier. This will help break up soil layering problems and improve soil oxygen levels. Then fertilize the lawn, following the label instructions, in October.
You can also overseed after aerification if you see any thin areas in the lawn or if parts of the lawn aren’t showing new growth. Use a seeding rate of five to six pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet. Rake the lawn lightly to move the seed into aeration holes. Water the lawn to keep it moist, but not soggy.
If you have two inches or more of muck, the chances of the lawn recovering are slim. You may have to resign yourself to the fact that your lawn (or at least part of it) will need to be reestablished. One option is to remove as much of the muck as you can down to the level of the lawn. This may not be practical due to the size of your lawn or the amount of muck to be removed. An easier option may be to rototill the muck and damaged grass into your soil as deeply and thoroughly as possible. Avoid allowing the soil to remain layered—to have a layer of muck, a layer of dead grass and a layer of soil. By thoroughly mixing the three layers into one homogenous layer, you are creating a new root zone for the new lawn. After you have leveled and firmed the new soil mixture, you can seed or sod the lawn.
As always, we are here to help you in your quest to be a successful gardener so please feel free to contact us regarding questions related to the flood or any other gardening questions you may have.
by Heather Chappell
This bumper sticker has taken on a whole new meaning!
The water has receded and we have been able to get in, assess the damage, begin clean-up and ultimately, open for business. We have received so many phone calls and emails from concerned customers, checking in on us to make sure we are here and to inquire into the well-being of our staff. We can’t thank you enough for your support and well wishes. Our staff have experienced varying degrees of trouble related to the flood, but ALL are well, and that is what we care about most!
Our story started with a crawfish! One lonely crawfish made its way from the creek, about 30 feet, to the back door of our potting shed on Thursday morning, September 12th, 2013. Looking back now the little mud-bug seemed to be making the effort to sound the call for us. Our Production Manager, Brendan Anderson, found the creature and returned him to the creek, wondering, “What does he know that I don’t?” Turns out, a lot! By mid-morning on Thursday Dry Creek, that runs through our property, had risen quite a bit and by mid-afternoon the Poudre River, that we back up to, was running extremely high, fast and muddy. There appeared to be a lot of debris from the fires washing down the river at that time. We decided to move as much heavy material from the back of our property onto higher ground to avoid it getting carried out into the river, causing possible blockages to the bridge at Timberline and bigger issues for our neighbors along Mulberry and the town as a whole, should the flooding take place. We moved plants and benches away from the bridges, put electronics up on desks and tables in our offices and then our owner, Jesse Eastman, made the call, “that’s it now, everyone needs to get your things and get home to safety, we have done all that we can.”
Friday morning brought the news that we were flooded and that the nursery could not open. Jesse made it out here and took pictures, which he posted to our Facebook page. We were heart sick to see the damage, knowing the only thing to do was to wait.
By Saturday we were able to get in to the nursery. We roped off areas, opened for business and got busy cleaning up. Saturday was spent helping customers who came by, assessing the damage, moving more plants out of harm’s way, cleaning up areas we could get to and preparing for round two, should the flood waters rise again. We made a makeshift lunchroom in our classroom area as the employee lunchroom was flooded.
Sunday dawned with…. MORE RAIN! Jesse decided that given the ongoing flood risk and poor conditions, we would be closed on Sunday.
Thank you to our customers for keeping us going!
The rain began to slow, Monday came, and with it eventually sunshine. We brought in equipment and materials to begin filling in and re-grading areas that were swept away and begin putting order back to the nursery. As of this post, we still have areas closed off to the public and cannot predict how long it will take to have all areas re-opened. Although some areas are not open to the public, plants are still accessible to employees and we have many trees, shrubs and plants that are accessible to the public.
Finally, we want to acknowledge the unwavering fortitude and strength of our staff! Without their commitment and love for the nursery, we would not be where we are, only 2 days out from the flooding. They have worked tirelessly, both day and night, throughout these trying days to take care of areas that could be reached and get the nursery back to the place that you have come to love as well.
Thank you all so much for the offers of help and support. The best thing you can do for us right now is to come out to see us and shop with us. We are here, we are open and as always we are committed to serving you and helping you green up your life!
Dry creek flooding between the bridges.
Dry Creek between the bridges after the flooding.
During the flooding, high water over the perennial bridge.
After the flooding, low water and destruction around the perennial bridge.
by Cortney Moore
Soon lawns everywhere will be ready for hibernation or dormancy if you prefer. Some simply call it brown. Like a hungry bear or squirrels collecting nuts, turf grass needs sustenance to help it through the winter.
Fall is the ideal time to fertilize lawns. A late season application of lawn fertilizer is often referred to as winterizer. When selecting a fertilizer for this application there are a few considerations:
Nitrogen promotes healthy, lush green top growth. Phosphorous supports a strong, dense root system and potassium aids in overall plant hardiness. These are the three numbers listed on any fertilizer and they are referred to as N-P-K. Examples are Jirdon Winterizer with 18-6-12 and Alpha Organic Winterizer with 12-4-4.
The most important quality when selecting a fertilizer at anytime of the year is to be certain it is developed for our soils. The Alpha line of fertilizers is produced locally and Jirdon has a long history in our area. It is appropriate to use any of the Jirdon or Alpha products recommended for lawn fertilizing. Colorado’s Own Lawn Food is another good choice.
The benefits of a winterizer include:
The proper time to apply winterizer is September through November depending on how our season ends. The grass needs to be green when the fertilizer is spread. Some moisture and warmth are important so don’t wait until we get into a cold, dry spell. Also pay attention if the temperatures are hot. It is better to wait until it cools down a bit. If natural moisture isn’t forecasted a light watering is sufficient.
Winterizer is often described as the most important application of the season, so don’t let your lawn go hungry this fall!
We have installed an amazing new patio where you can enjoy breakfast or lunch from The Rolling Bistro. Take a look and then stop by and enjoy it for yourself, we would love to see you!
by Bridget Tisthammer
Would you like to attract more beneficial insects to your gardens? Butterflies and bees are wonderful additions to your outdoor home, and so are wasps and beetles. Not every insect that visits your garden is a pest. Many, such as tiny parasitic wasps and lady beetles (otherwise known as ladybugs) eat thousands of aphids, scales and caterpillars each season. Spiders, too, are great hunters, capturing hundreds of destructive pests in their webs that would otherwise be eating your plants. Other good insects to have around are dragonflies and lacewings, both voracious eaters that gobble up aphids, thrips, spider mites and caterpillars.
In addition to their appetites, bugs are fun to watch. Almost everyone enjoys the graceful beauty of a butterfly or the bright colors reflected in a hovering dragonfly’s wing. I feel pretty lucky when a ladybug decides I’m safe to land on for awhile. And anyone who has a bee hive knows the pleasure of watching the bustling activity at the entrance to the hive.
You can purchase a few of these helpful creatures, but keeping them around to work for their dinner requires the right cultural conditions.
The first step to creating an attractive habitat is to limit your use of pesticides to a “last ditch effort” status, when everything else has failed. Pesticides don’t play favorites—many of them kill every bug they touch whether it’s a cute ladybug or a disgusting slug. Research some of the more primitive or “homemade” methods, such as taking the bugs off the plant and squashing them, or placing a newspaper in the garden in the evening to attract slugs, then pick up the paper full of sleepy slugs the following morning and throw it in the trash. A shallow dish of beer will also kill quite a few slugs. There are more ants in the world than all other living creatures combined, so give up on getting rid of ants. Ants are not your enemy. They may be annoying, but they don’t harm plants.
The next step to attract “good” bugs is to provide water. Male butterflies tend to congregate around puddles or in low, muddy spots. It’s believed that they are getting nutrients dissolved in the water, so try to keep a slightly salty puddle or muddy spot somewhere in your garden. You can also place a shallow birdbath or other shallow container containing gravel and water in a spot that’s protected from wind and easy to refill.
Next, provide areas that are protected from wind and rain. Dense shrubs, large bushy perennials such as salvia, sunflowers or Russian sage and large grasses are great bug shelters. If these block the prevailing winds from your butterfly garden, even better.
Now comes the fun part—incorporate plants that bugs like into your existing gardens. It’s easy to figure out the bees’ favorite plants when you work in a nursery. When I have to shoosh bees away to pick up the plants, they’re a great candidate for the happy bee garden. The two plant types that stand out in my mind are the salvias and the spireas. In general, bees prefer native plants that flower and fruit throughout the growing season. Many garden favorites are hybrids of the native species, and many of these hybrids don’t produce a pollen or nectar that bees can use to make honey. There are some, however, such as lavender, lupine, asters, rudbeckia, Joe Pye weed, coneflower and penstemon that bees can use.
Adult butterflies consume sweet liquids, usually nectar, from a large variety of plants. Butterfly favorites are asters, bee balm, butterfly bush, butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa), potentilla, cosmos, blanket flower, lilac, marigolds, thistles, rabbitbrush, sunflowers, sweet pea, verbena and zinnias.
Adult butterflies love these plants, and that’s a great start. But the key to keeping butterflies is to provide the necessities for all stages of their lives, from egg to larva (caterpillar), to pupa (the chrysalis) to adult.
While male butterflies are lounging around the water cooler, the female butterflies are looking for a specific host plant on which to lay their eggs. For example, monarch butterflies will only lay eggs on milkweed, and black swallowtails lay their eggs on parsley, dill or other related plants. When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars will survive on that plant alone and no other. CSU Extension has a great list of food sources for the larvae and adults of several butterfly species, which you can find on their website. Read Fact Sheet no. 5.504, Attracting Butterflies to the Garden.
No matter which plants you choose, it’s important that there is a nectar source available from early spring through fall, so vary your plants by their bloom time. Have a fun time planning this fall, and enjoy your bugs—they’re working for you!
by Gerry Hofmann
Even though it seems like it has been quite toasty for weeks now, summer officially began only a few days ago. That means we have a lot of gardening time still in front of us……time to rearrange plants that could do better elsewhere (” What was I thinking when I stuck that peony in that corner?”), to find new plant treats to take home & generally enjoy where we are so far. Gardening’s trial is its saving grace: we are never really ‘done’ with it….hooray!!
In that spirit, here are some guidelines to maximize what you’re growing. By now, we have all had to contend with the results of our snow-laden spring, with a few nasty deep freezes thrown in for good measure! Certain plants appeared to succumb more often than others…….hyssop (Agastache) come to mind, for example. Normally one of the best perennials for dry hotspots, many hyssops could not handle the continued pummeling from the wet snows. Since every year’s winter/spring conditions are unique, here’s hoping that last season’s will not be a repeat!
Fortunately, we entered summertime with more moisture this year, and that generally helped what was already planted. However, June slid back to the low water level category, so be sure to ‘baby’ any recent additions to your landscape with daily water for a couple of weeks after planting, until the roots have had a chance to acclimate to their new environments. Also, except for roses & a few other plant categories, do not be afraid to ‘overhead water’ a new plant, since we want to mimic what nature does through its spring & summer rains. Washing dirt & debris off the foliage so that all-important sunshine conversion to chlorophyll can take place, plus keeping certain insects off, will go a long way toward ensuring a healthy future. Just as our skin is literally cooled by water sprayed on us on a hot, sunny day, the temperature of the herbaceous (soft) growth of your plants will benefit.
Before going much further, one of your major gardening helpers deserves an enthusiastic shout-out: mulch made from bark, compost, pine straw or dried lawn clippings. Lest it get pooh-poohed only as window dressing, remember its true value translates into multiple benefits for your plants: retaining moisture in the soil (especially for new plants) and preventing weeds from taking over by depriving seeds or seedlings of sunlight. Leave a little space around the base of your plant to avoid fungal problems, and also to allow for growth once it is settled. To avoid the wind from sending it down the street, consider planting a few inches lower from the get-go to allow for 3-4″ of mulch on top. (Some people like to use small rock as mulch; however, keep in mind that the mineral content of rock will actually add heat to your plants. This is fine if your goal is actually a rock garden, but even then, the roots of any plants suitable for that situation will need to be kept cool and moist until established.)
The enjoyment of our gardens can be lessened by their enemies, of course. There are herbicides and insecticides to deal with these problems, but consider some natural, yet often quite effective methods first. Slugs, for instance, love to chomp on tender leaves of hostas. The old method of setting up slug ‘beer bars’ in shallow dishes works, as they bellied up to the bar & fell in! However, an easier method is to strew Diatomaceous Earth underneath the plants, as the ashes act like shards of glass….with no ‘after-party mess’ to clean up! Also, strong repeated sprays of plain water can dislodge many insects. However, since some pests protect themselves by camping out underneath the leaves, as aphids do, be sure to aim the water stream upward at their actual location. Using a spritzer of organic insecticidal soap can debilitate some pests by clogging their breathing mechanisms.
Our gardens provide us with so much: lovely colors and sweet fragrances, calming environments for us to look out on or relax in, their butterfly, bird and bee buddies, fruits and veggies and so much more….no wonder we love gardening!!
We are sad to announce that Fresh Start Produce Co. will no longer be produce through the weekends at Fort Collins Nursery this summer. While they are closing their market stand, they will continue to provide produce to many local stores and restaurants, including Beavers Market, Gomez Burritos, and the Niwot Market.
We encourage you to visit one of the many fantastic Farmers’ Markets that take place throughout northern Colorado, and support the local farmers who are working so hard to bring quality produce to the Front Range!
One problem troubling dog owners is urination spots in the lawn. Grass will yellow and die, often ringed by lush, dark green grass. The dead spots are caused by concentrated salt and ammonia in the urine, which has a similar effect of burning from over-fertilization. The myth that female dogs urine is more damaging is […]
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